towards him should wee have such stupid and senseles hearts that the Lords great compassion towards vs should nothing move or stirre them vp and such frozen soules that the burning charity of Iesus Christ dying for vs could not heate and inflame them in his love Should wee wilfully offend so great a goodnes in him when we see hee hath spared nothing for vs Or is it possible that so great yea so extream an ingratitude hath possessed our hearts and seized our soules as to displease God who hath loved vs so infinitely as not to spare his onely Sonne for vs. II. I speak of the foulnesse and odiousnesse of sinne which appeares in this Crosse for shal we not hate sinne which is so displeasing and odious to the eyes of our heavenly Father that he would redeeme and expiate it with the death of his Son Of a truth if we repute esteeme not Christs blood for a light and triviall thing needs must sin bee very odious grievous vnto vs and then needes must Iesus Christ crucified be vnto vs the powerfull motiue to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to mortifie in vs all that which is of the old man and of sinne III. We haue the example of our dutie In this Sacrament O Christian thou seest the sacrifice of the Sonne of God which is a lesson to teach thee to present thy body vnto God as a living holy and pleasing sacrifice The patterne and modell of thy sanctification consisteth in breaking and chasticing in thee the Old man as thou seest the body of Christ broken on the Crosse and consequently to dye vnto sinne as thou seest him dead What wilt thou now liue vnto that for which Iesus Christ dyed and his flesh which he crucified on the Crosse shall it againe reviue and assume life and full and perfect vigour in thy members Rom. 6 5. Must thou not bee made the very same plant with Iesus Christ conformably to his death to wit that the body of sin be destroyed in thee to the end that thou no more nor no longer serue sinne But amongst the parts of sanctification Charitie and loue towards our neighbours is particularly requisite and required in this Sacrament according to that of the Apostle Iohn 4.10,11 Heerein is that loue not that we loved God but that hee loved vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Adding likewise thereunto Beloved if God so loued vs we ought also to loue one the other Wilt thou refuse O Christian to loue and assist thy neighbour for whom thou seest that Christ Iesus refused not to shed his blood Wilt thou refuse to giue bread to him to whom Iesus Christ refused not his body See therefore in this Sacrament that which thou owest to thy neighbour to wit not onely to expose thy goods but thy life for him at least if thou thinke to haue any part in Iesus Christ according to that of Saint Iohn 2. Iohn 3.16,17 Heereby have wee perceived love that hee layed downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to lay downe our lives for our brethren and whosoever hath the goods of this world and seeth his brother have need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Thou therefore who knowest not what it is to give vnto the poore and to comfort the afflicted art thou not amazed and confounded in thy selfe to consider and behold that Christ died for those with whose poverty and misery thou art so little or rather nothing at all moved or touched Thou also who contemnest thy neighbour as thy inferiour and vnworthy of thy company behold how our Saviour Christ placeth him at the same table with thee and nourisheth him with the same meat and gives him his owne Cup as to thy selfe and thou who livest in contention and division with thy neighbours behold how Christ in this Sacrament cals thee to the Communion of one and the same body and will that wee who are many be one onely bread and one onely body partaking of the same bread as the Apostle speakes to the Corinthians 1. Corint 10.3 The fourth Act and duety which must bee ingendered and propagated in our hearts by the meditation of this blessed Sacrament is patience and consolation in afflictions Dost thou see Gods Church persecuted It is the Body of Iesus Christ which is againe broken and his blood which is shed that which was the condition of this body on the Crosse and which is presented to thee in this Sacrament the same is the condition of the mysticall body on earth What my brethren doe wee so often see Christs body broken by the Sacrament to bee afterwards so strangly affrighted and astonished to see the Church which is the body of Christ to suffer the like measure and fortune here on earth Let vs therefore learne by this Sacrament That Iesus Christ crucified is our ensigne here on earth and that wee thereby know that we are asommoned and called to his Crosse and that wee are indeed his true body and members if wee suffer with him to the end that we may likewise be glorified with him Say then all yee who see this Sacrament Heb. 13.13 Let vs goe forth therefore to him out of the Campe bearing his reproach Col. 1.24 Let vs accomplish and beare the sufferings of Christ in our flesh for his bodies sake which is his Church yea let vs every where 2. Corint 4.10 beare about in our bodies the death of Iesus Christ and that the life of our Lord Christ may bee manifested in our mortall bodies and all in general let vs comfort our selues in our afflictions and present and figure this beleife to our hearts and minds that they come not from God who punisheth our sinnes in his wrath and indignation sith this Sacrament testifieth that those punishments and revenges have alighted and fallen on Iesus Christ himself when his body was broken and his blood shed and spilt on the Crosse but they proceed simply from God chasticing correcting approving and teaching vs as a Father 1 Cor. 11.32 that wee bee not condemned with the world Hebr. 12.10 that here below being made Partakers of his holynesse wee may hereafter in heaven bee made Partakers of his felicity and glory The fifth Function which the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper should produce in vs is our hope of heavenly felicitie according as Christ Iesus himselfe said to his disciples at the celebration of this Sacrament Mat. 26.29 I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine vntill that day that I shall drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome by which words Iesus Christ will now raise and elevate our hearts from the feast which he makes vs here below in his favour to that which he will hereafter make vs above in his glory and whereof he feast or banquet which he makes vs here
Iesus to death yea to the shamefull death of the Crosse for our redemption and that he was so gracious a God and so mercifull and indulgent a Father to vs that he suffered his blessed Sonne to dye for vs Tit. 2.14 That hee might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe For wretched sinners that we are In Paradise where our Forefathers gained their life there by their wilfull disobedience and transgression they lost their righteousnes and we in them because the foule staine and Leprosie of that their originall sin hath successively and actually made vs their vnfortunate seede and posteritie guilty both of Death and Hell and there iustly adiudged to haue our Portions with the Devill and his Angels But notwithstanding all this God yet hath beene as mercifull to vs as we have bene sinnefull to him for although wee were lost in Adam by Nature yet we are againe both found and saved in Iesus Christ by grace 1 Tim. 2.6 Who hath given himselfe a ransome for all men Isai 53.4,5 Hath borne our infirmities and carried away our sinnes and sorrows by suffering himselfe to bee wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities So that it is the present ioy of our hearts and the future happinesse of our soules Eph. 2.4,5 That God who is rich in mercie Eph 2.4,5 through the great loue wherewith he loved vs when we were dead by our sins hath quickned vs together in Iesus Christ by whose grace we are saved And to the ende that all true Christians should not despaire of Christs promises vnto them nor so much give themselues over either to the reprobate sense and pleasures of sinne or to the sugred insinuations and trecherous temptations of Satan as any way to doubt of their salvation in the Lord Why this our sacred Lord Master Christ Iesus the great Shepheard of his Flocke and Saviour of his people who by incorporating his Divinitie with his humanitie was wholly composed of loue mercy toward them Hee I say a litle before his bloody yet blessed death and passion on the Crosse was gratiously pleased to honour and sanctifie his Apostles and in them vs who are of the true seed of Abraham with the holy Sacrament of his most blessed Supper as a diuine pledge and a firme authenticall confirmation of his inestimable loue towards vs and of his watchful care and vigilancy for our saluation I meane for the full perfecting and accomplishing of our glorification in Heaven with God his father Rom 6.4 That sin might haue no more dominion over ver vs because we are now no longer vnder the Law but vnder Grace but that by the worthy receiving and holy partaking thereof In the imitation of Christ and his blessed Apostles Ephes 2.6 wee might be raysed vp together with him in heavenly places It is therefore not our owne merits but onely Gods mercies not our own workes which are sinfull but onely the blessed death and passion of Christ Iesus which is sacred that must be both the triumph and glory of a Christian And I confesse with ioy and acknowledge with Confidence and Consolation that this holy Sacrament of his most blessed Supper wherin the bread of his body was broken and the wine of his blood powred out and shed for the sinnes of all mankind is the perfect pledge the sacred seale the full ransome and the divinest mysterie of our redemption in Iesus Christ And that as wee are absolutely cleansed and washed from our originall sinne by the water of Baptisme when wee enter into the State of Grace in the Church militant heere on earth That so by the blood of this Paschall Lambe Christ Iesus in the Sacrament of his blessed Supper our sinnes are wholly defaced and washed away and consequently that therefore wee shall enter into the state of glory in the Church triumphant in heaven So that fighting vnder the banner of Christ his Crosse and being spiritually armed with these two sacred Sacraments we may boldly beleeue confidently assure our selues that neither Sathan nor hell shall have power to prevaile against vs. And here Christian Reader before I proceed farther in this my Preface to thee I give thee to vnderstand That I am not ignorant with what a great world of different opinions and controversies this our little world of Christendome is perplexed and troubled with about this blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper betwixt the Protestant and the Papist especially about Transubstantiation the Reall Presence and communicating in one kind In so much that an infinite number yea too great a number of pens pulpits and presses are pittifully because vnprofitably oppressed therwith and that Christs blessed body in this Sacrament without pietie reason or charity is daily dilacerated and torne in peeces with these contentions whereas his owne Coate or vesture was without peece or seame So that our silly soules may well feare drowning when the barke of our weake faith masted and rigged with curiositie sayleth in so dangerous and turbulent an Ocean that hath neither bottome nor shoare and which is daily and hourly tossed and ready to be split and dashed in peeces either with the wavering waves of levity and inconstancy or with the boysterous winds of propensd malice or scandalous and erronious virulency without looking vp to the true day-Starre of their hope Iesus Christ or to the Sunne of their saluation God or without endevoring or thinking safely to arrive and cast anchor in the Cape of good hope Heaven O that the spirit of Pietie should without piety thus bee conuerted and transformed into the spirit of Contention And as for mee who am the meanest and most vnworthie of all Gods Seruants and Children bingeniously confesse and acknowledge that in some few languages I have read so many of these intemperate Contreversies and vntimely Contentions that I am wearie of reading them And yet so That I rather pitie then maligne first their Authors for their sakes and then them for their Authors sakes and my witnesse is in heaven in mine own besome that with my heart soule I wish that all these vnspirituall quarells might be composed in peace and amitie and that these vnfortunate disputes and lynes might terminate in one and the same Centre Charitie and that their learned Authors having their curiosity vanquished with the honour and glory of God as Christian members might bee inseparably fast knit and vnited to their Head and grand Captaine Iesus Christ and because contention is not the way to heaven and that God was found in the still and quiet and not in the whirle and tempestuous winds As also that where the great Lamps of learning and lights of the Church contend fight about matters of faith that there assuredly the weake ones and the more illiterat Christians doe infinitly suffer in this quarell That therefore in the name and feare of God they would
chiefe and principall Meditation which wee require of you in this obiect is three things I. Of Christs great debasing and making himselfe as it were nothing II. Of the horror and grievousnesse of sinne as the direct opposition of the perfect sanctity and absolute holinesse of God III. Of the immense love and charity of Iesus Christ towards vs. I speake first of Christs great debasing and esteeming himselfe nothing For if you formerly vnderstand and remember Iesus Christ abased himselfe so low as to cloath and incorporate himselfe with our wretched nature and to make himselfe after the simple semblance of men But here behold him now hee makes himselfe lesse then man as he saith in the Psalmes Psal 22.6 I am a Worme and no man the shame of men and the contempt of the People Behold how he makes himselfe a Sacrifice and assumes and takes on him the condition of Beasts which were slain in the ancient Law for the sinnes of men O Lord Iesus who can sufficiently comprehend the depth of this thy extreame humiliation and making thy selfe as nothing who from the heavenly Throne of thy glory hast been placed in forme of a Victime vpon the Altar of the Crosse And that thou wouldest die yea die a shamefull and most ignominious death for vs according as it is written Gal. 3.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree From this passe wee on to the second thing which is the Consideration of the horrour grieveousnesse yea and the odiousnesse of Sin For I pray you how wicked was it in it selfe and how execrable in the eyes of God that the onely Sonne of God must needs suffer such grievous paines and torments The Law did well shew the odiousnes and abomination of Sin by the Sacrifices and Aspersions of blood which it required for the Expiation thereof But all that is nothing in Comparison of this which the Gospell shewes vs because these Sacrifices and Aspersions of the Law were of Beasts and of the blood of Beasts but heer it is the onely begotten Son of God who hath beene given to death to expiate sinne and to cover the foulnesse and enormitie thereof Behold then O Sinners with astonishment by the greatnesse of the satisfaction the horrour of this sinne and thereby to learne to hate and detest it Nature to shew how grievous and odious sinne was since the fall of Adam became harried over with thorns and briars and changed many of her plants into poysons The aire grew thicke with stormes and was many times infected to punish sinners The Sea impetuously mounted her angry waues and surges and caused infinite shipwrackes Adams owne person and his posterity strayed from his temper and by sicknesse and diseases had drawen the Empire of death into his owne entrailes and bowels mans wisedome was obscured with ignorance and tormented with irregular and extravagant passions and all this befell and hapned to the world for sinne But now behold Heaven who against sinne and to the end and intent to expiate and destroy it delivers vp to death that which it had and held dearest and to reproach and shame that which it held and possest of most glorious For here God the Father of heauen exposeth his sweetest delights to the bitter torments of the Crosse Heere Christ Iesus his onely beloved Son who yeeldeth abandoneth his life and who to destroy sinne so extreamly hee hates it doth voluntarily and willingly destroy himselfe And heere considering and meditating further how odious sinne is to God let vs admire how perfect Gods iustice and sanctitie is let vs say that here it is where this sanctitie manifesteth it selfe at full in her brightest Orient It is in this mysterie that the Seraphims crie Holy holy holy the Eternall of Armies for if he shew forth his righteousnes and sanctitie here below in punishing and ruining some of his creatures by his iudgements how much more doth hee manifest it by the death of his onely beloved Sonne to whom sinne presented it selfe to be punished Come we now to the third mediation which wee require of you wherein we may behold the exreame debasing annihilating of the Son of God to see the immense Loue both of this heauenly Father and Sonne towards vs for that the Son hath beene so grievously handled and tormented for vs. What Abyssus of affection and mercy is this towards man Is there any minde or spirit though angelical which cannot bee ravished and swallowed vp heereat Prophane Infidells and Atheists who are incredulous of the mysteries of the Christian faith Know ye that it shewes you the highest charity and perfectest sanctitie that the heart or wit of man can possibly comprehēd or conceiue And of God bee a soveraigne sanctitie an immense charity and goodnesse as his being cannot bee but all perfection know that the new Testament sheweth God to men and reveales them this vnexpressable and incomprehensible sanctity and charity which is the same that Saint Iohn said 1. Iohn 4.16 God is Love and hee that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him c. That God is Charity and in this is manifested his Charity For that God hath sent his onely Sonne into the world to the end that wee live by him and in this againe is Charity not that we have loved God but because hee hath loved vs and hath given his Sonne to bee a propitiation for our sinnes And heer it is that the new Testament hath many great aduantages and singular benefits and prerogatives above the old one of the Law Seeing that herein God fully discovereth the rich Treasures of his goodnesse In nature we see GODS goodnesse towards man for that for a time hee entertaines and maintaines himselfe in life by the death of Beasts whose flesh serues him for food and sustenance But here God gives and purchaseth to man an eternall life by the death of his onely Sonne Here hee gives to man not his Creatures as in the creation but his onely well beloued Sonne himselfe yea and to sinfull man Wherefore it is that the Apostle affirmes to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 3.18 We all behold as in a Mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and Iesus Christ tels vs That none having ever seene God it is he that hath revealed him to vs. Faithfull brethren in the Lord open the eyes of your vnderstandings and see how God manifesteth himselfe and how he makes himselfe palpably visible to you by this immense Love and Charity which this Sacrament of the Eucharist presenteth and representeth to your eyes If then on these words This is my Body you have meditated on the Love and Charity of Christ humbling himselfe so low as to cloth himselfe with our weake body and nature then meditate on this greater degree of Charity which hath caused him to assume the forme of a servāt for vs which was already exceeding much to him who was the Creator and the King of glory
thee in the Lord Yet because I am an humble Seruant to Christ both in my desires and affections aswell as I am the shaddow and Echo of my Author in this my translation Therefore I trust in the goodnesse of God and hope in the integritie of mine owne heart that I shall rather right thee then any way wrong him in presuming poorly to gleane after his rich haruest by aduenturing to propose and give thee a word or two of spirituall aduice and directions of mine owne vpon the receiuing of this blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper before I commend this Divine Pourtrait thereof to thee thee to it and you both vnto God When therefore thou resoluest Iam. 4.8 to draw neere vnto God that God may draw neer vnto thee by receiving and partaking of this his blessed Sacrament Thou must in the innocency of thy heart and the purity of thy soule 1 Pet. 5.6 first humble thy selfe vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt thee Iam. 4.10 And cast thy selfe downe before him that hee may lift thee vp 1 Cor. 15.34 Thou must awake to live righteously and resolue to sinne no more but henceforth to become a new man and a new Christian Gal. 3.24 for they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof Thou must set thy affections on things which are above and not on things which are on the Earth Phil. 3.20 Anâ— thy conuersation must bee iâ— heaven from whence thoâ— must expect thy Sauiour eveâ— the Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 5.25 Foâ— if thou live in the spirit thoâ— must also walke in the spirit Psal 4.4 Thou must tremble but nâ—… sinne and thou must examinâ— thy selfe vpon thy bed Psal 68 1â— Foâ— God will try thee as siluer iâ— tryed Thou must not deceive thy selfe Galat. 6.7 for God wilâ— not bee mocked Thou musâ— not be hot in thy sinnes anâ— cold and frozen in thy devotion and piety towardâ— God neither must thou seeme now to bee that in thy humility and zeale which thou art not Because Hypocrisie towards God proves treacherie towards our owne soules But runne thou a Contrary Course with thy heart and soule at thy receiving of this great act of thy Saluation this blessed Sacrament for bee thou the death of thy sinnes and then God will assuredly be the life of thy Soule As for those who either vnworthily receiue or carelesly deferre or wilfully contemne the receiving of this blessed Sacrament they doe assuredly spin out the webbe of their owne damnation and so being dead in the Lethargie of their owne securitie and prophanesse they hood-wincked ride post to Hell Consider and remember with thy selfe Ioel. 1.15 That the day of the Lord is at hand 2 Pet. 3.10 And that death and destruction comes from the Lord as a Thiefe in the night That death the grimme Pursivant and Sergeant of the Lord dâ—th neither spare nor pardon any sexe or age but with his fatall Dart and Mace without respect or difference aresteth as well the King as the begger the Priest as the people and the young as the old Wee must not therefore put farre from vs the evill day Amos. 6.3,4,5 nor stretch our selues on our beds of Ivorie nor sing to the sound of the Violl wherby the Prophet meanes all excesse of riot and vnderstandeth all degree of obscene pleasures and beastly voluptuousnesse For if we love God we must honour him and if we will honour him wee must loue him Amos 6.3,4,5 And not wearie him with our sinnes nor presse him downe with their burthen as a Cart is with Sheafes Consider wee againe That as there is but one way forvs to come into the world so that there are a thousand waies to go out of it That we are subiect to as many diseases as sinnes yea and that diseases doe as frequently and as insensibly steale into our bodyes as sinnes doe into our soules That wee are never neerer death then when we think our selues farthest from it and that when we suppose our selues to be strongest in Nature wee commonly are then weakest in Grace As also that a theeuish Impostume a poore Apoplexie a Cut-throat Squinancy or a fierce and furious visitation of the Pestilence doth many times in a moment of time violently snatch vs away from the world and the world from vs yea and which is more to be admired though no lesse to bee pittied That some times in the very twinckling of an Eye we are choaked with a Fly a Kernell of an apple a crumm of bread or a small Fish bone Or else have our braynes dashd out with a fall either from a Horse or a staire O therfore how seriously ought we to ponder in our hearts and how maturely and religiously to consider in our soules how extreame dangerous it is for vs to procrastinate and deferre and consequently how infinitely necessary expedieÌ„t it is for vs frequently to receiue this blessed SacrameÌ„t of the Lords Supper Consider wee further Iam 4.14 That wee cannot tell what shall betyde vs to morrow for that our life is but a Vapour that appeareth for a smal time and then vanisheth away 1 Pet. 1.24 That all flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse and that the grasse withereth the flower thereof falleth away Heb. 13.14 That we haue no abiding Citie heere but must therefore seeke one to come which is aboue That as the tree falleth it lyes That there is no sorrowing for our sins in the grave and that after our death there is no place nor hope left vs for a second repentance Heb. 10 31 And that it is a feare full thing to fall into the hands of the living God Armed in this manner with a lively faith towards God and with periect love and Charity towards our neighbour and having freed and cleared those sinfull spots of our hearts and reformed and cleansed those foule affections and imperfections of our soules by our vnfeigned godly repentance and sorow And having now assumed and taken vp a firme resolution ever hereafter Eph. 5.10 to approve and doe that which is pleasing to the Lord And contracted a solemne Covenant betweene God and our souls Eph. 5.11 never any more to have any fellowship with the workes of darkenesse but reprove them and not henceforth to dare to looke back with affection on our forepast deerest and darling sinnes but with infinite hatred detestation of them Then I say let vs follow the aduice of the Apostle Heb. 4.16 Let vs goe vp boldly to the Throne of Grace that wee may receive mercy Let vs goe boldly to this table to this pretious banket of the Lords blessed Supper and eat that sacred bread of his body and drinke that heavenly wine of his blood in a strong Confidence and CoÌ„memoration That Christ dyed for vs on the Altar of
prayer which done they rendered thankes to God for that he had brought and established them in a Countrey which abounded with all prosperity and plenty of Bread and Wine in Comparison of the misery and dearth wherin their Fathers had lived in Egypt As in very deed all beleeued and held That the vnleauened Bread which God had appointed and instituted for Easter was a true simbole and figure of the bread of misery and affliction which the Israelites had eaten during their captivitie in Egypt Now Christ Iesus who would not permit or suffer that Iewish Ceremonies should any longer remaine in the Christian Churches insteed of the Passeouer or Feast of Easter placed and instituted his blessed Supper as hee had formerly appointed and introduced Baptisme insteed of Circumcision leaving in all Christian Churches none but these two figures and Sacraments in place and steed of all that great multitude which were formerly vnder the old Law And according as the seruice of the new Testament was spirituall It was also conuenient and fitting those few Ceremonies which Christ instituted were likewise simple and easie as depending and having relation to the Nature and Condition of the Evangelical Law and seruice which is wholly spirituall and heavenly whereunto these Ceremonies were tyed and conioyned In which regard Iesus Christ in his Supper tooke no figure of any formerly prepared meat procured with cost or care or which could not be hourly provided and had as was the Paschall Lambe but tooke simplie Bread and Wine as in the same sort and manner that in the Sacrament of Baptisme insteed of the painefull and grievous Circumcision hee instituted the easie and simple aspersion of water Now for that Iesus Christ hath substituted his blessed Supper insteed of the feast of Easter It followes of necessitie that there must bee some resemblance and conformitie of the Lords Supper to the Feast of Easter and of the actions of Christians in receiving the same to the actions of the Iewes in eating of their Paschall Lambe But as this great Feast and Passeover of the Iewes was a Sacrament and religious mysterie so notwithstanding it was yet more to feed the mind then the body wherefore wee must obserue and remember that besides yea above the eating of the mouth there was the eating of the mind which was a holy and religious meditation whereby their soules should be refreshed and comforted according to the quality and Condition of the Churches of their time That which they did eat with their Corporall mouthes was a Lambe some bitter hearbes and vnleavened bread And that which their minds and heart ought to meditate on was the grace and favour which God had bestowed on them in delivering them from the miserable seruitude and slavery wherin their Fore-fathers had lived in Egypt and for bringing them to enioy the fruits and fatnesse of the Land of Canaan So that at the same time which their bodyes did eate their soules likewise had their spiritall meate and food and tasted how good and gratious God was to them by giving them their deliverance In the same manner Iesus Christ instituting his Blessed Supper at Easter proposed to Christians a double forme of eating the one of the mouth which was that of Bread and the other of the Soule which was the meditation of the great goodnesse and mercy of God whereby Iesus Christ having beene crucified to death for vs hath victoriously and gloriously delivered vs from all our miseries Now let vs here remark obserue the excellēt sympathy conformitie wherevnto the Israelites were called at their Passeover or Feast of Easter to the meditation wherin our Saviour Christ called Christians in his blessed Supper to relish the goodnesse of God The Iewes in their Passeover considered that by the blood of a Lambe their Forefathers were delivered from the destroying and persecuting Sword of the Angell the slayen and immolated Lambe being the Ransome of the first borne And in the fraction or breaking and eating of the Bread of the Eucharist wee Christians doe consider That the body and blood of Iesus Christ as of an immaculate Lambe without spot or blemish hath beene offered vp to God in Sacrifice and that by this Ransome wee are delivered delivered from the destroying Sword of the Angell to wit from all the power and malice of Sathan As the Apostle tels the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5.7 that Christ our Paschall Lambe hath beene sacrificed vp for vs. As then the Iewes considering the Lambe meditated and celebrated the goodnesse of God for giving deliverance to their Forefathers by the Ransome of a Lambe So wee Christians should feast our minds and refresh our hearts with the meditation of Gods singular goodnesse towards vs which is infinitly greater and more admirable in that hee hath delivered vp his owne yea his onely Sonne to death for the Ransome of wee poore and wretched Sinners wherein appeares a dilection and loue which surpasseth all vnderstanding and wherein faithfull Seruants of the Lord you may apparantly see the excellency of your aduantage and benefits above those of the ancient Testament That which they meditated in their Passeover was a temporall deliverance That which you meditate in the Lords Supper is a deliverance both spirituall and eternall That which they considered for a Ransome and deliverance from the Angels Sword of persecution and pestilence was a simple terrestriall and carnall Lambe But that which you meditate on for your Ransome in this sacred Supper is the proper body of Gods onely Sonne crucified and slayen for your Sinnes The Ioy and refreshing which the Israelites conceived in their hearts and minds by their meditation was their delight and contentment to have beene delivered from Pharoah and to bee brought into the promised Land of Canaan But what is this in Comparison of the Ioy and refreshing which our soules conceiue to see and contemplate the vnspeakable goodnesse of God whereby you are delivered from eternall death and conducted and brought into a spirituall and heavenly Canaan O therefore if those of the Church of Rome would consider how great how excellent how inexpressable this feeding and refreshing of our soules is by this meditation They would not then say that wee returne empty from this blessed Sacrament It is then the Church of Christ which hath the true eating and true refreshing and sacietie thereof and there onely it is where true peace and felicity is to be found And therfore it is that the word of God teacheth vs concerning the ancient Israelites That what content soever they receiued by their Passeover there yet remayned in their memories a degree of slavery and seruitude Rom. 1.15 whereof they were still afraid and the Reason of it was that the curse of the Law still echoed and resounded aloud in their eares and that the promises of remission and pardon for their sinnes were still concealed and obscured from them and the death of Christ crucified for the
I begin with the feeling of our miserie and a religious or godly sorrow for having sinned that is to say by considering by the breaking of Christs body which is proposed and intimated to vs in the breaking of bread the paine and torments which we haue deserved For my beloved Brethren it is for vs that Christs body hath been broken with cruell torments on the Crosse and therefore this sad wofull spectacle doth both shew and teach vs that in requitall thereof wee haue deserved to bee bruised and broken with torments for ever Christs sufferings and groanes vnder the burthen of Gods wrath is a pourtrait or mappe of that miserie wherein we all should haue perished for our sinnes Behold then O sinner the terrible indignation curse of God which violently was comming to alight and fall vpon thee Thou who art insensible of thy misery here behold and see thy condition in the estate of Iesus Christ on the Crosse See I say thy torments and misery and when thou seest this Bread in the Sacrament of his Supper broken say O Lord here I am who haue deserued to bee bruised broken with the rodde of thine anger It was I who had sinned and therfore merited to support and suffer thy fierce indignation from thence there must bee ingendred and borne in our hearts a holy and a religious sorrow for that wee haue bin the efficient and reall cause that the Sonne of God hath suffered all these vndeserved tortures afflictions Seest thou O Christian the body of Iesus Christ broken on the Crosse It is therefore requisite that thou breake thy heart with sorrow for that thy sinnes haue produced all this evill and caused all this calamitie Therefore behold the drops of blood trickling downe the face of Iesus Christ Thou who drinkest and suppest vp sinne as water loe thy sinnes are the sharpe thornes which haue pricked and pierced his head Thee to whom thy sinne is so sweet and delicious behold they are thy sinnes which haue beene the nayles and speare that haue transpierced thy blessed body Thou who esteemest thy sins to bee but some indifferent or triviall thing what deep passions of sorrow should thy heart and soule conceiue to haue beene the cause of the death of thy friend thy brother thy father or thy child by any action or accident of thine owne But how much more grief sorrow then oughtest thou hereto retaine feele at the remembrance of thy sins which haue caused thy Creator to be murdred and thy God to be crucified to death The II. Act of our hearts which ought to streame foorth and arise from that which the Lords blessed Supper exposeth and presenteth to our eyes is the faith and assurance of the remission of sinnes Thou sayest to thy selfe O Sinner I have offended God and broken and transgressed his Law therefore who shall ransome and redeeme mee from his furious wrath and indignation But be cheerefull and couragious for loe here is thy ransome which Iesus Christ brings and denounceth vnto thee in these words This is my Body which hath beene broken for thee This is my Blood that hath beene shed for thee and wilt thou therefore doubt when the only Sonne of God is hee who hath satisfied for thee and that it is not a silly man but the eternall himselfe who is both thy righteousnes and thy Redeemer say then with the Apostle who is hee that will condemne sith it is Christ that is dead dost thou doubt of Gods love where his owne Sonne the onely beloved of his Father is the propitiation for thy sinnes If thou propose to thy selfe thine owne merits or the sufferings of any other creatures or persons thou shouldest feare that God will not receive them for satisfaction because they are too base money and of a false and counterfeit mettall to be approved and received of God But wee must present him the body of his onely Sonne broken and his blood shed and then hee cannot but approve thereof as a full and valable satisfaction God heeretofore knew the blood of the Lambe vpon the postes of the doores when he sent his destroying Angell against Egypt and will he not then know the blood of his owne Sonne as of a Lambe without spot or blemish whereby you have besprinckled your consciences Be therefore bold and confident and say with the Apostle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 10.21,22 Seeing wee have a high Priest which is over the house of God let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith our hearts being pure from an evill conscience that so wee may obtaine mercy and find grace in due time And here againe O faithfull Christian two reasons of thy assurance and confidence drawen from this Sacrament The one is that as in Baptisme it is to thy selfe to thine owne body that the water is applyed that thou mayest thereby know that thou art washt in the blood of Iesus Christ so in this Sacrament of his blessed Supper it is to thee that hee gives his body yea it is into thine owne hands which hee commits and puts this Sacrament to assure thee that it is onely to thee which hee gives himselfe and not to others whom thou mayest hold and esteeme to be better then thy selfe In which regard for that this Sacrament is given to thee and put into thine owne hands it is because thou must esteeme and beleeue that Christs body is thine as a Ransome which is given into thy hands to present vnto God wherefore doubt not but it properly belongs and appertaines vnto thee for otherwise thou doest annull and annihilate the Sacrament which Christ giues thee and thou doubtest that he be true in giving it to thee The other reason is That although there hee a great distance betwixt Iesus Christ vs as betwixt the Saint of Saints and poore and miserable sinners neverthelesse we learne by this Sacramēt that wee are incorporated with Christ and into Christ and that wee become his members his blood and his bone as flesh which wee eate becomes our blood and bone But to the members and body rightly belongs the power of the Head which cannot bee denyed her Thou mayest then inferre O Christian that the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ is thine owne and that it properly belongs and appertaines to thee The third Act of our hearts in the participation of this Sacrament is the sanctifying of our soules by the loue of God and the denying and renouncing of our selues the which is performed by three things that are seene appeare in this Sacrament that is to say I. The great Charitie and loue of God towards vs. II. The foulenes and odiousnes of sinne III. The example of our owne dutie I say first The great charitie loue of God For my brethren should not this infinite love of God in exposing and delivering vp his onely begotten Son to death for vs replenish inspire and fill vs with a reciprocall love