times a day and this in all places wheresoeuer the faith of his name and the name of his Maiesty should haue shewed it selfe and in all parts of the earth wheresoeuer the tree of his glorious Crosse should haue taken roote 14. THE MASSE THE FEAST OF GOD wherein he is singularly called vpon in the Law of Grace and the Christians are perfectly heard THE Masse the singular Sacrifice and Royall Feast by which God is highly honored and his creature is exceedingly helped for in it his Maiesty denyeth nothing be it neuer so great that any man asketh either for the health of his owne soule or for the saluation of his neighbour and so his creature is there inriched by his gifts The Persian Kings celebrated in their Court a certaine kinde of Feast dedicated either to the day of their birth or of their coronation which they in their Persian language did call Ticta 〈◊〉 Lin. 8. as who should say perfect Supper This Feast was honored with such a prerogatiue as the King at that time denied no demand which was made vnto him A custome no lesse wisely then happily obserued by Queene Hester for her History tells vs that hauing spied the season shee feasted with royall prouision Assuerus her husband the King of Medes and Persians to obtaine of him vengeance against her enemies and deliuerance for her people and therefore after they had taken their refection the King according to his custome said What is thy petition that it may be giuen thee 〈◊〉 and what wilt thou haue done although thou shalt aske the halfe of my Kingdome thou shalt obtaine it Shee asked boldly and as easily obtained that which shee asked The Sonne of God is more magnificent in his continuall Feast deuoted vnto the dayes of his remembrance for hee giues not earthly goods but himselfe for a sauing Sacrifice and food of saluation and puts a present in our hand wherwith we may be sure to obtaine of the Maiesty of his Father all that concernes our peace repose safety and promiseth vs not the halfe of an earthly kingdom like an earthly King but as an heauenly King the whole Kingdome of heauen So that the promise God made of old to the captiue Hebrewes in Babylon You shall call vpon me and I will be are you Ierem. 29. is diuinely fulfilled in the Law of Grace by meanes of this noble and perfect Feast indeed for albeit in the Law of Nature and of Moyses God well liked the Sacrifices of his seruants and heard their prayers yet was it with farre lesse liberality and alwayes in contemplation of the Messias to come who one day was to satisfie the diuine Maiesty by the Sacrifice of his body Whereas Christians in the Law of Grace offer him a Sacrifice most acceptable in the highest degree that is the body bloud of the Messias himselfe paying as it were in his hand a full satisfaction taken from that body and bloud the fairest payment that can be made and praying the Father by the Sonne which is the most vrgent prayer that can be imagined The Histories tell vs that the Molessians desirous to obtaine some fauour from their King Plutarch in Themist did take one of his sons holding him in their armes cast themselues on their knees before him neere to the domesticall Altar doing this they were neuer denied Which maner of supplication Themistocles vsed then when being banished from Athens hee came into that Country and preserued himself by this ceremony from the anger of Admetus King of Molessians who long before had been his great enemie and would haue put him to death being then in his power had hee not serued himselfe of this desence To receiue a prayer for loue of a sonne is naturall and it ought not to be doubted but since God is Author of Nature and hath giuen this inclination to fathers he hath it also in himselfe and that so much more perfectly as he is a Father of infinit perfection and loue and that his owne Sonne is the liuely Image of his Fathers perfection and therefore infinitly beloued of him And for this cause our Sauiour exhorteth his Disciples Heb. 1.3 to aske boldly of his Father what they would in his name and by his merit as hauing right to obtaine by this title whatsoeuer they demaunded The Church also following the direction of her Redeemer concludes her prayers in his name saying Heare vs almighty God by Iesus Christ thy Sonne Matth 21. Marke 11. Ioan. 16.24 And albeit euery Christian hath at all times and in all places accesse to God by the merits of his Sonne yet then his prayers are most acceptable when hee sayeth or heareth Masse and with due preparation receiueth this Sacrament For the King himselfe is then present at this perfect and compleat Feast at the which he denyeth nothing that is asked and the prayer being made in his Royall presence carryeth with it credit and prerogatiue to be heard of the Diuine Maiesty Behold the banquet the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Law of Grace figured by all those of old that went before it and substituted in their places the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christians and the noblest instrument they haue whereby to call vpon God to haue the grant of their requests behold our Eucharist and our Masse The Prayers the Scriptures the Garments and the Ceremonies which haue been since ordained by the Apostles and their Successors and which are in vse at this day are not the Sacrifice of the Masse they are onely the ornaments thereof the essence of the Masse and of all this Royall Feast is the body and bloud of the Sonne of God offered in a Sacrifice commemoratiue of his death This is the Sacrifice and the Sacrament which makes the substance of this banquet the rest serues onely to honor this honorable and diuine action In this euening then of the fourteenth day of the Moone the true Lamb was offered the Figure of the old was accomplished the right of legall Sacrifices was finished the continuance of the Synagogue was ended and the foundation was laid of the Law of Grace All which our Sauiour signifieth diuinely by the circumstance of the time wherein he ordained the Iewes Pasche and in which he established the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body which remaineth to be declared for a finall end to this Treatise 15. THE REDEMPTION OF MANKINDE and the end of the Synagogue signified by the Institution of the Eucharist in the full of the Moone EXplaining the type of the Paschall Lambe wee said that the Ceremony began vpon the fourteenth day of the first month of the Hebrewes holy yeare vpon the euening because in that night the first borne of Aegypt were killed and the gates opened to the freedom of the children of God Our Sauiour then to put an end to the old Figure and liuely to expresse the truth thereof instituted the Sacrament of his body
the humility of our sense and iudgement which in this Mystery is altogether blinde so often we purchase new strength and new grace to beleeue the omnipotencie of our God And herehence it is that the holy Fathers S. Iustin S. Ireneus S. Chrysostoms S. Iustin Apol. 2. S. Iren. l. 4. c. 34. S. Chrysost bom 16. ad Pap. Annâ— bom 83. in Maâ—â—h S. Ambros lib. 4 â—â—it mist c â—9 9 S. Cyprian lib. 〈◊〉 Corn. Dom. S. August in Psal 33. S. Ambrose S. Cyprian S. Agustine and other Doctors so often as they either speake or write of the Eucharist alwayes inculcate with vs the Almightie power of God and obiect it to Heretikes as a certaine Marke of his powerfulnesse And as the Patriarkes and Prophets when they would shew that God is Almighty call him Creator of heauen and of earth Euen so the holy Doctors when they will extoll the almightinesse of our Sauiour alledge euer this his chiefe worke and as the Diuell of old perswaded certaine misinformed Philosophers to write that the world was not created but that it was eternall without beginning to weaken so much our faith in the omnipotencie of the Creator So in our age hath he raised certaine hereticall spirits which deny the presence of the body of our Sauiour in this Sacrament by their heresie to take away and to deface this most noble marke or signe of his omnipotency and to ouerthrow a most strong pillar of our Faith and the most beautifull ornament of Christian Religion 21. OF THE GOODNES OF OVR SAuiour in this Sacrament THe contemplation of the omnipotency and goodnes of God makes vs admire and loue him We haue giuen some documents of his omnipotency in this Sacrament let vs say one word of his goodnesse in the fame It is an argument of our loue to giue our goods to his behoofe and profit vpon whom we bestow them So God hath shewed himselfe to loue man by giuing him a being and creating the world for him It is an argument of greater loue to giue his owne substance for he that giueth of his proper bloud out of his body shewes himselfe more louing then he which makes neuer so great a present out of his purse Almighty God hath giuen his onely Sonne Ioan. 3.16 substance of his substance and the Sonne also hath giuen himselfe vnto vs ioyning in alliance his Diuinity to the Family of our Father Adam and making himselfe our brother so to worke our Saluation could he haue tyed himselfe to vs by any more straite bond and giuen himselfe more amorously then in giuing himselfe wholly to vs and making himselfe one with vs to deifie vs with himselfe and make vs heires of his glory Well then as in the Incarnation he hath made a gift of his Diuinity to man so in this Sacrament he hath bestowed vpon vs his Humanitie 〈◊〉 hath giuen it once to death in a bloudy Sacrifice and from time to time he ceaseth not to giue it for meat to apply vnto vs the fruit of his redemption he maried his Diâ—â—nity to our Humanity when he made himselfe man he â—â—arieth his humanity to ours when he giueth it to vs in this Sacrament For the flesh of our Sauiour heere is holily vnited to ours to make it both chast and fruitfull in bringing forth good workes and the same flesh is also a most diuine dish of his nuptiall feast to feed and fat our soules with celestiall vertues and to giue immortality to our bodies O sweet Iesus what goodnesse is this and what an effect of inflamed loue that thou vouchsafest to ioyne thy selfe by two so straite knots of Mariage and of Meate to so base and so miserable persons as we are the Lord to his scruants the King to his vassals the Creator to his creatures God to wretched poore sinners O what loue is this of thine in this diuine Mariage and Food What King would euer take for his Spouse a poore vassall of his And what father would feede his children with his owne body We see that mothers nourish their children with their milke which is a white bloud but what mother euer nourished her children with her proper flesh O diuine mariage O diuine banquet O wicked abuser and immortall enemie of Man which hast troubled this marriage and this banquet substituting in the place of this true Bridegroome 1. Reg. 19.13 and this true Dauid and this deified flesh an Idoll of Bakers bread But this thou hast done in the Church which thou hast falsly intituled Resormed and not in the Church of God Thou hast done it I say in a Synagogue of such misbeleeuers as haue chosen rather to lend their eares to the lyes of thy vanity then to beleeue the sacred and holy words of verity not in that Church 1. Tim. 3.15 pillar of truth Spouse which cannot erre assisted with the true Spirit Shee knoweth full well her Spouses voice and manner of proceedings she knoweth the goodnesse of his Table and will beware how shee forgoe it shee knoweth the Son omnipotent made for vs Emanuell Esay â— 14 that is to say God with vs when he was made Man liuing with vs and speaking with vs in his proper person but especially when he giueth himselfe vnto vs in this nuptiall banquet heere wherein more then euer or any where else he is indeed Emanuell For when he conuersed with vs mortall and visible it was but for a littla time the vnion was lesse with fewer people and that in Iury onely but by this Sacrament he is euer most straitely vnited as Spouse and Food with all them that will marrie themselues with him and feed vpon him and this not in one onely Land but in so many places as this Catholike and Vniuersall Church adores her Spouse euen from the East to the West from the South to the North and through all the earth An husband when he departs from his wife a father from his children a friend from his friends signifies his loue more then euer makes a feast leaues a pretious remembrance and shewes that departing hee would leaue himselfe still present if he could possibly be in many places at once Iesus Christ hath accomplished all this after a diuine manner for vpon the end of his passion and of his departure from this world hee shewed his feruent loue to his children Hauing loued his owne which were in the world Ioan. 13.1 saith Saint IOHN he loued them to the end that is to say he shewed them his loue more then euer before He likewise made his banquet with singuler signification of loue saying I haue greatly desired to eate this Pasque with you not the Moysaicall but the truth of the Moysaicall wherein he himselfe was the Lambe Finally for a Ring of remembrance he hath left his proper body and his owne selfe to be alwayes present with his friends in the manner aforesaid and to be for euer their Emanuell 22. CHARITIE
when he shall be condemned crowned and crucified as a theefe as a tyrant as a notable offender conuicted Expect but till these things come to passe and then thou wilt see that this humility which now seemes infinite to thee is but a small parcell of the humility of thy Sauiour thou wilt see that his humility is a bottom without end and without any bounds O diuine Humility how great art thou become in the littlenesse of the Sonne of God how beautifull in his base seruices and ignominies rich and aboundant in his pouerty O Iesus thou art a great Master and teachest well a godly Lesson teaching humility in thy humiliation teaching not in saying only but in doing teaching by worke and by example and not onely by word and by councell And who euer dare amongst the sonnes of men lift vp themselues by pride hauing seene the Sonne of God bow downe himselfe to this little Boteswayne and poore fisher and to abase himselfe before the worthlessenesse of vile and wretched sinners and that with so great humiliation And who will not for euer make account of humility since that Wisdome himselfe hath taken it to himselfe who will not learne it with loue and respect since that the Sonne of God teacheth it on his knees Who will not entertaine the greatnesse of this little vertue and the littlenesse of this great Dame since the eldest borne of so great a Lord descended from heauen and made man loues her embraces her praises her and made himselfe little to make her great and to procure her authority amongst the sonnes of men O holy Huâ—niilty foundation of true Christian vertue and ladder to the glory of heauen O welbeloued Christians Let vs loue hereafter the example of our Redeemer let vs humble our selues vpon earth with him to be exalted with him aboue the celestiali Arches 1. OVR SAVIOVR CELEBRATES THE Iewish Passouer before he institutes the Sacrament of his body OVR Sauiour celebrates the Iewes Pasche when hee would institute the Sacrament and Sacrifice of his body according to the order of Melchisedech laying with a diuine skill the liuely colours of the truth vpon the dimme Picture of the ancient portraiture The manner then which hee vseth in celebrating this Pasch was the same which the Iewes did then obserue different from the old Pasch celebrated in Aegypt in some ceremonies Exod. 12. added or changed since that time which neuerthelesse were kept by our Sauiour In the number of these ceremonies one was to be cloathed in eating with a feasting Roabe named from a Greeke word Synthesis Sueton. in Nere. cap. 51. and in the Gospell A wedding garment and in Latine words Pallium lana vest is coenatoria accubitoria which in English is a Sleeuelesse garment Cloake or Roabe in which one sitteth at the table It was decent and of good stuffe and often of a purple colour or of skarlet or of a crimson violet The Iews custome was also to eat the Pasch not standing but as at other ordinary refections after the maner of Persians leaning on the one side vpon their beds and hauing the table before them and for this reason they had no shooes on their feet of which manner of eating the Scriptures as well the new as the olde make mention in sundry places The History of Hester describing to vs the magnificent banquet of King Assuerus saith That they had little beds vpon the which men did repose themselues in taking their repast Tobiâ— 2.3 We learne the same out of Tobias booke Luke 38. and in the Euangelists we haue many signes therof namely in Saint Luke when he resites how Magdalen comming to the banquet remained behinde our Sauiour washing his feete with her teares and wiping them with her haire which giues vs to vnderstand that he was vpon a bed raised vp holding his naked feete from the ground behinde him otherwise she standing behind could not haue washed him and done him this seruice The Romans did keepe the same custome as well in their apparell as in their fitting at table and as they were careful to keep it they also thought it vnseemely publikely to be seene in one of these garments which they did eate in This Suetâ—nius noteth in Nero Neron Sueton. in Nor. cap. 5. saying That he one day went out into the streete cloathed with his Synthesis or mantle for the table without a girdle without shâ—â—es with a hand-kercher about his necke From this truth we gather that the Hebrewes as well as the Romans did in this fashion imitate the people of the East At this day it is no more in vse neuerthelesse there be diuers manners of eating In all Europe almost all men eat sitting as wee see in Spaine in Italy and elsewhere which is the honestest and comliest maner The Iaponians eate fitting vpon the ground after the maner of Taylors sowing vpon a table and so doe the Turkes in many places The Iewes then took their repast and did eat their Lamb lying halfe a long vpon one side in their beds We also learne out of their rituall that in eating the Paschall Lambe a pottage made of wilde lettice and endines was serued in according to the Law Exod. 12. into which the Father of the family did first dip his sweete bread that is to say vnleauened then the rest after him So as that which the Euangelist doth recite Matth. 6.26.21 Marke 14.20 Luke 22.21 our Sauiour to haue said in supping He which putteth his hand into the dish to eat with me it is he that will betray me doth shew that the Iewish ceremony was kept by him And further teacheth wherefore Iudas was not discouered by these words and why euery one was in trouble to know of whom our Sauiour meant them for euery one did dippe his sop together with our Lord so as the true betrayer could not bee discerned amongst the rest and so euery one was afraid to be noted because euery one did put his hand into the dish with Iesus Christ The same father of the family did take a great cake kept vnder the table-cloath and diuided it into as many peeces as he had there people at the table and did giue to euery one his share saying these words This is the bread of Auguish which our Fathers haue eaten in the Land of Aegypt whosoeuer is hungry let him come neere and make his Pasche This done he tooke the cup saying Thou art blessed O Lord who 〈◊〉 created the fruit of the Vuse And hauing drink 〈◊〉 gaue it to the next and he to his neighbour and 〈◊〉 â—om hand to hand euen to the last This ceremony had been also added by the Iewes and our Sauiour condemned it not but mended it seruing himselfe of it as a shadow and laying vpon it one part of the preparation of his Sacrament for he blesseth the bread and wine changing them into his body and into his bloud offers them
remission of sinnes and of the Kingdome of heauen Of remission saying This bloud shed for you and for many Luke 22.29 vnto remission of sinnes And of the Heritage he saith I dispose to you as my Father disposed to me a Kingdome that you may eate and drinke vpon my table in my Kingdome and may sit vpon thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel Behold a wonderful sauourable conclusion David making his Will enioyned King Salomon his sonne his sonne 3. Keg 2.7 that he should make the children of Berrellay to eate at his table in token of great honor and friendship but he made them not inheritors of his Kingdome nor sharers of his Royall honors Heere our Sauiour communicates his Table his Kingdome and his Throne to his friends his Table in which is serued for meate and for drinke his proper flesh and bloud it could not be more royall nor more exquisite neither the Heritage greater nobler nor worthyer of such a Testator The Testament was written also with the Law not in Tables of stone as the old but in the hearts of the Apostles and of all those which shall be called to this inheritance after them And this is that which was foretold by Ieremy Hier. 31.32.33 I will giue my Law within their ontrals and will write it in their hearts According to which manner of speech Saint Paul said to the Corinthians You are the Epistle of Christ 2. Cor. 3.3 ministred by vs and writen not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in tables of the heart consisting of flesh It was signed by the hand and bloud of the Testator when holding the Chalice and changing the wine to his bloud he said This is my bloud of the new Testament Matth. 26.28 Marke 14.24 The Altar which was our Sauiour himselfe was besprinkled when he tooke it the people Inheritor and the Book was also sprinkled when the Apostles did drinke and did wet their brests which were the tables wherein the Law and the Testament were written The refection of the Victim sacrificed was made betweene the Priest and the people when our Sauiour hauing offered his body to his Father tooke it himselfe and gaue it to his Apostles to eat concluding his eternall Couenant with the refection of his body and with the drinke of his bloud He left a pledge of loue by his Testament and a pretious Iewell of his remembrance when he left this self-same body and this self-same bloud for an eternall memory of his charity towards vs his heires Luke 12.18 saying Doe this in remembrance of me So our Sauiour hauing written and accomplished his Testament according to the draughts of the old Figure died the next day and his Testament shall remaine eternally confirmed by his death O diuine and powerfull work-man O sweet Iesus O great God! What shall we heere amidst so many wonders first admire thy Powerfulnesse thy Wisdome thy Goodnes thy Greatnes thy Prouidence thy sweetnesse thy Liberality altogether or all apart where all is great and admirable together all great and admirable apart What a work-man art thou O Redeemer of the world to haue so long agoe so diuinely drawne the Figure of thy Testament and to accomplish the truth vpon that Figure with so diuine tracts of improuement What a Master art thou to haue left so heauenly instructions and so faire lawes of amity grauen in such liuing tables as are the hearts of thy Disciples What a King to haue made so amiable and honorable a combination with thy poore subiects What a Father of a Family to haue written so fauourable a Testament vnto men and of thy enemies to haue made them thy children and thy heires of so great a Kingdome O Redeemer what were we without this Testament we were eaytifes and vagabonds vnworthy to be supported vpon the earth and worthy of eternall confusion but by it we haue gotten a right to heauen and to immortall glory and nothing remaineth but to take possession and there to reioyce in peace for euer so soone as we shall haue fought the good fight as thy Apostle speakes 2. Tim. 4.7 kept the faith and consummated the course of our yeares in the good workes of thy loue and charity according to thy Commandement For thy victorious death hauing made this Testament of force and irreuocable hath done vs this fauour aboue thy ancient friends and children which departed before it who albeit they did leaue this world with the hope of heauen yet they enioyed not heauen immediatly in recompence of the workes they had done in thy Grace and seruice as true children noe this was a Grace referned to the time of thy new Testament which was to be eternall by thy death and to put in full possession without delay those thy children which like true heires shall haue executed the will of their Father and what thanksgiuing shall be able or sufficient for to acknowledge worthily the least part of these so great fauours 9. IN WHAT MANNER OVR SAVIOVR hauing made his Testament left his body to his Heires OTher fathers hauing disposed of their goods and signed their testament dye and leaue their bodies to be put in the earth where they rot and their soules goe to their places so as their heires haue no other better pawne of the presence and person of their father then their ashes and bones Our Sauiour hath obserued the substance of this Ceremony but after a different maner for he gaue his body to his Apostles in an impassible manner albeit mortall also then and from that time he left it to his Church clothed indeed with the first mortall robe made of the accidents of bread and wine but vnited with his Soule and his Diuinity now a liuing body immortall and glorious For his tombe also hee hath the bodies and soules of his heires a liuing tombe and ennobled with a reasonable soule which if it be well prepared with requisite qualities doth from his harbouring receiue a wonderfull reward for whereas other tombes reape from the bodies buried in them nothing but spoiles of death and horror and are by them defiled the bodies of Christians doe receiue life immortality sanctification and celestiall ioy from the body of our Sauiour whereby it appeareth that we ought to vse exceeding great diligence in well preparing our selues to lodge worthily in vs this pretious body The principall apparell is Loue and Chastity and then after these all the other vertues of the soule which accompany the former We reade that Artemissia Câ—â—â— Tuscal Herod Liu. 8. Plut. l. 36. c. 5. Vâ—â— lib. â— Queene of Carya after shee had consumed her treasures in a magnificall and admirable Sepulcher that shee had prepared for the dead body of the King her husband in the end made them to pound his bones and tooke them in a drinke for to be her selfe the liuing Sepulcher of his dead body whom shee
fundamentall subiect of our holy Tables or Pictures of the Eucharist For our principall end is to explane the things and the remarkable actions instituted in the Law of Nature and of Moses to signifie the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the body of our Sauiour Notwithstanding in displaying the volume of these figures we haue serued our selues of the other two kindes of Pictures that is to say of the Dumbe Picture in the printed figures themselues and of the Speaking Picture in our descriptions or declarations of them We haue also made many excursions in recommendation of Vertue and in detestation of Vice for the institution of manners and often encited the Reader to the contemplation and loue of the celestiall countrey touching by this meanes the foure Cardinall Senses â—â—ure Sences of Scripture S. Thâ—m Wart 〈…〉 Greg lib. 10. nor cap. 1. The Literall The Allegoricall The Morall The Anagogicall which commonly are found in the treasures of the holy Scripture the Literall or Historicall which goeth the first the Allegoricall or Figuratiue which is the spirit of the Literall the Tropologicall or Morall which formes the manners and the Anagogicall which shewes the triumphant Church the Literall is the foundation of the other three the Allegorical is the mysticall signification of the Literall the Tropologicall is the fruit of the one and of the other and the Anagogicall is the end of them all And in this fashion haue wee comprehended foure sorts of Expositions and three sorts of Pictures to teach with fruit and pleasure the most great mystery of our Religion for if there be no other better nor profitable Methods then these foure and if there bee nothing more delightfull then a picture not which makes a thing glide more sweetly within the soule then a picture nor which more profoundly engraues it in the memorie nor more effectually calls foorth the will to loue or hate any obiect good or euill which to it shall be proposed I see not in what manner one can more profitably liuely and delitiously teach the vertues the fruits and the delicatenesse of this diuine and holy meate of the body of the Sonne of God then with the aboue named Expositions and with this triple picture of the pensell of the Word and of the signification If my labour in this excellent matter To all Christian Writers truely Christian and worthy of the attention of all honorable men bring any profit or luster to our faith or to the publike weale as I desire with all my heart it should all the praise be to God which hath furnished me with spirit and body inke and paper to write thereof And if by the example of these Pictures any men of good spirit take occasion to vse the like method in discoursing pleasantly on some worthy subiect to teach with honest recreatioÌ„ profit the means to follow Vertue and flye Vice I shall receiue my part thereby of singular contentment and solace and they their recompence of honor and glory from the hand of him which neuer leaues any good worke done for his name without reward nor any ill committed against his Lawes without punishment Truely to say this by the way it is a misery as worthy of compassion as shame that so many Poets and Orators amongst Christians and namely heere in France Employ the goodnesse and fruitfulnesse of their spirits to write tales and fables of Loue and other things either vnprofitable or pernitious and who like to Spiders that draw out their owne bowels in making copwebs to catch Flies doe occupie themselues in such vanities letting passe a thousand faire subiects vpon which they might with eternall praise both learnedly and eloquently write It is a great shame to the name of Christians to see a Pagan Pindarus an Euripides a Virgil an Appelles a Philostratus and other like prophane Authors trauaile so carefully to set foorth sing paint and represent their Captains their Acts their Gods their Vices and their Vanities for the glory of their superstition and that many Christians know not how to choose neither matter nor maner a greeing to their name for to write Christianly to the praise of the true God or to the honor and illustration of their onely true Religion A thing yet farre more vnworthy and yet most deplorable it is to see others temper their pensel and their pen in the sinke and puddle of prophane things Pictures of scandall to represent Pictures of abomination and scandall and to write and paint foorth such fooleries and vilonies as they doe more prophanely then the prophanest themselues without care of losing their soules so they may gaine some brute of reputation amongst the lighter sort And what lamentable folly is it to purchase at so deare a rate the smoake of vanitie to incurre ignominy and eternall paine only to haue their names swimme in the mouthes and estimation of fooles for cunning Artizans of folly But let vs come to the second point of our introduction and declare wherefore God hath of old vsed such Figures going before the Law of Grace THE CAVSES VSES AND EFFECTS of Pictures and Figures in holy Scripture IT remaines yet to declare according to our power wherefore the Diuine prouidence would vse fore-going Figures in the Law of Nature and Moses before that hee sent his Son to establish his owne Law in his proper Person Whereof we giue this reason in generall that it was to declare that he is God and for the more profitable instruction of his creature in this point And thus we prooue what we haue said It is the familiar manner of Gods proceeding to perfect his admirable workes vpon little principles and smal beginnings God workes by little principles therby to make it appeare that he is God in little things as well as in great and no lesse in the first beginning and going forward then in the end and conclusion of his worke In creating the world he began it of nothing and in the gouernment thereof hee continueth the propagation of his creatures by meanes of their seede which in a manner is also no thing For which is worthy of admiration this little seede containes in its littlenesse all that which is to be borne out of it afterwards This Method of God is very fit to manisest clearely his wisedome power and bountie and very proper sweetely to make himselfe knowne vnto man according to his capacitie Who sees a faire great Palme-tree well branched thicke of boughes and loaden with Palmes hath hee not wherefore to admire the Creator in this creature but hee who shall contemplate the little stone from whence all this come forth Their beginning and end the roote the body the branches the leaues and the fruit of this tree will magnifie on the one side his diuine wisdome which secretly proceeding from such a beginning to such an end from such imperfection to such perfection teacheth properly the greatnesse of it selfe by the opposition to the
Passion so insinuated he the victory of his Resurrection by the shipwrack and comming forth of Ionas out of the Whales belly Ionas Iona. 2.2 Matth. 12.19 so the Euangelists and the Apostles vse often the witnesse of the old Testament to giue foote and credit to the faith they preached Secondly the Figures confirme our hope for seeing that which God hath so long before figured and foretold is faithfully accomplished wee are induced to hope that what is yet to come as the iudgement the Reward the glory the paine and the rest shall be likewise accomplished with the same fidelitie Finally they inflame our loue tovvards God because this contemplation of the ancient Figures reported to the present truth maketh vs see the eternall charitie vvith vvhich God hath loued vs preparing for vs by so long Prescience the Good which in the end he hath giuen vs and still promising vs more to come hereafter And because loue and benefits engender loue here-hence it is that if wee be not vnnaturall wee encrease in our loue tovvards God by this meditation These are the causes effects and vse of Figures It remaines to enter into the Temple of God there to see the holy Pictures of the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the body of his Sonne drawne from the writings of his holy Testament explained by his owne Word and that according to the Doctrine of his Diuine Painters and Writers the Interpreters of his Word the dumbe Picture shall be for your eyes the description of them for your eares and the exposition of one and of the other shall serue for your spirits or vnderstandings The first is of the earthly Paradise and of the Tree of Life planted therein set forth as you see in the Picture follovving THE FIRST PICTVRE PARADISE AND THE TREE OF LIFE The Description CHRISTIAN Beholders Gen. 2. â— you know that this admirable Chronicler and diuine Cosmographer Moses said in the History of the Creation that God had in the beginning planted a Garden of pleasure towards the East in which he put the Man that he had formed This is that faire and spacious Region that the Painter represents to you in this Table or Picture It is high in seate rich in goodnesse rare in beautie gratious in habitation and aboundant in all forts of delights The earth in some quarters thereof is leuelled into a plaine champion field and in other places raised vp in little harrowes or hilles replenished with plants and trees of excellent goodnesse In the place where it is highest you may there marke a fountaine which rising in great bubbles is formed into a Riuer winding and watering all the Garden towards the end whereof it is diuided into foure heads and maketh foure great slouds running into diuers quarters of the earth The first of which is called Phison casting vpon the shoare her golden sands and many faire pretious stones but no person gathered them vp because there was none as yet but Adam and Eue in the world their children you may imagine will not lose them for want of gathering The ayre there is most pure and subtill and therefore we see not any token of clouds or mists the Sun shining cleare and bright alwayes As for the fire which is of elements the most supreame it holds it selfe still and quiet in its kingdome aboue the ayre yet contributing notwithstanding light and heate with a sweete temperature as it were after the manner of a Torch lighted in heauen This gay verdure wherewith the earth is still apparrelled and these odoriferous flowers which with a thousand florishing colours adorne the same and wherewith those trees in like sort are all so trimly dressed shew forth the Spring in whose company the other Seasons make heere their quarters all together And therefore Summer hath heere alreadie made yellow the Haruest in this golden field and ripened many fruits in those Meadowes and neighbour Orchards which are readie for the gathering As also Autumne shewes forth her goodly clusters of ripe Grapes in those little hilles where Noah as yet had neuer planted Vineyard And lastly the Winter giues repose without any sharpnesse of colde See Saint Bafil â— Paradis for it is mitigated partly by the light of the Sunne which at al times casts his cleare beames vpon the Horizon of this diuine Region without estranging it selfe very much towards the South partly by the moyste warme breath of those windes which blow sweetely from the South to abate the coldnesse of this Pegising ayre So that there is a perpetuall accord of all the soure Seasons whereof the Spring-time holdeth the preheminence This goodly wood of high trees and thick Cops about it are full of little birds which make the ayre resound with a thousand sorts of warblings and aboue all the Nitinghall incessantly and in many quires make melodious muficke all the yeere long But the Painter could not represent to the eare their sweete harmony as hee represents to the eye the Birds and in particular that Birde which men call the Birde of Paradise hanging heere in this Palme-tree little of body with long feathers all ouer adorned with beautifull colours her head yellow her neck enameled with a gay greene her wings spotted with a cawny purple and the rest of her body with a pale gold colour Citizen of the skye faire wits excellencie and admirable in this that shee is alwayes in the ayre without euer touching the earth for that shee hath no feete and when shee will rest her selfe shee grapples about the trees with two long feathers made in fashion of wyer threeds like as it is represented heere These Lions Elephants S. Bas Orat. de Parad. Aug. lib. 4 de Ciuit. Dâ—i 9.11 Tygers and other liuing creatures that you see in diuers places are not cruell nor furious but gentle and obedient and therefore Eue had not any feare of them no more then Adam her husband who walked neere them in coasting these woods But that which is most exquisite and admirable in this Garden is the Tree of Life or of Liues according to the Hebrew word planted in the middest of the others so called because the fruite thereof is of such vertue that it cannot onely nourish the body for a time as other fruites do but also repaire all defecteousnesse and giue it strength and vigour of life to make it perdurable and immortall And as God hath made in man an Abreuiation of all other creatures euen so hath he comprised in this Tree the vertues and perfections of all other Plants And I beleeue it to be that Nectar and Ambrosia called also Nepenthes Ambrosia and Nectar Nepenthes Moly Plin. lib. 25. cap. 4. and Moly which the ancient Poets inuoluing the truth in fables affirme to haue force to make young againe to preserue from death and to driue away all cause of griefe and discontentment The first Tree which you see on the left-hand towards the West is the Tree of Knowledg
Church of God for the attaining of life eternall 5. OF THE EXCELLENCIE OF THE HOly Sacrament of the Altar farre aboue the Tree of Life THe likenesse of the Tree of Life with our Sacrament makes vs to admire the wisdome and power of God who had both knowledge and power to exhibite so diuine a portraiture of this most excellent Sacrament but if we contemplate the difference and the excellencie of the one so farre aboue the other we shall more admire his vnmeasurable liberalitie towards vs. The difference is first in this that the Tree of Life was but an earthly body and corruptible brought foorth and nourished by the earth insensible after the manner of other created things quickned with the life of a plant hauing neither sense nor discourse Our Tree of Life is an immortall body celestiall and diuine engendered in the wombe of a Virgin by the worke of the holy Ghost quickned by an intellectuall soule carrying the Image and likenesse of God expressed therein with the most liuely and compleate draughts of perfection and beauty that euer humane soule enioyed so that if the working hand of the Creator shew it selfe admirable in the common Fabricke of mans body what tongue shall be able to tell what spirit to comprehend the beauty of the bodie of his Sonne Or so much as of that earth out of which he brought foorth and with which he nourished this body which was the holy body of the Virgin Mary O deified body of the Sonne O diâ—iâ—e body of the Mother O fruitfull Virgin aboue all mothers O chast Mother aboue all virgins hauing engendered such a Sonne O heauenly earth true earth of theliuing paterne of the Church Garden of God infinitely more noble then this first earthly Paradise Virgin diuinely and truely fruitfull which hast brought forth a Tree of so precious fruit surpassing in goodnesse and beauty al the fruits of the earth O the bountifull liberality of him that gaue it 6. THE BODY OF THE SAVIOVR NOVrishment of the soule and cause of the glorious resurrection of the body THe second difference betweene our Sacrament and the Tree of Life is that this Tree was onely for the body to make it immortall and to preserue it from death Our Tree of Life is also for the soule which it beautifieth nourisheth and maketh sat with celestiall and diuine vertues and besides it imparts much more to the body then did the other for it disposeth it not onely to immortality but also to a glorious resurrection and therefore it is without comparison more worthy to be called Tree of Liues then the other to be termed the Tree of Life for this giues three liues the life of grace to the soule the corporal life to the body to both the life of glory prerogatiues most diuine and alone proper to the body of the Son of God for although the heauens the starres and other naturall bodies furnish the soule with some spirituall nourishment seruing her for an obiect to contemplate their fiame and beauty and to feed and refresh her with the knowledge of their natures it is notwithstanding a farre off by imagination alone wheras this deified body marieth it selfe vnto her by a contracted knot of celestiall and diuine loue and being really present with her imprinteth in her his qualities of grace and glory which no other naturall body can do it being aboue their force and vertue and reserued to the onely body of the Master of Nature 7. THE SACRAMENT OF THE BODY of the Sonne of God Tree of all the earth FInally the first Tree of Life had for her onely and last dwelling the earth and that for a little time and in one parcell alone It may be it had been multiplied in many quarters if that man had perseuered constant in his first innocency But the second is in many places of the earth continuing alwayes one and abideth not for a little time but remaine in heauen for euer for on earth as contained in this Sacrament it feedeth the children of God during their peregrination in whatsoeuer coast of the world they be dispersed and to them it is and shall be the high obiect and eternall meate of felicitie in proper forme and cleare vision of glory when the soule implunged as it were in the profound contemplation and loue of his God shall enioy to the full the riches of his Diuinity and the body cloathed with immortality and honor shall see and admire with corporall eyes the wonderfull glory of that body by which it was redeemed 8. CERTAINE SPIRITVALL ASPIRATIons of the soule desiring the cleare vision of the body of our Sauiour and a giuing thankes for the same O Good Iesus when shall the Sunne of that day shine wherein we shall openly see this bright body of thy holy humanitie which yet we heere behold by faith hidden in the depth of this profound mystery when shall that season be in which we shall enioy with full libertie this Tree of selicitie alwayes youthfull greene flourishing and bearing fruit planted within the inclosure of the celestiall Paradise in the Land of the Liuing A Land in which the Orient-Sunne shineth perpetually causing an euerlasting Spring to abound with the Autumne fruites of immortalitie watred with delicate riuers of pure delights ennobled with all sorts of beauty inhabited with diuine spirits Habitation of honor felicity and peace euerlasting When O sweete Iesus shall we be in possession of this happinesse thou knowest when O Lord from whom nothing can be hid and thou alone hast the cleare knowledge hereof we haue nothing but faithfull hope and know no more thereof then that which the mouth of thy deare Spouse hath tould vs. This shall be when thou shalt please This shall be when the decree of thy wise mercie shall haue put an end to all our misery and the tearme of our mortall life shall giue beginning to that which knoweth neither death nor ending This shall be then when farre from all griefe we shall reioyce with the fulnesse of all goodnesse in thee and by thee eternally happie But in the meane while O Soueraigne Creator we haue an eternall oblation to thy infinite bountie that prepared for our first Father and vs the diuine benefite of that Tree which was to haue been a preseruatiue from death and a soueraigne electuary of immortality with a thousand other goods for the sustenance pleasure of the life of our body And if he receiued not the fruitfull vse of this Tree it was his owne most faultie ingratitude no lesse enormious then thy liberality was great towards him and the practise thereof so much the greater that thou wast not hindered from conferring so great a benefit vpon him although thou didst foresee that he would offend thee and so depriue himselfe by his owne crime of this comfort Much more ought we to thanke thee that thou hast giuen vs in the Law of Grace a Sacrament of Life infinitly better then
TOWARDS GOD AND towards our neighbour encreased by this Sacrament IF liberalitie drawes hearts if the table makes friends and if loue begets loue what person will shew himselfe so rusticall and frozen as not to be allured by this infinit goodnesse not to be gained by this feast not to be inslamed with this fier in the frequentation of this diuine Sacrament What soule I say will not be wholly inflamed with the loue of her Redeemer feeling her selfe so delitiously feasted by him so tenderly embraced of him and so straitely vnited with him Whom will shee loue if shee loue not this goodnesse With whom wilshee make amitie if shee make it not with so liberall a Spouse And of whom shall shee be amorous if shee be not enamored of so feruent a friend and louer And then if shee loue faithfully this her Spouse and attentiuely consider the nature of this Mariage and Feast it cannot bee but shee must also loue forthwith her neighbours and her Christian brethren for the loue of her Spouse when shee shall see how they are likewise beloued of him and called to the same Feast and made members of one and the selfe-same body with her For to signifie this mutuall amity he himselfe is ginen in meate and drinke vnder the likenesse of bread and wine which are made of many graines and of many grapes as wee haue said elsewhere And truely the Apostle to exhort the maried holily to loue their wiues â—â—bes 5.25 drawes his most forcible argument from this mystery as being the example of a perfect mariage and of a perfect loue From the mariage I say of Iesus Christ with his Church to whom he liberally giues himselfe and with whom he is vnited by these two most straite bonds of a Spouse and of Meate For which reason also the Eucharist hath alwaies been an Embleme of vnion peace and charity And for signification whereof it was an ancient custome to giue the kisse of peace in the Masse from whence came afterward the ceremony of kissing the Pax which is still in vse Behold then how this soueraigne goodnesse drawes vs by this Sacrament as well to his owne loue as also to the loue of our neighbour 23. OF THE WISDOME OF GOD IN this same Mysterie LEt vs now see some workes of the diuine Wisdome in this his Sacrament for it is so well ordered as it is easie to perceiue that it is shee which is the Mistresse and chiese doer therein According whereunto the Scripture also saith Wisdome hath built her a House Prou. 9.1 shee hath cut out seuen Pillars shee hath immolated her victime mingled her wine and set foorth her table This House is the Church these seuen Pillars are the seuen Sacraments the wine mingled is the pretious bloud of our Sauiour and the meat of this table the sacred Manna of his flesh and so haue the ancient Fathers explained it and namely S. Cyprian S. Cyprian cpist 63. ad Cecil dâ— Sacer. Calicis lib. 2. aducrs Iudeos â— 2. Now as humane wisdome shewes it selfe in well ordaining well comprising and well instructing for these are the true effects of a wise vnderstanding so the diuine Wisdome maketh her selfe appeare in this Sacrament by the same meanes A wise Orator shewes himselfe in the orderly method of his discourse A wise Captaine in well ranking an armie a wise Architect in well ioyning the parts of the building and so of other wise worke men A wise Musition in setting many parts of Mâ—â—ick and vniting them together with a sweete and well a greeing harmony Mirmerides was admired for his and aâ—trious wisdome when he made that so much renowned Chariot of foure wheeles 〈◊〉 l. 35 c. 10. which the wing of a Fly did couer and that wonderfull ship stored with Masts Pun. 16. with Sayles with Roaps with Ankors with Rudder and with all other tacklings which the wing of a Bee might also couer But aboue all Wisdome shewes her selfe in the good and effectuall teaching of euery Science or Vertue and this is her most high title In all these kindes the diuine Wisdome shineth foorth most brightly in this Sacrament Her ordinance heere is admirable For what goodlier order can one desire then to haue drawne so many faire Figures from time to time and to haue at the last inspired and breathed as it were the life of Truth into those ancient lineaments giuing in a Law most perfect a Sacrament full of all perfection a Sacrament of charity in a Law of loue and preparing for the nuptialls of our humane nature with the Sonne of God a nuptiall feast of the flesh of God His Wisdome is heere yet more admirable in combining for this combination surpasseth all wonder for God and Nature are heere combined Heere is the body of the Sonne of God by vertue of his omnipotent Word his soule as inseparable from the body his Diuinity as vnited vnto them both and by consequence the Father and the holy Ghost and all the holy Senate it selfe of this blessed Trinity are heere assembled All the wonders of Nature are heere comprised as hath been said All the soules and bodies of the faithfull are heere conioyned in one as many cornes in one loafe Maub 24.28 S. Chrâ—ost bom 4. in 1. Cor. 10. and many grapes in one cup of wine gathered together like vnto so many diuine Eagles about the body of their King saith Chrysostome But what diuine wisdome was it to haue prepared this diuine morsell so conformable to the infirmity and capacity of our weake nature vnder the taste and feeling of bread and wine meat and drinke of all other the most familiar to vs. 24. GODS DIVINE WISDOME IN teaching of this high Mystery THe last and most liuely tract of Wisdome is to teach effectually And what greater wisdome can be shewed therein then to haue giuen heere the meanes to learne to encrease and fortifie both faith and charity the one the foundation and the other the crowne of Christian vertue For eating this morsell we receiue an Earnest of immortality and as the Church singeth A pledge of future glory And it cannot bee but that by the presence of so braue a Captaine whom we beleeue firmely to be heere present though inuisible to our sight our courage and heart should much encrease if we be faithfull souldiers For as the wicked spirits fright vs if wee beleeue them to bee present though we see them not with onâ— bodily eyes So contrariwise and with more reason we grow confident and as it were are lifted vp to heauen by the assured presence of our Sauiour Heere moreouer wee learne Religion the most noble Pearle of Christian Iustice whereby we honor God doing him the homage of Soueraigne worship due to his Maiestie alone which heere is done with soueraigne preparation For first heere is offered a Sacrifice vnto him which is a worship of supreame acknowledgement incommunicable to all other but to God a Sacrifice
and food bestowing vpon her his Humanity and Diuinitie giuing himselfe and all that he is and that in a manner so diuine and so agreeable to our infirmity That which he did for Elias was it any more then a Picture a representation and a shadow compared to the liuely Image to the truth and to the Body Who shall then O Lord be able to vtter yea or to conceiue thy wisdome in this Bread thy omnipotent greatnesse in this mystery thy infinite mercy in this Feast And what can seeble mortall creatures doe but fumble in speaking and admire in silence the height of thy Councells and the sweetnesse of thy Graces and thanke thee from the bottome of their hearts in humbly confessing their owne insufficiency THE TENTH PICTVRE THE PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE The Description THE Iewish Priest commeth to offer the yearely Propitiatory Sacrifice Leuit. 4.6.7 there with to appease God and obtaine of him grace and pardon for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes of the people One of them hath caried the bloud of the Victime to the Altar of Perfumes placed before the doore of the Sanctuary called Holy of Holies where the Arke of God is and the flesh of that Victime together with the head and skinne was consumed with fier out of the City of Ierusalem no body eating thereof They that burnt it wash themselues without the gates of the Towne for that according to the Law they were reputed vncleane by this seruice and could not enter againe into the company of their brethren vntill they were purified by the water of Expiation There is also in this Picture represented another Sacrifice for sinne but in ceremonies much differing from the former For this is iterated daily and the bloud of the Victime is not carried into the Sanctuary but is offered vpon the Altar of Holocausts in a basen of gold as you see The men of the Priestly linage doe eate in this roome apart the flesh of the Hoast and are sanctified whereas in the other Sacrifice all was consumed by fier and they were vncleane which burnt it as hath been said There is not any woman neither any vncleane man admitted to this banquet for the Law receiued none but men and those sanctified 1. THREE KINDS OF SACRIFICES VVEE haue said elsewhere that there were three kindes of Sacrifices obscurely practised in the Law of Nature and expresly ordained in that of Moses The first was the Sacrifice of Holocaust the second of thanksgiuing the third Propitiatory for the appeasing of God In this last Sacrifice three kindes of beasts might lawfully be offred Bulls sheepe or Goats and three kinds of birds Pigeons Sparowes or Turtles All of them figured either the Sacrifice of the Crosse or that of the Masse or both together The first then of which mention is made in the present Picture signified manifestly the Sacrifie of the Crosse and the second that of the Eucharist Let vs see the resemblance betweene them 2. OF THE PROPITIATORY SACRIFICE which Properly signifies that of the Crosse IF we attentiuely consider the Figure wee shall easily see the resemblance it hath with the truth The first Propitiatory Sacrifice was offered but once a yeare and no more painting forth thereby the one onely Sacrifice of the Crosse Leuit. 25.10.11 Luke 4.19 which was offered but once in the yeare of our Sauiour that is to say during his life which was the yeare and time of the true Iubily of our Lord and so offered as it might neuer be reiterated This is Saint Pauls discourse writing to the Hebrewes In this will saith he we are iustified by the Oblation of the body of Iesus Christ once made And afterwards hauing shewed that the Iewish Priests could not take away sin with their bloudy Sacrifices he addeth Hebr. 10 10 But Iesus Christ hauing offered one Hoast for sins sâ—teth now for euer at the right hand of God This Sacrifice then could not be reiterated our Sauior hauing so triumphed ouer death as he could die no more neither was it necessary The second circumstance was that in this yearely Sacrifice the bloud of the Victime of Propitiation was carried and set vpon the Altar of Incense seated before the Sanctuary a Figure of heauen as Saint Paul allegoriseth The bloud of our Sauiour also that is to say the price of his bloud was carried vp to heauen and set before the eyes of God Who in consideration of that bloud shed for men to his honor giues them pardon of their sinnes if it bee not long of themselues Thirdly the flesh of the Victime was all consumed in the sier with the head and skinne without the Campe whilest they were in the Desart or without Hierusalem after it was chosen for the place of Sacrifice Our Sauiour was crucified on Mount Caluary out of Hierusalem his body burnt by three fiers and consumed euen to death by the fier of his infinit loue which made him a voluntary Victime to his Father for our sinnes by the fier of our sins themselues which caused him to die by the fier of those reproaches blaspemies and torments which hee endured in his Passion And it was easie to see how his skinne felt this fier when it was cruelly torne with whips as also his head crowned with thornes and his sacred visage defiled with spittle Finally none of those which sacrificed did eate of this Propitiatory Sacrifice no man also did eate of this And they that did burne the flesh of the ancient Victime were vncleane and were to purifie themselues in the water of Expiation before they came againe into the City They also which did put our Sauiour to death became thereby abominable in the sight of God and if they would enter into the City of Hierusalem which is his Church they were first to be purified by the water of Baptisme Behold from point to point and tittle to tittle the Figure accomplished in the Sacrifice of the Crosse which hath truely wiped away our sinnes and giueth abeundant grace of peace and Propitiation so it be applied as God hath ordained that is by the Sacraments but aboue all by the Sacrament and Sacrifice of the Eucharist 3. THE SECOND KIND OF PROPITIAtory Sacrifice a Figure of the Eucharist NO doubt but as the first kinde of Propitiatory Sacrifice was accomplished in the Oblation of the Crosse so the second was fulfilled in some other For if nothing passed in the olde Law were it neuer so little which our Sauiour was not to fulfill in the Law of Grace and if he himselfe hath so often protested that hee would accomplish all the Law euen to the least tittle and that heauen and earth should passe Matth. 5.18 Luke 16.17 before one tittle thereof should be left vnperfected who dare thinke that so remarkable a Sacrifice as this hath not been fulfilled according to all the circumstances thereof And surely the accomplishment of it is manifestly seene in the Eucharist which is iterated euery
the Church in her first increasings Shee sheweth the Church vnder the Law of Nature at the Change in the weaknesse of her beames and on the fourteenth day when shee is at the Full shee hath a resemblance of the Church in the Synagogue as we haue said but in that she became a new Moone after a new manner in her fifteenth day she signified the Church in the Law of Grace The newnesse and new manner consists in this that shee drew neare to the Sun by an extraordinary meanes for being on Thursday so farre from it as the East from the West the next day shee was euen against it which approachment shee should not make according to her naturall course but in the space of fourteene dayes supernaturally also and with no lesse wonder shee returned to the East on Friday euening at Sun-set where shee had been the night before And so in six houres shee put on the seuerall roabes of all her states for shee was new shee was in he first quarter shee was in her fulnesse and in the beginning of her third seuenth to wit in her fifteenth day In these circumstances and in these wonders happening neuer before nor since shee marketh out the Church in the state of Grace a state of singular renouation of a third seuenth of a third time in the new Pasch in the new and great Sacrifice and Feast instituted by the Sonne of God in his body To which purpose Saint Augustine writeth in these words Because wee are in the third time of all the worlds continuance 〈◊〉 Aug. 〈◊〉 119. ad lanâ—er c. 3. herehence it is that our Sauiour rose vpon the third day The first time was before the Law the second in the Law the third vnder Grace in the which is manifested the Sacrament which was hid in the folds of the Propheticall bookes This it is that which was signified by the number of the Moones and for that 〈◊〉 the Scripture the number of seuen hath a mysticall signification of perfection the Pasche was celebrated in the third weeke of the Moone which is betweene the fourteenth and the â—â—e and twentieth day Behold how God reades vs a lesson by his Starres teaching vs Paradise by the skie and communicating to vs the beames of his intellectuall light by the condition and course of the corporall 18. OVR SAVIOVR HAVING INSTITVted the Sacrifice and Sacrament of his body goeth foorth of his ledging to goe to the Garden of Oliuet THe sweete Lambe being offered this euening and giuen in refection to his Apostles and hauing abolished the olde Pasche and instituted the new as hath been said sung an Hymne with his Apostles after the tradition of the Iewes and went forth to goe to the garden of Oliuet where he was to be deliuered by Iudas to the wicked who had already the watch-word to apprehend him This only remained to accomplish all the proofes of his infinite loue towards mankinde He was first offered to his Father by an vnbloudy Sacrifice without death and passion he went forth to be taken afterwards as a Lambe and to be made a victime on the Crosse there shedding his bloud and giuing his life He had giuen his body to his friends he goeth now to offer it to his enemies He had refectioned the soules of the humble he went soone after to bee fed with gall to drinke viniger to surfet with the torments and reproaches of the proud He long since planted a Garden of delights of rest and of honor he is now gone to a garden of sorrowes of combate and of disgrace He planted the Tree of Life in that delightfull Garden he commeth to plant another in the Orchard of his Church more exquisit and more excellent without comparison And himselfe walkes in this solitary Garden to repaire the fault committed in the first Garden In that the debt was made by disobedience in this it began to be paid by humility In planting the first Garden and the first tree of life he only imployed his word who commanded and all was made but in this it is not so one houres stay in this will cost thee thy bloud O my sweet Redeemer and with the droppes of that pretious purple the beds of this garden must be watred And the Tree of Life which thou hast planted in the Paradise of thy Church is not any meane effect as that was of thy holy word but thy pretious body and bloud it selfe accompanied with the aray of thy holy Diuinitie O my Lord what can I say to prayse thy magnificency I say that thou art magnificent euery way in taking and giuing in feeding and in suffering euery way good and euery liberall of thy goods and of thy selfe euery way rich in mercy and euery way aboundant in propitiation herehence it is that for thy last retraite thou goest to the Garden of Oliuet to make for vs and to giue vnto vs the oyle of thy mercies Oliues for vs but Apples of anguish for thee O my soule thy Redeemer goeth in the night and goeth to subiect himselfe for thee to paines in this Garden doe something for him accompany him amidst this darknesse haue compassion on him admire his loue towards thee loath thy sinnes that haue cast him into these vexations weepe and pray with him offer him thy heart and seruice in this perplexed high-way of his Agony And fince thou art written in his Will called to his Heritage and placed at the Table of his Kingdome to eate of his fruit of life giue some signe of a grateful soule and mindfull of so many benefits make him some present of thy gifts that he hath giuen thee and giue him something of that which he hath made thine albeit thou art nothing yet giue him thy selfe in giuing thy selfe thou shalt become something giue thy selfe to him since he hath giuen himselfe to thee and when I say himselfe what say I an infinite depth of goodnesse giuen many wayes vnto thee in his birth in his conuersation in thy meate in his death and in all the kindes that a thing can be giuen After thou hast contemplated thanked followed and serued him in the Garden of Oliues at the Iudgement Barre of Pilate in the Mount Caluary at the Crosse with teares and sighes of loue of compunction and compassion make him often thy Host by means of this diuine Table which he hath prepared for thee of his immortall and glorious body to giue himselfe to thee and to lodge with thee so often as thou wilt and taking the healthfull refection of his dish contemplate moreouer in this Table the delicates of Paradise and of eternall life which shall follow after For as the Altars of the Hebrewes were Figures of this Feast so this Feast is the Image of the celestiall Table Heere thou eatest the bread of Angells in heauen thou shalt also liue of the bread of Angels Heere thy meat is God himselfe the self-same God will be thy food at that Table