the new testament wherin we are washed with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to signifie that we are receiued to grace by the vertue of Christs death that by bloud wee are clensed from our sinnes and are regenerate by his spirit and therin are bound to testifie a newnesse of life after our new birth This baptisine conteineth three things The signe water the ceremonie the sprinkling of the water and the things themselues viz. the sprinkling of Christs blood and the imputation of his righteousnes This other of the Supper of the Lord representeth likewise Christ crucified and assureth vs that by his death we are freelie saued from the malediction of the lawe assuring our selues that as our mouthes receiue the bread and wine so our soules receyue Christ and his righteousnes These Sacraments are as conduits to conueigh Gods graces vnto vs the one is to purge our soules from sinne the other is to feede vs after we be purged The first is a bath made of Christ his owne blood to wash and bathe our wounds therein thesecond is amost comfortable and rich garment to couer our soules after they bee washed In the first Christ hath substituted in his place his spouse the Church to pronounce in his name remission of sinnes In the second he hath left himselfe and his owne flesh and blood sacramentally to be a precious food to cherish her withall I purpose onely at this time to shewe you the comfort and edification that we receiue by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For my text doth leade me thereunto In the night that he was betrayed Heere is set downe the verie Institution of this Sacrament with circumstances thereunto belonging The Lord Iesus There is the author of it In the night There is the time He tooke bread There is the signe He gaue thanks That is the first action in the sacrament Hee brake it There is the ceremonie Hee gaue it There is the vse of it Saying Take eate this is my body There is the fruit of it Do it in remembrance of mee There is the charge of it When Christ died the law ended and the Gospel reuiued after his death circumcision was abolished and the Pascal lamb no more vsed for that the law and ceremonies thereof were now to haue an end In steed wherof he instituted these two sacraments Baptisme for circumcision and for the Pascall lambe his last Supper so called for that it was instituted in the night that hee was betrayed Much neede not bee spoken concerning the Author of this institution onely wee are here called vppon for a most dutifull reuerence in the celebration thereof since it is heere noted by the Apostle to proceed immediatly from Christ If it had pleased God to haue vsed the ministery of an angel or of maÌ„â—in the deliuering forth of this sacrament we had notwithstanding beene pressed to a carefull obseruation thereof But to the end he might stamp in this holy mysterie a greater impression of excellencie in regard of the singular comfort lapt vp in the same therefore hee hath conueyed it vnto vs imediatly from himselfe It ought therefore to be more highly reckoned euen for his sake that was the authour of it For if the woord spoken by Angells was Heb. 2. 2. stedfast and euery transgression receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which first was preached by the Lord himselfe and was afterwardes confirmed by them that heard him The people of Israel did not omit to obserue the Passeouer throughout their generations because Moses the seruaunt of God had so commanded them Much more carefull ought we to be in the retaining of this Sacrament since not Moses but Christ himselfe hath coÌ„manded vs to obserue the same for euer throughout our generations For this man is counted more worthy of glorie than Moses inasmuch as he is more excellent then the Angells being the brightnes of the glorie and the ingraued forme of Heb. 1. 3. his person as we reade in the author to the Hebrewes In the night that he was betrayd at his betraying he ordained this sacrament comfort was reuealed vnto vs when christ was discoÌ„forted When he was in greatest heauines he prepared for vs a solemne feast euen a more sumptuous banquet then that of Ahaâ—uerus for whoso eateth of this bread shall liue for euer A better and more nourishing meate is here presented vnto vs than Sampson found in the dead lion Iudas and the scribes were this night deuising how to betray Christ how to destroy him that should haue saued them But Christ was deuising how to finish the worke of our redemption and to fulfill his fathers will Iudas was deuising how to take away his masters life but Christ was deuising how to giue them life who were dead in the life of grace Iudas as he was wont to carry the bagge so Ioh. 12. 6. he thought to mend the bagge as Gehezi thought to inrich himselfe with Naamans 2. Kin. 5. 22. gold He sold Christ in that night for mony but Christ bought vs with a deerer price than sâ—luer or gold for it cost him his heart bloud all this amplifieth the greatnesse of the loue wherewith he loued vs. In the night when he was betrayed It was a bitter night an heauy night vnto Christ as the history of his Passion declareth a night of sorrow and anguish a night of perplexity and feare a night wherein all the sorowes of death gate hold vpon him What a night was it to see his owne disciples forsake him how grieuously was he troubled in Gethsemaneh himselfe testified â—is exceeding sorow when he said my soule â—s heauy vnto the death Looke the twenty sixt of Mathew twise he repeateth his passionate prayer O lette this cuppe passe from me What a terror was it vnto him to see his owne Disciple Iudas come and betray him with a kisse a great multitude following him with swords and staues to take him And when they had takeÌ„ him what iniury did they not vnto him how was he mocked spitted at and beaten with fists Such a bitter night was it vnto Christ but it was to vs a night more comfortable than the day of our birth a night brighter than the brightest day â—a night more comfortable vnto vs then that night of deliuerance was to Exod. 12. the Israelites when they went out of Aegypt from Pharaoh and from the Aegyptians for in this night was the mystery of our redemption begun He tooke breade Now we are come to the institution As there is no substance with out his shadow so there is no Sacrament without his signe And the signe in this Sacrament is the bread and wine God in these familiar matters shrowdetâ— instruction of greater mysterie We are best acquainted with the vse oâ— bread and we well know what strength our bodies receiue by it the same and more is
sayde to bee Christ and the saintes vnder the Altar are sayd to haue long robes shewing that nothing must be seene in the Saintes of God which is stained or polluted they must be all couered Their robes are said to be white shewing that the soules which rest in Christ must be clothed with innocency after the perfection of Christ A roab was giuen to euery oue of them shewing that one was not couered with the robe of another one soule might not be clothed with the perfection of another for the iust shalliue by his owne faith In the seuenth chapter the fourtenth verse it is said they had washed their â—obes and made them white shewing there is no clensing of sin but by his bloud that died for sin Being now made cleane and white let vs not pullute our selues againe let vs not anie more runne to the vomit of sinne for then we greeue the spirit of God and our ende is worse then our beginning Cant. 5 3. Let vs rather learne the song of Christes Spouse in the Canticles I haue washed my feete how shall I defile them againe I haue putte off my coate how shall I put it on And thus haue you seen the sinner wouded and salued sicke to death and yet recouered to life again like the Sunamites child Be not like those 9. Leapers who being cleÌ„sed forgot him that cured them are noted â—o all posterities of monstrous ingratitude Little will he yeeld which will not yeeld Iohn 8. 11. thankes which makes thee nothing the poorer nor him the richer that receiueth them As Christ sayde to the woman taken in adulterie Goe away and sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thee so I saye that you are washed nowe and purged and clensed from all your sinnes goe and defile your selues no more lest some euill ouertake Heb. 10. 26 you and then no more sacrifice for sinnes shal preuaile as Christ said Remember Luk. 17 32. Lots wife so I say remember Esau who Gene. 27. could not gaine the blessing though he sought it with teares All will be learned if you thinke on this lesson that wee haue taught or rather which God hath deliuered vnto you If wee confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse The God of peace make vs perfect in al good workes to do his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whome be praise for euer Amen The forming of Eue. ¶ Allso the Lorde saide it is not good that man shoulde bee alone I will make him an help meete for man There fore the Lord caused an heanie sleepe to fall upon the man and he slept and hee tooke one of the ribbes and closed vp the flesh insteede thereof and that ribbe which he had taken made he a woman Gen. 18. 21 22. THe philosophers being but profane men such as neuer acquainted themselues with Diuinitie the true sauing knowledge yet could say beeing guided by a naturall instinct of reason only that contemplation is the chiefest felicitie or the onely good thing whereunto all men of all sort should sacrifice their well bestowed labors This Idea was a continuall insight or serious consideration both of God and of his creatures And this in them was but a voyce of humanitie but certainely it conuaâ—es vnto vs Christians my sticall matter of deepest diuinitie for it is the very loadestarre that by a speedie and easie course guides vs along to the hauen of true felicitie like those Angels that led foorth Lot to the place of refuge when others disdaining so good a guide perished worthily in the flames of Sodom This consideration wee find to be first planted in God himselfe and secondarily from him deriued vnto men It mooued God when hee did contemplate his owne glorie for the further promoting thereof to create the world the heauens and the earth and the creatures therein all to set foorth his glorie according to that in the nineteenth Psalme The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handy workes c. Diuine speculation performed this and the same in another sort but far inferior to this must prouoke vs carefully to meditate and consider of the Lords goodnes in creaâ—ing vs and gouerning vs which are so wonderfully made happie are we and then doe we shew forth the shining maiestie of God in vs yea then are we come to the full period of this Summum bonum this so great felicitie when we meditate how to glorifie God for his goodnesse And this holy lesson being indeede the Alpha and Omega of all perfection we can neuer haue learned till we can say as Dauid sayth I studie alwaies vppon thy lawes yea and I make it my continual exercise so holy a song could this sweete singer soundâ— forth would all Christians could sing the like song with the like spirit To presse a little neerer to the matter in hand as the creating of the world and after that the creating of man doth shew the gracious care and prouidence of God ouer vs so in this place we find a fresh president of the Lordes like goodnes towards vs noted in the words of my text Also the Lord said it is not good that man should be himselfe alone I will make him a helpe The words do offer these three things to our consideration First the consultation or conference had betweene God and his wisedome for the creating of the woman Secondly the effect of his conference in the 21. verse Thirdly the maner of the womans creation in these wordes God caused an heauie sleepe to fal vpon the man In this consultation or conference the loue of God and his prouident care vnder mankind is most liuely discouered After he had made man the worlds wonder and the most excellent of all his creatures beeing but a little inferior to the Angels and had made him Lord ouer the earth all things in it contained to gouerne the same by the diuine wisedome wherwith God had indued him hauing also placed him in Eden that so glorious a seat and so full of maiestie so plentifully stored with infinite varieties of rauishing pleasures For out of it made the Lord to growe euery tree pleasant to the sight and good for meate the tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and euill all this felicitie notwithstanding that Adam now possessed and more might not seeme to be required for the bettering of his estate for what can a man haue more then the whole world to command as Adam had after him Noah yet the Lord abounding in mercy as he is all compounded of goodnes and mercy saw some thing wanting Adam had not yet a companion that might pertake with him in this his felicitie al his ioy and pleasure and solace seemed nothing in regard of this one defect
the skie was full of clouds and now the skie is cleere and the cloudes vanished and the calme is greater then the storm We may be in danger and trouble when Christ sleepeth but when Christ awaketh seeth the waues sowsing ouer our heads and the water flashing into the shippe he ariseth and rebuketh the waues as before he rebuked his Disciples and so the calme foloweth The windes blustred and the water violently swelled as long as Christ slept as if they had bin priuie to his sleeping but assoone as Christ awaked and considered of the tempest the windes and waues considered themselues and became quiet Here is a full president of Gods mercy and of his power he exerciseth both for the good of his Disciples his wil appeares in reprouing the waues his power in suppressing the rage thereof This made Tobit say thou scourgest and Tobi. 13 2. yet takest pittie thou leadest to hel and back againe And Gods owne testimony proues the same I kill and I giue life I wound and I make whole and in the sixteenth chap. of Iohn saith Christ ye are in sorrow nowe but your hearts shall reioyce and your ioye shall no man take from you Let vs pray vnto God to increase our litle faith and our shippe shal neuer miscarrie Thus you haue breefely seene the loue of the Apostles in following Christ to the shippe you haue also seene Satan tempting the wether storming the winds blowing the Disciples trembling and Christ sleeping yet he being cried vnto awaketh and ariseth and appeaseth the rage of the sea and so suffereth not his disciples to perish The Disciples loue towardes Christ must arme vs with like affection towardes him and their want of faith must stirre vp our weakenes and incredulity and make vs flie to Christ like the restlesse doue to the arke So we shall be sure to be safe amidst all stormes like his disciples when Christ rebuked the windes Vse this Card it will the better direct thee in thy compasse as the Angell lead Abrahams Gen. 24. 40 seruant a straight path by land so this will leade thee a right course by sea and if any storme beate against thy ship thou shalt be sure to come safe to shoare when others for want of this guide shal perish by shipwracke Amen The Sinners Bath If we acknowledge our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse Iohn 1. 9. THis is a lesson for all but Christ al besids him prince Prophet and people from the marchaunt to the porter from him that sittes on the throane to him that grindes â—n the mill all are weake and feeble and diâ—â—ased and sicke of one sore and therefore â—ust all apply to themselues one and the â—me kind of cure None but Christ alone could say which you can rebuke me of sinne Since all haue sinned al had neede to be â—eansed Luk. 3. 12. 14. The publicans and sinners and souldiers come to Iohn crauing to be salued And here a greater then Iohn proclaimes that all sinners that will be set free from their sinne shall be so soundly salued and cleansed in this so wholsome a Bath that they shall neuer neede a second cure no more than the lame cripple in the third of the Acts Acts 3. being once restored to his feete by Peter did euer any more betake himself to his crutches And this Bath as it is most precious for it cureth all diseases euen the most putrified and exulcerat sores so is it yet most highly to be reckoned because God offers it freely to all commers of all sorts like the poole Bethesda Ioh. â— 24 that freely healed all that washed in it Once God the father proclaimed to the thirstie ho euery one that thirsteth come to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy wine and milke without mony And here God the sonne proclaimeth speaking to the sicke as he to the thirstieâ— come to be bathed al ye that be leprous and sinfull come clense your soules and receiue Esay 55 11 soundnesse to your selues without money Other baths doe but wash and cleanse the bodies of men but this is the soueraigne Bath of the soule none but this can purifie the soule and take away the maladies of it by the secret vertues thereof The Disciples of Christ though they had the gift of healing and power giuen them to worke miracles yet they could not cure all diseases as they could not cast the diuell out of the lunaticke man in the seuenteenth of Mathew Christ alone did that so in this place though God hath giuen power and skill to men to heale diseases God alone will haue the prerogatiue in curing â—â—e diseases of the soule none may do that but he Howsoeuer the Pope will seeme by his counterfaite phisicke to purge mens soules and to cleanse their sins by his buls pardons and indulgences and such trumpery yet we know that his phisicke hath deceiued all his patients and hath wrought no more cure on the soules of men then Elisha his staffe did 2. kin 4 31. recouer the Sunamites child when Gehezie laid it vpon the face thereof The Popes pacients are sicke still and still dead in their sinnes for all the Popes drugge as the Sunamites child was dead still till Elisha came Not to amplifie a large discourse in the commendation of this Bath as Phillip saide to Nathanael when he was desirous to see Christ come and see so saye I vnto you come and see come and prooue this Bath I know that if you wash in it you must needs find the vertue of it as Naaman found the vertue of Iordan to heale that which all the riuers of Damascuâ— â—ould not cure When you shal haue â—â—actised it I know you will say as the Queene of Shebah said to Solomon I heard before of thy wisedome but the one halfe hath not bin told me so I haue heard the praises and the vertues of this Bath before now and loe the one halfe hath not bin told me If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgiue Confession of sinne must goe before and then forgiuenes of sins wil follow after The text admits this short diuision The sinners salue and the vertuous operation of it the salue if we confesse the effect or operation God is faithfull to forgiue As Christ told Martha one thing is necessary so here he telleth vs one thing is necessary that sinnes may be forgiuen We must note that there is a three-fold confession First there is a confession of faith which is the act of religion Secondly there is a confession of praise an act of gratitude Thirdly there is a confession of sin as here an act of contrition Confession of faith made by Peter when he said thou art Câ—â—â—t The answere 〈…〉 flesh and bloud haue not reuealed thesâ—â—â—ngs vnto thee Confession of praise is made by Dauid in the 106. Psalme praise