saith whether yee bee in the faith of Christ or not For being in the faith and iustified thereby on necessitie yee must haue peace with God Then the next care must bee to try your faith and to see whether ye haue faith or not Faith can no waies be tried but by the fruits faith cannot be iudged on by me that looke vpon it only but by the effects Therefore to try whether ye be in the faith or not mark the fruits Take heed to thy mouth take heed to thy hand take heede to thy words and to thy deeds for except thou glorifie God in thy mouth and confesse to thy saluation except thou glorifie him also in thy deedes make thy holy life a witnes of thy holy faith all is but vaine all is but meere hypocrisie How a sincere faith is knowen Therefore to knowe the sinceritie of thy faith thou must take heede that there be a harmonie between thy hand thy mouth and thy hart that there be a natural consent that thy doings preiudge not thy hart that thy mouth preiudge not thy heart but that mouth and hand may testifie the sinceritie of the hart If the heart the hand the mouth consent agree in one harmonie together No question that heart that breakes forth into so good fruits is coupled with God There is no question the light of thy actions the beames and shining of thy life shall make the name of thy good God to bee glorified Therefore the whole weight of our triall standes cheefely vpon this point to see whether wee bee in the fayth or not to trie and examine whether Christ dwell in vs by fayth or not for without fayth there canne be no coupling or conioyning betwixt vs Christ without faith our hearts cannot bee sanctified and cleansed and without faith we cannot worke by charitie so all depends on this onely And therefore that yee might the better vnderstand whether yee haue fayth or no I was somewhat the more exact in this matter and I beganne to let you see how the holy spirit createth faith works faith in your soules hearts and mindes I began to shewe you what order the holy spirit kept in forming and in creating this notable instrument in your hearts and mindes Not onely how hee ingenders and begins fayth but also how he intertaines it how he nourisheth it And I shewed you the externall means and instruments which hee vseth to this effect To beget faith in our soules the holy spirit vseth the hearing of the word preached by him that is sent the ministerie of the Sacraments as ordinarie meanes and instruments which ordinary meanes are onely then effectuall when as the holy spirit concurs inwardly in our hearts with the word striking outwardly in our eares and with the Sacrament outwardly receiued And except the holy spirit grant his concurrence to the word and Sacrament word and Sacrament both will not worke faith So all depends vpon the working of this holy spirit The whole regeneration of mankind the renewing of the heart and of the conscience depend on the power of the holy spirit And therefore it behoueth vs carefully to imploy our selues in calling vpon God for his holy spirit By the same means and no other that the holy spirit begâ—ts faith in vs by the same meanes hee nourisheth and augments that which hee hath begotten And therefore as we got faith by the hearing of the word so by continuall and diligent hearing we haue this faith augmeÌ„ted nourished in vs. And from hence I tooke my exhortation That if yee would haue that spirituall life nourished in you and if yee would haue a further assurance of heauen of necessitie yee must both continually and diligently heare the blessed word of God Now it resteth that euery one of you carefully apply this doctrine to your owne soules and enter into the triall of your owne consciences To see if this faith as I spake be begunne in your hearts and mindes or not how farre or how little the holy spirit hath proceeded in that worke trie with mee and I with you The first effect of the holy spirit whereby yee may trie your mindes whether yee be in the faith oâ— not is this Reuolue in your memories and remember if at any time it pleased the Lord in his mercie to turn the darknesse of your mindes into light to cause that naturall darknesse which was within you to depart Through the which darknesse neyther had yee an eye to see your selues what you were by nature nor yet had ye an eye to see God in Christ nor anie parte of his mercie Examine I say whether this darknesse of the naturall vnderstanding bee turned into light by the working of the spirit or not If thou art become a childe of the light a childe of the day If thou art become as the Apostle speaketh light in the Lord If there bee this alteration made in thy minde That whereas naturally before it was closed vp in darknesse whereas it was filled with vanities and errors wherens it was closed vp in blindnes If the Lord hath at anie time inlightened the eye of thy minde and made thee to see thine owne miserie to see the vglinesse of thine owne nature to see the heinous sins in the which by nature thou liest If hee hath granted to thee an insight of thy selfe in some measure and on the other side if hee hath granted thee the remedie and hath giuen thee an insight of the mercie of God in Christ Iesus if thou hast obtained an insight of the riches of his grace in Christ No doubt the holy spirit hath begunne a good worke worke in thee A worke which will bring forth repentance which in his owne time hee will perfect So this is the first care which yee ought to haue and the first point wherein yee ought to examine your minds To see if there bee any light in it whereby yee may know your miserie and haue an insight of the free mercie of God in Christ Iesus This being done that thou findest a sight of these two in thy minde from thy minde goe to thy heart and as thou hast tryed thy minde so try thy heart And first examine thine heart if it bee altered or not that the will of it bee framed and bowed to GODs obedience that thy affection bee turned into the life of God and bee poured out on him as it was poured out on vanities on filthinesse and on the world before Try whether the ground of thy heart and the fountaine from whence thy motions and affections proceede bee sanctified or not for from a holy fountaine holy waters must distill from a holy fountaine holy motions holy cogitations and sanctified considerations must flowe Trie then and examine your hearts if the spirit of God hath wrought any such reformation as I speake of in your harts or not And that ye may perceiue the working of the holy Spirit the better in
was in the wombe of the Virgin His flesh is not called spirituall in respect it is glorified in the heauens at the right hand of the Father be not deceiued with that for suppose it be glorified yet it remaineth true flesh that same verie flesh which hee tooke out of the wombe of the blessed Virgine Neither is it spirituall because thouseest it not in the Supper if thou wert where it is Answere thou mightest see it But it is called spirituall in respect of the spirituall ends wherunto it serues to my body soule because the flesh bloud of Christ serueth to nourish me not to a temporall but to a spirituall heauenly life Now in respect this flesh is a spiritual foode seruing me to a spirituall life for this cause it is called a spirituall thing if it nourish mee as the flesh of beasts doth but to a temporall life it should be called but a temporall thing but in respect it nourisheth my soule not to an earthly and temporall life but to an heauenly celestiall and spirituall end In respect of this end the flesh of Christ and Christ in respect of his flesh is called the spirituall thing in the Sacrament It is called also the spiritual thing in the Sacrament in respect of the spirituall instrument whereby it is receiued The instrument whereby the flesh of Christ is receiued is not a corporall instrument is not the teeth and mouth of the body but it is spirituall it is the mouth of the soule which is faith and in respect the instrument is spirituall therefore Christ who is receiued is also called spirituall In respect also that the manner of receiuing is a heauenly spirituall and internall manner not a naturall nor externall manner in respect that the flesh of Christ which is giuen in the Sacrament is receiued by a spiritual secret maner which is not seene to the eyes of men In all these respects I call Christ Iesus the heauenly and spirituall thing which is signified by the signes in the Sacrament Now The thing signified must be applyed I say in the end the thing signified must bee applyed to vs. What auaileth it me to see my medicine in a box standing in an Apothecaries shop what can it worke toward me if it be not applyed What auaileth it mee to see my saluation afarre of if it be not applied to mee Therefore it is not enough for vs to see Christ but he must be giuen vs or else he cannot worke health and saluation in vs. And as this saluation is giuen vs wee must haue a mouth to take it What auaileth it mee to see meat before me except I haue a mouth to take it So the thing signified in the Sacrament must be giuen vs by God by the Three persons of the Trinitie one GOD by Christ Iesus who must giue himselfe as he giues himselfe so wee must haue a mouth to take him Suppose he present and offer himselfe yet he can profit and auaile none but them who haue a mouth to receiue him Then ye see what I call the thing signified whole Christ applyed to vs and receiued by vs vvhole Christ God and man without separation of his natures vvithout distinguishing of his substance from his graces All applyed to vs. Then I say seeing we come to the Sacrament to be fed by his flesh and refreshed by his bloud to be fed to an heauenly and spirituall life and seeing there is no profit to be had at this Table without some kinde of preparation therefore let no man prease to come to this holy Table except in some measure hee be prepared Some will be prepared in a greater measure then others alwayes let no man presume to go to it except in some measure his heart be sanctified therefore my exhortation concerning the way whereby euery one of you ought to prepare your selues that yee may fit you the better to this Table is this there is not one of you that commeth to the Table of the Lord that may bring before the Lord his integritie iustice and vprightnes but whosoeuer goeth to the Table of the Lord hee ought to goe with the acknowledging confession of his misery he ought to goe with a sorrowfull hart for the sinnes wherin he hath offended God he ought to goe with a hatred of those sinnes Not to protest that hee is holy iust and vpright but to protest and confesse that he is miserable and of all creatures the most miserable and therefore hee goeth to that Table to get support for his misery to obtaine mercy at the throne of Grace to get remission and forgiuenes of his sinnes to get the gift of repentance that more more he may study to liue vprightly holily and soberly in all time to come Therfore except yee haue entred into this course and haue a purpose to continue in this course to amend your life past to repent you of your sinnes and by the grace of God to liue more vprightly and soberly then yee haue done for Gods cause goe not to the Table For where there is not a purpose to doe well and to repent of necessity there must be a purpose to doe ill and whosoeuer commeth to that Table with a purpose to doe ill and without a purpose to repent he commeth to mock Christ to scorne him to his face to eate his owne present-condemnation So let no man come to that Table that hath not in his hart a purpose to doe better that hath not a hart to sorrow for his sinnes past and thinketh not his former follie and madnesse ouer-great Let no man come to that Table without this vnder the paine of condemnation But if yee haue in your hart a purpose to doe better suppose your former life hath been dissolute and loose yet if yee be touched in your harts with any feeling or remorse of your life past goe not from the Table but come vvith a protestation of your misery and wretchednesse and come with a heart to gette grace if vvith a dissolute life I meane not of open slaunders thou haue also a purpose not to amend but to doe vvorse for Gods sake abstaine Thus farre of the thing signified Vnto this generall consideration there remaineth these things yet to bee made plaine vnto you First how the signes and the thing signified are coupled together and how they are conioyned Next it restes to be told you how the signe is deliuered and hovv the thing signified is deliuered and hovv both are receiued as vvell as they are deliuered This beeing done I shall speake briefely of the other part of the Sacrament vvhich is the vvord And last of all I shall let you see what sort of faults they are that peruert the Sacrament and make it of no effect And if time shall serue I shall enter in particular to this Sacrament which wee haue in hand Then to come back againe In the third place How the signe the
But alas our lothsomnesse and disdaine is growen to such an height that truly I am moued to belieue firmly that the Lord hath concluded that we shal not enter into his rest that onely for the great contempt of his mercy and grace which is now so richly offred For why God can not deale otherwise with vs then hee dealt with our fore-fathers the Israelites for the negligence of his vvord vvhich was but then obscurely preached for then it was farre from the incarnation of Christ and the farther that it was from his incarnation the vvord was euer the more obscurely preached vnder darke types and shadowes Yet notvvithstanding the Fathers that heard that word preached and belieued it not they perished all in the Wildernesse except two as ye haue sometime heard out of this place And if they for the contempt of so dark a light perished much more must yee that are their children perish for the contempt of the sunne of righteousnes who is risen so plainely and shineth so cleerely now in the preaching of the Gospell except the Lord in his mercy preuent you and except ye preuent his Iudgements by earnest seeking and except ye seeke a feeling and seeke inward senses that ye may see feele the grace that is offered craue againe that he will sanctifie your harts by repentance that yee may repent you of your sinnes and lead an honest a godly conuersation in all time to come that both body and soule may be saued in the great day of the Lord. The Lord worke this in your soules that ye may seeke mercie and seeking mercy yee may obtaine mercy and in mercy ye may lay hold on Christ and that for his righteous merits To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFT AND last Sermon vpon the preparation to the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.28 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup c. IN the doctrine of our triall and due examination the Apostle as ye haue heard vvel-beloued in Christ Iesus gaue vs a speciall commaund that euery one of vs should try and examine narrowly our selues that is that euery man should condiscend and enter into his owne conscience try and examine the estate of his own conscience in what estate he findes it with God and in what estate he findes it with his neighbour Hee inioynes this triall to our selues and coÌ„mands that euery one of vs should take pains vpon the true examination of our consciences Hee inioynes this work to vs why Because no man knoweth so much of me as I doe my selfe because no man can be sure of the estate of my conscience but I my selfe because no man can so diligently nor so profitably try my conscience as I my selfe Therefore chiefely it behooueth euery man and woman before they enter to the hearing of the word before they giue their eare to the vvord or their mouth to the Sacrament it behoueth them to try and examine their owne consciences Not that the Apostle vvould seclude the triall of other men for as it is lawfull for mee to try my selfe so no doubt it is lawfull for my Pastor to try mee It is lawfull for other men that haue a care ouer mee to try and examine me but no man can doe this so profitably to mee as I my selfe And though wee had neuer so many tryers and examiners all is nothing if wee try not our selues So whether there be a second or a third tryer and examiner let our selues be one and the first And no doubt the Apostles minde was this To let vs see clearlie that hee that commeth to that Table and hath not that knowledge â—or is not of that ability to try him-selfe is a profane commer coÌ„meth vncleanly and therefore must needs come to his owne destruction Let euery man therefore growe in knowledge growe in vnderstanding growe in the spirit that hee may be the more able to try and examine his owne conscience To the end that ye may goe forward proceed in the worke of this triall with the better speed and with the better fruits in this examination we laid down this order First of all I shewed what that is which we call a conscience and what is meant thereby Next I declared for what causes yee should put your consciences to this triall and narrow examination And thirdlie so farre as time suffered I entred into the points wherein euery one of you should try and examine your owne consciences As for conscience that yee may call that definition to your memory I will resume it shortlie We call a conscience a certain feeling in the hart resembling the righteous Iudgement of GOD following vpon a deed done by vs flowing froÌ„ a knowledge in the mind A feeling accompanied with a motion in the hart a motion either of feare or ioy trembling or reioycing I leaue the opening vp of these parts to your memories and I pray God that they may be well sanctified I come next to the causes wherefore euerie one of you should bee carefull in trying and examining your owne consciences The first cause is because the Lord of heauen hath his eye continually vpon the conscience the eye of God is neuer from the conscience and heart of man as I proued to you by diuerse places Next because this God hath chosen his lodging and hath set downe his throne to make his residence in the conscience Therefore that hee may dwell in cleanenesse yee ought to haue a regard to his dwelling place Thirdly he is the Lord yea the only Lord of this conscience who hath power onely to controle who only hath power to saue or to cast away therefore that it may doe good seruice to thy owne Lord thou oughtest to take heed to thy conscience And last of all in respect that the health of thy soule standeth in the estate of thy conscience and if thy soule be in good health thy bodie cannot bee ill Therefore in respect that the soule and bodie depend vpon the estate of the conscience euery one of you should carefully looke to your consciences I will not amplifie this but leaue it to your memories how the health of the soule and welfare of the soule should be kept Next I come in the third and last place to the points in the which euerie one of you should trie and examine your consciences And as yee may remember I set downe two points wherein ye ought to put your consciences in triall First to know whether your consciences were at peace with God or not Secondly whether your consciences were in loue in charitie and in amitie with your neighbour or not In these two points cheefly yee must trie and examine your selues To know whether ye bee at peace with God or not ye must first trie whether yee be in the faith or not as the Apostle
and stormes are remoued with this peace is conioyned a taste of the powers of the world to come The heart gets a taste of the sweetnesse that is in Christ of the ioy which is in the life euerlasting which tast is the onely earnest pennie of that full and perfect ioye which soule and bodie in that life shall inioye And the earnest penny as yee know must bee a part of the summe of the nature of the rest of the summe And therefore that earnest penny of ioy assures vs that when wee shall get possession of the whole summe it it shal be a strange ioy And these documents lift vp the heart and make it not to linger nor wearie in the expectation of that life but being refreshed now and then therewith by so many earnest pennies they assure vs of the full fruition of that ioye for the which in patience wee will sustaine all troubles So as the holy spirit worket a thirst in vs to bee with Christ a thirst of mercy and reconciliation with him The same holy spirit disappointeth not that same expectation and thirst but putteth the soule and heart in possession of Christ by the which the conscience is pacified the heart is reioyced and we get a taste of the sweetnes and of the powers of that life to come The sensible feeling of the which taste that passeth all naturall vnderstanding what doth it in my heart and conscience It worketh a wonderfull assurance and perswasion that God loueth mee The feeling of his mercie in the bowels of my heart in the bottome of my conscience worketh a certaine assurance and perswasion that he is my God that he will saue me for Christs cause that the promise of mercie which I durst not apply vnto my consciēce before now by the feeling of mercy I dare boldly applie and say mercie appertaineth to me life saluation belongeth to me For the conscience being exceedingly terrified and seeing nothing in God but fire and wrath it is not possible but it must she from him it cannot approche to a consuming fire But from the time that the conscience getteth a taste of this peace mercy and sweetnes how fast soeuer it fled from the presence of God before now after this reconciliation it will runne as fast to him and will possesse him more and more fully So the assurance and perswasion of mercie ariseth from the feeling of mercie in the hart and conscience And except the heart feele it and taste it in some measure no conscience dare apply God and his mercie to it selfe I may be sure in generall that all my sinnes are remissible and that I may obtaine mercie before I feele it But to applie this mercy particularly to my selfe vntill I feele a taste of it I dare not So this particular application whereby wee claime God and Christ as a propertie to vs as if no man had title to him but wee and to call him my God my Christ and to claime his promises as if no man had interest in them but wee This commeth of the sence and feeling of mercie in the hart and the more that this feeling grovveth and the greater experience that we haue in our owne harts of this peace and mercy the more increaseth our faith and assurance Our perswasion becommeth so strong that wee dare at the last say with the Apostle What can separate vs from the loue of GOD Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate me from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. This particular application which ariseth no doubt vpon the feeling and sense of mercie is the speciall difference the chiefe mark and proper note wherby our faith vvho are iustified in the bloud of Christ is discerned from that generall faith of the Papists Our faith by this particular application is not onely discerned from the generall faith of the Papists but it is discerned from all the pretended faiths of all the Sects in the world For the Papist dareth not apply the promise of mercie to his owne soule he accounteth it presumption to say I am an elect I am saued and iustified And from whence floweth this Onely from hence That in their consciences they haue neuer felt mercie they haue neuer tasted of the loue fauour and sweetnes of God For looke hovv fast the conscience flieth from GOD before it gette the taste of his sweetnesse it runneth as diligently to him and threatneth loue on him after that it hath gotten that taste So they miserable men content themselues with this generall faith which is no other thing but an historicall faith which groundeth onely on the truth of GOD whereby I knowe that the promises of God are true But the Papists dare not come and say They are true in mee Why Because they haue not felt it and their harts are not opened But our iustifying faith as I told you consecrateth the whole soule vnto the obedience of God in Christ So that it resteth not onely vpon the truth of GOD nor it resteth not onely vpon the power of God though these be two chiefe pillars of our faith also but especially and chiefely it resteth vpon the mercy of God in Christ It resteth also vpon the truth and power of God but especially vpon the promise of grace and mercy in Christ The soule of the Papist beeing destitute of the feeling and taste of mercy dare not enter into this particular application so he cannot be iustified Yea no doubt so many of them as are iustified in the mercy of God get a taste of this mercy kindnesse before they depart this life Thus farre concerning the effects Then yee haue onely this to remember The opening of the hart the pacifying quieting of the conscience they worke an assurance a strong perswasion of the mercy of God in Christ The more that the hart is opened the more that the conscience is pacified the more that the taste of that sweetnes continueth and remaineth the more art thou assured of Gods mercy So then wouldest thou knowe whether thy faith be strong or not vvhether thy perswasion of Gods mercy be sure or not Looke to thy conscience If thy conscience be wounded assuredly thou vvilt doubt and if thou doubtest thou canst not haue such a strong perswasion as otherwise thou wouldest haue if thy doubting were remooued Not that I will haue faith to be so perfect in this life that there be alwaies no doubting ioyned with it I require not that perfection but I say that a wounded conscience must euer doubt and the more wee doubt the lesse is our perswasion So the more that thou woundest thy conscience the lesse faith thou hast Then thou must come to this poynt Keepe a sound conscience entertaine peace in thy conscience thou shalt keepe faith and shalt haue thy perswasion in that same measure that thou hast of
rest and peace in thy conscience and the more that thy conscience is at peace and rest the greater shal thy faith and perswasion be So this ground is certaine A doubting conscience causeth a weake faith and the more the doubting in thy conscience is the weaker is thy faith Then true it is that the Apostle faith That faith dwelleth in a good conscience that faith is locked and closed vp in a good conscience So that if yee keepe a good conscience ye shall keepe a strong faith and if yee wound your consciences yee shall wound your faith Novv to make this more sensible How can I be perswaded of his mercie whose anger I feele kindled against me and against whom my conscience sheweth me that I am guilty of many offences No question so long as the sense of his anger feeling of my offences remaineth I cannot haue a sure perswasion that hee will be mercifull vnto mee but when I get accesse vnto his presence and a sight that hee hath forgiuen mee then I begin to be surely perswaded So then keepe a good conscience and thou shall keepe faith and the better that thy conscience is the surer vvill thy faith be Then Exhortation the whole exhortation that we gather from this point dependeth vpon this That euery one of you in vvhat rank soeuer ye be take heed vnto your consciences for losing it yee lose faith and losing faith yee lose saluation Are ye in the ranke of great and rich men yee ought to take heed vnto your consciences especially in respect that the Lord hath placed you in a higher calling Ye haue many things wherein yee ought to controle your consciences ye ought to craue the aduise of your consciences before yee attempt any great worke in respect that yee are bound in manifold duties to God to your inferioure And no doubt if some great men had aduised well with their consciences such dissolutions had not fallen out in their owne houses such oppressions of the poor deadly feudes with men of their own rank would not haue burst forth in so high a measure But the Lord seeing them take so little care vnto their consciences depriueth them of faith and of the hope of mercy and their end will be miserable Yee shall see that the GOD of heauen will make those who liue so dissolutely spectacles of his iudgements vnto the world for the Lord leaueth not such men vnpunished By their examples it vvere very necessarie that men of inferiour ranke should take heede vnto their consciences and therefore iet euery man according vnto his calling examine his calling by the rule of his conscience Let the Iudges before they giue and pronounce foorth Iudgement aduise vvith their consciences the lavv thereof and in Iudgement not to follow their affections but to follow the rule of their consciences Likevvise they that are of inferiour degree vnto Iudges let them controle their dooings by their consciences and giue not the poore subiects iust cause to complaine on them Let them not terrifie them from the pleading of Iustice by exorbitant prices and extraordinarie kinde of dealings but let them moderate all their actions so that they agree vvith the rule of their consciences that so far as in them lyeth Iustice cease not Likewise the Merchants let not them looke so much to this or that as to the conscience that is in them what in conscience they may doe according vnto the measure of knowledge that GOD hath placed in them and whatsoeuer they doe let them beware that they doe not against their knowledge I grant their knowledge will not be so learned as it should be and this maketh many deformed actions yet let no man doe against his knowledge but let euery man doe according vnto the measure of knowledge wherewith God hath indued him And though it be not well reformed yet do not any thing by guesse but aduise well with thy conscience and follow thy knowledge for that which is done doubtingly is sinne So whatsoeuer thou doost let not thy eye thy hand nor any member of thy body doe against thy knowledge for this is a steppe to that high sinne against the holie Ghost This is the ready way to put all knowledge out of your mindes for if men do against knowledge and continue in doing against knowledge at the last they will become a masse of darknesse the Lord will scrape out all knowledge out of their mindes and all feeling of mercy out of their harts Therefore let euery man follow his knowledge and according to the measure of his knovvledge let his actions proceed It hath pleased the Lord Faith is the free gift of God to poure this liquor this precious ointment into vs though we be earthly and fraile vessels miserable creatures yet it hath pleased our gracious God to poure such a precious liquour into our harts and minds and to credit such a Iewell in our keeping that by vertue thereof wee may take hold on Christ who is our iustice our wisedome sanctification redemption Though vvee be miserable creatures yet the Lord of his mercy hath a respect to vs in Christ in giuing vs this precious liquour whereby our soules may be seasoned to life euerlasting In this that he poures it into our harts we see cleerly that it growes not in our harts nor breedes not in our nature No this gift of faith is not at mans commaund nor vnder his arbitrement as if it were in his power to belieue or not to belieue as hee pleaseth It is the gift of God poured downe freely of his vndeserued grace in the riches of his mercie in Christ That it is a gift yee see clearlie 1. Cor. 12.9 vvhere the Apostle saith And to another is giuen faith by the same spirit As also Philip. 1.29 For vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely yee should belieue in him but also suffer for his sake So faith is the gift of the holie Spirit and this gift is not giuen to all men and women as the Apostle plainly declareth All haue not faith This gift though it be giuen it is not giuen to all but is onely giuen to the Elect that is to so many as the Lord hath appointed to life euerlasting This gift where-euer it is and in what hart soeuer it be it is neuer idle but perpetuallie working and working well by loue and charitie as the Apostle affirmeth Galat 5.6 This gift vvhere-euer it is is not dead but quick and liuely as the Apostle Iames testifieth in his second chapter And to let you knowe whether it be liuely and working or not there is no better meanes then to looke vnto the fruites and effects that flowe from it And therefore that yee by your owne effects may be the more assured of the goodnesse of your faith I will giue you three speciall effects to obserue by the which yee may iudge of the goodness of your faith First looke
to thy hart Certaine effects whereby we may know if wee haue faith and cast thine eye on it If thou hast a desire to pray a desire to craue mercy for thy sinnes to call vpon Gods holy Name for mercy and grace if there be such a thing in thy hart as a desire to pray if thy hart be inclined and hath a thirst to seeke after mercie and grace though the greatest part of thine hart repine would drawe thee from prayer yet assuredly that desire that thou hast in any measure to praier is the true effect of the right faith If thou haue a hart to pray to GOD though this desire be but slender assure thy selfe thy soule hath life for prayer is the life of the soule and maketh thy faith liuelie And why Prayer is Gods ovvne gift it is no gift of ours for if it vvere ours it vvould bee euill but it is the best gift that euer God gaue man and so it must bee the gift of his owne holy Spirit and beeing his owne gift it must make our faith liuely Without this thou art not able nor thou darest not call vpon him in whom thou belieuest not as the Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 For if I intreat him by prayer I must trust in him Then prayer is a certaine argument of iustifying faith and beliefe in GOD for I cannot speake to him much lesse pray to him in whom I trust not And though the hart be not fully resolued and well disposed yet if there be any part of the heart that inclineth to prayer it is a sure gage that that part belieueth The second effect wherby thou shalt knowe whether faith be in thee or not is this Obserue aduise with thy selfe if thy hart can be content to renounce thy rancour to forgiue thy grudges and that freely for Gods cause Canst thou doe this And vvilt thou forgiue thy neighbour as freely as God hath forgiuen thee Assuredly this is an effect of the right spirit for Nature could neuer giue that There is nothing wherevnto Nature bendeth it selfe more then to rancour and enuy and there is nothing wherein Nature placeth her honour more greedily then in priuy reuenge Now if thy heart bee so tamed and brought downe that it will vvillinglie forgiue the iniurie for Gods cause this is the effect of the right spirit This is not my saying it is the saying of Christ himselfe in the Euangelist Math. 6.14 where hee thus speaketh If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father vvill also forgiue you And in the fifteenth verse But if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses So that Christ saith Hee that forgiueth wrongs shall haue wrongs forgiuen him but hee that will reuenge his wrongs wrong shall be reuenged vpon him Therefore as thou wouldest bee spared of thy wrongs done vnto the mightie GOD spare thou thy neighbour I will not insist examine vvhether yee haue faith or not examine it by prayer examine it by the discharge of your owne priuie grudges for if yee want these effects a hart full of rancor a hart voide of prayer is a hart faithless and meet for hell The third effect of faith is compassion Thou must bow thy hart extend thy pitty vnto the poore members of Christ his body and suffer them not to want if thou haue for except yee haue this compassion yee haue no faith Examine your selues by these three effects and if yee finde these in any measure though neuer so small you haue the right faith in your harts the faith that ye haue is true and liuely and assuredlie GOD vvill be mercifull vnto you This faith of ours Our faith must be cōtinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting though it be liuely yet it is not perfect in this world but euery day euery houre it needeth a continuall augmentation it craueth euer to be nourished for the which increase the Apostles thēselues Luk. 17.5 said Lord increase our faith And Christ himselfe commandeth vs to pray and say Lord increase our faith I belieue Lord help my vnbeliefe Then by Christ his own commaund we plainly see that this faith needeth continually to be nourished helped and it cannot be helped but by prayer therefore should we alwaies continue in prayer That this faith should be helped and that we should be perpetually vpon our guarde in feare trembling to get it augmented the terrible doubtings the wonderfull pits of desperation into the vvhich the dearest seruants of GOD are cast doe dailie teach For the best seruaunts of GOD are exercised with terrible doubtings in their soules with wonderfull stammerings and they shal be brought at some times as appeares in their owne iudgement to the very brinke of desperation These doubtings stammerings le ts vs see that this faith of ours would be perpetually nourished and that wee haue need continually to pray for the increase of it It pleaseth the Lord at somtimes to let his seruaunts haue a sight of them-selues to cast them dovvne and to let them see how vgly sinne is It pleaseth him to let them fall into the bitternesse of sinne And to what end Not that hee will deuoure them and suffer them to be swallowed vp of destruction Though Hezekiah cryeth out That like an hungry Lyon the Lord is like to deuoure him and bruise him in pceces yet the Lord suffers him not to despaire And though Dauid cry I cannot away with this consuming fire I cannot endure the fire of the Lords Ielousie yet hee despaireth not But the Lord casteth his seruants very lowe To what end To the end that they may feele in their harts consciences what Christ suffered for them on the Crosse in soule and body Yea we would think that there had been plaine collusion betwixt the Father and the Sonne that his sufferings had been no suffering except we felt in our soules in some measure the hell vvhich hee sustained in full measure So to the end that wee might cleerly vnderstand the bitternesse of sinne that vvee might knovve how farre wee are indebted to Christ who suffered such torments for our sinnes and that vvee may be the more able to thank him and to praise his holie Name hee suffers his owne seruants to doubt but not to despaire hee forgiues their doubtings he forgiues their stammerings and in his owne time hee supports them brings vs vnto the waters of life These doubtings Doubting and faith may lodge in one soule as I haue often said may lodge in one soule with faith for doubting and faith are not directlie opposite onely faith and despayre are opposite and therefore faith and despaire cannot both lodge in one soule For despaire ouerthroweth the pillars of hope and where there is no hope there can be no faith But as for doubting it may lodge it vvill lodge and hath lodged in the soules of the best seruaunts that
euer God had Mark the speech of the Apostle Wee are alwaies in doubt saith hee but wee despaire not So doubting and faith may lodge in one soule And from whence floweth this doubting VVee knowe that in the regenerate man there is a remnant corruption for we haue not our heauen in this earth though wee beginne our heauen heere yet we get it not fully heere And if all corruption vvere avvay vvhat should there vvant of a full heauen heere So it is onely begunne in this life and not perfected therefore there remaines in the soule a great corruption which is neuer idle but continually occupied This corruption is euer bringing foorth the birth of finne more or lesse euery sinne hurts the conscience a hurt conscience impaireth the perswasion and so comes in the doubting For there is not a sinne that we commit but it banisheth light and casteth a myst ouer the eye of our faith whereby wee doubt and stagger in our sight and were it not that the Lord in his mercy taketh vs vp giueth vs the gift of repentance and maketh vs euery day as oft as wee sinne to cry as oft for mercy and so to repaire the losse that wee haue of faith to repayre the losse that vvee haue of the feeling of mercie we would wholly put out that same light But it pleaseth the Lord though wee be euery day sinning to giue vs the gift of repentance and by repentance to repaire our faith to repaire the sense and feeling of mercie in vs and to put vs in that same state of perswasion wherein wee were before Therefore if GOD beginne not continue not and end not with mercie in that very moment that hee abstracts his mercy from vs wee will decay So wee must be diligent in calling for mercy wee must be instant continually in seeking to haue a feeling of mercie Thus much for the doubting Novv howsoeuer it be sure and certaine A doubting and weake faith is faith shal neuer decay that the faith of the best children of GOD is often subiect to doubting yet it is as sure and certaine that it is neuer wholly extinct albeit it were neuer so vveake yet it shall neuer vtterlie decay and perish out of the hart wherein it once maketh residence This comfort consolation the Spirit of God hath sette downe in his vvord to support the troubled hart That hovvsoeuer faith be weake yet a weake faith is faith and where that faith is there will euer be mercie Yee haue in Romans 11.29 that The gifts and calling of GOD are vvithout repentance But among all his gifts that are of this sort faith is one of the chiefest therefore it cannot be reuoked againe Yee haue in Iude 3. That faith vvas once giuen vnto the Saints Once giuen that is constantly giuen neuer to be changed nor vtterly taken from them The Lord will not repent him of this gift but the soule which he hath loued once he will loue perpetually It is true and certaine that the sparkles of faith which are kindled in the hart by the Spirit of GOD may be obscured smothered for a long time they may be couered with the ashes of our owne corruption and with our own ill deedes and wickednes into which we daily fall It is true that the effects of a liuely faith will be interrupted and that thy lusts and affections will preuaile for a long time so that when thou lookest on thy selfe vpon the Iudgements of God that hang ouer thy soule and body and when thou lookest vpon thy dissolute life and on the anger of God against this dissolute life In the minde in the hart and conscience of him that hath so smothered and oppressed his faith it will oft times come to passe in his owne iudgement hauing his eyes fixed on himselfe onely that hee vvill thinke himselfe to be a reprobate to be an out-cast and neuer able to recouer mercy Where this corruption bursteth forth in this grosse maner after that the Lord hath called thee looke how soone the Lord beginneth to vvaken thee againe incontinent thou fixest thine eyes vpon thine owne life and entrest into a deepe consideration as well of the weight of thy sinne as of the weight of the wrath of GOD which thou seest following thereupon and art loath to remit these cogitations to thinke vpon the deepenesse of the mercie of God Resting on these considerations it cannot but come to passe that in thine owne iudgement thou art an out-cast And yet GOD forbidde it were so for though these sparks of the Spirit be couered by the corruption that is vvithin thy soule yet these sparkles are not wholly put out And to let you see that they are not extinguished The sparkles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle though they break not forth in the outward effects that the world may knowe thee to be a faithfull man as heeretofore yet these sparkles are not idle and thou shall finde them not to be idle in thee As for confirmation of my Argument that howsoeuer our bodies are let loose to all dissolution after our effectuall calling within vs in our soules that yet the sparkles are not idle ye see that though the fire be couered with the ashes yet it is a fire there is no man will say that the fire is put out though it be couered No more is faith put out of the soule though it be so couered that it neither giue heat â—or light outwardly An example of this we haue cleerely in the Prophet Dauid after his lamentation in that Psalme of Repentance Psalme 51.11 hee prayeth to GOD in these words Cast me not away from thy presence And what addeth he And take not thy holy Spirit from mee Had he not lost the Spirit by his adultery and murther No for he would not haue said then Take it not from mee But Restore it to mee It is true that he vseth the like in the verse following Restore mee to the ioy of thy saluation Not that hee wanted the spirit wholly but that the spirit lacked force in him and needed strengthening and fortification it would be stirred vp that the flame of it might appear Therfore I say in that Dauid speaketh so plainely after his adultery and murther Take not that Spirit from mee it is a certaine argument that the faithfull haue neuer the spirit of God alwaies taken from them in their greatest dissolutions The second point is this How proue I that these sparkles are not idle though the outward effects be interrupted As Dauid felt this in his conscience so euery one of you may feele it in your owne consciences The Spirit of God in mans hart can not be idle but these sparkles during the time that the body is let loose to all dissolutions these sparkles are accusing thy dissolution are finding fault vvith thy manners these sparkles suffer thee not to take the pleasure of thy bodie
yee must bee borne in the bodie of Christ his spirit must quicken you This is called the quickning and liuing spirit of Christ by Iohn And so soone as this spirit cometh what doth it It chaseth away darknesse out of the vnderstanding whereas before I knewe not God now I see him not onely generally that he is a God but that he is my God in Christ what more doth the holy spirit It opneth the heart as well as the minde and what doth it there Those things whereon I bestowed the affection of my heart and imployed the loue of my soule are by the working of the holy spirit made gall to mee he makes then venome to mee and to bee as deadly hated of mee as poyson Hee worketh such an inward disposition in my soule that hee makes mee to turne and flie from those things whereon I imployed my loue before and to imploy it vpon God This is a great perfection Alwayes in some measure he makes mee to loue God better then anie other thing Hee changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts minde be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change wee are called new creatures except you be found newe creatures Conclusion with an exhortation yee are not in Christ Now to come to the poynt This secret Coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy spirit by faith wee lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though wee bee as farre distant as heauen and earth are the spirit serues vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word what makes you to haue anie right or title to Christ Nothing but the spirit Nothing but faith What should bee your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to gett faith That as Peter Acts the 15.9 sayeth your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your mindes your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and brings a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy hart and consent of thy will to doe that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith availeth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and mindes and doing so yee doe the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that hee would nourish your soules inwardlie with the body and bloud of Christ That hee would increase faith in your hearts and mindes and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortality Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whome with the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE THIRD Sermon vpon the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that hee was betraied tooke bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Auncientes of the Latine and East Churches wee hearde the chiefe ends wherefore and wherevnto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted wee heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued wee heard also some obiections that might bee obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine wee heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted wee heard how the faythfull soule is said to eate Christs bodie and drinke Christs blood Wee heard the manner how Christ is or canne bee receiued of vs And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot bee perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way apprehension Neyther the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can bee perceiued but by the eye of fayth can bee receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of fayth Now faith is a spiritual thing for fayth is the gift of God poured downe into the heartes and mindes of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mightie working and operation of the holy spirit So the onely waie to laie holde on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature beeing spiritual it followeth therefore that there is no waie to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but aspirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures samiliarly by all these tearmes describe the nature and efficacie of faith How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the blood of Christ Wee are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drink his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefely in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passiof Christ the blood that hee shedde vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse The commandement which hee gaue Doe this in remembrance of me I say wee eate his flesh and drinke his bloode spiritually First in this poynt in recording and remembring faithfully how hee died for vs how his blood was shedde vpon the crosse This is the first poynt a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mightie power of the holy spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euerie one of you beleeue firmly that he died for mee in particular That his bloud was shedde on the crosse for a full remission and redemption of me and my sinnes The cheefe and principall poynt of the eating of Christ his flesh and drinking of his blood standeth in beleeuing firmely that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that blood of his was shedde for the remission of my sinnes and except euerie soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and bee perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule cannot eate the flesh nor drinke the blood of Christ Then the
GOD for yee knowe any Euidence will make faith though it vvant a seale and it will serue to make a right if it be subscribed without a seale but the seale without the Euidence auaileth nothing Euen so it is with the word of God though the Sacraments bee not annexed to the word yet the word will serue the turne it serueth vs to get Christ it serueth to ingender and beget faith in vs and maketh vs to growe vp in faith But the seale without the word can serue vs to no holievse therefore I say the seale must be annexed to the word preached to the couenant of mercy and grace Now it followeth in the definition Why the Sacrament should be ministred publiquely that this seale must bee ministred publiquely Wherefore say I publiquely To exclude all priuat administration of this Sacramēt For if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately it is not a Sacrament Why First reason Because the Apostle calleth this Sacrament a Communion If ye administer it to one yee lose the Communion therefore if yee administer it priuatly yee lose the Sacrament For this Sacrament is a Communion of the body and bloud of Christ therefore of necessity it must be by way of communication and so the action must be publiquely ministred Secondly this Sacrament must be publiquely ministred Second reason because Christ Iesus vvho is the thing signified in this Sacrament is no such thing as pertaineth but to one man only if this were so he might be priuatly giuen and ministred But seeing Christ which is the thing signified in the Sacrament is a common thing belonging to euery faithfull man and vvoman therefore hee ought to be commonly giuen to all in a common action in a societie and congregation of the faithfull Thirdly this Sacrament is a Thanksgiuing to God the Father for his benefits Now it appertaineth not to one or tvvo to thanke God onely but as we are all partakers of his temporall and spirituall benefits so we ought all of vs publiquely to giue him thanks for the same Therefore I say in the definition this seale ought to be publiquely and not priuatly ministred as the Papists doe in their priuat Masses This Seale must bee publiquely ministred according to Christ his institution Wherfore say I Christ his institution more then mans institution or Angels institution Why keepe I to Christ his institution Why this Seale must be ministred according to Chr. his institution Because man hath not power to institute or make a Sacrament because an Angel hath not power to make or institute a Sacrament For none hath power to make or institute a Sacrament but he that hath power to giue Christ vvho is the thing signified in the Sacrament None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onely But so it is that none hath power to giue Christ but either the Father or himselfe therefore none hath power to make or institute a Sacrament but either the Father or the Sonne onely God must make a Sacrament Secondly this Sacrament is a part of Gods seruice and worship but so it is that none hath power to appoint any part of his seruice or prescribe any part of his worship but onely God himselfe therefore none can make a Sacrament but God himselfe There is no Prince will be contented to be serued after another mans fantasie but he will prescribe his seruice according vnto his own pleasure how much more is it meet that God should appoint his owne seruice and worship Therefore there is neither man nor Angel hath power to institute any part of the seruice of GOD. The Sacraments are a part of his seruice therefore there is no Angel nor man hath power to institute a Sacrament The greatest stile that any man can haue in the ministery of the word and Sacraments is that stile which the Apostle giues them 1. Cor. 4.1 There we are called Stewards and Dispensers of the graces of God Ministers of those mysteries and holy things It followeth then that we are not Authors Creators and makers of them but onely Ministers and dispensers of the Sacraments So it is euident that no man nor creature hath power to make a Sacrament Then it must bee according to the institution of Christ his institution must be kept looke what he said what he did what hee commanded thee to doe all that must be said done and obeyed If thou leauest one iote of that vndone which he commaunded thee to doe thou peruertest the institution for there is nothing left in register of that institution but it is essentiall So in the celebration of Christs institution wee must take heede to whatsoeuer he said did or commaunded to bee done Thou must first say whatsoeuer hee said then do whatsoeuer he did For the Ministerie of the Sacrament must follow after the word First thou must say that which Christ commanded thee to say and thou must teach that which he commanded thee to teach and then minister the Sacrament Then to keepe this institution wee must beginne at the saying We call the word in the Sacrament the whole Institution and say whatsoeuer Christ commanded vs then after faythfully to doe all that which he commanded to be done Then I call the word the whole institution of Christ Iesus preached and proclaimed denounced distinctly cleerely and sensiblie to the people in such sort that if wee leaue anie kinde of circumstance or ceremonie of this institution vndone wee peruert the whole action It is agreed vpon Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament and condescended vnto betweene vs who celebrate this institution and all the sectes in the world who haue separated themselues from this institution That two things are necessarie and must concurre in the nature and constitution of a Sacrament To wit there must be a word and there must bee an element concurring There is not a sect that granteth not this That the word must concur with the element before there can be a Sacrament Though they easily admit this generall wherein wee agree well with them yet when it comes to the speciall that wee enter into particular in the handling and treating of the word how well soeuer wee agree in the generall yet in the particular wee are as farre asunder For when wee come to dispute and reason on these particulars First what wee meane by the word Secondly how this word ought to be intreated Thirdly what vertue this word hath Fourthly how farre the vertue of this word doth extend it selfe And last of all to whom the word ought to be directed and pronounced In all these particulars wee are as farre asunder as euer wee seemed to agree in the generall I leaue to meddle with any other sect What wee meane by the word in the Sacrament but will deale with the Papists onely because we haue most to do with them And first of all we are to vnderstand what
dumbe element and therefore these wordes cannot bee directed to the elements Thirdly looke to the end wherfore this Sacrament vvas appointed Is it not to lead vs to Christ Is it not to nourish my faith in Christ Is it not to nourish me in a constant perswasion of the Lords mercy in Christ Was this Sacrament appointed to make the elements Gods No for if ye marke Gods purpose in this institution yee shall finde that Christ hath not ordained this institution to nobilitate the Elements to fauour and respect the Elements which were Bread and Wine yesterday to be Gods to day Wee on the contrary say plainely that the institution of Christ respecteth not the elements to alter their nature Indeed it is appointed to alter vs to change vs and to make vs more and more spirituall and to sanctifie the elements to our vse But the speciall end is this To make vs holie and more more to growe vp in a sure faith in Christ and not to alter the Elements nor to make them gods And therefore by all these three Arguments it is euident that the words ought not to be directed to the Elements but to the people and faithfull Communicants Now to come to an end There is one thing Conclusion with an exhortatiō without the which wee cannot profit let vs discourse neuer so long vpon the right vnderstanding of the Sacrament Ye see now how all that is spoken concerning the Sacrament is grounded and dependeth vpon faith Let a man haue faith be it neuer so little hee shall get some hold of Christ and some insight in the vnderstanding of this Sacrament but wanting faith though a man endeuour himselfe to make the Sacraments neuer so sensible it is not possible that hee can gette any hold of Christ or any insight of him For without faith we cannot be Christians we can neither get a sight of God nor feele God in Christ without faith Faith is the onely thing that translates our soules out of that death and damnation vvherein vvee vvere conceiued and borne and planteth life in vs. So the vvhole studie and endeuour of a Christian should tend to this To craue that the Lord in his mercie vvould illuminate his minde vvith the eye of faith and that hee would kindle in his heart a loue of faith and vvorke in his hart a thirst and desire of the obiect of faith more and more to thirst and hunger for the foode of faith that nourishes vs to life eternall Without this faith hovv-soeuer the naturall man vnderstanding naturally would flatter himselfe surely there is no blessednesse but all his life is more then terrible misery For what-soeuer it be that flatters and pleaseth thee now be it a thought or motion of the minde or an action of the body that pleaseth thee now without faith the same very motion cogitation or action shall torment thee heereafter So vvithout faith it is not possible to please GOD and vvhatsoeuer pleaseth not GOD is done to torment thee Therefore craue mercie for whatsoeuer motion cogitation or action vvherein thou hast offended GOD or for the same God shall offend and torment thee And to eschevv the offence of God there is no meanes but by true faith therefore the studie of a Christian should be to grow in faith Now by hearing of the vvord thou gettest faith and by receiuing this Sacrament thou obtainest the increase of faith and hauing faith the receiuing of the Sacrament shall be fruitfull but vvithout faith thou eatest thineowne condemnation Then the whole study of a Christian is to get faith and this faith cannot be obtained with idlenesse but by earnest prayer therefore let euery one of vs fall downe and craue earnestly this faith and the increase of it whereby we may be worthy Receiuers of this blessed Sacrament and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory both now and euer Amen THE FOVRTH Sermon vpon the preparation to the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.28 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. THough the doctrine of our triall and due examination well-beloued in Christ Iesus ought to goe before the doctrine and receiuing of the Sacrament yet notwithstanding seeing that preparation is alwaies at all times as well necessary for the hearing of the simple word as for the receiuing of the visible Sacrament for no man can heare the word of God fruitfully except in some measure he prepare his soule and prepare the eares of his hart how to hear therefore the doctrine of preparation and due examination must come in it ovvne place and be very necessary for cuery one of you The Apostle in the words vvhich we haue read deliuereth his counsaile and giueth his aduise and not onely giues his aduise but giues his admonition and commaund That we should not come to the Table of the Lord That we should not come to the hearing of the word rashly but that euery one of vs should come to this holy worke with reuerence that wee should prepare and sanctifie our selues in some measure And seeing we go vnto the King of heauens Table it becomes vs to put on our best array In a word hee deliuereth the whole doctrine and matter of this preparation when he saith Let euery man and let euery woman try and examine themselues As if he would say Let euery one of you try and examine your soules That is try the estate of your owne harts and condition of your owne consciences Marke and behold in vvhat estate you heart is with GOD and in what estate your conscience is with your neighbour He bids not your neighbour to try you hee bids not your companion to try your hart but he biddes your selfe in person to try your owne conscience hee biddes your selfe try your owne hart because none can be certaine of the estate of your hart or of the condition of your conscience but your selfe Now he excludes not others from the tryall of you neither for it is lawfull for the Pastor to try you but others cannot try you so narrowly as ye your selues may for no man can know so much of mee as I know of my selfe No man can be certaine of the estate of your hart and condition of your conscience yet you your selues may be certaine of it As for others men may iudge of your hart and conscience according to your works and effects and except your works effects bee very wicked and altogether vitious we are bound in conscience to iudge charitably of your harts and consciences Therefore there is none so meet to try the spirit of a man to try the hart or conscience of a man as is the man himselfe Now The heads to be intreated in this Sermons that this tryall may be the better made ye haue first to vnderstand what it is that ye
vvhether so-euer the soule goeth to the same place shall the conscience repaire and looke in vvhat estate thy conscience is when thou departest out of this life in the selfe same estate shall it meet thee in the great Day So that if thy conscience was a tormentor to thee at the time of thy death if thou gette it not then pacified it shall be also a tormentor to thee in that generall Iudgement Therefore this matter vvould bee vvell vveighed and euerie one of you should studie to haue a good conscience that vvhen the soule is seuered from the body leauing your conscience at rest and peace with God it may be restored vnto you meet you againe with as great peace and quietnes Thus farre concerning conscience what it is I beseech the liuing Lord so to sanctifie your memories that ye may keep these things and that euery one of these things may be so imprinted in your harts that ye may be mindful of them all your liues The second thing that we are to speake of is this We are to consider wherfore we should try our consciences for what causes we should examine our own soules and cōsciences I wil declare the reasons briefly It behooueth euery one of you to try your conscience Why Because the Lord will make his residence in no other part of the soule but in the conscience Hee hath appointed his dwelling to be in the hart of man and in the will and conscience of man and therefore it becomes you to make his dwelling place cleane to take heeed vnto your harts Next though the Lord of heauen made not his residence there yet in respect the eye of GOD is an all-seeing eye and able to pearce throgh the very thicknesse of mans flesh how darke and grosse soeuer it be and to enter into the very secret corners of thy conscience for vnto the all-seeing eye of GOD the most secret corner of the conscience is as cleare and manifest as any outward or bodily thing in the earth can be to the outward eye of the body In respect therefore that this eye is so pearcing and that hee casts his eye onely vpon our harts it behooueth vs to try our harts Thirdly hee is the Lord of the conscience There is no Monarch on earth that hath any soueraigntie or lordshippe ouer the conscience onely the GOD of heauen onely Christ Iesus King of heauen and earth is Lord of the conscience hee hath power onely to saue and lose Therefore vvhen thou commest to this Sacrament of the Lords Table thou oughtest carefully to looke vnto thy conscience to try and examine the state of it Last of all vvhich is a chiefe reason It behooueth thee to prooue thy conscience because the welfare and health of thy soule dependeth vpon thy conscience If thy conscience that is within thy soule be well if it be at peace and rest thy soule is vvell if thy conscience be in a good estate thy soule must needs be in a good estate if thy conscience bee in good health of necessity thy soule must be in good health for the good health happinesse of the soule dependes vpon a good conscience therefore it concerneth euery one of you to try well your consciences There vvas neuer any lavv made or deuised that forbade vs to haue a care of our healths it is lawfull for vs to seeke such things as may procure and preserue it but the health of thy soule standeth in the health of thy conscience and in preseruing thereof therefore by all lawes thou oughtest to attend thy conscience If thou keepe thy conscience wel thy soule is in health and if thy soule be in health let troubles come what will vpon thy bodie thou wilt indure them all but if thy soule be diseased with an euill conscience thou shalt not be able to beare out the least trouble that shall come vnto thy bodie vvhereas if the conscience were at rest and in good health that trouble could not happen vnto thy bodie but the strength of a good conscience vvould beare it out Then haue yee not reason and more then reason to take heed to your consciences to try and examine your consciences in vvhat estate and disposition they stand Now Certaine lessons to be learned by which a man may preserue health in his soule cōscience because it is a fruitlesse thing to tell you that health is necessarie and not to shew the vvay how this health may be obtayned and preserued therfore to keep your consciences in quiet good health I will giue you these few lessons First of all bee sure that yee retaine stedfast a perswasion of the mercie of GOD in Christ Iesus examine vvhen thou lyest downe and examine when thou risest vp in what estate thou art with God whether thou maist looke for mercy at his hands or not Art thou perswaded of mercy Assure thy selfe thy conscience is in a good estate thou hast health in thy soule for by the keeping of faith the conscience is preserued as saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 1.19 Keepe this perswasion preserue it vvhole and sound hurt it not bring not thy soule into doubting stay not nor hinder thy perswasion if thou desire to keep health in thy soule for if thou doubt or any way diminish thy perswasion and assurance assuredlie thy assurance cannot so soon be hindered nor diminished but at that very instant shall follow the diminishing of the health of thy soule yea it cannot be but in that very article of time shall follow the hurt of thy conscience for faith will not dwell but in a whole conscience Therefore at what time thou doost any thing against thy conscience at that very time thou losest a degree of thy perswasion of the mercy of God and vntill such time as thou fall downe at the feet of Christ and obtaine mercie for that wicked deed purchase peace at his hands and repaire thy persvvasion thou shalt euer doubt of mercie and vvant health in thy conscience Then this is the first lesson to keepe health in your soules To be perswaded of mercie The second lesson to keepe a good conscience or to keepe health in thy soule is this Yee must flie eschew and forbeare vvhatsoeuer may trouble the health of your soule whatsoeuer may trouble the quietnesse peaceable estate of your conscience cast it out forbeare it and eschew it This generall is good But let vs see vvhat it is that troubles the quiet estate of the conscience Onely sinne nothing but an euill nature Therefore vvee must of necessitie to keepe health in our soules forbeare and eschew sinne we must flie and auoyde sin It is not possible that ye can both keepe a good conscience and serue the affections of your hart therefore to keepe peace health in thy soule thou must take leaue of thy lusts thou must renounce the lusts and affections of thy hart and thou must not doe as thou wast wont
to doe thou must not be giuen to the seruice of thine affections and of thine appetite to put them in execution as thou hast formerly done But in-case thine affections or lust commaund thee to doe any thing what is thy part Thou must try how far this may stand with the good will of God and how far that affection which commaunds thee may agree with the law of God Is there such a harmonie as that that thing which thine affection commaunds thee may stand with Gods law and holy will Then no question it is a sanctified affection thou maist put it in execution But after this tryall if thou finde thine affections to be exorbitant out of rule carying thee from God against his law beware of it resist it put it not in execution for if thou fulfill the will of thine affections what pleasure can it bring with it It may well bring a flattering pleasure in the entrie but it closeth euer with a bitter remorse in the end Then to eschew this bitter remorse should yee not all try your affections Yee must examine and try them by the square of Gods lavv yee must see how farre they agree with his law and how fatre they dissent from it so farre as they are dissonant from that law let euery man deny himselfe renounce his affections and so this triall beeing taken in this manner by thy selfe it sanctifieth thine affections maketh Christ to lodge in thy soule maketh thy conscience to be at rest And the holy Spirit this way maketh both bodie and soule to bee in good health and to reioyce Then flie from sinne This is the second lesson The third lesson is this Studie to doe well Wouldest thou keepe health in thy soule Study to do better and better continually At the least haue a purpose in thy soule hart to doe better daily which is the last lesson Seeing that when we studie to do best that the iust man that is the most holy man falleth so often as 7. times a day yea rather 70. times seauen times what is thy part in these slips and snares Though thou fal as thou canst not eschew to fall lie not still there sleepe not there where thou hast faln it is a shame to sleepe there therefore arise againe And hovv shouldest thou rise By lifting vp thy soule and running to the Fountaine of grace and mercy by repayring to Christ Iesus to obtaine mercy for thy soule and to craue that hee would send out of himselfe that measure of peace that may put thy conscience at rest restore thy soule to health So lie not where thou fallest but incontinent arise craue mercy and in obtayning mercy thou shalt repaire thy fal thou shalt amend thy life by repētance by repentance thou shalt get peace thou shalt haue thy conscience at rest and get health to thy soule Now keep this rule if thou desirest to keepe thy soule in health look that thou sleep not in sinne as Dauid did lie not still vvhen thou art faln and so fall from one sinne to another as from adultery to murther from murther to the next c. As commonly if a man sleepe in sin and rise not in time one sin wil draw on another for there is no sin alone but alwaies the greater and more heynous that the sinne is it hath the greater and worse sinnes wayting on it Therefore when yee fall delay not to arise but repaire to the fountaine of mercie and seeke grace in time runne to prayer run to the Church of God wheresoeuer it be whether in the fielde or in the towne runne to Christ Iesus and craue mercy of him that yee may haue peace in your consciences and so by these meanes euery one of you shall preserue health in your soules By these meanes ye shall learne what difference is betwixt this liuing word of mercy and grace which sounds in our religion and that slaying letter that kills the soule of euery one that heares it I meane that Idolatrous doctrine of that dumbe Mass I mention this vnto you because I see that many in these dayes are fallen to it and the Lord is beginning to abstract his grace and mercy from this Country for the contempt of this quickning vvord which hath so cleerely sounded heere which our country-men for the greatest part running headlong to the diuell in a dumbe guise trauaile vtterly to banish Is not this a miserable thing that so fevv of you haue eyes to consider and discerne of the time of peace mercy and grace which is so aboundantly offred The Lord of his mercy giue you eyes in time Thus far concerning the reasons wherefore euery one of you should try and examine your owne consciences and this triall ought not to be for a day or for a yeere but it ought to be euery day and euery yeere of thy whole life For that conscience that should rest for euer with the liuing God that conscience which must euer behold the face of the Sonne of God it cannot be ouer-well cleansed wee cannot looke ouer-narrowly to it The more curious we be in searching out of this conscience we are the better occupied I speak of our own consciences I speak not of our neighbours Thirdly I come to the points In what points wee should examine our consciences wherein euery one of you should try and examine your selues Euery one of you ought to try examine your cōsciences in two things First whether thou be at peace with God who is the Lord of heauen or not Next examine thy conscience whether thou art in loue amity with thy neighbor or not Wouldest thou know whether thy conscience be at vnity peace with God or not Thou shalt know it this way The God of heauen can haue no societie nor company with that soule which is alwaies vncleane that is euery way defiled no hee cannot Now I speake not so precisely that I make a soule to be fully sanctified perfectly holy in this life no in this life there are wonderfull iniquities grosse sinnes great faults where-with euen the righteous are defiled but this is my meaning There is no soule can be at any peace with God or wherewith the Lord can haue any societie but in some measure it must bee sanctified and made holy For God cannot make residence in a soule that is alwaies as a slinking dunghill and therfore of force in some measure it must be sanctified there must be so much made cleane in one corner or other of that soule wherin the Lord of heauen by his holy Spirit may make his residence Now let vs see wherby the soule is sanctified Peter Act. 15.9 saith That the soule of man is purified by faith that the hart of man is purged by faith So faith openeth and purgeth the hart By faith in Chr. Iesus and in the merits of his bloud we haue peace with God Beeing iustified by faith we haue
and our mindes were sette on euill continually Then wee beginne to abhor that Idoll and to seeke to serue God only Now except the Lord of his mercie and goodnes place in vs this light vntill such time as we get some glimmering of this light wee canne neuer see our own vanitie nor yet see God This then is the first worke of the spirit hee banisheth darknesse and errors and placeth light in our mindes Now this first worke of the spirit is tearmed oftentimes in the Scripture vnder the name of fayth for the minde hath it owne assent and perswasion in the owne kinde as well as the heart hath and therefore the minde beeing illuminate seasoned with this light the assenting and knowledge in the same minde is called faith The Apostles and Euangelists giue to this knowledge the name of fayth for from the time that thou once hast an eye to see God whom he hath sent Christ Iesus when once thou gettest a sight of him and accesse to him if it were no more then in the minde it is called faith But wee must not stand still heere If faith goe no further then the minde it is not the faith that wee are seeking For the faith that iustifieth and doth vs good must open the hart as well as it openeth the minde it must banish that Idol and affection out of the hart and in steed therof place a throne for Christ Iesus So that except the good spirit of God goe further then the minde and banish this Idol as vvell out of our hearts as out of our mindes we haue not that iustifying faith wherby we may looke for mercy Yea the spirit of GOD must not onely stay at the inlightening of thy mind but it must mollifie this hart of thine and change thine affections And vvhereas thy affections were wicked and euill Gods Spirit must change thy will and he neuer can change thy will except he make the ground of thy hart good that it may be set on God and bring forth good fruit aboundantly to the owner And what teacheth this This teacheth you to seeke for an honest hart and to seeke instantly while yee obtaine it For what auaileth it any man to knowe vvhat is good or what is euill except hee haue a way shewed him how hee shall eschew the euill a meanes giuen him to make himselfe partaker of the good Is not this an idle and vnprofitable knowledge to mee to see a farre off and to knowe that this is good for me when I finde not a meanes how to be partaker of that good that it may be especially good to mee Is it not an idle knowledge also to perceiue that this is ill for mee that it vvill doe mee hurt if I doe it and yet that same verie thing I vvill doe and no other So the Spirit of GOD linketh these two together in this worke and as hee reformes the minde hee reformes also the hart and makes you to be partakers of that good which yee see and to eschew that euill which ye perceiue And this is the second worke of the Spirit Not onely to present a thing to thee but to make it thine in effect For howbeit the minde would doe his part neuer so well and let thee see that Christ is thine and present him to thee neuer so often yet if thy hart be not reformed that will and crooked affection that is in thy hart will preferre it selfe to Christ and vvill make thee to account all but folly in respect of that Idol And therefore it were an idle and a foolish thing for mee to see my saluation except I get grace to be partaker of it and what auailes it thee to see the works of the diuell to see thine owne sinnes that slay thee except thou get grace to eschew them And so the second worke of the spirit is this Hee enters into the hart hee daunteth the hart and wonderfully changeth it making the wil of it obedient hee mollifies the affection which was hard before in such sort that it is made to poure out thy affection in som measure on the liuing God wheras it was poured out on one Idol or other of thine owne before Then except the hart will do his part as the mind doth his part the whole soule is not consecrate to God for God hath not made the soule that the hart should serue thee and the mind only shold serue him but thy seruice is then only acceptable to God when thou consecratest thy hart as well as thy minde to him Now A similitude of the apprehension of the corporall foode to illustrate the spirituall this matter is so cleare that it needeth not to be illustrated by similitude yet to make it more plaine vnto you I vvill shew you by a similitude that the apprehension of the minde is not enough except yee get the apprehension of the hart also In corporall things in meat drink which serue for the vse of your bodies there must be of this meat and drinke two sorts of apprehensions and as there is two sorts of apprehension of the meat and drinke that is the foode of the body so there is two sorts of apprehension of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus which is our meate and drinke spirituall Of meat and drinke corporall there is an apprehension by the eye and by the taste that while the meate is present vnto you on the Table your eye taketh a view of that meat discerneth it and maketh choice of it and not onely the eye but also the taste discerneth the meat and the taste approouing it that is called the first apprehension Now vpon this which is the first the second apprehension followeth that is after that ye haue chewed that meat swallowed it sent it to your stomack where it digesteth and conuerteth into your nouriture then in your stomack ye get the second apprehension But if your eye like not that meat neither your taste like it the second apprehension followeth not for thou wilt spet it out againe or reiect it preferring some other meat vnto it that thou likest better That meat which thou likest not enters neuer into thy stomack and so it can neuer be conuerted into thy nourishment for it is onely the second apprehension of the meat that is the cause of the nourishment of the body in our corporall foode so that if yee chew not this meat and swallow it it feeds you not then it is onely the second apprehension that nourisheth our bodies It is euen so in spirituall things so farre as they may be compared in the foode of Christ Iesus who is the life and nouriture of our soules and consciences There must be two sorts of apprehension of Christ Iesus The first apprehension is by the eye of the minde that is by our knowledge vnderstanding for as the eye of the body discerneth by an outward light so the eye of the minde discerneth by an
without great bitternesse and continuall remorse And these sparkles where they are will make the soule vvherein they dwell to vtter these speeches at one time or other once in the twenty-foure houres Alas I am dooing the euill vvhich I vvould not doe if I had power or strength to resist my affection and if I might be maister of my affections I would not for all the world doe the euill which I doe Againe if I had power to doe the good vvhich I vvould doe I vvould not leaue it vndone for all the vvorld So these sparkles though they haue not such force and strength presentlie aâ— to resist the affection and abstaine from dooing euill deedes yet perpetually in the hart they are finding fault with thy corruption and suffer thee not to take thy pleasure without paine but last of all force thee to vtter these speeches If I had strength to resist I vvould not doe the euill vvhich I doe Where these speeches are no question they are the words of a soule vvhich the Lord hath begunne to sanctifie and beeing once sanctified in despight of the diuell and of the corruption that is in vs this faith shall neuer perish but if the whole soule without contradiction vvith a greedie appetite and pleasure be carried to euill and hath no sorrow for it that soule is in an ill estate I can looke for nothing in such a soule but death except the Lord of his great mercy preuent it But where this remorse and sorrow and such speeches are in the soule that soule in the time that God hath appointed shall recouer strength The Lord shall neuer suffer those sparkles to bee vvholly taken away but in his own time he shall fortifie them and make them to breake out before the world in good works The Lord in his owne time will sanctifie them hee will scatter the ashes of corruption stirre vp the sparkles make them to breake out into a better life then euer they did before as ye may cleerely see that Dauids repentance hath done more good to the Church of God then if hee had neuer fallen Thus far concerning the effects Though the effects of repentance bee interrupted Similitudes shewing that the sparkles of faith thogh they be couered are not extinguished yet those sparkles are not extinguished For there is no man will thinke that the fire vvhich is couered with ashes is extinguished but beeing stirred vp in the morning it will burne as cleerely as it did the night before There is no man wil think the trees that now in the time of Winter want leaues fruit and externall beauty to be dead There is no man will thinke the Sunne to be out of the firmament though it be ouershadowed with a clowd of darknes and mist There is great difference between a sleeping disease and death for men are not dead though they be sleeping and yet there is nothing liker vnto death then sleep As there is great difference betwixt a drunken man and a dead man so there is great odds betwixt the faith that lieth hid for awhile vttereth not it selfe and the light that is vtterly put out When we breake not forth into outvvard deedes GOD forbid that vvee shold think that these sparkles are wholly extinguished Indeed the soule which is visited after foule and heinous backslidings from his calling and against his knowledge before this foule recouer the former beautie it is in a strange danger For if the Lord suffer thy corruption to get loose in such sort that it cary thee as it will and by all meanes possible maketh thee to labour to put out the sparkles of regeneration vvhen the Lord beginnes to challenge thee or to make thee render an account of this life past the soule of that man when it is challenged is in great danger So that no question when the Lord beginnes to lay to your charge your dissolute life the contempt and abuse of your calling assuredly your soules are so neere to the brinke of desperation that there can be nothing neerer For vvilt thou looke to GOD thou vvilt see nothing but his anger kindled as a fire against thee wilt thou looke to thy selfe thou wilt see nothing but sinne prouoking his anger thou wilt see the contempt and abuse of thy calling enlarging his anger thou wilt see nothing but matter of despaire And what is the best pillar and surest retreat whereupon such a soule that is so neere to the brinke of desperation may repose A sure retreat to repose on in highest tentations I will shew you the helpe whereupon When thou art assaulted by all the greatest tentations thou canst imagine when there is nothing before thee but death when thou seest the diuill accusing thee thine own conscience bearing him witnes against thee thy life accusing thee and the abuse of thy calling accusing thee whither shalt thou goe Looke back againe to thy forepast experience cast ouer thy memorie and remember if God at any time and in any measure hath loued thee if euer thou hast felt the loue and fauour of GOD in thy hart and conscience Remember if euer the Lord hath so disposed thy hart that as hee loued thee thou louedst him hadst a desire to obtaine him Remember this and repose thine assurance on this that as hee loued thee once he will loue thee euer and will assuredly restore thee to that loue before thou departest this life The hart that felt once this loue of God shall feele it againe and looke vvhat gift or grace or what taste of the power of the world to come that euer the Lord gaue to his creatures in this life to that same degree of mercy hee shall restore his creature before it depart this life So the soule that is tossed with high assaults and great dangers where present things will not helpe it is necessary that it haue recourse vnto things past and keepe in memory the afore-past experience of mercy which the Lord hath freely shewed towards that soule This same memory shall be so pleasant to the soule that it shall stay it presently from desperation and vphold it vnto the time the Lord pacifie that hart giue comfort to that soule which beeing done that soule shall see that hovv-soeuer GOD was angry hee was angry onely for awhile I speake these things not that I think that euery one of you hath tasted of them and yet in some measure the seruaunts of GOD must taste of them and yee that haue not tasted of them may taste of them before yee die And therefore whether ye haue tasted or not tasted of them it cannot be but profitable for you to look vp this lesson in your harts and remember it faithfully that if the Lord at any time strike at your harts yee may remember and say with your selues I learned a lesson To looke backe vnto my fore-past experience A lesson and thereon to repose And though yee be not touched
presently your selues yet when yee visite them that are troubled in conscience let these things be proposed to them as cōforts and vse them as medicines most meet to apply to the griefe of the inward conscience so ye shal reape fruit of this doctrine and possesse your soules in a good estate Thus farre for the first poynt vvherein euery one of you ought to try and examine your ovvne consciences The second point is this Of loue which is the secōd point of our triall Try vvhether yee haue loue towards your neighbour or not For as we are coupled with God by faith so by the band of loue we are coupled with our neighbour and if yee want loue yee can haue no societie with your neighbour for loue is the chiefe principall branch that springs from the root of faith Loue is that celestiall glew that conioynes all the faithfull members in the vnity of a mysticall body And seeing that religion was instituted of God to serue as a path-way to conuey vs to our chiefe felicity and happy we cannot be except wee be like vnto our GOD like vnto him we can not be except we haue loue For as it is 1. Iohn 4.8 GOD is loue So seeing God is loue it selfe who-soeuer will resemble him must be indued vvith the oyle of loue This onely one argument testifieth to vs that this loue is a principall head vvhereunto all things that are commaunded in religion ought to be referred To spend long time in the praise of loue I hold it not necessarie seeing the holy Scripture resounds in blasing the commendations of it but that we speak not of any thing ambiguous I will let you see how this word is considered taken in the Scriptures How the word loue is taken in the Scriptures Loue is considered either as a spring or fountaine from whence the rest proceedes that is for the loue whereby we loue God And as loue commeth first from God and is poured by his holy Spirit into our harts So it first redownds vpward and strikes backe vpon himselfe for the loue of GOD must euer goe before the loue of the creature Next we take this word for that loue whereby wee loue Gods creatures our neighbours and especially them that are of the family of faith And thirdly It is taken for the deeds of the second Table which flowe from this loue Now when I speake of loue I speake of it as in the second signification to wit as it is taken for the loue of our neighbour The definitiō of loue And taking it so I call loue The gift of God poured into the harts of men and women by the which gift we first loue God in Christ our Sauiour and next in God for Gods cause we loue all his creatures but chiefly our bretheren that are of the family of faith the children of one common father with vs. Wee will examine this definition I say Of our loue toward God first the loue of God as it commeth frō GOD it returneth to God as it comes downe from him so it strikes vpward to him againe And is it not good reason And why Let thy hart fix thy loue as long as thou wilt vpon the creatures thou shalt neuer be satiate nor thy affection shall neuer be content except thou lay hold on God but if once thou loue God in thy hart and cast thy affections vpon him once takest hold on him the longer thou louest him the greater satietie and contentment shalt thou haue thou shalt not thirst for any other For as to the creatures there is neuer a creature that God hath created but it is stamped with his owne stamp euery creature beareth his Image and looking to the Image of God in the creature should it not draw thee to him that thou fix not thy hart vpon the creature for his owne Image in his creature should lead thee to himselfe And therefore the more that thou knowest the creatures and the greater varietie of knowledge that thou hast of them the more shold euery particular knowledge of them draw thee to God the more shouldest thou wonder at thy God and knowe thy duty towards him And seeing that delight flovveth from knowledge euery knowledge hath his owne delight as the variety of knowledge that ariseth from the creatures should make the minde to mount vp to the knowledge of God so the variety of delights that arise vpon the diuersitie of this knowledge should moue the hart vpward to the loue of God and the hart getting hold of God and beeing seised with the loue of God and the minde being occupied with the true knowledge of God so soone as hart and mind is full of God the hart is quiet and the minde is satisfied So that the more this knowledge groweth in thy minde the greater contentment thou hast and the more the loue of God groweth in thy hart the greater ioy reioycing hast thou in thy soule And why In God ye haue not only all the creatures but ye haue himselfe besides the creatures and therefore in God ye haue all the knowledge and delight that can arise of the creatures and beside the creatures yee haue God himselfe vvho is the Creator And so I say The mind of man can neuer quiet it selfe in the knowledge nor the hart can neuer settle it selfe in the loue of naked creatures in respect they are flowing vanity as Salomon calls them But in the infinite God rightly known and earnestly loued the mind shal finde a ful rest and the hart shall haue a perfect ioy For our affection is so insatiable that no finite thing thing will satisfie it nor there can be no solide settling vpon the thing that is transitory So the loue ought to moūt vpward first to God in whose face the hart shal find full and perfect ioy The second Argument that I vse is this Seeing there is onely one precept left by our Master in recommendation to be obserued by vs namely Of loue towards our neighbour That euery one of vs should loue another therefore our wise Master vnderstanding wel that where loue vvas there needed no more lawes that the life of man by loue onely behooued to be most happy left onely the same in chiefe recommendation and takes vp the whole Law Gospel in one word Loue. And if the hart of man were indued with loue his life might be most happy and blessed for there is nothing maketh this life happy but the resemblance and likelihood that we haue with God The neerer we drawe to God the more blessed is our life for there cannot be so happy a life as the life of God In the first Epist of Iohn 4.8 God is loue therefore the more we are in loue the more neer we are to that happy life for we are in God partakers of the life of God When I speake this yee must not thinke that loue in God and loue in vs is one thing for loue is but a quality in vs and it is not a quality in God There is nothing in God but that which is God so loue in God is his owne essence therfore the more that ye grow in loue the neerer ye draw to God to that happy blessed life For there is nothing more profitable more agreeable and cōuenient vnto nature then to loue and aboue all things to loue God And therefore it is that God his Angels are most happy blessed because they loue all things desire euer to do good On the other side there is nothing more vnhappy nothing more noysome more hurtfull and that eates vp nature more then to burn with enuy and hatred and therfore it is that the diuells are most miserable who torment themselues vvith continuall malice and hatred burning with a vehement appetite to be noysom to all creatures So as the life of the diuel is most vnhappy because he is full of enuy malice so our life wil be most happy if we be full of loue I will no further speake of loue Onely if yee haue loue mark the effects of it set down 1. Cor. 13.4.5.6.7 verses which effects if ye haue not in some measure yee haue not true loue I end heer Conclusion with an exhortatiō Ye see in what points euery one of you ought to be prepared Yee must be indued with this loue ye must be indued with faith if ye haue these in any small measure goe boldly to the hearing of the vvord to the receiuing of the Sacraments This is the preparation that we allow of I grant the Papists haue a preparation farre differing from this and therfore they can haue no warrant from the word of God Last of all seeing that we are commanded to try our selues He that lacketh knowledge cannot try himselfe A mad man cannot try himselfe A child cannot try himselfe therfore they ought not to come to the Lords Table All these things being considered aright he that hath faith loue in any kinde of measure let him come to the Table of the Lord And all these things serue as wel for the hearing of the vvord fruitfully as for the receiuing of the Sacrament Therefore the Lord of his mercy illuminate your mindes and work some measure of faith and loue in your harts that yee may be partakers of that heauenly life offered in the vvord and Sacraments that yee may beginne your heauen heere and obtaine the full fruition of the life to come and that in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honour praise and glory both now and for euer Amen FINIS