in their writings called our Sauiour a Fish but the Greeke word Iethus which they vsed containeth a remarkable Anagram which is not found in the Latine nor in any other Language for the fiue letters whereof it is composed make Resus Christos Theon Vies Seter Iesus Christ Sonne of God Sauiour He is then our Fish and the Fish giuen for food to the Church is no other but Iesus Christ giuen in the table of the Eucharist And it skilleth not that in this miracle there are two Fishes for both did signifie one self-same Iesus Christ God and man as doth also the fiue Loaues and it is not necessary that a Figure should bee like in all things to that which is signified Moreouer Christians in respect of their Head are also called Fishes We are bred in the water saith Tertullian Tertul. l. Bap. c. 1. as little fishes to the likenesse of our Fish Iesus Christ For it is the water of Baptisme which regenerateth vs in Iesus Christ to his Spouse the Church and whosoeuer are not Fishes of this water perish in the sea of this world 4. WHEREFORE NO MENTION IS MADE of any drinke in this miracle and other circumstances of it THe Euangelist makes no mention of any drinke in this miracle it being probable that as Manna was both meate and drinke euen so were these Loaues and Fishes multiplied which is also agreeable to the mystery for seeing they that follow Iesus Christ are fishes which naturally neuer drinke these also need no drinke being already become the Fishes of our Sauiour beleeuing in him albeit the mystery is yet greater in that hereby is noted a rare fingularity of the holy Sacrament For euen as Manna alone the Loaues and the Fishes did serue both for meate and drinke So the Sacrament in one kinde is both meate and drinke the body of our Sauiour seruing for both together as did Manna and those Loaues and Fishes Figures of it Now for other circumstances of this miracle wee obserue first that it was done in the Spring-time vpon the euening in the Desart before them which had heard and followed our Sauiour they being bidden to sit vpon the grasse These circumstances teach vs that the Sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted in the spirituall Spring of the world Psal 103.32 when Iesus Christ shortly after was to send his holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth to make a new Testament amending the old to wit a new Law a Law of Grace vpon the euening that is to say in the last houre of the world and in the Desart that is during this mortall life And that for those which should beleeue in his Word and which constantly follow him euen vnto the breaking of bread taming of their flesh despising of worldly vanities and the doing of that which they there did corporally eating also vpon the grasse in the Desart For all flesh is grasse Esay de 6. and all his glory is as the flower of the field saith Esay and he who subdueth his flesh and makes no reckoning of the flourishing beauty of the world is set vpon the grasse worthy to be fed with the blessing of our Sauiour by the seruice of his Apostles that is to say to receiue the food of immortality in the Church of God by the hands of his Vicars which are the Pastors and Priests thereof 5. WHY THE PEOPLE WOVLD CREATE our Sauiour King and why he fled them THese people thus satisfied were about to create our Sauiour King not entreating him but compelling him to accept the Royalty which hee foreseeing stayed not vntill they came to him but quickly withdrew himselfe from them and fled into the Mountaine to pray But from whence comes this desire in these men and wherfore did Iesus Christ refuse this honour fithence that he was Prince of heauen and earth and absolute King without dependance of any other If for the miracle they would haue made him King wherefore had they not the same will when they saw him cast foorth diuels out of the bodies they possessed and make those mighty wicked and rebellious spirits obedient to his Commandements Why had they not the same will when he commanded all diseases and maladies and was obeyed Making the blinde to see and the lame to goe c. These wonderfull miracles did not they also merit the same Diadem which this refection in the Desart did In truth if men consider them in their greatnesse they merited a diuine respect and acknowledgement but this miracle had some particular thing which moued these men to this desire and designe First it was a kind of miracle neuer heard of before Moyses had made Manna descend frō heauen Elias had made the flower and oyle to encrease in fauour of the Widow but Moyses made not the Manna with his owne hands Exod. 16. 3. King 17.14.16 as our Sauiour wrought this miracle and that which Elias did he did not by his owne power but receiued power of God to doeit Our Sauiour multiplied these Loaues in his owne hands and with his owne proper blessing this made them beleeue that he could be no lesse then the Messias King promised to Israel and for this cause they sought for to declare him King Secondly the other miracles of our Sauiour were particular principally effected for their good which were deliuered and healed This heere was a publike benefit done in the sight of all the multitude and to the profit of euery one of them in particular which caused in them a generall desire to acknowledge the same by conferring a publike honor vpon our Sauiour and by making him their head to whom they were so much obliged Thirdly they did acknowledge that this refection was a benefit worthy of a King For the principall office of a King is to guide and feed his subiects for which cause they are compared to Feeders and called Pastors of the people They would then haue proclaimed him King Esay 44.28 Homer Iliad 2. Philo Iudaus l. de Agricult as the Roman Souldiers made their Emperours and the other Nations of the world their first Kings But our Sauiour was not come to take vnto himselfe any earthly Kingdome but to establish a spirituall Kingdome of his elect who are the inheritance of his Church in the which hee is King of the Iewes and raigneth likewise in the hearts of all his faithfull subiects The earth is too base and too little for such a King it is heauen which is the true throne of such a Maiesty 〈◊〉 109.2 the earth is but his sootstoole Wisely therefore did hee to contemne this royalty reading vs a Iesson by his example to despise and slye the honours of this world as transitory and deceitfull and not to make esteeme but of such presents as come from heauen which are firme and permanent and onely worthy to bee giuen by an Almighty King and to be sought after by reasonable creatures capable
the ancient holinesse of the first Christians in communicating deuoutly What is become of the chastitie of the first Christianity Where doe you see as of old the concourse of godly soules purely amorous of this their Spouse and soberly hungry after this banquet If there be yet any as it ought not to be doubted but there are many thousands hidden within the Oratory of the Sanctuary of the House of God the number notwithstanding is exceeding little in comparison of that which hath been and which ought and might be if we had the courage and deuotion of our Ancestors Proueâ—bs 9. Come hither then O faithfull soules but come prepared put on your nuptiall garments the more worthily to present your selues before your Spouse who is the Soueraigne and all-seeing Wisdome whet and sharpen the appetites of your hearts approach to the Table that he hath prepared for you eate the liuing Bread which he hath so well seasoned drinke the celestiall Wine which hee hath mingled for you Bread which giues eternall life Wine which maketh drunk with happinesse and felicity sill vp the Feast there are yet many empty places and encrease your glory by encreasing the number of the inuited THE EIGHT PICTVRE THE OBLATION OF THE FIRST fruits at Pentecost The Description THE better to vnderstand how this Assembly celebrates the Sacrifice of the First-fruits you are to conceiue the forme of the Temple in which it is made The Temple of the Iewes as it is commonly taken Ezech 40.41 is this inclosure of walles hauing fiue hundred cubits in square but to speake properly it is that House built within the enclosure towards the West end magnificently couered in height twenty cubits and fixtie in length diuided into two parts the first of which is twenty cubits long and is the most holy part for this is the Holy of holies place for the Arke of Couenant where no person enters sauing onely the High-Priest and that but once in the yeere The second is forty cubits in length and in it is placed the Altar of Perfumes right against the doore of the Sancta Sanctorum hauing on euery side fiue Candlestickes of gold and fiue Tables for Breads of Proposition as elsewhere we haue said On this Altar euery Prince of the Priests in the circuit of his office offers Incense to God euening and morning as Zachary did Zachary Luke 1. the father of Saint Iohn Baptist The rest of the inclosure is without roofe diuided into two great Yards or Courts each one being an hundred cubits in length and largenesse On the South side and North side were certaine houses called Gazophilaces as much to say as treasuries They were for the habitations of Priests and Leuites and to keepe the holy treasures hauing neere vnto them certaine walking-places and little walls The first Court separated from the second by a little wall hauing a portall in the midst is the place where the Priest make their Sacrifices vpon this great Alzar which is night against the Temple Where you see fiue Cesterns on the right hand and fiue on the left full of water to wash the entrals and feete of the Victimes And on the left side of the wall of separation neere to the Portall a molten Cesterne called a Sea by reason of the exceeding great capacity thereof for it is ten cubits square and fiue cubit deepe and this is the sountaine wherein the Priests washed their hands and feer when they went to offer Sacrifice The second Court is the place for Lay-people and this little raised vp seat in the forme of a seaffold in the midst of it is a Throne of brasse fiue cubits square 2. Paral. 9.13 and three cubits high where Salomon and the Kings of the Iewes after him were placed during the time of the Sacrifice Now this great multitude of men which are in the first Court are the Priests and Leuites and the other in the other Court are the people all there assembled for the solemnity of the new Oblation of the first fruits in Haruest called the Feast of Pentecost In which Oblation after many bloudy Sacrifices to wit of seuen Lambes two sheepe one Oxe offered in Holocaust and one Goate offered for sinne two Wheat-loaues with two Lambes were offered to God as Peace-offerings that is to say in action of thankes euery one hauing made an Oblation of his first fruits to the Priests according to the Law In the first partition are only Priests in the second the women are in an Oratory seperated from the men and all as well men as women see all and euery part of the Sacrifice which is done in the Court of Priests For that the Altar was raised vp ten cubits high and the walles which seperated the Court 2. Paral. 41. were but three cubits high they easily heare the voices of the Priests and of the Musicall Instruments Ioseph lib. 5. de â—â—lls lad cap. 14. and Trumpets which sound while the Sacrifice burneth The seuen Lambs the fat Calfe the two sheepe are long since wholly consumed in the fier without any part reserued saue onely their skins for this is an Holocaust that is to say a Sacrifice wherein all must bee burnt to the honor of God without reseruing any thing to Priests or Lay-people The Hee Goate also is all consumed to ashes because it is offered in common for the sinnes of the people for if it were offered for one particular person a part thereof had been kept to the Priests according to the Law of the Propitiatory Sacrifice which gineth them that prerogatiue Herehence it is that the Scripture saith that they eate the sinnes of the people that is to say the Sacrifices offered for the sinnes of the people The two Loaues which are as it were the body and heart of this Sacrifice are made of sine Wheat-flower Oser 4.8 as the Proposition Loaues but of leauened paste whereas those of Proposition are without leauen which is a mysterious shadow they are made in the forme of round cakes the High-Priest offers them now to God lifting them vp to heauen by a remarkable ceremony with the Lambes placed vnder them and turning them from the South into the North and from the East to the West prayes to God with these words Looke from thy Sanctuary Deut. 26.15 and thy highest habitation of heauen and blesse thy people of Israel the Land which thou hast giuen to vs as thou swarest to our fore-fathers a Land slowing with milke and hony after this eleuation the Loaues and the Lambes remaine to him as his right All the world is in prayers and deuotion adoring the diuine Maiesty imploring his mercy and rendering thankes for his goodnesse not without demonstration of the inward eleuation of their soules by the outward mouings and gestures of their bodies One lifts vp his eyes to heauen another striketh his breast another ioynes his hands many bow down their heads and bend their knees some
moreouer who will not wonder to see that howsoeuer a man turne the Hoast lift it vp or lay it downe yet this diuine bodie altereth not the situation in it selfe and although when the Sacrament is remoued it changeth place yet it changeth not for all that the situation of his parts wee see some such like thing in heauen For euen as the Sunne is alwayes aboue the earth albeit it seeme to vs wheeling about to the Antipodes Land to be vnder our feete euen so by resemblance albeit the parts of the quantity of the Hoast be changed neuerthelesse the parts of the body of our Sauiour remaine in their seate of Maiestie Humane reason there admireth God in the naturall seate and mouing of that great Celestiall body heere Faith extols the greatnesse of God in the admirable situation of the deified body of his Sonne 18. THE CLOTHING OF THE BODY of our Sauiour ADAM in his innocency was richly cloathed and neuerthelesse naked and after that he had offended he was clad with dead skins and yet notwithstanding he remained still naked all this was admitable For how was he cloathed and naked naked and clothed together This was because in that first estate he had his soule cloathed with all kinde of goodly garments of Iustice of Chastity of Charity of Fortitude of Temperance and of other such like attire and had nothing vpon his body neither had he need But when the soule was dispoiled of her habits shee was ashamed of her owne nakednesse and of that of her poore body which shee was necessarily to couer at least one part of the shame of the soule Thus Adam was clothed and naked naked and clothed by diuers considerations The Antithesis is most diuine and most meruailous without comparison for the body of our Sauiour hath not any garments and notwithstanding is alwayes most richly cloathed but it is with diuine gists of immortall glory It is shining by brightnesse more then the Sunne more pleasing by its beauty then all the Stars admirable in this and admirable also for that he couereth this robe of glory and takes that of bread and wine hiding the Maiesty of his presence vnder the visible formes to become the more familiar to our capacity euen as hee hid his Diuinity vnder the mantle of our humane nature appearing but Man and being neuerthelesse God Man together to make vs enioy his sweete conuersation So Manna Figure of this Mystery euen in this point was couered with two dewes the one falling before the Manna and seruing it as it were for a bed and the other after in stead as it were of a couerlet as hath been said Behold how God shewes himselfe in this Sacrament Soueraigne Lord of all Nature vniuersally 19. HOW THE EVCHARIST IS AN Abridgment of all the wonders of God IS not then this diuine Mystery an abridgment of Gods wonders And God hath he not made himselfe seene admirably admirable in this wonderfull abridgment more then in any other worke of his Hee hath made appeare his greatnesse two wayes the one in making of wonders apart the other which is the more diuine in assembling them together As a Musition that not onely knowes to set for single voyces but also hath the arte and the grace of setting many parts together and to delight the eare with a sweete harmony composed of diuers voyces well accorded After that he had shewed himselfe wonderfull in the production of a thousand creatures he made man as an abridgement of them all Hee hath made since the Creation of the world a thousand and a thousand admirable workes in the common course of nature sometime in the substance of things sometime in the accidents he hath changed as we haue said the wood into a Serpent changing the substance and the accidents Exod. 3. 4.9 Insu 10.12 and after the same miraculous manner the waters into bloud He hath stayed the course of the Sunne against the force of his extreame swistnesse 4 Reg. 1.10 4. Reg. 6.6 Exod. 10.21 Num. 16.31.32 he hath made fier to defcend from heauen contrary to its lightnesse Iron to swimme aboue the water contrary to the weightinesse thereof obscured the brightnesse of the ayre by extraordinary darknesse Num. 17.8 made the Sea passable within her very depths opened the bosome of the earth contrary to the solidnesse thereof made in one night to sprout to flourish and to beare fruite a drie wood contrary to it barrennesse made a Beast speak Num. 22.36 whereof naturally it was vncapable In conclusion he hath shewed that he is God of Nature making supernaturall workes in euer parcell and part of it but being come in proper Person into the world and being himselfe to depart out of the world hee hath left a miracle equall in greatnesse to the world and a chiefe worke worthy of his hand and for which he deserues to be remembred containing alone the abridgement of all the wonders that hee euer made be it in creating the world by his omnipotent Word be it in gouerning it by his dinine Wisdome be it in the preseruing of it by his infinite bounty A miracle containing his pretious body and thereby surpassing the price of a thousand worlds A miracle where hee made himselfe to be admired as soueraigne Master of all creatures commanding the substance of things and their accidents commanding the ten Categories that is the ten Orders of things in the vniuersall world Dnuid considering the diuersitie and beauty of creatures cryes out saying O Lord how thy name is admirable through all the earth Psal 8.1 but considering this future Mystery he sings another tune saying Our Lord hath made a memoriall of all his wonders Psal 110. and declaring what it is He hath giuen to eate to them that feare him It is his body which he giueth to his children for the common meates of the world he giueth to beasts and to men good and euill this body hee hath giuen to his deare Spouse prepared in this Sacrament and apparelled with all his wonders True marke and signe of his greatnesse true Manna bearing the name of wonder true bread descended from heauen true gift drawne from the greatest treasure of his almighty Wisdome and from his all-wise goodnesse 20. HOW FAITH IS FORTIFIED BY this Sacrament THe first article of our Faith is to beleeue in God Almightie for which this article beginneth our Creed and vpon this foundation are built all other points of our Religion Now the saith of this article is admirably exercised ayded and augmented in the practise of this diuine Mystery For so often as wee communicate as wee haue Masse as we participate or meditate vpon this holy banquet so often we beleeue that God is ommpotent making and renewing euery day by his omnipotent Word the wonder of his pretious body to the astonishment of Angels of men and of Nature vniuersally So often as we make bow to the obedience of Faith
childe were not to be valued at three pence And Andrew giuing notice to our Sauiour Cohn 6.7 of the afore named Loaues and Fishes saith But what are these amongst so many As indeed they might seeme to bee nothing for so great a number according to the rule of humane iudgement meaning the food with the eaters and not conndering what the diuine hand of God can doe Whilest they serue and admire the miracle the gues's bestirre themse lues lustily without sparing either their paines in eating or the meate set before them They who haue long since filled their stomackes begin to fill their bockets and there is not one heere that doth not keepe some piece of this bread some for necessary prouision others as reliques of deuotion And after all this the Apestles filled twelue baskets full with the fragments All of them are transported with ioy and astonishment preferring our Sauiour before Moyses as hauing found a meanes by his omniporent hand to furnish a table in the Desart whereas Moyses procured only Manna to fall from heauen made to his hands by the hands of Angels and not produced by any blessing of his Whereupon they resolue to take our Sauiour their head and to make him their King But hee who was created King by his Father Apec 19.16 and carieth written in his thigh and in his garment this stile King of Kings and Lord of Lords and is descended on earth to endure dishonors and not for to ioy in the glory of the world will not haue to doe with such electors nor with such a Kingdome Wherefore hee goes further into the desart stealing away both from their fight and election 1. THE MIRACLE OF THE FIVE LOAVES a Figure of the Eucharist THis wonderfull banquet prepared in this Desart was a Picture of our Sacrament as the Figures were which euen now haue been declared not so ancient for time but wrought by the hand of a more cunning work-man For the former Figures were anciently pictured indeed according to the direction of God but by the hand and Pensell of Moyses this was the inuention of our Sauiour himselfe and freshly drawne by his owne hand Wherefore those former did signifie a farre off and in diuers subiects the Eucharist and the Author thereof this is an entrance vnto it and sheweth it to bee neere at hand because it is done by the Author himselfe in proper person The others set foorth our diuine mystory as the old Prophets foretold the Messias to come many yeares after this heere did shew him in a manner present as Saint Iohn Baptist did point at our Sauiour with his finger And therefore as our Doctors note the Euangelist Saint Iohn great Secretary and most priuy to his Masters intentions before hee would set downe the Sermon which our Sauiour made of the eating of his flesh sets in the for efront the declaration of this miracle as a peece of the same subiect necessary for the vnderstanding of that Sermon and for the stranthening of our faith concerning the Feast which our Sauiour was to prepare shortly after By this method the supreame wisdome hath wisely taught vs tracing out by little and little both by deeds and words the way to the faith of this mystery of his pretious body working a miracle vpon the sustenance which was to be a signe thereof and declaring to vs the designe of the future banquet of his flesh to be after exhibited vnder the formes of bread Behold now proportions and colours of the Picture 2. IN WHAT THE MIRACLE OF THE fiue Loaues did Figure the Eucharist THis miracle was a Figure of the Eucharist in generall because it was a wonderfull refection as that is of the Eucharist wonderfull in that it was cleane contrary to other common repasts which in the beginning are greatest in quantity and the longer the banquet continueth the lesse meat remaineth till at last all be consumed Whereas heere contrariwise in the beginning there was but a little meate to wit fiue Loaues and two Fishes and the same enereased more and more the more it was distributed and eaten and in the end of the Feast there remained great aboundance This wonder appeareth farre greater in the Eucharist in which one onely body of our Sauiour hath sufficed for all the Church now more then sixteene hundred yeares which multiplieth without being many and is eaten without being consumed For if there be an hundred thousand Hoasts consecrated it is in them all and yet it is but one And if it be receiued of an hundred thousand mouthes it is taken whole and entire of all and neithere is nor can bee consumed of any This is the first draught of the likenes that is betweene the miracle of the fiue earthly loaues our celestial bread which is but one The other smaller draughts are these That miracle was made of bread by the blessing of our Sauiour it was done in the Desart it was prepared without labour paine or difficulty it was distributed by the Apostles and was a refection giuen both to the soules and bodies there is no doubt but faith hope and charitie reuerence religion and other vertues were planted in the hearts of many of them when they beheld this admirable worke done by our Sauiour for their good herehence it was that they would needs create him King These designes are expressed with liuely colours in the Eucharist for it is made of bread by the benediction of our Sauiour who worketh secretly by his Almighty word as a Master work-man in this Sacrament It is made in the Desart of this life for in the other there shall be no more Sacraments It is made after a simple manner onely of bread and wine and the words of Consecration whereas the ancient Sacrifices of the Iewes were made with paine and trauell much killing much washing and burning of the Victimes And if some other ceremonies be vsed in the Masse they are easie and appertaine rather to the decencie then to the essence of the Sacrament and Sacrifice In conclusion this Sacrifice and Feast is made by the ministery of the Apostles and of Priests succeeding them and it serueth to plant and encrease in the soule as elsewhere we haue declared Faith Hope Charity Religion and other diuine vertues true food of our soules and to giue vigour to our bodies that they may rise gloriously vpon the great day of the general resurrection 3. THE TWO FISHES A FIGVRE OF the same Sacrament THe Fishes by another similitude do signifie to vs the same Sacrament S. Aug. l. 1 S. de Qiuit cap. 23. Our Fish is Iesus Christ saith Saint Augustine because he alone was without sinne in the depth of this mortality as in the profundity of waters The same haue said Tertullian Tertul. de Rap. c. 1. Opt. Mil. l. 3. The Sibills S. August ibid. Iethus Optatus Mileuitan cited by the same Saint Augustine and many other Fathers And before them the Sibills
of immortality 6. GOD NOVRISHER OF EVERY CREAture true nutriment of his Children IF this good people seeing that Iesus Christ had so I magnificently and so miraculously filled them would haue made him King and honoured him with an honour which they held to be the greatest of all greatnesse heere vpon earth as wee haue heard what would they haue thought and what would they houe done if they had a little vnderstood that this Lord was hee which of olde had freed their Fathers in the Desart and which nourisheth the Angels in heauen and the blessed Spirits with food of his felicity who giues to eate to euery creature who keepes open table in the spacious ayre vpon the face of the earth within the depthes of the waters prouiding for the fowles in the ayre the beasts of the earth for the fishes of the sea and for all liuing creatures their proper food in their owne dwellings What would they haue said if the eyes of their soule had been opened to behold the grearnesse highnesse and profoundnesse of that miracle without comparison saire more admirable then the they did so much admire and esteemed worthy to bee rewarded with a Kingdome It is a farre greater miracle saith Saint Augustine to prouide for the whole world S. Aug. Tract in Ioan. 24. then to feed fiue thousand men with fiue Leaues and two Fisves And sithence this miracle is the greater wheresore did these men perceiue onely the lesser Was it not for so much as the most part of them had not the entire faith they should haue had of the Messias whom they did esteeme indeed a great man but not great God as they ought But what would they heue said had they knowne that this Sauiour would giue his slesh to men to eate and feed them to immortality And that with so many miracles as Nature it selfe stands wondering at them Would they not foorthwith haue proclaimed him not onely the King of men but of Angels also and of all the world Nay would they not haue inferred by good discourse that hee was God both of heauen and earth For it is God alone who hath power to giue himselfe in meate without diminution and detriment he alone in heauen giues his Diuinity for food of the blessed and he alone giues on earth the body of his Humanity to his seruants for food to saluation remaining no lesse entire then before a worke worthy of God infinite as well in power as in goodnesse Mortall Kings may wel prepare magnificent feasts such as were made by Holofernes Salomon Cleopatra and many Romane Emperours 3. Reg. 4. Plutarch in Anton. but they made them not of their owne substance it was not of their owne bodies that they were liberall it was but of the bodies of beasts and of other prouision which they had taken from the storehouse of Nature God alone can giue himselfe to be eaten he alone is almighty not to bee exhausted vncapable of diminution If then these things be so great and if we beleeue and see heere that which they neither saw nor beleeued If wee see the prouidence of our Sauiour to gouerne and nourish all the world his charity to vs in norishing vs with his flesh from the Table of his Church his truth in promising moreouer the food of felicity Why doe we not admire his benefits Why doe we not magnifie them Why doe wee not giue him immortall thankes for them The multitude of his wonders doe they dazell our eyes as a bright lightning or as the light of the Sunne The continuall multiplying of his presents doth it make his great liberality lesse admirable to vs But if as mortall men we take no heed to the workes which God doth in Nature euery day as being ordinary and common let vs at least regard the rare excellencie of this Table furnished with a meate more worth then all that Nature can affoord The Iewes filled with fiue Loaues and two Fishes thought not of the miracle which God doth in nourishing the whole world because that was a miracle frequent and common And yet they adwored that of the fiue Loaues S. Aug. Tract in Ioan. 24. not because it was greater saith S. Augustine but because it was more rare and lesse vsuall Wherefore admire not we then the rarenesse of our Sacrament sithence it is the miracle of miracles hauing no like and which by no continuance of time can become vulgar as the miracles of Nature Wherefore cry we not in our hearts Liue the King of Kings Raigne the King of Kings Immortall glory to the King of Kings which hath giuen a refection of so great a wonder filling with one loafe and with one fish that is with his sacred body not fiue thousand men for one time but millions of men and of women that haue wandered in the Desart of this world these sixteen hundred yeers and wil fill yet as many millions moe of Christian soules as shall feed vpon it to the end of the world who will fill them not as he hath filled those with the materiall food of the body for the maintenance of this mortall life But with spirituall food of the soule for to bee nourishment of immortality and mernall felicity Liue then O King of Kings true Life of our soules and bodies Raigne O King of Kings truely worthy to raigne Immortall glory to thee O King of Kings most wise to guide most mighty to defend most blessed tenderly to nourish the sheepe which follow thee in the mountaines and barren desarts of this mortall life O when shall this bee that wee shall arriue to the high mountaine of thy eternity there to take without end the food that thou thy selfe art true felicity of such as shall haue followed thee in the pathes of thy holy Commandements THE TWELFTH PICTVRE OVR SAVIOVR PREACHING OF THE SAcrament of his bodie The Description THE Sauiour of the world speakes the Diuine Word preacheth Iohn 6.59 the supreame Wisdome discourseth of the Sacrament of his body in the Synagogue of Capharnaum where he had done many great miracles The preheminence of the Orator and the dignity of the subiect deserueth an attentiue eare neuer man spake so and of such a matter He sees that the people follow him enticed by the miracle of the fiue Loaues and two Fishes and taketh occasion from their earthly desire to inuite them to a celestiall banquet of his flesh which he is about to prepare for those that shall beleeue in him and haue the appetite of their soules in good disposition Heare what he saith I am the bread of life Iohn 6.48 your Fathers haue eaten Manna and are dead this is the bread which descended from heauen that if any man eate of it he may not die I am the liuing bread descended from heauen he that eateth this bread shall liue eternally and the bread which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.52 The