in grace thus differing from Baptisme which is the Sacrament of our first birth or regeneration as bread therefore is for the sustenance of man and preseruation of naturall life in him so is Christs body and bloud spiritually for the encrease and nourishing of our faith and of Gods graces in vs. For thus in decay of grace we come to get assurance and féeling of it againe Christ is therefore called the bread of life Iohn 6.35.51 herein differing from common bread that it onely preserues life where life is once begun but Christ begins life in vs being set before vs in the preaching of the Gospel called the childrēs bread Mat. 15.26 And he is eaten by faith spiritually Ioh. 6.56 He also continues and preserues life in vs as bread eaten by the same faith sacramentally Consider bread and wine are also for our comfort and to make glad the heart of man Psalm 104.14 15. so also this Sacrament and therefore in our faintings and in our afflictions we are to haue recourse hither this bread being like that meale which Elisha cast into the pot to make the pottage wholesome whereof it was said before death is in the pot 2. Kings 4.40 and 41. When we sée both bread and wine consider that Christ is our perfect Sauiour and Redéemer both bread and water of life vnto vs so that we néed not saluation in whole or in part of any other 4 Consider hence also the necessitie of this Sacrament especially of the thing signified by this bread and wine for as without bread and wine or other moysture we could not possibly liue whereas we may well spare many vnnecessary dainties so without this body and blood of Christ and the merits thereon depending it is impossible for any either to liue the life of grace here or of glory hereafter When we sée the Minister set apart by prayer and consecration these Elements from a common to an holy vse which signifies Gods eternall decrée in sealing Christ to the worke of our redemption and saluation Iohn 6.27 Then further consider and meditate on God the Fathers excéeding great loue Who so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne Christ to redeeme it Ioh. 3.16 Which loue God setteth forth séeing that first of himselfe vnsought to Secondly he the partie offended should prouide a Sauiour and giue thirdly his onely beloued Sonne for vs Fourthly before we were Fifthly whom he foresaw to be vnable to helpe our selues yea Sixtly to be enemies vnto him Rom. 5.8 Oh wonderfull loue of God! how did Abraham loue God when for his sake he was ready to offer in sacrifice his onely sonne Isaak yet that was his duty God so requiring it How much more doth God loue vs that fréely yea contrary to our deseruings giues to death his onely Sonne Christ one ten thousand times better then Isaack And thinke if God so loued me how ought I to loue him againe how ought I for his sake to part with my dearest and darling sinnes c. When we sée the bread broken and the wine powred out then thinke on the death and passion of Christ and on those intolerable paines which he suffered both in body and also much more in soule not for himselfe but for vs and here also more specially meditate First on Christs speciall Loue to vs who would so willingly become our suretie and pay our debt to God which is death which we were neuer able to haue endured For greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestowes his life on his friends Ioh. 15.13 But Christ is that good shepheard who giueth his life for vs his sheepe Ioh. 10.11 How then must I meditate should this inflame my heart with the loue of this my Sauiour c. And how may I now rest assured that I shall be vndoubtedly saued for if when I was a sinner Christ died for me much more then being now iustified by his blood shal I be saued from wrath throgh him c. Rom. 5.8.9.10 Secondly considering his grieuous suffering and pangs for vs his hands and his féet boared his side pearced with a speare himselfe mocked and now sustaining in soule the wrath of his Father due to our sinnes meditate Didst thou swéet Sauiour suffer such torments for me and shall not I endure an euill word for thée and for the profession of thy Name Diddest thou on the Crosse taste Vineger and Gall for me and shall I liue in pleasure and delicacies faring deliciously euery day and so please my palate with excesse in delicious meates and wines Diddest thou die for me and shall not I die to sinne and thus shew forth in my selfe thy death Yea diddest thou die for me and shall not I be ready to lay downe my life for thy Names sake c. Thirdly consider also the cause of all this his suffering which was not any sinne of his but our sinne 2. Cor. 5.21 and thinke and say Lord when I looke vpon thée whom my sinnes haue pierced how should I lament for thée as one that mourneth for his onely Sonne and bee sorry for thée as one is sorry for his first borne Zach. 12.10 Nay how should I rather mourne for mine owne sinnes and hate them with a deadly hatred whereby I crucifie thée againe so louing a Sauiour my sinnes being the speare that pierced thee and the nailes that lastened thée to the Crosse How weighty are my sinnes and how great the desert thereof which could not be borne by me nor satisfied for by any thing I am able either to doe or suffer but onely by thy precious death and bloud-shed of thée my deare Sauiour and my God blessed for euer Shall I now henceforth account any sinne light or little which deserued such infinite punishment Oh my Sauiour possesse my heart with thy loue teach mee to loue thee perfectly and to hate all sinne which cost thee so deare c. When the Minister representing the person of God the Father comes towards thée to offer and giue to each the signes this Bread and Wine then first meditate and pray and say with the Centurion Lord I am not worthy thou shouldest come vnder my roofe and as Elizabeth said to Mary whence commeth this to me that not the mother of the Lord but the Lord himselfe should come to me Luk. 1.14 And with the blessed Virgin Luk. 1.38 Behold the seruant of the Lord be it vnto thee according to thy word and here secondly assure thy selfe of Gods especiall loue to thée in particular and take these signes as speciall seales and pledges of Gods speciall loue towards thee and here raise vp thy thoughts with this or the like meditation Lord whereas in thy Word thou offerest Christ to all beleeuers though thou namest none now I see thou meanest euen me poore sinner as well as any thou appliest and assurest vnto me thy generall promise as if my name were recorded in thy Word and written in that
in couenants he secondly requireth on our part faith Ioh. 3.16 with repentance and newnesse of life according to the tenour of the Gospell Repent and beleeue Mat. 3.2 Mark 1.15 This being the couenant faire drawne and largely written in the word of God God thirdly annexeth his Seale hereunto to ratifie what he hath promised and to confirme and strengthen our faith in his promise as also he enioyneth vnto vs the vse of the Sacraments whereby we for our parts first shewing our selues needfull of his mercies both promise to to performe what he requires that is to repent and beléeue and also by taking the Sacrament binde our selues in seruice God that we will forsaking all others and renouncing the deuill the world and the flesh Gods and our maine enemies beléeue his promises depend on his mercies and serue him constantly to our liues end in all holy obedience This is first done in Baptisme by which wee haue our admission into the true Church of God sealed vnto vs and where first this couenant is confirmed and sealed on both parts Gods and ours This same couenant is renued in the Lords Supper so often as we partake of it for God thereby nourisheth and preserueth vs in the true Church after our admission into it by Baptisme confirms and seales vnto vs the same promise of the Gospell and requires like conditions of faith and repentance from vs. And that we may better know the nature of this Sacrament we must consider that each Sacrament being a signe each thing action and circumstance is appointed to signifie and bring to our mind some other spirituall thing or action As therefore in Baptisme the water signifieth the bloud and spirit of Christ whereby our sinnes are washed and purged so in the Lords Supper 1 The Bread and the Wine are now set apart from the common vse of féeding our bodies to represent and signifie vnto vs the body and blood of our Sauiour Christ Secondly The Minister setting these apart to this vse and consecrating them signifies how God the Father in his eternall Decree hath set apart Christ our Sauiour for the worke of our redemption and consecrated Him therevnto Thirdly The breaking of the Bread and powring out of the Wine signifie the death of our Sauiour whereby his Body was broken and a separation made for a while of the soule from the body and the sheading of His precious blood by which he satisfied Gods wrath for beleeuers and paid our debt which was death When the Minister offers and giues the Bread and Wine we must conceiue that God to vs that beleeue doth offer and giue as hee promised in his Word Christ his Sonne with all the benefits of his death and Passion which are forgiuenesse of sinne reconciliation with God and life eternall Our receiuing of these from his hands and feeding on them signifie our Faith which is as the hand mouth and stomacke of our soules whereby wee receiue Christ and all these benefits now offered vnto vs and feed on him spiritually to life eternall all which beeing done with others put vs in mind of charity Now all these we must well know vnderstand before we come to the Lords Table CHAP. 4. Of Faith BVt moreouer it will not auaile vs onely to know these things but wee must also bring Faith with vs and beleeue the promise of the Gospell the necessity whereof appeares from that which hath beene said The promise is made onely to them that beleeue Ioh. 3.16 Now this Sacrament is a seale of that promise and of the Couenant of Grace and therefore can seale vnto vs no more nor no otherwise than is promised Thee is nothing promised in the Word to the vnfaithfull and vnbeleeuers and therefore there is nothing sealed to them in this Sacrament Such then receiuing this Sacrament receiue onely a Seale set to a blancke or piece of white paper wherein there is nothing written or promised and such men receiue the Sacrament to their hurt and not to their good because they prophane the holy ordinance of God CHAP. 5. Of Repentance GOD besides our faith doth also looke for our repentance and newnesse of life For in this Sacrament we professe our selues to forsake our sinnes and lusts and the Deuill and to become new men and that wee will hereafter walke with God in new obedience all our seruice and sacrifices else will not be accepted of God the Lord reiecteth all outward seruice and ceremonies though they were ordained by himselfe when they are not accompanied with the conuersion of the heart and innocency of life See Esa 1.13 14 15 16. 66.3 Therefore the Lord biddeth when wee appeare before him saying Esa 1.16 17. Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your wayes cease to do euill learne to doe well c And Dauid saith Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocencie so I will compasse thine Altar This is especially necessary in this Sacrament wherein we shew forth the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 which we can doe no better then by dying vnto sinne our selues which is called mortification which belongs to the first part of repentance and must bee seconded with viuification or newnesse of life which belongs to the second part of repentance The dueties then heere to be performed are First diligently and seriously to examine our owne consciences and to find out our sinnes both originall and actuall against both Law and Gospell that so we may returne to God by repentance Psal 119.59 Lam. 3.39 40. Without this sight of sinne wee cannot repent as seeing nothing that hath turned vs from God and repenting wee shall not be accepted without this turning first into our own hearts Deut. 30.1 2. 1 King 8.47 especially we must labour to find out our speciall sinnes vnto which we are most of all inclined and which most of all wound our consciences to this end we are carefully First to obserue the checks of conscience Secondly to obserue our thoughts on what especially they runne most Thirdly to make vse of some faithfull friend who may faithfully tell vs wherein they obserue vs to offend seeing wee our selues are naturally blinded with selfe-loue to this end obserue what sinnes GODS Word preached or read condemnes yea obserue because malice is quick-sighted what thine enemies obserue in thee and do cast in thy teeth But aboue all fourthly looke thy selfe and thy face in the Glasse of Gods Law and bring thy selfe to the Ballance and Touch-stone of Gods Word both Law and Gospell examine thy selfe by each Article of thy Créede and by each Commandement apart according to the true meaning of each Commandement which binds the inward man and thine affections as well as thy words and workes and so thou maist find thy sinne to this end make vse of that direction which is set downe in Master Perkins Booke of Repentance and in the Booke called the True Watch first Part and also the second
The second duetie is when wee see our sin to consider how hatefull a thing it is in it selfe how abominable to God all good men that so wee may know it with a féeling of the burthen of it and with true sorrow that thereby wee should offend and shew our selues vnthankfull to so louing a Father and bountifull a GOD. Then must wee humble our selues in hearty and earnest Prayer vnto GOD confessing vnto him our sinnes our vnknowne sinnes generally our knowne sinnes particularly and that fréely without any excuse defence or hiding the least of them So did Dauid Psal 32. Psal 51. and withall wée must make earnest intreaty and deprecation to God in the Name and mediation of Christ Iesus who died for our sinnes that God would in mercy pardon them all and seale vnto vs the pardon of them by his Spirit and héere euery one must frame his confession according to his owne néede at the least in sighes and sobs of the heart and the secret desires thereof To this end where whiles men cannot in priuate so well pray of themselues may bee vsed such formes of prayer as may bee found in the Leitargie of the Church and in riuers godly Bookes framed for this particular occasion Lastly there must be in our repentance an holy and full purpose of heart and intendment of new obedience for time to come and a resolution with Gods helpe to withstand all sinnes and to vse care to preuent all occasions thereof CHAP. 6. Of Charity BEsides all these which respect God wee must also bee in loue and perfect charity with our neighboures If they haue offended vs wee must bee ready to forgiue them especially vpon their request and acknowledgement euen as God for Christs sake forgaue vs who had offended him and as wée our selues in the Lords Prayer desire to be forgiuen as wee our selues forgiue others And if we haue iustly offended others wee must seeke peace with them their loue and not be ashamed to acknowledge our faults This is so necessary that God will haue his seruice stay till it bee performed and without it will not accept our seruice and sacrifice He would haue vs leaue our offering Goe thy way and first bee reconciled to thy brother c. Math. 5.24 CHAP. VII Of Examination ALl the fore-named things are necessary in euery Christian at all times but especially when wee are to come to the holy Communion wee are to practise these dueties and to renew our faith and our repentance to examine our selues whether these graces bee in vs in truth and synserity or no according to 2. Cor. 13.5 1. Cor. 11.28 especially our Faith and Repentance Our Faith is true when first it is grounded namely on Gods Word and not on traditions or authority of men When wee find that Gods Word hath beene effectuall in vs and our selues altered thereby so that we remaine not still the same we were long since and if therfore we haue a loue and desire to Gods Word that by it our Faith may bee increased If our Faith be set on a right Obiect that is if it beleeue the same Word of God as well the threatnings of it as the promises especially if it truely rely vpon the mercy of GOD and merits of CHRIST By the fruites of it wee may know it if our Faith purifie our heart Act. 15 9. and if it work in vs an endeuour is please God in all things if wee can beleeue God and his Trueth euen before experience as did the Woman of Canaan Math. 15.22 and when wee feele not his presence yea if with Iob wée can trust in God though hee seeme to kill vs and bee our enemie These may suffice for the present Our repentance is then true First when wee are sorry not so much for punishment or shame of our sinne as that thereby we haue offended and displeased our louing God and Father Secondly when we are sorry and repent of all sin and doe not secretly desire to liue in or to inioy still any one pleasant sinne but resolue to leaue euery sinne for the loue we owe to God Lastly when wee presently and without delay so soone as wée see and know our sinne doe repent Sée Psal 119.59 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandements Our Charity and loue to our brethren is then good and sound when wee loue them not in by respects for feare or profit and delight but as they are Christians and because God loues them they being his friends yea because we loue God so when wee wish them the best things as that they were partakers with vs of Christ and of life euerlasting when we can forget and forgiue priuate iniuries and hate not their persons but their sinnes c. ☞ Note If after examination wee finde these graces in vs though but weake yet wée may bée comforted and wée must come If we feele our selues vnworthy knowe that this sense and feeling of sin where there is no purpose to liue in sin is an argument of grace by our corrupt nature wee cannot discerne of our corruptions but by grace onely This Supper is a remedy for our weaknes and corruption Christ calling the weary humble and contrite vnto him Matth. 11.28 Luke 4.18 Wée must not looke so much to come perfect as to goe from it perfect that is more perfect and better then wée came If thou canst but desire that grace which thou wantest assure thy selfe of it God will giue it nay He accepts the desire for the grace it selfe For if lustfull desire after a woman be in Gods account adultery and the sinne it selfe Mat. 5.28 much more is the desire of any Grace in Gods acceptance the Grace it selfe desired God inclining as much to mercy as to iustice and as ready to take in good worth our good desires as to take the aduantage of our euill desires CHAP. VIII Of dueties to be performed in this holy Action OVr behauiour during the time of the celebration of this holy Action must be decent with all reuerence to the high Maiestie and presence of God and to his diuine Ordinance Now whereas the benefits and grace we receiue in this Sacrament are conuayed vnto vs as on Gods part by His Spirit so on our part by a kind of reasoning in the mind and an inference and vse-making from the collation or comparing conferring the outward signes with the things signified thereby Wee are therefore when wee come to the Table of the Lord not to suffer our minds to wander after impertinent matters but to apply our hearts to diligent attention and consideration reasoning with our selues and making vse of euery thing in this Sacrament which we behold as thus When we behold and sée bread and wine to be set apart to signifie vnto vs the body and bloud of Christ then must we further meditate and consider That this Sacrament is ordained for our spirituall nourishment and increase
deede of gift whereby thou giuest and sealest vnto all beleeuers eternall life O Lord now I may see and that without doubting that indeed my name is written in the Lambs booke of life When wee take and apply the Bread and Wine to our selues then must wee stir vp our selues to take hold on Christ Esa 64.7 and be put in minde of the speciall act of faith which is to apply and bring Christ home to the inmost closet of our hearts relying our selues and putting our whole affiance wholly and onely on him for saluation stirring vp our faith and by it féeding on our Sauiour more and more crying also Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe When we eat and drinke then also must we meditate first on our strait vnion with Christ whereby we become one with him and he with vs euen as the Bread and Wine turne to our nourishment and become one substance with vs one flesh and one bone and what straighter vnion can there bee then this Then rouze vp thy spirit say O my blessed Sauiour be thou vnto mee Bread and water of life for euermore let this vnion once made by thy Spirit my faith neuer again be dissolued but fasten me vnto thée by the bond of my faith and fasten and vnite thy selfe vnto me by the bond of thy Spirit and that for euermore Let nothing dissolue this knot let not my sinnes euer hereafter separate betweene thee and me Esa 59.2 But O Lord let thy most precious and pure and holy body and blood clense and sanctifie my body and my soule and either keepe them that they sinne not against thee at any time presumptuously or if they sinne that by thy precious bloud they may be forthwith purged from sin 1. Ioh. 1.7 Yea O Lord let me walke on in the strength of this spirituall foode this liuing Bread and Water of life euen to eternall life according to thy gracious promise and Word whereby thou hast said Whosoeuer eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud hath eternall life and if any man eat of this Bread he shall liue for euer Ioh. 6.51 54. Let mee therefore hence be assured that neither death nor life nor any thing else shall bee able to seperate me from this loue of thy Father which is in thee his sonne my Sauiour Iesus Christ Rom. 8.38 39. Heere also must we thinke of our participation of all the benefits of Christ both by imputation concerning our iustification and also by infusion concerning our sanctification seeing Christ neuer comes alone but as the married wise though she marry with the man himselfe and not with his lands or goods yet being partaker of him she partakes of them too Why then O Lord need I distrust thy goodnesse for any blessing spirituall or temporall seeing thou hast giuen me thy Sonne Christ and in him interest in all things 1. Cor. 3.22 23. If thou sparedst not thy Sonne but gauest him for me to death and now giuest and appliest him spiritually vnto me how shalt thou not with him giue mee all things also Rom. 8.32 I will henceforth therefore neuer distrust thy goodnesse Lastly when thou seest in this holy action others also rich and poore of all sorts without difference eat of the same Bread and drinke of the fame Cup bee put in minde of loue and charity to all wee see where men familiarly conuerse one with another and liue together in one house sitting and feeding at the same table there is mutuall loue knowledge and familiarity else it is very vnusuall and vnnaturall yea very beasts by drawing together in the same Yoke grow familiar one with another and shew loue in their kinde what louing respect therefore owe I euen to the meanest of my fellowes and brethren and to the least of the Saints of God seeing wee all that are many are one bread and one body because we all are partakers of one Bread 1. Cor. 10.17 and wee all haue beene made to drinke into one Spirit 1. Cor. 12.13 Surely then because I see there is one body and but one one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptisme yea one onely communion of Saints one God and Father of all I will therefore endeuour to keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and with all humblenesse of minde and meeknesse with long suffering support others through loue as the Apostle exhorts me Ephesians 4.1 2 3 4 5. And because I here see my Sauiour makes no difference and hath no respect of persons so they feare God Act. 10.34 35. but alike admits all to his Table of all sorts rich and poore noble and ignoble c. and communicates himselfe to all I will henceforth despise none of GODS Saints not the least member of Gods Church whom God and Christ so loues and hath done so much for 1. Cor. 11.22 Mat. 18.10 With these or such like meditations should our thoughts be taken vp during the time of the celebration of the blessed Sacrament at which time especially wee are to make conscience of our thoughts CHAP. 9. Of duties to be performed after this action is ended AS before we should presume to this Table we must set our selues and our thoughts by meditations a part by times some two or thrée daies that we may come prepared after the example of the Passeouer Exod. 12.3 6. So after this Sacrament is solemnly celebrated in the Church each man and woman particularly should doe well to set apart some fit and conuenient time to consider well what is done what God hath done for them and what they haue promised and ought to doe for God And here First each one for himselfe must in particular be thankfull for the high fauour vouchsafed him that God would admit him to his Table being in himselfe vnworthy so much as to gather vp the crums that fall from it The forme of thanks may either be performed as it shall please God by his Spirit to helpe our infirmities Rom 8.26 or helpe may be had from the order of the Church and from diuers good bookes of deuotion in this kinde Now to this end each for himselfe must well remember what he hath made promise and profession of Here we haue renued our promise and vow made in Baptisme to forsake the deuill and haue taken the Sacrament vpon it and receiued as it were presse-money from God to fight valiantly constantly and faithfully vnder his banner against all his and our enemies after which it is high treason against his Maiestie to reuolt or giue ouer resolue therefore now of constancie to hold out to the end whatsoeuer come of it whatsoeuer opposition wée finde from our traiterous and rebellious flesh from the scoffes of the world from the assaults and slie suggestions of Satan And as thou lookest that God should make good what he in his word hath promised and in this Sacrament hath sealed vnto thée so looke that thou performe all thy vowes to God else this
Sacrament which thou hast so often receiued will be a witnesse against thée and helpe to seale thy damnation After all is performed each must examine himselfe what comfort what ioy what encrease of grace he hath reaped by this Sacrament If we féele none then must we either accuse our selues for want of sufficient preparation before and then fly to God for pardon c. Or if we haue in some measure endeuoured to examine and prepare our selues then must we not be dismayed but trust in the mercy of our good and gracious God for acceptation of our endeuours Sée 2. Chron. 30.18 19. and depend on him for a blessing séeing God hath not tyed his grace to the very time of receiuing Light may be sowne for the righteous and ioy for the vpright in heart as it is Psal 97.11 and yet the haruest of that comfort not reaped till afterwaad So the sickman féeleth not for the present the strength and nourishment of the meate he hath taken and yet is nourished the Word preached euen by our Sauiour doth not alwayes take effect for the present see Act. 11.16 Ioh. 12.16 And in Baptisme we receiue not the comfortable assurance there made and sealed vnto vs till afterwards If we haue felt any comfort or God more graciously present with vs in this Sacrament Then First let vs be more specially thankfull to him for it not by our words but by our déeds by our liues and holy conuersation according to our purposes and promises here made and renued and therefore First pray with Dauid after he and his people had offered willingly for the building of the Temple Keepe this O Lord for euer in the purpose and in the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their hearts vnto thee 1. Chron. 29.18 And then hauing fed on this heauenly food shew forth the goodnesse and strength of this thy food receiued by yéelding a plentifull fléece in new obedience like the Shéepe which shewes not by her bleating but by her fléece how much how well how heartily she hath eaten Otherwise this were both for the shame of our Master Christ at whose table wee are so often and bountifully fed if still like Pharaohes seuen leane kine wee remaine leane and ill fauoured Genes 41.19 20 21. And also doth argue some spirituall disease in vs which like a consumption hinders our growth and increase or that indéede for all the séeming comfort wee found wee haue not truely receiued Christ and haue him not abiding in vs for hee hath sayd Iohn 15.5 I am the Vine ye are the Branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit If wee haue feltt any comfort then let vs hence bee moued the oftner to frequent this Table As good men oftner frequent those tables where their friends consort Lastly in case of temptation doubting and vnbeléefe flie hither for thy comfort and for the conssimation and strengthning of thy faith remember what thou hast once and often receiued namely signes and seales of the couenant of grace as certaine tokens of Gods loue in Christ and particular assurances thereof therefore 〈◊〉 Satan off to Christ shew him Gods generall promise Iohn 3.16 Sealed vnto thee in particular both in Baptisme and in the Eucharist and let that be thy securitie and comfort FINIS Some few Questions to the same purpose with their Answers grounded on Rom. 4.11 where it is said Abraham receiued the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of Faith c. Question 1. WHat are Sacraments Answ Signes and seales of the righteousnesse of faith Quest 2. What is the righteousnesse of faith Answ It is the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus which he wrought by his obedience actiue and passiue which is promised in the Gospell and laid hold on and receiued by faith by which we become righteous Ioh. 3.16 Rom. 10.9 10 11. Rom. 24.22 23 4. Qu. 3. Is this righteousnesse signified and sealed vnto vs in the Lords Supper Ans It is in as much as Christ and all the benefits of his death as pardon of sinne or vnion with him and communion one with another as also our communicating in all these benefits are thereby signified and sealed to beleeuers and to them onely Quest 4. How is this Sacrament a Signe Ans In as much as it and all the elements and actions vsed in it are ordained of God to signifie and represent vnto the faithfull what God hath done and doth for vs in Christ Quest 5. What is required of each Communicant in this regard Ans It is required that at and neere about the time of communicating he comming prepared by faith and repentance and hauing a right knowledge of the meaning and mysteries of each thing and action doe accordingly make vse thereof by a further holy meditation Quest 6. What meditation is afforded from the bare elements of Bread and Wine Answ These being appointed as signes to signifie the body and bloud of Christ we so conceiuing of them must hence further be put in minde First of the nature of this Sacrament that it is not to beginne grace in vs but for our spirituall nourishment growth in grace as also comfort as Bread and Wine doe not giue life where it is not as not to a dead man or to an image but where it is though in a languishing manner Secondly when we see both Bread and Wine we must consider that Christ is to vs perfect nourishment and a perfect Sauiour both a perfect Prophet Priest and King Thirdly we must hence thinke of the necessity of Christ signified by Bread and Wine being as necessary in regard of our spirituall life as bread and drinke are to our naturall life Qu. 7. What are you to meditate on when you see the Minister by Consecration and by Prayer set apart these Elements from their common vse to an holy vse Ans This signifying that God the Father in his eternall decree did set apart and seale Christ Iesus his Sonne in due time to finish the work of our redemption calls on me to consider his infinite loue to mankind and to mee in particular in not sparing his onely Sonne for my sake and must also teach me to loue him againe Qu. 8. What must you meditate on when you see the Bread broken and the Wine powred out Ans Seeing hereby is signified the painefull and bloudy death of Christ for me this must teach me to consider first the infinite loue of Christ who would thus die for me to redeeme me from death secondly the cause hereof not his but mine owne sinnes which therefore I am not to account light of thirdly what duty I hence owe to him how that I ought to loue him againe and not refuse to suffer any thing for him according to his Will Qu. 9. What meditation is affoorded from the Ministers comming towards vs his offering and giuing those Elements to each of vs in particular A. This signifying that God doth offer and giue in particular to euery one of vs Christ and all the benefits of his death which hee offered to all generally in the Word preached giues vs to consider that God would haue vs euery one to be particularly assured of his loue and good will in Christ Iesus neither out of any conceit of our vnworthinesse excluding our selues from his mercy nor for want of speciall application losing the benefits of Christ and in the consideration of this mercy from the heart to acknowledge with the Centurion saying Lord I am not worthy thou shouldest come vnder my roofe Q. 10. When thou takest and applyest to thy selfe this bread and wine what must this put thee in minde of A. It signifying my faith which is as the hand mouth and stomacke of my soule must put me in mind that as God will haue euery man haue faith for himselfe without which Christ profiteth no man of age so to renue the act of my faith and at this time to stirre vp my selfe to take hold on Christ and to leane and rest my selfe on my Beloued assuring my selfe by this my renued act of faith that Christ and all his benefits are as certainly mine as that the bread is now truely receiued into my hand and is become mine Q. 11. When thou eatest and drinkest Bread and Wine which turne into the substance of our bodies what must here be thought on Ans This signifying not onely and simply our faith Iohn 6.35 by which we daily feed vpon Christ in the Word spiritually Ioh. 6.53 54 55 63. but our Vnion by faith and neerer coniunction with Christ must accordingly put vs in minde and also assure vs of our vnion with him and that as truly as the Bread and Wine we eat and drinke are turned into our substance to repaire strength decayed so assuredly are we changed assimilated and made conformable vnto Christ Rom. 8.29 Phil. 3.10 and incorporated into him and so fed refreshed and inwardly strengthened by his Body and Bloud Qu. 12. But are Sacraments also seales and particularly this of the Lords Supper Ans They are and that both on Gods behalfe to assure the beleeuer that Gods promises and all these benefits of Christ do most certainly belong vnto him and on our part whereby we by taking and receiuing these signes bind our selues a new to keepe our couenant with God and to performe all those promises of ours as of new obedience and mortification which wee by our sureties made to him in Baptisme FINIS