was in the wombe of the Virgin His flesh is not called spirituall in respect it is glorified in the heauens at the right hand of the Father be not deceiued with that for suppose it be glorified yet it remaineth true flesh that same verie flesh which hee tooke out of the wombe of the blessed Virgine Neither is it spirituall because thouseest it not in the Supper if thou wert where it is Answere thou mightest see it But it is called spirituall in respect of the spirituall ends wherunto it serues to my body soule because the flesh bloud of Christ serueth to nourish me not to a temporall but to a spirituall heauenly life Now in respect this flesh is a spiritual foode seruing me to a spirituall life for this cause it is called a spirituall thing if it nourish mee as the flesh of beasts doth but to a temporall life it should be called but a temporall thing but in respect it nourisheth my soule not to an earthly and temporall life but to an heauenly celestiall and spirituall end In respect of this end the flesh of Christ and Christ in respect of his flesh is called the spirituall thing in the Sacrament It is called also the spiritual thing in the Sacrament in respect of the spirituall instrument whereby it is receiued The instrument whereby the flesh of Christ is receiued is not a corporall instrument is not the teeth and mouth of the body but it is spirituall it is the mouth of the soule which is faith and in respect the instrument is spirituall therefore Christ who is receiued is also called spirituall In respect also that the manner of receiuing is a heauenly spirituall and internall manner not a naturall nor externall manner in respect that the flesh of Christ which is giuen in the Sacrament is receiued by a spiritual secret maner which is not seene to the eyes of men In all these respects I call Christ Iesus the heauenly and spirituall thing which is signified by the signes in the Sacrament Now The thing signified must be applyed I say in the end the thing signified must bee applyed to vs. What auaileth it me to see my medicine in a box standing in an Apothecaries shop what can it worke toward me if it be not applyed What auaileth it mee to see my saluation afarre of if it be not applied to mee Therefore it is not enough for vs to see Christ but he must be giuen vs or else he cannot worke health and saluation in vs. And as this saluation is giuen vs wee must haue a mouth to take it What auaileth it mee to see meat before me except I haue a mouth to take it So the thing signified in the Sacrament must be giuen vs by God by the Three persons of the Trinitie one GOD by Christ Iesus who must giue himselfe as he giues himselfe so wee must haue a mouth to take him Suppose he present and offer himselfe yet he can profit and auaile none but them who haue a mouth to receiue him Then ye see what I call the thing signified whole Christ applyed to vs and receiued by vs vvhole Christ God and man without separation of his natures vvithout distinguishing of his substance from his graces All applyed to vs. Then I say seeing we come to the Sacrament to be fed by his flesh and refreshed by his bloud to be fed to an heauenly and spirituall life and seeing there is no profit to be had at this Table without some kinde of preparation therefore let no man prease to come to this holy Table except in some measure hee be prepared Some will be prepared in a greater measure then others alwayes let no man presume to go to it except in some measure his heart be sanctified therefore my exhortation concerning the way whereby euery one of you ought to prepare your selues that yee may fit you the better to this Table is this there is not one of you that commeth to the Table of the Lord that may bring before the Lord his integritie iustice and vprightnes but whosoeuer goeth to the Table of the Lord hee ought to goe with the acknowledging confession of his misery he ought to goe with a sorrowfull hart for the sinnes wherin he hath offended God he ought to goe with a hatred of those sinnes Not to protest that hee is holy iust and vpright but to protest and confesse that he is miserable and of all creatures the most miserable and therefore hee goeth to that Table to get support for his misery to obtaine mercy at the throne of Grace to get remission and forgiuenes of his sinnes to get the gift of repentance that more more he may study to liue vprightly holily and soberly in all time to come Therfore except yee haue entred into this course and haue a purpose to continue in this course to amend your life past to repent you of your sinnes and by the grace of God to liue more vprightly and soberly then yee haue done for Gods cause goe not to the Table For where there is not a purpose to doe well and to repent of necessity there must be a purpose to doe ill and whosoeuer commeth to that Table with a purpose to doe ill and without a purpose to repent he commeth to mock Christ to scorne him to his face to eate his owne present-condemnation So let no man come to that Table that hath not in his hart a purpose to doe better that hath not a hart to sorrow for his sinnes past and thinketh not his former follie and madnesse ouer-great Let no man come to that Table without this vnder the paine of condemnation But if yee haue in your hart a purpose to doe better suppose your former life hath been dissolute and loose yet if yee be touched in your harts with any feeling or remorse of your life past goe not from the Table but come vvith a protestation of your misery and wretchednesse and come with a heart to gette grace if vvith a dissolute life I meane not of open slaunders thou haue also a purpose not to amend but to doe vvorse for Gods sake abstaine Thus farre of the thing signified Vnto this generall consideration there remaineth these things yet to bee made plaine vnto you First how the signes and the thing signified are coupled together and how they are conioyned Next it restes to be told you how the signe is deliuered and hovv the thing signified is deliuered and hovv both are receiued as vvell as they are deliuered This beeing done I shall speake briefely of the other part of the Sacrament vvhich is the vvord And last of all I shall let you see what sort of faults they are that peruert the Sacrament and make it of no effect And if time shall serue I shall enter in particular to this Sacrament which wee haue in hand Then to come back againe In the third place How the signe the
these three or doe it in the name of any one of the three persons onely ye lose the essentiall form of Baptisme In the Lords Supper if yee leaue out the least ceremonie ye lose the essential form and so it is not a Sacrament I speak of the essentiall forme in respect of the Papists who keepe the essentiall forme in Baptisme though they haue brought in trifles of their owne and mixt with it yet in respect they keepe the substantiall forme it is not necessary that they who were baptized vnder them be rebaptized Indeed if the vertue of regeneration flowed from the person it were something but in respect Christ hath this to giue to whom when he pleaseth the essentiall forme being kept it is not necessary that this Sacrament be reiterated Now what are the faults in the person that peruerts the Sacrament The fault may be either in the person of the giuer or in the person of the receiuer I speake not of those common faults which are common to all but of such faultes as disable the person of the giuer to be a distributer of the Sacrament taketh the office from him so when the person of the giuer is this way disabled no question it is not a Sacrament Then again in the person of the Receiuer the faults may be if their childreÌ„ be not in the couenant but out of it they get not the SacrameÌ„t Indeed if the Parents afterward com to the couenant the children thogh they be gotteÌ„ out of the couenant may be receiued Euen so in the L. Supper if a man be laden with any burthen of sin without any purpose to repent hee ought not to receiue it So then if ye come without a purpose to repent ye lose the vse of the Sacrament it is onely this purpose to repent that maketh me who receiue the Sacrament to get the fruit effect therof therefore euery one who goeth to that Sacrament must looke what purpose he hath in his hart Hast thou a purpose to murder to continue in adultery or to commit any other vile sin that is in thy hart and art not resolued to repent In shewing thee to be without repentance thou shewest thy selfe to be without faith and consequently thou commest vnto thy condemnation not to thy saluation take heed then what your purpose is for if with a dissolute life yee haue a dissolute purpose yee come vnto your euerlasting perdition I had thought to haue entred particularly into the handling of this Sacrament CoÌ„clusion with an exhortation but because the time is past and some of you I doubt not are to communicate onely this Remember that yee addresse not your selues to that Table except ye finde your harts in some sort prepared The first degree of preparation standeth in contrition in sorowing for sinne in a feeling of your sins wherein ye haue â—ffended so gracious a God If ye be able as that woman was by the tears of a contrite hart to wash the feete of Christ humbly to kiss his feete and to get hold of the foote of Christ though yee dare not presume so high as to get him whole ye are in a good case but if thou want all these and hast them not in some measure thou wantest all the degrees of preparation therefore let none come to this Table except hee haue these in some measure But vvhere there is a displeasure for sinne a purpose to doe better an earnest sobbing and sighing to get the thing that thou wantest in that soule where God hath placed this desire of Christ it is the vvorke of Gods spirit Christ will enter there And therfore though that soule be farre from the thing that it should be at let him not refuse to goe to the Lords Table but let him go with a profession of his owne infirmitie weakenesse and with a desire of the thing that he wants Euery one of you that findeth himselfe this way disposed let him goe in Gods name to the Lords Table and the Lord worke this in euery one of your harts that this ministerie may be effectuall in euery one of you at this time and that in the righteous merits of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father the holy Ghost be all honour praise glorie both now and for euer Amen THE SECOND Sermon vpon the Lords Supper in particular 1. Cor. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to vvit that the Lord Iesus in the night that hee vvas betrayed tooke bread c. WE ended the consideration of the Sacraments in generall in our last Exercise welbeloued in Christ Iesus now it remaines that we proceed to the consideration of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper in particular Of the Supper of the Lord in particular And that yee may the better attaine vnto the knowledge and consideration of the great varietie of matter that is coÌ„tained in this Sacrament of the Lods Supper I shall endeuour Heads to be intreated of as God shall giue me grace to set downe certaine things for the easier vnderstanding of it And first of all I vvill let you see what names are giuen vnto this Sacrament in the Bible and I will shew you some names that are giuen to this Sacrament by the Ancients Next I will let you vnderstand for what chiefe ends respects this Sacrament was instituted and appointed by Christ Iesus Thirdly I will come to the things that are contained in the Sacrament how these things are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued And last of all I will answere certaine obiections which may be obiected to the contrary of this doctrine and as God shall giue me grace I will refute them and so end this present exercise Now First head generall we finde sundry names giuen vnto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the booke of God and euery name carries a speciall reason with it Of the names giueÌ„ vnto this Sacrament both in the Bible and by the ancients Wee finde this Sacrament called the body and bloud of Christ This name is giuen vnto it no doubt because it is a heauenly spiritual nouriture it containes a nouriture of the soule that is able to nourish and traine vp the soule to a life spiritual to that life euerlasting for this cause it is called the body bloud of Christ It is called also the Supper of the Lord to put a difference betwixt it a profane supper for this is the Lords Supper a holy supper not a profane or common supper a supper appointed for the increase of holiness for the food of the soule in holiness to feede the soule vnto life euerlasting Not a supper appointed for the belly for he had ended that Supper that was appointed for the belly or euer he began this supper which was appointed for the soule A supper no doubt hauing respect to the circuÌ„stance of
bloud chiefely is the thing signified in the Sacrament of Baptisme and why because that by his bloud hee washeth away the filth of our soules because that by the vertue of his bloud he quickneth vs in our soules with a heauenly life because that by the power of his bloud hee ingrafteth and incorporateth vs in his owne body For that Sacrament is a testimonie of the remission of our sinnes that is of the cleanenesse of our consciences that our consciences by that bloud are washed inwardly It testifieth also our new birth that wee are begotten spiritually to a heauenly life It testifieth also the ioyning of vs in the body of Christ As it is a testimony so it is a seale it not onely testifieth but sealeth it vp in our harts and maketh vs in our harts to feele the taste of that heauenly life begun in vs that wee are translated from death in the which wee were conceiued and ingrafted in the body of Christ Marke then Christ in his bloud as hee is the washing of our regeneration is the thing signified in Baptisme In this Sacrament of the Lords Supper againe this same Christ is the thing signified in another respect to wit in this respect that his body and bloud serue to nourish my soule to life euerlasting for this Sacrament is no other thing but the image of our spirituall nourishment GOD testifying how our foules are fed nourished to that heauenly life by the image of a corporal nourishmeÌ„t So in diuerse respects the same thing that is Chr. Iesus is signified in Baptisme and is signified in the Lords Supper In this Sacrament the fruits of Christes death whereof I spake the vertue of his sacrifice the vertue of his passion I call not these fruits vertues only the thing signified in the Sacrament of the L Supper but rather I call the thing signified that substance that person out of the which substance this vertue these fruits do flow and proceed I grant and it is most certain that by the lawfull vse participation of the Sacrament thou art partaker of all these fruites yet these fruites are not the first and chiefe thing whereof thou art partaker in this Sacrament but of force thou must get another thing first It is true that no man can be partaker of the substance of Christ but the same soule must be also partaker of the fruites that flowe from his substance yet notwithstanding thou must discerne betwixt the substance and the fruites that flowe from the substance and thou must be partaker of the substance in the first roome then in the next place thou must bee partaker of the fruites that flowe from his substance To make this cleere in Baptisme the fruites of Baptisme are remission of our sinnes mortification the killing of sinne and the sealing vp of our adoption to life euerlasting The substance out of the which these fruite doe flowe is the bloud of Christ Ye must heere of force discerne between the bloud vvhich is the substance and betweene remission of sinnes washing and regeneration which are the fruites that flow from this bloud so in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the fruits of that Sacrament are the growth oâ— faith the increase in holiness The thing signified is the substance that is the body bloud of Christ is the substance out of which this growth in faith and holinesse doth proceed Now see ye not this That you must discerne betweene the substance and the fruites and must place the substance in the first place So that the substance of Christ that is Christ himselfe is the thing signified in this Sacrament For your owne experience will make this plaine vnto you Before your stomack be filled with any foode yee must eate the substance of the food first before you be filled with bread yee must eate the substance of the bread first before your drouth bee quenched with any drinke yee must of necessitie drinke the substance of the drinke first Euen so after this maner before the hunger of your soules be satisfied the thirst thereof quenched yee must eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud first and that by faith So consider the one by the other looke to what vse bread and vvine serue to thy body to the same vse the body and bloud of Christ serue to thy soule and he that appointed the one to serue for thy body the same God appointed the other to serue for thy soule So looke how impossible it is for thee to be fedde with that foode that neuer commeth into thy mouth or to recouer health by those drugges which neuer were applyed it is as impossible for thee to be fed by the body of Christ to get thy health by the bloud of Christ except thou first eate his bodie and drinke his bloud Then yee see that the thing signified in the Lords Supper is not the fruites so much as the body and bloud and Christ Iesus which is the fountaine and substance from which these fruites doe flowe and proceed Then I say suppose Christ The thing signified in both the SacrameÌ„ts is one the signes are not one who is the thing signified remaine alwaies one and the same in both the Sacraments yet the signes whereby this one Christ is signified in the Sacraments are not one nor of an â—quall number For in Baptisme the thing that representeth Christ is Water In the Lords Supper the things that represent Christ are Bread and Wine Water is appointed to represent Christ in Baptisme because it is meetest to represent our vvashing with the bloud of Christ for what is fitter to wash with then water so there is nothing meeter to wash the soule then the bloud of Christ In this Sacrament he hath appointed Bread and Wine why Because there is nothing more meet to nourish the body then bread and vvine so the Lord hath not chosen these signes without a reason As the signes in the Sacrament are not alwaies one so the same in both are not of one number for in Baptisme wee haue but one element in this Sacrament wee haue two elements Now what is the reason of this diuersitie that the Lord in the one Sacrament Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two hath appointed two signes and in the other but one signe I will shew you the reason He hath appointed onely one signe in Baptisme to wit Water because Water is sufficient enough for the whole If Water had not been sufficient to represent the thing signified hee would haue appointed another signe but in respect that water doâ—â— the turne and representeth fully the washing of our soules by the bloud of Christ what need then haue we of any other sign Now in this Sacrament one signe will not suffice but there must be two And vvhy Wine cannot be sufficient alone neyther can Bread be sufficient alone for he that hath Bread onely and
visible and palpable I proue my Proposition by Christ his owne words taken out of Luke 24.39 In the which place to perswade the Apostles of the verity of his body and to proue euidently that it was not fantasticall heevseth the argument taken from these tvvo qualities and he commands his Apostles to feele and see giuing them thereby to vnderstand that as these two senses are the most certaine of all the rest so are they most able to discerne whether hee was a body or a spirit As if he would haue said If I be visible and palpable ye may be out of doubt that I haue a true body For as the Poet saith which Tertullian citeth also to this same purpose Tangere enim et tangi nisi corpus nulla potestres By these arguments it may be euidently seen how this Transubstantiation may no way stand with the verity of the bodie of Chr. Iesus And as it fights with the flesh of Christ Iesus so it repugnes directly the articles of our faith For in our Beliefe we professe Second sort of argumeÌ„t that Christ ascended out of this earth to the heauen where hee sits at the right hand of the Father vvhere hee gouerns and directs all things in heauen and earth from the which place he is to come at the last day to iudge the world This article teacheth vs that hee hath changed his dwelling vvhich hee had amongst vs on the earth and is ascended into the heauens where he sits at the right hand of his Father and shall remaine there according to the testimony of Peter which I cited out of the Acts 3.21 vntill the last day If hee sit at his Fathers right hand and be to remaine in heauen vntill the last day theÌ„ is he not corporally in the bread But the article of our Beliefe saith That he sitteth at the right hand of his Father and Peter saith in that place that the heauens must containe him vntill the last day Therefore this Transubstantiation is directly against the articles of our Beliefe the manifest place of the Scripture Thirdly it is opposite vnto the end Third sort of argumeÌ„t wherefore this Sacrament was instituted this is most euident for the end of the Sacrament is spirituall as the effect that floweth thereof is spiritual and the instrument whereby this spirituall food is applyed to vs is also spiritual But from a naturall and corporall presence a spirituall effect can neuer flowe therefore the corporall and naturall presence of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus repugnes directly the end of this Sacrament for the corporall presence must haue a corporall eating of this eating followeth a digestion in the stomacke and the thing that is digested in the stomack is neuer able to feed my soule to life eternall So this corporall presence must euer tend to a corporall end which is directly contrarie vnto the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted Further Other arguments vnto the same effect if the bread were transubstantiate it should become the thing signified if it become the thing signified this Sacrament should want a signe and so it should not be a Sacrament for euery Sacrament as yee haue heard is a signe Now to say that the accidents of true bread as the colour and the roundnesse of it that they may serue as signes that is more then folly for between the signe and the thing signified there must be a conformity but there is no conformity between the accidents and the body and bloud of Christ Iesus For if that were so the accidents behoued to nourish vs corporally as the body and bloud of Christ Iesus is appointed to nourish vs spiritually Againe if the bread become the body and bloud of Christ Iesus it should follow that he had a body without bloud for hee hath instituted another signe besides to represent his bloud Also if there had been such a wonderfull thing as they speak of in this Sacrament there would haue been plaine mention made thereof in the Scripture for God himselfe works neuer a notable worke but he declares it either openly or more secretly in the Scripture that thereby hee may be glorified in his wonderfull works As yee may read in the Euangelist â—ohn 2.8 where the vvater was changed into wine Gene. 2.22 where the rib of Adam was changed into Heua Exodus 7.10 where Aarons rodde was turned into a Serpent there ye see that changing is manifestly expressed Therefore I say if there had bin such a monstrous change in these elemeÌ„ts of the Supper as they affirm the Scripture would not haue concealed it but expressed it but in respect there is no meÌ„tion made of this change in the Script therfore there is no such change in this action Further if there were such a change as they say either it is before these words of consecration be spoken or followes after the same words be spoken If the change be before the words of the coÌ„secration be spoken the consecration is superfluous their Proposition is false if the change be after the words be spoken This bread is my body their Proposition is false also because the word bread is spoken before the last syllable of their fiue words is pronounced These and infinite moe absurdities follow of this doctrine And yet they obstinately perseuer and vrge vs with the letter affirming that the words of Christ are so plaine that they admit no figure They would haue spoken more aduisedly if they had sought counsell of Augustine to haue discerned between a figuratiue speech and a proper speech for he in his third booke and 16. chapter of Christian doctrine speakes after this sort If the speech saith hee seeme to commaund a vvickedness or mischeife on to forbid any happinesse or any vvelfare it is not proper it is then figuratiue And he adds for an example a place out of Iohn 6.53 Except saith our Sauiour ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you Whereunto Augustine addeth This speech saith he sesmeth to coÌ„maund a mischiefe therefore it is a figuratiue speech vvhereby wee are commanded to coÌ„municate with the sufferings of Christ Iesus and with gladnes to keepe in perpetuall memory that the flesh of the Lord was crucified and wounded for vs. For otherwise it were more horrible as the same Augustine maketh mention in the second booke against the Aduersaries of the lavv to eate the flesh of Christ Iesus really then to murther him and more horrible to drinke his bloud then to shed his bloud Yet notwithstanding they are not ashamed still to hold maintaine that those words ought to be taken properly So that it appeareth that of very malice for contradiction sake to the end onely that they may withstand the truth they will not acknowledge this to be a sacrameÌ„tall speech For they are compelled will they nill they in other speeches of the like sort to acknowledge a
THE MYSTERIE OF THE LORDS SVPPER CLEERELY MANIFESTED IN FIVE SERMONS Two of Preparation and Three of the Sacrament it selfe BY A REVEREND AND FAITHfull Preacher of Gods word IOHN 6.54.63 Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life AT LONDON Imprinted for Thomas Man 1614. THE PRINTER TO THE READER I Present here vnto thy viewe good reader a learned and godly treatise wherein the Doctrine of the Lords supper is both plainely and fully handled A worke which heretofore hath beene in diuers mens hands yet not without some inconuenience for being at first borne in another soyle then our owne it was written in a language though but the same with ours in substance yet by reason of the peculiar dialect or propriety so often varying and more then sufficient to make them that are not throughly acquainted with the difference to mistake euen things that to our vnderstanding are much more familiar then the holy mysteries of our saluation The consideratiō of which incommodity did moue a worthy and truly religious Gentleman M. S. Michell to take the paines to peruse and polishe so good a worke to the end to publish it that so it might be profitable to all But hauing scarse finished and prepared it for the presse it pleased God to take him to himselfe before he could see a finall end of this and many other his religious and honest endeauors yet least the Church should haue lost so precious a Iewell his zeale of good doing continuing vnto the end he committed the execution of this so godly a desire to the speciall care of one of his good and trusty friends who being faithfull in the trust committed vnto him is a principal meanes that now it commeth safely to thy hands receiue it therefore and esteeme it as the most godly and iudicious haue euer done the best and most profitable treatise that euer hath bin published of this subiect and cease not to thanke God for raising vp so many meanes to procure thy good whose sole end in all their labours is Gods glory and the furthering of thy true happinesse Farewell Thine in Christ Iesus F. B. The first Sermon vpon the Sacraments in generall 1. Corin. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. THere is nothing in this world nor out of this world more to be wished of euery one of you more to be craued and sought of euery one of you then to bee conioyned with Christ Iesus then once to be made one with the God of glory Christ Iesus This heauenly and celestiall coniunction is purchased and brought about by two speciall meanes It is brought about by meanes of the word and preaching of the Gospell and it is brought about by the meanes of the Sacraments and ministration thereof The word leadeth vs to Christ by the eare the Sacraments lead vs to Christ by the eye Two senses of all the rest which God hath chosen as most meet for this purpose to instruct vs and bring vs vnto Christ For that doctrine must be most effectuall mouing that wakeneth and stirreth vp most of the outward senses that doctrine that wakeneth not onely the eare but the eye the taste the feeling and all the rest of the outward senses must moue the heart most must be most effectuall and pearcing in the soule But so it is that this doctrine of the Sacraments moues stirres vp and wakens most of the outward senses therfore it must bee if wee come well prepared vnto it most effectuall to stirre vp the inward senses of the dull heart But there is a thing that yee must euer remember there is no doctrine neither of the simple word nor yet of the Sacraments if Christ abstract his holy spirit that is able to moue therefore when euer yee come to heare the doctrine whether it be of the Sacraments or of the simple word craue of God that hee would be present by his holy spirit or otherwise all the doctrine in the earth will not awaile you Alwaies this doctrine of the Sacraments stirres vp and wakens most of the outward senses and therefore there is no question but it is an effectuall and potent instrument to waken prepare and stirre vp our hearts Then to let you see what the word Sacrament meaneth The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament and to remoue the ambiguitie of it it is certaine and out of all question that the Latine Diuines who were most ancient did interpret the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Sacrament and they vsed the Greeke word not onely to signifie the whole action of the Supper of the Lord and the whole action of Baptisme but they vsed the word Mystery to signifie whatsoeuer is darke and bid in it selfe and not frequented in the common vse of men as after this manner the Apostle calleth the vocation of the Gentiles a mysterie Ephes 3.9 Ephes 5.32 This coniunction which is begun heere betwixt vs and Christ is called a Mysterie and the Latine Interpreters call it a Sacrament and to be short ye will not finde in the booke of God a word more frequent then the word Mysterie But as for the word Sacrament wherby they interpret the Greeke word we finde not this word by the same Diuines to be taken so largely neither is it takē so largely in any part of the booke of God Alwayes the word Sacrament is very ambiguous in it selfe and there ariseth about the ambiguitie of this word many controuersies which are not yet ceased nor will not cease while the world lasteth whereas if they had kept the Apostles words and called them as the Apostle calleth them Signes and Seales all this digladiation strife and contention appearingly had not fallen out but where men will be wiser then God and giue names to things without warrant from God vpon the wit of man which is but meere folly all this stirre falleth out Well then to come vnto the purpose The ancient Diuines tooke the word Sacrament as we may perceiue in a fourefold manner Sometime they tooke it for the whole action that is the whole ministery of the Elements sometime they tooke it not for the whole action but for the outward things that are vsed in the action of Baptisme and of the Supper as they tooke it for the vvater and sprinkling of it for the Bread and Wine breaking distributing and eating thereof Thirdly againe they tooke it not for the whole outward things that are vsed in the action but onely for the materiall and earthly things the Elements as for Bread and Wine in the Supper and water in Baptisme And after this sort saith Augustine the wicked eate
signified will come into your mind So this comming of the thing signified into the hart and minde maketh it plaine vnto you that there is a coniunction betweene the word and the thing signified by the word To tell you of this sort of coniunction it is not so easie because the thing signified is not present vnto the eye as the word is to the eare If euery thing signified were as present vnto your eye as the word is to your eare it were easie to see the coniunction but novv seeing the coniunction is mysticall secret and spirituall therefore it is hard to make you to vnderstand it euer obserue What coniunction is between the simple word and the thing signified by the word the same kinde of coniunction is between the Sacrament and the thing signified by the Sacrament for the Sacrament is no other thing but a visible word I call it a visible word why because it conueyes the signification of it by the eye to the minde as this is an audible word because it conueyeth the signification of it by the eare to the minde In the Sacrament so often as yee looke on it ye shall no sooner see that Bread with your eye but the body of Christ shal come into your mind ye shal no sooner see that Wine but after the preaching and opening vp of the parts of the Sacrament the bloud of Christ shall come into your mind Now this coniunction betweene the signe and the thing signified in the Sacrament standeth chiefely as yee may perceiue in two things First in a relation betweene the signe and the thing signified which ariseth from a likenes and proportion betwixt them two for if there vvere no proportion analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified by the signe there could not be a Sacrament or a relation So the first part of this coniunction standeth in a relation which ariseth from a certaine similitude and likenes which the one hath with the other And this likenes may be easily perceiued for looke how able the bread is to nourish thy body to this life earthly temporall the flesh of Christ signified by the bread is as able to nourish both body soule to life euerlasting so ye may perceiue some kinde of proportion between the signe and the thing signified The second point of the coniunction standeth in a continuall mutuall concurring the one with the other in such sort that the signe and the thing signified are offered both together receiued together at one time and in one action the one outwardly the other inwardly if so bee that thou hast a mouth in thy soule which is faith to receiue it Then the second point of the coniunction standeth in a ioynt offering and in a ioynt receiuing and this I call a concurrence Then would you knowe what manner of coniunction is between the signe the thing signified I say it is a relatiue coniunction a secret and a mystical coniunction which standeth in a mutuall relation There is no more to be obserued heerein but this onely that if yee conioyne these two yee be carefull not to confound them beware that ye turne not the one into the other but keepe either of them in his owne integritie without confusion or permixtion of the one with the other and so ye shall haue the lawfull coniunction that should be in the Sacrament There is not a lesson that can be learned out of this at the least that I can marke or gather except only the lesson of the kindnesse and goodnes of the euerliuing God who hath inuented so many wonderfull sorts of coniunction and all to this purpose that wee might be conioyned to aduance this great mysticall coniunction betwixt the God of glory and vs In the which coniunction our weale felicity and happinesse in this life and in the life to come doth onely stand That he is so carefull to conioyne himselfe with his word and Sacraments that we in his word and Sacraments might be conioyned vvith him If wee were mooued with the care and loue of God expressed in these coniunctions though it were neuer so little on our parts assuredly we would neuer defraude our selues of the fruit of that happy coniunction nor bring it in such a loathing disdaine as we doe this day for we by following and preferring of our pleasures to Christ his counsell haue made the stomacks of our soules so foule and ill disposed that either they receiue him not at all or if he be receiued hee is not able to tary And why because a foule stomack is not able to keepe him for incontinent vvee choke him so either with the lusts of the flesh or with the cares of this world that he is compelled to depart And if Christ be not both deuoured and digested hee can doe vs no good and this digestion cannot be where there is not a greedy appetite to the receit of him for if thou be not hungry for him he is not ready for thee And I am assured if all the men in the Countrey were examined by this rule that there were none that receiue Christ but he that hath a stomack and is hungry for him I doubt that few should be found to receiue him I feare that vvee haue taken such a lothing and disdaine of that heauenly foode that there is not such a thing as any kinde of hunger or appetite of it in our soules And vvhat is the cause of this I will tell you Suppose wee haue renounced the corporall and grosse Idolatry wherein our Fathers were plunged and drowned which men in some parts goe about to erect now yet as the maners of this Countrey and the behauiour of euery one of vs doth testifie there is not a man that hath renounced that damnable Idoll that hee hath in his ovvne soule nor the inuisible Idolatry that hee hath in his owne hart and mind There is not a man but to that same Idoll wherewith hee was conceiued borne whereunto he addicted himselfe and was a slaue before but to that Idoll he giueth his seruice yet And therefore maruaile not when thou hast addicted thy seruice set thy affection and poured out thy hart vpon that pleasure of thine owne vpon that Idoll of thine owne vpon that lust and mischiefe of thine owne maruaile not if thou haue no appetite to Christ nor to that heauenly foode When thou hast thy soule poured forth on some villanie and vvickednesse and hast sent it farre afield how is it possible for thee to retire it draw it home againe to imploy it where thou shouldest on Christ Iesus Then let euery one in his owne ranke take heed to his owne domestick Idoll that lodgeth vvithin his owne hart and prease to cleare himselfe of it or otherwise yee cannot see the face of Christ nor be partakers of his kingdome There is not another lesson in Christianitie but this this is the first the last lesson to
Wine onely hath not a perfect corporall nourishment therefore that they might represent and let vs see a perfect nourishment hee hath giuen vs both Bread Wine for the perfect corporall nourishment standeth in meat and drinke to represent the full and perfect nourishment of the soule Marke how full and perfect a nourishment hee hath to his body that hath store of Bread and Wine So he that hath Christ lacketh nothing of a full and perfect nourishment for his soule Then you see the reason wherfore there are two signes appointed in this Sacrament and onely one signe in Baptisme There remaineth yet concerning these signes two things to be inquired First Two questions What power the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament And how long that power indureth what power hath that bread in this Sacrament to be a signe more then the bread which is vsed in common houses from whence commeth that power Next if it haue a power how long indureth and remaineth that power with the bread For the first concerning the power which that bread hath more then any other bread I will tell you That bread hath a power giuē vnto it by Christ by his institutiō Answer 1 by the which institution it is appointed to signifie his body to represent his body to deliuer his body That bread hath a power flowing frō Christ That bread hath that power from Christs institution and his institution vvhich other common bread hath not so that if any of you would ask whē the Minister in this action is breaking or distributing that Bread pouring out and distributing that Wine if you would I say aske what sort of creatures those are this is the answere They are holy things Yee must giue this name to the signes and seales of the body and bloud of Christ That bread of the Sacrament is a holy bread and that vvine is an holy vvine Why Because the blessed institution of Christ hath seuerd them from that vse wherevnto they serued before and hath applied them vnto an holy vse not to feed the body but to feede the soule Thus farre concerning the power of that bread it hath a power flowing frō Christ and his institution Answer 2 Now the second thing is how long this power continueth vvith that bread how long that bread hath this office That power continues during the seruice of the Table In a word I say this power continueth with that bread during the time of the action during the seruice of the Table Look how long that action continues and that the seruice of the Table lasteth so long it continueth holy bread so long continueth the power with that bread but looke how soone the action is ended so soone endeth the holinesse of it looke how soon the seruice of the Table is ended so soon that bread becomes cōmon bread againe the holinesse of it ceaseth Then this power continueth not for euer but it continues onely during the time of the action and seruice of the Table Thus far concerning the Elements There is besides the Elements an other sort of signes in the Sacrament there is not a ceremonie in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but is a signe and hath it owne spirituall signification with it as namely looking to the breaking of that bread it representeth vnto thee the breaking of the body bloud of Christ Not that his body and bones were broken but that it was broken with dolour with anguish and distresse of hart with the weight of the indignation and furie of God that he sustained for our sinnes which he took vpon him Then the breaking is an essentiall ceremonie the pouring out of the wine also is an essentiall ceremonie For as yee see cleerly that by the wine is signified the bloud of Christ so by the pouring out of the wine is signified that his bloud was seuered from his flesh and the seuering of those two maketh death for in bloud is the life and consequently it testifieth his death The pouring out of the wine then tells thee that he dyed for thee that his bloud was shed for thee so this is an essentiall ceremonie which must not be left out Likewise the distribution giuing and eating of that bread are essentiall ceremonies And what doth the eating testifie vnto thee The applying of the body bloud of Christ vnto thy soule So that there is none of these rites but haue their own signification and there cannot one of them be left out but ye shal peruert the whole action Thus farre concerning the signes Now An obseruation what profit can ye make of all this discourse Learne this lesson and yee shal make profit by these things In respect that euery signe and ceremonie hath it owne spirituall signification so that there is not a ceremonie in this whole action that wants it owne spirituall signification consider this and thinke with your selues at that time especially when yee are at the Lords Table in the sight of that action that looke vvhat thou seest the Minister dooing outwardly what euer it be Is he breaking that Bread is hee dealing that bread is he pouring out and distributing that vvine Thinke assuredly vvith thy selfe that Christ is as busie dooing all these things spiritually vnto thy soule hee is as busie giuing vnto thee his ovvne bodie vvith his owne hand hee is as busie giuing to thee his owne bloud with the vertue and efficacie of it So in this action if thou be a faithfull Communicant looke vvhat the mouth doth and hovv the mouth of the body is occupied outwardlie so is the hand and mouth of the soule vvhich is faith occupied invvardly As the mouth taketh that Bread and that Wine so the mouth of thy soule taketh the body and bloud of Christ and that by faith For by faith and a constant perswasion is the onelie vvay to eate the bodie and drinke the bloud of Christ invvardly and dooing this there cannot but follow a fruitefull eating Thus farre for the consideration of the signes Now commeth in the matter wherein greatest difficulty standeth wherof I spake the last day How the signes and the thing signified are conioyned in the Sacrament as God gaue me the grace yet in the particular I must speak as wel as in the generall but somewhat more shortly Then ye haue to vnderstand for the better information of your consciences and for the better preparation of your soules yee haue to vnderstand how that bread and that vvine which are the signes are coupled with the body and bloud of Christ which are signified thereby What sort of coniunction this is and from whence this coniunction floweth I shall be briefe because I haue already in my last Lecture spoken of it at large Take heede for if ye giue not good attention it is not possible that ye can conceiue this coniunction Concerning this coniunction would you knowe how these two are coupled Then must
inward and renewed vnderstanding whereby wee get the first apprehension of Christ Now if this first apprehension of Christ like vs well then the next followeth Wee beginne to cast the affection of our harts on him we haue good will to him for all our affections proceed from our will and our affections beeing renewed and made holy wee sette them wholly vpon Christ We loue him and if we loue him we take hold on him we eate him and digest him that is we apply him to our soules and so of this loue and liking of him the second apprehension doth follow But if we haue no will to him if wee haue no loue nor liking of him what doe we Then we reiect him and preferre our owne Idol and the seruice of our own affections to him and so the second apprehension followeth not Wee cannot digest him and if wee digest him not that spirituall life cannot growe in vs for marke in vvhat place the eye serues to the bodie in the same roome serueth knowledge and vnderstanding to thy soule and looke in vvhat place thy hand and thy mouth thy taste and thy stomack serue vnto thy body in that very place serue the hart and affections to thy soule So that as our bodies cannot be nourished except our hands take and our mouthes eate the meate whereby the second apprehension may follow likewise our soules cannot feede on Christ except we hold him and imbrace him hartilie by our wills and affections For we come not to Christ by any outward motion of our bodies but by an inward motion and apprehension of the hart For God finding vs all in a reprobate sense he brings vs to Christ by reforming the affection of our soules by making vs to loue him And therefore the second apprehension wherby wee digest our Sauiour will neuer enter into our soules except as hee pleaseth the eye so he please the will and the affection also Now if this come to passe that our wills affections are wholly bent vpon Christ then no doubt vvee haue gotten this Iewell of faith Haue yee such a liking in your minds and such a loue in your harts of Christ that ye will prefer him before all things in the world then no question faith is begun in you Now How faith is nourished and entertained in vs. after a thing is begunne there is yet more required for though this faith be formed in your mindes in your harts and soules yet that is not enough but that which is formed must be nourished and hee who is conceiued must be entertained and brought vp or else the loue that is begunne in mee by the holy spirit except by ordinary meanes it be daily entertained and nourished it will decay except the Lord continue the working of his holie Spirit it is not possible that I can continue in the faith And how must we nourish and continue faith in our soules Two manner of waies First wee nourish faith begunne in our soules by hearing of the word not of euerie word but by hearing of the vvord of God preached and not by hearing of euery man but by hearing the word preached by him that is sent For this is the ordinarie means wherunto the Lord hath bound himselfe hee will work faith by the hearing of the word and the receiuing of the Sacraments And the more that thou hearest the vvord and the oftner that thou receiuest the Sacraments the more thy faith is nourished Now it is not onely by hearing of the word receiuing of the Sacraments that we nourish faith The word and the Sacraments are not able of themselues to nourish this faith in vs except the working of the holy Spirit be conioyned vvith their ministery But the word and the Sacraments are said to nourish faith in our soules because they offer and exhibite Christ vnto vs who is the meat the drink and life of our soules and in respect that in the word and Sacraments wee get Christ who is the foode of our soules therefore the word and Sacraments are said to nourish our soules As it is said Acts 2.42 The Disciples of Christ continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowshippe and breaking of bread and prayers by these means entertaining augmenting and nourishing the faith that was begunne in them Then the holy Spirit begets this faith works this faith creates this faith nourisheth and entertaineth this faith in our soules by hearing of the word preached and by the receiuing of the Sacraments which are the ordinary meanes whereby the Lord nourisheth vs and continueth this spirituall foode with vs. For obserue by what meanes the spirituall life is begun by the same meanes it is nourished and entertained as this temporall life is entertained and nourished by the same meanes whereby it is begun Then seeing by these meanes Conclusion with an exhortatioÌ„ the holy Spirit begets this vvorke of faith in our soules It is our dutie to craue that hee would continue the worke which hee hath begunne And for this cause we should resort to the hearing of the vvord when it is preached and to the receiuing of the Sacraments when they are ministred that we may be fedde in our soules to life euerlasting But alas wee are come to such a loathing disdaine or reiecting of heauenly foode in this Countrey that where men in the beginning would haue gone some twentie miles some fortie miles to the hearing of this vvord they vvill scarcelie novv come from their houses to the Church and remaine there but one houre to heare the vvord but rather abide at home VVell I say too much vvealth vvith-drawes their hearts and the aboundance of this vvord ingenders such a loathsomnesse that it is a rare thing to finde out any that haue that thirst and desire to heare the vvord as they vvere wont to haue in the beginning And for those that are in higher places they will heare it sildome or not at all for they cannot indure to heare the thing that accuseth them and conuicts them and therefore they auoyde it But they should not doe so they should not shunne Christ nor abstaine from â—is vvord that accuseth them but they should heare the vvord and as the vvord accuseth them they should accuse themselues also that thereby they may come to a confession of their sinne and obtaine mercy for the same So vvhen Christ accuseth thee thou shouldest not runne from him but thou shouldest draw neere to him thou shouldest threaten kindnesse of him and as it vvere make a breach and forcible entry into his kingdome It is not the way vvhen thy sinnes touch thee and when Christ accuseth thee to runne from him no thou shouldest then turne to him thou shouldest confesse thy sinne cry Peccaui and seeke mercy and after that thou hast obtained mercy this word shal becom as pleasant to thee and thou shalt take as great delight to come to the hearing of it as euer thou delightedst to flie from it before
presently your selues yet when yee visite them that are troubled in conscience let these things be proposed to them as cōforts and vse them as medicines most meet to apply to the griefe of the inward conscience so ye shal reape fruit of this doctrine and possesse your soules in a good estate Thus farre for the first poynt vvherein euery one of you ought to try and examine your ovvne consciences The second point is this Of loue which is the secōd point of our triall Try vvhether yee haue loue towards your neighbour or not For as we are coupled with God by faith so by the band of loue we are coupled with our neighbour and if yee want loue yee can haue no societie with your neighbour for loue is the chiefe principall branch that springs from the root of faith Loue is that celestiall glew that conioynes all the faithfull members in the vnity of a mysticall body And seeing that religion was instituted of God to serue as a path-way to conuey vs to our chiefe felicity and happy we cannot be except wee be like vnto our GOD like vnto him we can not be except we haue loue For as it is 1. Iohn 4.8 GOD is loue So seeing God is loue it selfe who-soeuer will resemble him must be indued vvith the oyle of loue This onely one argument testifieth to vs that this loue is a principall head vvhereunto all things that are commaunded in religion ought to be referred To spend long time in the praise of loue I hold it not necessarie seeing the holy Scripture resounds in blasing the commendations of it but that we speak not of any thing ambiguous I will let you see how this word is considered taken in the Scriptures How the word loue is taken in the Scriptures Loue is considered either as a spring or fountaine from whence the rest proceedes that is for the loue whereby we loue God And as loue commeth first from God and is poured by his holy Spirit into our harts So it first redownds vpward and strikes backe vpon himselfe for the loue of GOD must euer goe before the loue of the creature Next we take this word for that loue whereby wee loue Gods creatures our neighbours and especially them that are of the family of faith And thirdly It is taken for the deeds of the second Table which flowe from this loue Now when I speake of loue I speake of it as in the second signification to wit as it is taken for the loue of our neighbour The definitiō of loue And taking it so I call loue The gift of God poured into the harts of men and women by the which gift we first loue God in Christ our Sauiour and next in God for Gods cause we loue all his creatures but chiefly our bretheren that are of the family of faith the children of one common father with vs. Wee will examine this definition I say Of our loue toward God first the loue of God as it commeth frō GOD it returneth to God as it comes downe from him so it strikes vpward to him againe And is it not good reason And why Let thy hart fix thy loue as long as thou wilt vpon the creatures thou shalt neuer be satiate nor thy affection shall neuer be content except thou lay hold on God but if once thou loue God in thy hart and cast thy affections vpon him once takest hold on him the longer thou louest him the greater satietie and contentment shalt thou haue thou shalt not thirst for any other For as to the creatures there is neuer a creature that God hath created but it is stamped with his owne stamp euery creature beareth his Image and looking to the Image of God in the creature should it not draw thee to him that thou fix not thy hart vpon the creature for his owne Image in his creature should lead thee to himselfe And therefore the more that thou knowest the creatures and the greater varietie of knowledge that thou hast of them the more shold euery particular knowledge of them draw thee to God the more shouldest thou wonder at thy God and knowe thy duty towards him And seeing that delight flovveth from knowledge euery knowledge hath his owne delight as the variety of knowledge that ariseth from the creatures should make the minde to mount vp to the knowledge of God so the variety of delights that arise vpon the diuersitie of this knowledge should moue the hart vpward to the loue of God and the hart getting hold of God and beeing seised with the loue of God and the minde being occupied with the true knowledge of God so soone as hart and mind is full of God the hart is quiet and the minde is satisfied So that the more this knowledge groweth in thy minde the greater contentment thou hast and the more the loue of God groweth in thy hart the greater ioy reioycing hast thou in thy soule And why In God ye haue not only all the creatures but ye haue himselfe besides the creatures and therefore in God ye haue all the knowledge and delight that can arise of the creatures and beside the creatures yee haue God himselfe vvho is the Creator And so I say The mind of man can neuer quiet it selfe in the knowledge nor the hart can neuer settle it selfe in the loue of naked creatures in respect they are flowing vanity as Salomon calls them But in the infinite God rightly known and earnestly loued the mind shal finde a ful rest and the hart shall haue a perfect ioy For our affection is so insatiable that no finite thing thing will satisfie it nor there can be no solide settling vpon the thing that is transitory So the loue ought to moūt vpward first to God in whose face the hart shal find full and perfect ioy The second Argument that I vse is this Seeing there is onely one precept left by our Master in recommendation to be obserued by vs namely Of loue towards our neighbour That euery one of vs should loue another therefore our wise Master vnderstanding wel that where loue vvas there needed no more lawes that the life of man by loue onely behooued to be most happy left onely the same in chiefe recommendation and takes vp the whole Law Gospel in one word Loue. And if the hart of man were indued with loue his life might be most happy and blessed for there is nothing maketh this life happy but the resemblance and likelihood that we haue with God The neerer we drawe to God the more blessed is our life for there cannot be so happy a life as the life of God In the first Epist of Iohn 4.8 God is loue therefore the more we are in loue the more neer we are to that happy life for we are in God partakers of the life of God When I speake this yee must not thinke that loue in God and loue in vs is one thing for loue is but a quality in vs and it is not a quality in God There is nothing in God but that which is God so loue in God is his owne essence therfore the more that ye grow in loue the neerer ye draw to God to that happy blessed life For there is nothing more profitable more agreeable and cōuenient vnto nature then to loue and aboue all things to loue God And therefore it is that God his Angels are most happy blessed because they loue all things desire euer to do good On the other side there is nothing more vnhappy nothing more noysome more hurtfull and that eates vp nature more then to burn with enuy and hatred and therfore it is that the diuells are most miserable who torment themselues vvith continuall malice and hatred burning with a vehement appetite to be noysom to all creatures So as the life of the diuel is most vnhappy because he is full of enuy malice so our life wil be most happy if we be full of loue I will no further speake of loue Onely if yee haue loue mark the effects of it set down 1. Cor. 13.4.5.6.7 verses which effects if ye haue not in some measure yee haue not true loue I end heer Conclusion with an exhortatiō Ye see in what points euery one of you ought to be prepared Yee must be indued with this loue ye must be indued with faith if ye haue these in any small measure goe boldly to the hearing of the vvord to the receiuing of the Sacraments This is the preparation that we allow of I grant the Papists haue a preparation farre differing from this and therfore they can haue no warrant from the word of God Last of all seeing that we are commanded to try our selues He that lacketh knowledge cannot try himselfe A mad man cannot try himselfe A child cannot try himselfe therfore they ought not to come to the Lords Table All these things being considered aright he that hath faith loue in any kinde of measure let him come to the Table of the Lord And all these things serue as wel for the hearing of the vvord fruitfully as for the receiuing of the Sacrament Therefore the Lord of his mercy illuminate your mindes and work some measure of faith and loue in your harts that yee may be partakers of that heauenly life offered in the vvord and Sacraments that yee may beginne your heauen heere and obtaine the full fruition of the life to come and that in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honour praise and glory both now and for euer Amen FINIS