comfort have him and have all want him and want all things 1 Iohn 5. He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son the wrath of God abides upon him That is he that hath the Son hath life and all things that pertaine to life that is it that makes a man happie as you know every thing is said then to be happie when it hath that which is agreeable to that being agreeable to that life that it leads A man that leads the life of nature is happie for this world according to his condition when he hath every thing that belongs to this life when hee hath wealth when he hath houses when he hath all conveniences Now when a man hath the Son he hath spirituall life and all things pertaining to it there is nothing wanting to make him happie when he hath not that The wrath of God abides on him that is the Lord is his Enemie that is the Governour of the world and he is not his enemie for a fit but the wrath of God abides on him for ever And therefore since the Lord is the cause of all our comfort he is the ground of all Salvation both of all the graces and of all the Priviledges that follow upon it this should move us to come in and to take him those two arguments I say the misery that you are in out of him and the happinesse you shall have by him but I will urge this no further so much shall serve for this Text. FINIS THE CVPPE OF BLESSING DELIVERED IN three Sermons upon 1 COR. 10.16 By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON D. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolns INNE LONDON Printed by R. B. for NICHOLAS BOURNE and are to be sold at his shop at the Royall Exchange 1633. draw nearest to him as we doe in this holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper And therefore nothing concernes us more than that we doe not receive it unworthily because the Lord will be sanctified in those that draw nearest unto him that is either in the holinesse of their hearts or in executing his just judgement upon them And therefore that at this time and others also you may not come unprepared to the holy Sacrament we have purposely pitched on these words The Cup of blessing that we blesse c. In which ye shall finde these three parts First that in this Sacrament there is a true communicating of the body and bloud of Christ. Secondly the meanes whereby this communication is made to us it is the breaking of the bread and by powring out the wine Is not the bread that we breake the Communion of the body of Christ c. And thirdly the setting apart or the blessing or sanctifying of these elements to such a purpose The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ Now for the first of these I say in the Sacrament there is a communication of the very body and bloud of Christ The Papists affirme the same but all the question is in what manner there is this communicating of his body and bloud they say corporally that there is Transubstantiation there we say the thing is really done but it is done spiritually it is done mystically it is done sacramentally The reason of our difference is because of these words of our Saviour This is my body And the Popish indeed is so strange an opinion that I would not waste time in confuting of it but that I know there are divers amongst our selves that doe willingly leave the Papists in other points yet they are held with some scruple with this they know not how to contradict such plaine words This is my body and therefore they cannot be perswaded but that there is somewhat in it more than our Divines affirme and therefore it shall not be needlesse to spend a little time in shewing you the falsenesse of this opinion First I would aske this question whether there be necessity or no that there should be such a Transubstantiation for surely if there be not necessity if that be but an arbitrary thing wee may as well deny it as they affirme it Againe such a monstrous conceit as this compounded of so many ingrediences of so many strange miracles the least of which goes beyond the highest in all the Scriptures I say is not to be put upon us without necessity themselves grant that unlesse there be a necessity we have no reason to receive it at their hands And therefore we will enquire first and see what necessity there is First I say there is no such necessity that there should be any such Transubstantiation any such corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament neither in regard of the thing nor in regard of the words This is my body I say it is not necessary in regard of the thing looke to all the ends of the Sacrament you shall finde that you may have all without such a Transubstantiation First if the end of the Sacrament bee to bring Christ to our remembrance as himselfe saith that it was his end Doe this saith he as often as you doe it in remembrance of me certainly it is not necessary that there should be a change of bread into his body for that purpose because the Sacrament it selfe with those words instituted are enough for his remembrance And besides this the very word Remember shewes that he is rather absent than present for we remember not things present but remembrance is of things absent Besides the other Sacrament represents Christ and cals him to remembrance where there is no such Transubstantiation and therefore it is not for remembrance that it is needfull that Christ should be corporally present Or secondly is it needfull for this the shewing forth the Lords death till he come Surely for this it is not needfull neither for in preaching we shew forth the Lords death as the Apostle saith to the Galathians Christ was so plainly preached that hee was as good as crucified amongst them And therefore it is not needfull for the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come Besides there is a particle put in there that may helpe us a little till he come which presupposeth that he is not yet here and therefore it is not necessary for that end But againe is it necessary for our union with Christ for that is another end of the Sacrament that we may be united to him surely if the union were corporall then indeed there might seeme some necessity of it if we were so united to Christ as when two boards are clapt â—ogether where one toucheth another but you know there is no such corporall union it is spirituall and not corporall it is by faith and not by sense What is the union betweene Christ and us Partly relative as the union betweene the husband and the wife
be Wine Christ saith he will not drinke of the fruit of the Vine by which he meanes the very wine which was before in the Sacrament and therefore certainly they finde nothing that affirmes it Besides if it were the meaning of Christ This is my body what is the reason the Disciples never asked any question about it What is the reason the Fathers that followed in the first times spake not of such a thing I need not trouble you with that Now you shall finde all along from the first that the Fathers make no such mention of that but not to stand to presse this further because I see the time passeth and this thing I intend not to stand on You see therefore the falsenesse of this opinion that this Communion of the bloud of Christ and of the body of Christ should be through any reall corporall Transubstantiation But what is it then We are to distinguish betweene the inward and the outward action there need no more but that with the outward action with the mouth of the body we take the bread and wine and with the inward action that is by faith wee take the very body and bloud of Christ these we distinguish these they confound But I say we agree in the thing we say Christ is communicated to us in the Sacrament as truly and really as they only there is difference in the manner we say it is spiritually they say it is corporally For what is the Sacrament to open it to you and so I will come to make some use to you This Sacrament is nothing else but the Seale of the Gospell of the new Covenant and it is indeed nothing else but a visible Gospell for what is the Gospell the Gospell is but an offer of Christ to all that will take him for remission of sinnes now the same thing which the Gospell preacheth to the eare the same the Sacrament preacheth to the eye that is in the Sacrament there is an offer of Christ to us Take and eat that is take Christ whose body was broken and whose bloud was shed for you take him for remission of sinnes I say the same is done only the Gospell presents it to us under audible words and the Sacrament presents it to us under visible signes this is all the difference If we would know what the Sacrament is consider what the Gospell is and the Covenant and you shall know what this is for it is but a Scale but a memoriall of the Gospell now what is this Gospell It is nothing but this when God looked on mankinde as fallen in Adam he tooke a resolution in himselfe to recover them againe by giving his Sonne to them Now this must be manifested to men therefore he sends his messengers to declare to the sonnes of men to let them know their estate by nature and to tell them that he hath given them his Sonne to save them from their â—innes and to reconcile them to himselfe to give them title to the kingdome from the hope of which they were fallen this is one part of the Gospell this promise which he hath made which I say is nothing else but a meere office of Christ. But there is another part which is the condition required on our part when Christ is thus given you must serve him and love him and obey him and turne from all your evill wayes you must be his as he is yours now when this covenant and agreement is made betweene us he puts his Seale to it this Sacrament of the Lords Supper As Iacob and Laban when they had made an agreement one with another that they should not hurt one another they pitched stones upon an heape This shall be a witnesse betweene us that is if either of us breake the bargaine let this heape witnesse that there was such a covenant made And as God himselfe did when he made a covenant with Noah that the waters should no more overflow the earth he set his bow in the clouds and that was a witnesse that when I see the Bow in the cloud if I goe about to drowne the earth againe with water let this witnesse against me So in the Passeover when he made a promise that the destroying Angell should spare them he commands them that they should sprinkle the doore-cheekes with bloud that when he sees the bloud that witnesse might secure them that the Lord would remember what he had promised when hee had seene that And as among men when a man conveyes either lands or money to another man they use to confirme the bargaine with seales or with some signe or memoriall that when they forget the bargaine or deny it or goe about to breake it it may be said to them This is your hand and seale the thing is done you have past it it cannot be recalled if you doe this will witnesse against you So the Lord here when he hath made his Covenant with us I will give you my Sonne And you againe shall give your selves up to him he puts his hand and seale to it as it were he addes this Sacrament that will be a witnesse against him if he should go about to breake his covenant as it is a witnesse against us if we breake the Covenant of faith and repentance that is required on our part You see therefore what the Sacrament is it is nothing but the Seale of the Gospell presenting that to the eye which the Gospell presents to the eare for it presents God as it were he comes with Christ in his hand saying this to us This is my Son his body is broken for you and his bloud shed for you take Him let Him be yours only remember that you serve him that you love him that you obey him againe and let this Sacrament be a signe and a witnesse betweene us so that as the Gospell hath two parts one is a relation of all that Christ hath done and another is the giving and offering Christ to us so in this Sacrament there is a representing of Christ he was crucified his body was broken his bloud was shed and a deed of gift is delivered of Christ to us Take and eat And therefore know that it is not a bare signe but it is a signe of the Covenant and there is a difference betweene those two to say the Sacrament is a signe of Christ and a signe of the Covenant even as there is a great difference betweene the wax that only bears the impression of an image stamped upon it and betweene that which is a seale to a Deed that is a signe of the covenant or bargaine and agreement for that gives interest into the thing that gives Title to the thing that conveyes the thing to us that binds the owner perpetually to the performance of the thing so the Sacrament is not a naked signe representing this act of Christ but it gives us interest not only into some benefits no he saith not you shall have
Doct. 5. The Truth or Law of every mans judgement is made manifest by God 180 Vse 1. The greatnesse of mens sinne against this Truth 184 Vse 2. To be thankefull for the Truth 192 Vse 3. To doe nothing contrary to the Truth 193 Vse 4. To expect happinesse or miserie as wee observe or neglect this Truth 215 Doct. 6. God hath revealed so much to every man as makes him Inexcusable 219 Excuses that men frame to themselves 221 Vse 1. To justifie God and to blame our selves 234 Vse 2. To give God the glory of his long suffering 237 The Contents of the Sermon before the Commons house of Parliament FAsting necessarie 248 Fast defined 248 Defects in Fasting 249 Doct. 1. God onely doth Good and Evill 253 Foure Connections to demonstrate it 255 Reas. 1. Else God were not God 261 Reas. 2. Else the Creature should be God 262 Vse 1 To labour to see God in his greatnesse 265 Vse 2. To looke to God in all our businesse 269 Vse 3. To set Faith on worke to judge of these things 270 Doct. 2. Sinne causeth Wrath 271 Gods Wrath a treasure in three respects 273 Vse To see Sinne in the effects of it 275 How to prevent Gods Wrath 278 Doct. 3. Zeale turnes away Wrath 283 Vse 1. Not to discourage those that bee Zealous 286 Vse 2. Foure convictions of our want of Zeale 288 Doct. 4. Want of Zeale makes GODS Ielousie grow hotter 299 Doct. 5. Iealousie for the most part shal proceed to utter destruction 301 Vse To learne to Feare 302 Part 2. Doct. Iustification and Sanctification are inseperable 4 How Sanctification ariseth from Iustification 5 Reas. 1. None saved by the second Adam that are not borne of him 18 Reas. 2. It is the Will of God 19 Reas. 3. It is the end of our Ingraffing into Christ ibid Reas. 4. It is the end of Christs comming 20 Reas. 5. Christ is Prophet and King where he is a Priest ibid Reas. 6. All the meanes of Grace tend this way 21 Vse 1. To pray for Sanctification 22 Sixe incouragements to Pray for it ibid Vse 2. To esteeme Sanctification as highly as Iustification 36 The excellencie of Grace 37 Vse 2. To take heed of châ—llenging Iustification without Sanctification 44 Foure signes of a New creature 49 New Creature what 61 The Heart new framed 62 The Conversation changed 66 A new qualitie of Holinesse infused 71 Old man what 73 Mortification of the Old man 83 Where God pardoneth he healeth Sinne 88 First it stands with Gods Honour 89 Secondly with our Comfort ibid Thirdly with Gods Service ibid Doct. Those that are in Christ have another Nature 95 Vse 1. Not to Defer comming to God 98 Vse 2. Not to content our selves without a new Nature 101 Vse 3. To see that good Performances be naturall to us 107 Vse 4. To abhorre our Old Nature and labour for a change 114 Vse 5. Not to feare Falling away 117 Vse 6. Not to bee discouraged with the difficultie of any Dutie 120 Vse 7. Change of Nature a ground of comfort 121 Doct. We must be New Creatures 122 Consect 1. We are redeemed from old customes Ibid. Consect 2. Not to wonder that the World wonders at us 124 Consect 3. To pull downe all that is old 127 Consect 4. Not to wonder at unevennesse in mens lives 131 Consect 5. To expect a combate 137 Consect 6. Not to wonder at Aukednesse that wee finde in the waies of God 140 Consect 7. To give God the praise of the changing of natures 144 Doct. The New Creature is Gods work 149 Foure arguments to prove it ibid Vse 1. To shew our condition in Christ is better than in Adam 154 Vse 2. God setteth us not about an impossible worke 155 Vse 3. To make us love Christ. 156 Vse 4. Not to put off Christs call Ibid. Vse 5. To see with whom wee have to doe in hearing the Word 156 Vse 6. To give God the prayse of any good in us 161 Vse 7. Expect not that Ministers come with excellencie of Wisedome or words 162 Vse 8. Observe what the preaching of the Word works on our hearts 164 Doct. First in Christ and then New Creatures 169 Doct. To bee in Christ is the ground of all Salvation 171 Vse 1. First to increase Vnion with Christ in those that have it 176 Five helpes to doe it 178 Secondly to seeke it if it be wanting 185 Five motives to seeke this Vnion 186 Part. 3 Doct. IN the sacrament there is a communication of the verie Body and bloud of Christ 2 Arguments against Transubstantiation First there is no Necessitie of it 3 Secondly no Possibilitie of it 8 Thirdly it is against Sense 10 Fourthly against Reason 11 Fifthly against Scripture 13 Sacrament of the Lords Supper what 15 Condition of the Covenant on Gods part 16 Vse 1. To confirme our faith in the forgivenesse of sins 19 Conditions of the Covenant required on our part 24 Papists objection out of Ioh. 6. of eating Christs Flesh answered 33 Vse 2. To see the greatnesse of Christs Love to us 39 And to Love him againe and serve him 41 Two things to move us to come in to Christ 45 First our Miserie out of him 46 1 We are subject to Death 47 2 To the feare of Death 48 3 To Hell 49 Secondly our Happinesse by Christ 54 Benefit by Christ 1 Wee shall have Life 55 2 Our Debts shall be payd 61 3 Wee shall have Rest 68 4 Wee shall have a Kingdome which consisteth in 72 Libertie 73 Plentie 74 Peace 75 Glory 76 Riches 77 5 Wee shall have a Feast 86 Properties of spirituall Food 88 6 Apparrâ—ll 93 What this spirituall Cloathing is 94 FINIS CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse IT is true wee that are the Ministers of the Gospell are to make it our chiefe businesse to preach Christ indeed that is all in all But we may preach Christ long enough to men telling them of Remission of sinnes and Iustification but they will not hearken to us because before they can come to Christ they must be humbled It is true our end is Consolation for that is indeed the end of the Scriptures I say the end of the Scriptures is Consolation that through them you might have hope and so is it the end of this doctrine of Humiliation as though a purge or lancing are troublesome to the body yet the end of the Physitian using them is health and helpe and without this course there is no helpe And for that cause wee have fallen on this Text that it may teach us to know our selves and the need we stand in of Christ. You shall finde these three to be the three great parts of the Apostolicall Ambassage First to humble men to make them know what need they stand in of Christ. Secondly
and you know if the husband and the wife be a thousand miles asunder there might be such an union And partly it is reall a true reall unity when Christs Spirit dwels in us which may be done without the corporall presence of Christ And therefore certainly it is not needfull for the uniting of us to Christ because this union is spirituall it is done by faith by communicating the Spirit of Christ in us and therefore in this regard it is not necessary that there should be a corporall presence in the Sacrament Last of all is it necessary to encrease our faith for that likewise is one end of the Sacrament that our faith may be strengthned Why surely it is not needfull for this purpose no I say it cannot strengthen faith because the meanes you know is subordinate to the end it is lesse than the end whereas the faith that is required to beleeve Transubstantiation is far beyond the highest pitch of faith expressed in all Scripture I say it cannot be that that should be made a meanes to helpe faith that is beyond the thing that is to be beleeved marke it consider what it is we are to beleeve we are to beleeve that Christ tooke mans nature on him for us that his sufferings and crucifying belong unto us c. Is it not much easier to beleeve this than to beleeve that a peece of bread is turned into the body of CHRIST Though you see nothing though you taste nothing but bread I say it is much easier Now as we say we must not blow a sparke too much for putting it out now to have such meanes as these to helpe faith that cherisheth not the sparke of faith but blowes it out it doth not helpe faith but over-whelmes faith when the meanes used to strengthen are such as are beyond the thing to be strengthned Therefore in regard of the thing there is no necessity that there should bee any corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament But let us consider whether there be any necessity in regard of the words This is my body Surely there is not any necessity here for the words may have another meaning This is my body that is this is the figure of my body or this is the Sacrament of my body and therefore it is not necessary specially seeing it is so frequent with Scripture to use metaphors in this kinde I need not name them to you you know Christ is called a Rock he is said to be a Lambe to be a Lion and in another case Iudas is said to be a Devill the Seed is said to be the Word nothing more frequent Christ is said to be a Vine I need not give you more instances Herod Christ cals him Fox The meaning of all this is that they are types and signes like such and such things But yet it is the manner of the Scriptures speech and therefore it is not of necessity that those words should be so taken for words are like cloaths that may fit more backes than the owners the words may agree to somewhat else there is not a word here but it may agree to divers things Body it signifies divers bodies the word This signifies as many things as you point to and therefore there is no necessity that they should signifie a corporall presence of Christ. But you will object I but in a matter of this moment as the Sacrament the Lord speakes distinctly and expresly there he useth no metaphor though in other cases he doe To this I answer briefly it is so farre from being true that he useth them not in the Sacrament that there are none of all the Sacraments but it is used In the Sacrament of Circumcision This the Covenant c. In the Sacrament of the Passeover which were the Sacraments of the old Law the Lambe is the Passeover in this very Sacrament To goe no further for instances take but the second part of it This is the Cup of the new Testament in my bloud where you shall finde two types and figures this Cup taken for this Wine This is the Cup of the new Testament that is the Sacrament of the new Testament And therefore we see there is no necessity in regard of the words And there is no necessity since with a little buckling and swarving This is my body that is this is the figure of my body we may have a convenient sense why should we faine such a monstrous thing that bread is turned into the very body of Christ and the wine into the very bloud What needs such a monstrous fetch as this to helpe the words to a meaning What need or necessity is there that they should be so interpreted And therefore we see in the first place that there is no necessity and if there be no necessity it is not to be put upon us for if that be an arbitrary thing we may aswell deny it Secondly as there is not necessitie so there is not possibilitie though it were possible they would not get much for there are many things that are possible that are not done But it is not possible if it were possible then it must stand with the power of God But the power of God is not used but where the glory and wisdome of God goe before for it is the harbinger of his glory and wisdome The power of God is not used but if it be for his honour therefore it is said God cannot lye because it is not for his honour and he cannot deny himselfe because it is not for his wisdome and his glory Now I say since this is not for the glory of God for it is against his glory that there should be such a conversion of the bread into the body of Christ and it is against his wisedome And if it be against these then certainly the power of God must not be called to it Now I say it is against his glory because whensoever the Lord appeared he appeared alway in glory though sometimes he appeared as a man yet there was such a majestie that caused them to tremble that beheld him Shall we see God and live You see when he appeared to Elias what majestie he came in what harbengers he sent before him the Wind that rent the Rockes and a Fire c. But you will say Christ humbled himselfe to death as a man therefore he doth not alwayes appeare in glory It is true and that was the lowest degree of Humiliation and yet when he appeared as man there was some sparke of his Divinitie appeared there But that Christ should appeare in the likenesse of a peece of bread that thou mayest put in thine owne mouth surely this is a monstrous thing it is against the glory of God Doe you thinke if Christ should come downe upon the earth after his Ascention and exhibite himselfe to be worshipped amongst us that he would present himselfe in the forme of a peece of bread It is impossible it is not
is wisdome to remember our latter end The wisest among the Heathen were wont to say There should bee nothing but a meditation of death that is a wise man though the course of his life should be still fitting and preparing himselfe for death and shall Christians â—me behinde them It was a wise speech of Peter to our Saviour Lord whether shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life as if hee should say there is no motive to that surely we will not leave thee therefore I say consider here we are but Tennants at will wee may be turned out of doores to morrow therefore let this be a motive to win to Christ you shall have life But you will say I hope death is farre off yet I have time enough well take heed thou be not deceived in that for ther is a collusion there as the Painter by collusion of colours makes a thing seeme farre off when it is neere at hand so wee by our folly and vanity our fansie mis-apprehending of things we looke on death as farre off when it may be it is at our heeles at the next doore thou knowest not how soone thou maist meet with it therefore say not it is farre off but thinke with thy selfe goe sit alone but a little time together and then think with thy selfe I must die it is appointed to mee as to all men once to dye Consider if a man might dye twice or thrice perhaps he would be ready he would be prepared but consider thou must dye but once if thou be not prepared there is not a second oportunity and then consider thy soule is immortall in another place it must live for ever And then remember Christ saith thou shalt have life if thou take him thou shalt live for ever then thou wilt finde it an exceeding blessing worth the having it is that that may wooe you and win you to come in and take Christ to love him and to serve him and to obey him certainly if you will not now be moved with it yet when death shall come then you shall finde that beyond all the treasure to have that white-stone with a new name in it that stone was a signe of absolution that a man was quitted that his sins are forgiven that he hath interest in Christ and eternity that eternall life is for him in heaven this is the first motive to win you to Christ. Secondly if you will come into him you shall have all your debts payd you shall bee under cover that is you shall have all your sins forgiven that when the creditors come with an arrest with a judgement and execution you may be able to say no they are none of my debts goe to my husband hee must pay them and not I I say when you have Christ when Satan shall come and when sin shall come you may put them over to Christ for now you are his and he is yours he hath taken our debts on him is this a small thing Psal. 32.1 saith David Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered marke Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven Perhaps if one of us should seeke a happy man we would say that he is a happy man that lives in health and in wealth in credit and abundance of all things he that hath the favour of Princes hee that hath some notable excellencie to make him famous among men some such thing wee take for happinesse But when David comes to looke through the world and all the felicity in it oh saith David Hee is a happy man that his sinnes are forgiven And there is good reason for it because when our sin is forgiven wee are reconciled to God and God onely can make man happy For wherein doth happinesse consist but in a freedome from all evill and in enjoying of all good you know this is happinesse Now sin is it not the first linke in the chaine of ills As the under-wheeles in a Clocke or Watch depends upon the first so all miseries depend upon sin as the Master-ill of all take away that and all the wheeles stand still they move not a jot to doe us the least hurt take away sin take away all this ill in sin is a bar and stops from us all good things take away sin and you shall enjoy all that in abundance that your hearts can desire If you have not your sinnes forgiven what will it availe If you come to a Prisoner and tell him you shall have the best Lodging you shall have a Pallace you shall have Orchards and Gardens to walke in you shall have Gold and Silver as much as you will desire you shall have honour put upon you would not he answer Alas what would all this availe without a pardon So I say to men that magnifie the things of this world so much and remission of sins they thinke not of I say what is all this will it availe without a pardon No therefore this is a great motive to bring us into Christ that our sins may be forgiven Therefore that great promise went of the Messiah that when he should come into the world he should save his people from their sins and this is a mercy which though you may slight now in health and strength yet when the times come that God shall charge sinne upon your consciences that they feele the weight and burthen of it you shall finde no mercy like to this that you may come to have your sinnes forgiven then he that bringeth the glad tydings of peace his feet will be beautifull the thing is the same if wee had hearts to consider of it if we were poore in spirit if we knew what sinne were if wee had ever felt the bitternesse of Satans yoke that wee were weary of it wee would come in and reckon it a great matter to have our sins forgiven this is the second I shall prosecute the rest at some other time The end of the Second Sermon THE CUPPE OF BLESSING DELIVERED IN THREE Sermons upon 1 Cor. 10.6 The Third SERMON 1 CORINTH 10.16 The Cup of blessing that we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread that we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ THE point you know we have delivered out of these words is this That in the Sacrament there is a true reall Communication or giving or offering of Iesus Chriâ—t of his body and of his bloud to all worthy receivers Wee have shewed you the difference betweene the Papists and us in this point They will have here a reall corporall presence of Christ. We say it is true but it is Spirituall but it is Mysticall but it is Sacramentall We have shewed you the reasons by which wee refelde that opinion of theirs That there is no necessity neither in regard of the thing nor in regard of the words and if there be no necessity we may not grant it other
reasons we shewed the last day but not to stand to repeate them The last day because they stand so much on Fathers in this point we shewed you the opinion of divers of them Of Origen or Athanatius Ambrose Tertullian Augustine and the rest To that wee will adde but this to cleare that point conâ—erning the opinions of the Fathers You shall finde that Ireneus that lived within seventy yeares after the death of Saint Iohn is cleare in this point That the Bread and Wine are but Sacraments and Figures of the body and bloud of Christ after him thirty yeares lived Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian and Origen for they lived much about a time Origen was the Scholer of Clemens Alexandrinus these do as evidently explaine it as any of our Divines though not so distinctly because the controversie was not then moved and therfore you must not expect so full and so cleare and distinct expressions as you have in these times when wee have more occasion to doe it I will not trouble you with Citation lest I spend time too much but you shall finde it so in them After their time Augustine expresseth it so fully as that Calvin or Beza hath not done it more clearely as I shewed by some Allegations out of him the last day From his time I doe not finde that this opinion of theirs had any footing in the Church till the time of Damascens that lived in the yeare seven hundred thirty He was the first that began in the Easterne Churches this opinion of transubstantiation Chrysostome hath sore hard speeches but such as may well be interpreted if you looke on him in the tract of his writings you shall see evidently that hee never dreamed of any such reall presence as the Papists affirme But I say Damascene was the first that set this false opinion abroach in the Easterne Churches in the Greeke Churches about a hundred years after In the Western Churches in Italy and those parts it began a little to bee set on foot in the time of Carolus Calvus Emperour who being troubled with that controversie set Bertram a work a Presbyter a learned man one of the most learned of those times and desired him to expresse his opinion in that point Hee writ a learned booke of it and so the controversie continued in good state and condition till two hundred yeares after or lesse betweene one and two hundred And the first man that began to infuse this poyson into the Church was one Lanfranke Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in England a man learned but very pernitious to the Church After his time the opinion began to bee somewhat hot and then Beringarius writ against it who upon his condemnation retracted it but before his death repented the retraction and upon writing his retractation it beganne to bee put upon men by necessity by the Pope which was done in the time of Bernard foure hundred yeares since I have done this that those may bee satisfied that are not satisfied with the Scriptures and with the reasons that were brought but would know the opinion of the Fathers To stand to cite all the particulars were a vaine worke So much for that After we shewed the falsenesse of their opinion we shewed in what manner Christ is communicated to us in the Sacrament Not to stand to repeate it Wee are now to come to those other particular blessings or comforts which we have in Christ which should invite us to come in and take him The next therefore is this you have it in Matth. 11.30 Come to me saith he all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you you shall finde rest to your soules that you shall have to invite you if you will come in and take Christ you shall finde rest to your soules that is looke what the haven is to a Seafaring weather-beaten man looke what a coole refreshing shade is to a man that is scorched with the heate of the Sunne looke what a cover is to a man that is beaten with the storme to the shore such is Christ to those that come in and take him And therefore that we may know what this rest is which you shall finde if you come into Christ. Let us finde out what this wearinesse is Now in sinne you shall finde this wearinesse First there is a wearinesse in the service of sinne there is no bondage to the bondage of tyrannous lusts they are hard masters they set you to hard taskes if they say goe you must goe if they say come you must come Christ sets you at liberty from this bondage by mortifying of sinne and killing it as Moses did the Aegyptian that strove with the Hebrew which is a deliverance farre exceeding that out of the bondage of Aegypt which was so much magnified as much as the substance exceeds the shadow This is one kinde of rest you shall have by Christ you shall be delivered from the bondage of sinne Againe there is a wearinesse in the guilt of sinne committed which haunts us like furies and ever and anon gives secret whippes secret twinges to the soule from this Christ delivers us For being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 That is the conscience is calmed it is quiet which before was full of horrour and vexation Againe there is a wearinesse in the fruits of sinne the losses the crosses the sicknesse the imprisonment disgrace all which are but the fruits of sinne There is a wearinesse in these and from all these Christ delivers us partly in freeing us from many of these that otherwise we should have felt and partly in taking away the venome and sting from those we doe feele For that which is said of Death Oh death where is thy victory c. The sting of death is sinne it may be said of every calamitie The sting of imprisonment the sting of sicknesse the sting of disgrace the sting of all misery is sinne What is the Adder when the sting is away So what are all these when sinne is removed You know what they were to Paul what he endured how many prisons he went thorow how oft he was whipped how oft he was stoned how many things he suffered you have a catalogue of them ten or eleven and yet all was nothing to him he was happier in these than Nero was in his Palace But what should I give you an instance Take Adam in Paradice when he was in Paradice yet when he had but the sting of conscience you know he was filled with horrour Paul againe when he was sore whipped in the day and his feet were fast in the stocks and the sting of sinne was tooke away and he enjoyed a good conscience Silas and he sung that the Prison rung of them I say this condition you shall have in Christ you shall be delivered from sinne from the sting of sinne from the fruit of sinne
Master you must take him for your husband so as to bee divorced from all other lovers for this know that Christ and good fellowship that Christ and fornication Christ and swearing Christ and ambition Christ and serving your selves and the times will not stand together you must be divorced from all these If you will have Christ you must take him as a husband to be to him a love to love him to have your wils subject to his will you must take him for better for worse you must take him with all variety of conditions denying your selves and taking up your crosse and following him if you take him thus you shall have him and when you shall have him you shall have all things with him As Christ saith to his father We are one thou in mee and I in thee and then all mine are thine and thine are mine So wee may say every one that takes Christ is made one with him all Christs is yours and yours is his that is hee takes your names hee takes your debts and you beare his name and have interest in all that is his what he hath by nature you have by grace and when you have him once then you may bee bold to come and take these Elements of Bread and Wine but if you have not him then know that you are but intruders upon the Lords Table for his Table is provided for his friends and if his enemies and strangers come in and intrude on it hee will not take it at your hands but command you to be bound hand and foote and to bee cast out I say consider therefore the offers of Christ are large you that are to receive the Sacrament at this time or at any other time I say consider it if you have Christ himselfe then you may boldly come if you have not the Lord you have nothing to doe with these And know if it was such a fearefull thing to touch the Arke which was but a type of Christ and had but a legall holinesse in it that God struck Vzziah with death because he was so bold as to doe it If it were so dangerous a thing to meddle with common fire as we see in Nabab and Abihu that was but a type of this what will it be when wee shall dare to take the body of the Lord Iesus not being worthily prepared Hee is the substance there is the holynesse of which that was but a type therefore take heed of medling with them except you have taken him indeed except you have changed your hearts except you be new Creatures except you have the Lord himselfe you may not meddle with the Bread and Wine the Sacrament of his body and bloud and so I end FINIS THE TABLE A Abilitie MEN excuse their sin from want of Ability Part 1 Page 223 Ability of Christ to sanctifie us 2 31 Accusing Conscience corrupt in the office of Accusing 1 56 Actions Corruption in our Actions 1 73 Actions of carnall men 1 153 Actions of naturall men defective in two things 1 159 Intention of Action in zeale 1 285 Activenesse Activenesse of conscience corrupted 1 56 Adam God just in requiring of us according to that he gave to Adam 1 38 Adams sinne charged on us ibid. Two conditions of Adam 2 38 Our condition in Christ better than it was in Adam 2 154 See Borne Affections Affections corrupted 1 63 Affections must be wrought upon in the performance of duties 1 251 God esteemes us according to our Affections 1 67 What should draw our Affections to God 1 265 Zeale a stirring up of the Affections 1 285 Want of Affections to God argues want of zeale 1 289 Worke of the Spirit upon the Affections 2 12 Afflictions Forgivenesse of sinnes takes the sting out of Afflictions 2 188 Altered Nature cannot be Altered 2 97 Custome hardly Altered 2 123 Alike All sinnes not Alike 1 275 All. Carnall men doe many duties but not All 1 159 Anger Difference betweene hatred and Anger 1 290 Zeale for the Church acceptable to God when hee is Angrie with it 1 293 Apparell Apparell one benefit by Christ 3 93 What that Apparell is 3 94 How to make use of this Apparell 3 97 Apprehesion The Apprehension makes happie or miserable 1 241 Assurance Assurance encreased by humiliation 1 31 Authoritie To preach with Authoritie what 2 163 B Baptisme BAptisme tends to sanctification 2 21 Beleever Beleeving Difference betweene temporarie and true Beleevers 2 47 Beleeving difficult 3 19 Blindnesse Blindnesse of mans understanding 1 44 Why mans understanding is Blinde ibid. Boldnesse Excesse of Boldnesse how prevedted 1 291 Forgivenesse of sin causeth Boldnesse 2 188 Bondage Spirit of Bondage an help against sinfull excuses 1 108 Spirit of Bondage how it works 1 109 Borne Those that are saved by the second Adam are Borne of him 2 18 Burthen Sinne in what respect a Burthen 2 190 Businesse Too much Businesse a great impediment 1 207 C Causes GOd workes by second Causes 1 263 Change How to know we are Changed 2 109 To give God the praise of our Change 2 144 Christ. What keepes men from Christ 1 11.2 23 What makes us prize Christ 1 81 End of our ingraffing into Christ 2 19 Sanctification by the bloud of Christ 2 21 How to take Christ 2 73 What should move us to love Christ 2 156 Before we are new Creatures we are in Christ 2 169 To be in Christ what 2 171 Priviledges of being in Christ 2 174 See Righteous Church Pillars of the Church 1 286 Want of zeale for the Church 1 292 Danger of wronging the Church 1 293 Directions what we must doe for the Church 1 294 Circumstance Consideration of Circumstances helpe Humiliation 1 28 Circumstances aggravating sinne 1 89 Civill Difference betweene prophane and Civill men 1 127 Clearenesse Clearenesse of conscience corrupted 1 55 Cloud Sin like a stormie Cloud 1 174 Coldnesse Coldnesse provokes God as much as sinne 1 284 Combate Combate to be expected of Christians 2 137 Difference of the Combate in Christians and others 2 138 Comfort Comfort the end of the Scriptures 1 2 Sanctification for our Comfort 2 89 Comfort from the change of Nature 2 121 Comming The end of Christs Comming 1.20.2 20 Compell The Spirit Compels men to come in 2 7 Communion Communion of Saints sets the truth at liberty 1 174 Communication Communication of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament 3 2 See Truth Condemnation Imprisoning Truth brings great Condemnation 1 136 God just in the Condemnation of men 1 234 Conflict Conflict in carnall men 1 153 Conflict in wicked men failing in foure things 1 60 Content He that trusts in God is Content with him only 1 258 Conscience Conscience corrupted by nature 1 45 Wherein Conscience is corrupted 1 55.56 Signe of a good Conscience 1 57 Conscience in naturall men may doe many things 1 152 Conscience good in two respects 1 156 Contrary Contrariety Contrariety of
that can never be revoked because it is the Sentence of the Gospel therefore you must know this that al the judgements that are pronounced in the Gospel they are without all reservation there is no more revoking of them therefore Paul saith Rom. 2.16 He shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospell So that you must know that the Gospell hath a judgement and a terrible judgement as wel as the Law There is a judging by the Law that is men that have lived without the knowing of Christ they shall be judged by the Law but when we come to Christ to live under the Gospell as we all doe wee shall be judged by the Gospell What is that those that receive not Christ shall be damned that is one part of the Gospell you know therefore you see that there is a judgement there He that beleeves shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned Well as it is true concerning the point of Iustification hee that beleeves not and takes not Christ shall bee damned for it So it is as true in the point of Sanctification he that is not a New Creature hee that is not borne againe he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3.3 There is a peremptory judgement therefore consider with thy selfe when thou commest to die what thou wilt say then Satan will then come and lay thy sinnes to thy charge thou must then thinke what thou hast to answer thou hast nothing to say but I am in Christ well but how dost thou prove that he will aske thee that question Art thou a New Creature If thou doe finde that thou art not a New Creature thou art not in Christ and thou needest not a new condemâ—ation but thou art condemned already For Christ found all the world in a state of condemnation and if thou be not in him thou art in the same estate and therefore if you should but heare these words if wee should bee silent and should but reade these words Whosoever is in Christ let him be a New Creature it may make a man tremble and looke about him and consider his state and take heed of disjoyning these things that the Lord hath joyned together if being in Christ and being a New Creature be inseparable think not that thou canst take Christ divided that thou canst take him halfe and leave the other part that thou canst take him as a Saviour and not take him as a Prophet and a King thinke not to have Iustification and to want Sanctification and therefore you see when the Gospell was preached this was the maine thing that was urged Marke 6.13 when the seventie were sent out saith the Text this was their preaching it sets downe the summe that men should amend their lives When Christ himselfe was to preach Matth. 4.17 this was the summe of his Doctrine Amend your lives for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Paul when he would tell them what was the summe of his preaching Act. 20.21 saith hee Wee goe about preaching witnessing to Iewes and Grecians repentance towards God and faith towards Christ. So that this Repentance that makes a man a New Creature it was pressed as a thing of absolute necessity as well as the taking of Christ. You know when Iohn Baptist came what he called for Fruits worthy of amendment of life Deceive not your selves apply not the promises of the Gospell except you finde this Symptome of being in CHRIST that you are made New Creatures This distinguisheth betweene a Temporary Beleever and another both goe thus far both have an insition into the Root but the Temporary Beleever partakes not of the fatnesse of the Root he receives not life from the Root It may be thou hast taken Christ in thy sense but hast thou tasted of the fatnesse of the Root hast thou drawne life from him art thou made a New Creature as a graft that is put into a new stocke when wee are ingrafted into Christ there is an inversion of the order there the stocke changeth the graft in the other the graft changeth the stocke into its Nature Againe when thou takest Christ without this it is as putting stones one upon another when there is nothing to sement them and to glew them together whosoever is in Christ is built upon him as upon the corner-stone now an Hypocrite may be built on him as well as a true Professour but here is the difference they are living stones their Nature is altered they differ as much from themselves what they were before as living things differ from dead stones so it may be thou hast had an adhesion to the Body of Christ thou hast stucke to it as it were but if thou be a true member then thou art knit to it by ligaments and sinewes thou hast communion with the head there is an influence of bloud and spirits into thee therefore consider that with thy selfe it may be thou livest in the Church and art such a member of it as a glasse-eye is of the body but hast thou communion with the head art thou made a New Creature by being in Christ Is thy heart changed and sanctified by being in him If it be so then conclude thou art in Christ For if any be in Christ he is a New Creature Examine thy selfe in this deceive not thy selfe to whomsoever he is made Righteousnesse he is made Sanctification It is impossible they should be disjoyned as I told you in the morning his bloud hath not onely a vertue to cleanse thee from the guilt of thy sinnes but a power to purge thy conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Hebr. 9.14 And wheresoever it is a plaister to cover thy sinnes it doth likewise heale and cure them therefore thinke not that thou art in Christ except thou finde this to be thy condition Yea but you will say Is there such a condition in the world who is it that findes himselfe such a New Creature this I find that my old lusts returne the same Inclinations I had I finde them still and this experiment of being all new that all old things are passed away I have not yet had what shall we say to this Wee will answer it very briefely Though thou hast it not already yet thou must not bee discouraged thou must not say there is nothing done because al is not done for motions are denominated from the termes they tend to not from that they are already when a thing is a little white though it bee not perfectly white we say it is white when the Lord begins new qualities if it be in sincerity it is properly said to be a New Creature for in time it will come to that that will be the issue of it therefore that which stands you in hand is to consider whether you be so or no for indeed it is a difficult thing to discerne and needfull for you to consider it therefore I
we should draw nearer to him Therefore labour to strengthen your faith So did Moses it was the strengh of his faith that made him cleave so fast to GOD as he did Fourthly get experience of him for it was Pauls experience that united him nearer to Christ the experience that he had of Christ in the mortification of his lusts in all the courses of his ministery in all the distresses and troubles that he passed thorow he still had experience of him and the more experience you have of the Lord Iesus the nearer you come to converse with him and the more you will love him and joyne to him Strangenesse disjoynes affections we say there is strangenesse when men salute not when there is not a neare conversing Strangenesse doth dis-joyne the heart Againe nearenesse of conversing and walking with him from day to day drawes us nearer to him and intends the will of desiring him to be our Husband Last of all there is a certain impression made in the spirit of man by the Holy Ghost which causeth him to draw neare to Christ that makes him prize him more As there is in the Iron a certaine naturall quality to follow the Load-stone so there is in the Saints towards Christ And if we seeke a reason why Paul and the rest of the Saints that excelled so were able to prize Christ above all things and to count all things losse in respect of him the true reason is it was the impression made upon their spirits by the Holy Ghost there is a certaine attractive vertue put into them enabling them to prize Christ above all and to draw neare to him therefore you must know it is the gift of the Holy Ghost to inable us to prize him Therefore to all the rest adde that seeke to the Lord that he would worke it in your hearts that you may learne to magnifie him Thus you must seeke to encrease the union to adde degrees to the will by which you are content and resolve to match with Christ and to be made one with him And this is the thing that you are to be exhorted to not only to know this but to exercise it when Paul had once tasted the sweetnesse in Christ he could relish nothing else he counts all other things as drosse So should we if we had once experience of it Therefore we should learne to renue this union from day to day and as I said before Wee should eat his flesh and drinke his bloud every day that is every time we renue the covenant with God we renue the match as it were betweene us we eat Christs flesh and drinke his bloud He is that Bread that came downe from heaven they ate Mannah in the wildernesse and died but hee that feedeth on me shall have life everlasting Therefore eat my flesh and drinke my bloud that is take me come to me for eating of his flesh is nothing but to come to him to take him to receive him Now saith he the very act of taking me is your duty as you renue that every day so you take me anew as it were and so there will come new strength to you as from bread or Manna when you eat it or from flesh and wine when you eat and drinke it so doth there from from me when you renue your eating of my flesh and drinking of my bloud that is when you renue your act of taking and receiving me there comes new strength to you that is you shall have new comforts and consolations you shall be encouraged the more herein you draw nearer to me than before For as your union with Christ at the first doth make way for the Spirit and causeth it to be shed in your hearts so the more this union is encreased the more you are filled with the Holy Ghost So you get new strength from day to day as this union is more confirmed It is like a new eating and drinking your Peace is more abundant and your strength is more enlarged you are more full of joy in the Holy Ghost every grace is more encreased and strengthned in you therefore exercise this union eat his flesh and drinke his bloud every day But you will say what needs that when we have once done is it not enough No it is not enough for there growes a distance betweene Christ and you from day to day a little neglect the very omission of duties yea though it were no sinfull omission may cause it As the body is subject to waste and needs eating and drinking that it may be repaired So doth the soule and inner man there is a continuall wasting of strength and you must eat his flesh and drinke his bloud every day to repaire it that is you must renue the union that grace may be strengthned and renued in your hearts that those spirits may be repaired that you spend every day that your very strength may be renued you shall find this true by experience the more you doe this more neare you get to Christ the more you renue that match and make a new marriage with him you shall and new strength comming to you you shall find your hearts draw nearer to him and further from sinne you shall finde your selves made more spirituall more heavenly minded you shal find your selves more strengthned you wil be ashamed to sinne when you stand in such neare termes with him there will be a secret influence of the Spirit in your hearts Therefore exercise this union and as you must exercise it from day to day so know the comfort of it and improve and husband it well If I have Christ for my husband shall he be my husband in vaine Shall I have him and not make use of him No you must learne to make use of him learne to use him as he is a Prophet a Priest and a King If you would be more enlightned goe to him as a Prophet beseech him to enlighten thee to give thee wisdome to give thee the Spirit of Revelation and he cannot deny thee If thou hast committed a sinne use him as a Mediatour as a Priest for he is thy Husband thou hast him for that purpose forget not that Christ is a Mediatour We fall into sinne from day to day but if we knew really what it is to have Christ an Intercessour to have him our Priest to make an attonement for our sinnes every day we should learne to prize him more we should be full of comfort we should doe in another manner than we doe If there be any strong lust which thou canst not subdue know that it must be done by him as a King he must bring it into subjection he must circumcise thy heart Therefore know what is in Christ for all that is in him is thine and he is full of treasure When thou hast the field what shouldest thou doe but digge the treasure to know what is there when thou knowest thou hast such a
for his glory and if it be not for his glory then certainely the power of God must not bee brought downe for the working of it And as it is against his glory so it is against his wisdome for the Lord doth nothing to no purpose hee doth nothing in vaine hee never wrought miracles when they might be spared where the thing might be done without a miracle Since this might be done without a miracle all that we have by Christ all that is represented in the Sacrament what necessity is there and if there be no necessity it beseemes not the wisedome of God to doe it Againe would not the smallest miracle really and visibly exposed to sense helpe more than such a miracle as this Besides all this I say it is not possible make your owne senses judges you see nothing but bread now this is a sure rule that of all demonstrations of reason that we have to prove things nothing is so firme as that which is taken from sense to prove the fire is hot we feele it hot or honey to be sweet when we taste it to be sweet There is no reason in the world makes it so firme as sense As it is true in these cases so it is an undoubted truth in Divinity that in all matters of sense sense is a competent judge Indeed if it be a matter of reason there sense is not able to judge the eye is able to judge of his owne sense of sounds it cannot judge but I say objects proper to sense peculiar to sense in these sense is a competent judge And therefore Christ himselfe in this very businesse when he would prove that he had a true bodie he sends them to their senses A spirit hath not flesh and bloud as you see me have And Thomas he bids Put thy hand into my side and feele c. He sends them to their senses Looke thorow the Scriptures and see if there be one miracle there if sense be not a competent judge according to that part of the miracle that concernes the sense would you not thinke it strange if Christ should have come to the master of the feast when he wrought the miracle and have said Sir you must beleeve that this is wine though you see nothing though you taste nothing but water yet you must beleeve that it is turned into wine And if GOD should have said unto Moses Though you see nothing but a Rod thou must beleeve it is turned into a Serpent If there had beene no change indeed and such as sense might see we would think it a ridiculous thing and next doore to an Imposture And therefore certainly in matters of sense sense is a competent judge and therefore when all the senses tell us that it is bread when we taste when the eye and the touch when every thing makes it evident that it is bread why should wee say there is any thing else but bread Besides if we will adde to sense reason it is against reason as well as against sense It is against reason that Christ should be in heaven and yet have ten thousand bodies on earth and yet Christ hath but one body and a body can be but in one place And againe this body must be without all circumscription and qualities and properties of a bodie And again that the bread that we see should be no bread say they there is the whitenesse of bread there is the taste of bread there is the quantitie of bread and that is all I would but aske them one thing when this bread is eaten since there is nothing there but these accidents there is nothing but the meere quantity and the like I would aske whether it nourish the body or no they must needs answer no if they follow their principles because the body of Christ is not there they say it is removed as soone as the bread is destroyed when it begins to turne into flesh it loseth these accidents well the bread returnes not againe there is nothing but accidents of the bread and yet certainly it doth nourish for it is reported by credible Authors that some have beene so holy that they would feed upon nothing else but the Eucharist for a Priest may consecrate a Cellar of wine and as much bread as he will and may feed upon this and with these he may be nourished and yet there is nothing but accidents of bread In a word the Schooles that traverse this so accutely are not satisfied at all in this but they leave it as a wonder as a thing that cannot be explained So it is against reason as it is against sense But you will say faith is beyond sense and reason it is true it is beyond both but it is not contrary to both faith teacheth nothing contrary to reason for sense and reason are Gods workes as well as grace now one worke of God doth not destroy another if they should there must be an imperfection in the workeman and therefore grace and faith contrary not sense and reason indeed it elevateth reason and makes it higher it makes it see further than reason could it is contrary indeed to corrupt reason but to reason that is right reason it is not contrary only it raiseth it higher And therefore faith teacheth nothing contrary to sense and reason But besides these if we shew them Scripture too what will they have then to say when we say it is against sense and reason say they the Scriptures affirme it if it do we will yeeld Let us examine the words if the Scripture affirme it Yes say they the Scripture saith This is my body they are Christs words but if the Scriptures say so yet the Scripture saith no where that that bread is turned into the bodie that no where saith that there is such a Transubstantiation onely those words used which as you heard may have a metaphoricall tropicall figurative sense But besides this what if the Scripture say the contrary you shall finde this in the next Chapter five times called Bread and after it is consecrated too as the Apostle saith The Cup of Blessing that we blesse and the bread that we breake After he had blessed the bread then he tooke it and after hee had tooke it then hee brake it hee thus tooke that which is called Bread Againe they say the body of Christ is not broken but that is broken which is alwayes after the words of Consecration but it is the bread that we breake Againe if it could be understood otherwise you see what a Tautologie would be in the words The Bread that wee breake it is the Communion of the body of Christ if the meaning was that it is the body here the words must be thus rendred The body that we breake is it not the communion of the body But I say five times you shall finde it in this next Chapter that it is Bread after the words of Consecration and you know it is said to
crosse that is upon us when conscience is troubled I say in these cases to doe it the Lord regards it not This therefore is the Condition that is required to be done out of love it is a rule in the Civill-law Contractus qui fit per minas nullus est The contracts that are gotten by threatnings are no contracts at all but if a Virgin consent when she is free when it is done without compulsion that makes the match So it is betweene Christ and us for us to take him and keepe his Commandements and to doe it out of feare and other respects this Christ regards not it is love that makes the match If we take him out of love if all we doe be done out of love then there is a match betweene us otherwise not And there is good reason for that because feare is of a fleeting nature it soone passes and vanishes away but when it is rooted and grounded in love when that which we doe comes from this principle then we hold out and cleave to Christ without separating againe when that proceeds from feare we doe it not with delight we doe it not with propensenesse with proclivity of minde with an inward willingnesse Now the Lord so loves a chearefull giver a chearefull servant and a chearefull performer that he loves no other And therefore that Condition is required to Delight in the Law in the inward man that we doe not only keepe his Commandements but that they be not grievous to us that what we doe be done out of love and therefore it is required when we doe this that we love the Lord Iesus Christ I will be bold to say a man may pray day and night as earnestly as Hannah did he may keep the Commandements of God without reproofe as Zachary and Elizabeth did for the outward act he may abound in the worke of the Lord but whatsoever he doth if he doe it not out of love God looks upon such workes as upon a dead carkase so they are called Hebr. 9. Dead workes that is workes that are good for substance and for circumstance too but yet they are dead because they come not from love there is no life in them Therefore in 1 Cor. 16.22 Whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus saith the Apostle let him be accursed Whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus that is whatsoever a man doth besides let him professe what he will and performe what he will if he love not the Lord Iesus he is accursed And that I speake not this without ground looke 1 Cor. 13. Take the most glorious actions that a man can performe if a man give his body to be burnt that is to be a Martyr if he gives his goods to the poore which is an high action for a man to part with all he hath if he doe that which Christ required of the young man to deny himselfe If a man were able to preach the Gospell if he had gifts as an Angell as the Apostle speakes If he were able to speake with the tongue of men and Angels and if it were without love God regards it not Love is a distinguishing Character an Hypocrite may goe very far but love he cannot it is love therefore that sets an high price upon all that we doe And therefore you shall finde from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation the Promise is made still to the Affection and it is the Affection that makes a man a good man he that feares the Lord and he that loves the Lord and he that delights in the Commandements of God c. And therefore it is not enough that we take Christ and that we beleeve in him that we doe the workes that he commands us but that we doe them out of love And this is the Condition that is required on our part So you see now what the Gospell is what the summe of it is that is sealed in the holy Sacrament it is this Covenant on Gods part that he is ready to forgive us wherein you must strengthen your faith when you draw neare to him And againe this condition on your part Faith and obedience out of love as you have heard This is the first use that you are to make I should proceed The end of the First Sermon THE CUPPE OF BLESSING DELIVERED IN THREE Sermons upon 1 Cor. 10.16 The Second SERMON 1 CORINTH 10.16 The Cup of blessing that we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ c. SEEING we have the same occasion for which I tooke this Text being to receive the Sacrament againe the next Sabbath and so along I thought it better to continue it than to divert to another When we handled it the last time we told you there were these three parts in the words First there is a true Communion of the body and bloud of Christ. Secondly the meanes by which it is conveyed to us the bread and wine the outward elements which God hath Sanctified to that purpose The third is the adopting or fitting these elements for such an end and that is by sanctifying them by blessing them by setting them apart The Cup of Blessing which we blesse c. The point we delivered was this â—hat in the Sacrament there is a reall and true Communion of the body and bloud of Christ to every Receiver We told you the difference betweene the Papists and us we both agree that Christ is really in the Sacrament they say it is corporally we say it is only done by faith But to use an expression of Augustine which he hath upon the very Text saith he Iohn Baptist said he was not Elias and yet Christ saith Iohn was Elias Why saith hee how shall wee reconcile these two they are thus reconciled Iohn speakes properly and Christ spake figuratively and therefore they crosse not one another he gives this very instance so saith he when Christ saith This is my body and we say it is not his body but bread they are Augustines owne words saith he the meaning is this It is the body if we take it figuratively and it is not his body if we speake properly so that as it was with the Temple of his body when he spake of it I will destroy this Temple and build it in three dayes they understood it of the materiall Temple and saith the Text They were reckoned as false witnesses against Christ So when Christ speaks thus of his body This is my body when they understood it materially and corporally when it is a thing so frequent and usuall with him to speake Metaphorically I say they shall be found false witnesses against him in applying this to his materiall and corporall body that he understands of his mysticall body which is received by faith I will not stand to repeat more of that I delivered then lest the time prevent us in that which remaines Onely one thing which I then omitted and that is a great objection of
the Papists out of the sixth Chapter of Saint Iohn where Christ speakes so much of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud which say they must needs be understood of a corporall manducation of eating his body and drinking his bloud in the Sacrament we will speake one word of this First that this cannot be the meaning of that clause is evident because the Supper of the Lord was not then instituted and therefore it could not be he should have relation to that because Christ spake to those that might understand him the words were intelligible at the least Now it was impossible that those that heard him should understand him of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper because it was a thing that was not and if they say that was their dulnesse I answer it is not dulnesse not to conceive that which simply could not be knowne This that had no being could not be knowne and therefore this is certaine he had not relation to that Besides that if you marke the course of the words you shall finde he saith there that rather the flesh is turned into bread than the bread to flesh saith he I am the true bread that came downe from heaven he repeats that often in the Chapter vers 51. I am the living bread and my flesh is bread and I give life to the world So that you shall finde more reason if you reade that Chapter why the flesh should be turned to bread than the bread into flesh But besides that the eating of Christs flesh and the drinking of his bloud is alwayes taken in a good sense and it is alwayes peculiar to the Saints And therefore verse 53 54. you shall finde both expressed Except a man eat his flesh and drinke his bloud he hath no life in him Againe Whosoever without exception eats his flesh and drinkes his bloud he hath eternall life and Christ will raise him up at the last day So if you take the words generally as Christ expresseth them and so they must needs be understood Then it is impossible that his flesh should be eaten in the Sacrament and his bloud drunke because many that should eat his flesh there in a corporall manner shall not be saved which you know themselves grant Besides there are many that never eat his flesh nor drinke his bloud in the Sacrament that are saved and have life in them as you know the Theefe on the Crosse went immediately to Paradice though he never eat the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament nor dranke his bloud All the Patriarkes before Christ Did not they drinke the same spirituall drinke did they not eat the same spirituall meat as we doe but they never eat it in the Sacrament Mary Magdalene when she had never tasted of the Sacrament saith CHRIST Goe thy way thy sinnes are forgiven thee What need I give you instances of children that die It is the opinion of the Councell of Trent they set it downe in plaine termes That children that are baptized though they eat not the Sacrament and drinke of the bloud of Christ and eat his flesh are saved And therefore Christs owne words must be meant in this sense and cannot be understood of a corporall eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud But because those words Vnlesse yee eat my flesh and drinke my bloud yee cannot have life are a place which the Papists doe much urge as if it were impossible to be answered and appeale herein to the Fathers We will shew you briefly that it was so interpreted by the Fathers that lived neare the Apostles times as by us now before there were any Popish Doctors to corrupt the Glosse as Origen that was very ancient upon the fifth of Matthew saith this That if it could be that he that remaines an ill man could eat the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud then it could never be said Iohn 6. Whosoever eats my flesh and drinkes my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day Againe also Augustine in his 26. Tract upon the Gospell of Saint Iohn saith this Whosoever is not a member of Christ he eats not his flesh he drinkes not his bloud though visibly and corporally hee crush with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ. Marke the words The Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ But it is vaine for me to insist upon the particular saying of Augustine because those that are acquainted with his sayings if they deale ingenuously they know they are every where scattered that he is very cleare and evident But I will name one that is exceeding perspicuous in his third booke De Doctrina Christiana cap. 13. he gives us this rule for the interpreting of Scripture If we finde that commanded that is flagitious and hurtfull and evill we must not interpret Scripture so that such a thing is to be done As for example he gives this instance Iohn 6. Christ speakes of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud saith he this is a flagitious an evill and an hainous thing that a man abhors when he thinkes of it and therefore the words are not so to be understood but you must understand them spiritually and figuratively you must when you heare those words remember that Christs flesh was crucified for you and that his bloud was shed and so the words are to be interpreted Ambrose upon the 118. Psal. having occasion to speake of the Sacrament hath reference to this Ioh. 6. saith he Christ is the bread of life he that eats life cannot die for how shall he saith he die Christ is the bread of life he that eats him therefore cannot die therefore saith hee none are said to eath the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud but they must needs live for ever for he eats that which is life Athanasius hath speeches as plaine as these It is not saith he corporall but it is spirituall that which Christ speakes concerning eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud saith he that small bodie of his could that feed so many saith he is reckoned the meat of the whole world And therefore saith he in the latter end of that Chapter Iohn 6. When Christ had finished his speech of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud he speakes of his Ascension into heaven that he might draw us from carnall conceits to raise our minde to understand the thing spiritually to ascend to him by faith and to know the spirituall nourishment of the soule and not corporall of the bodie Besides him Tertullian in his booke De resurrectione carnis Eusebius contra Marcellium not to name other particulars they all interpret the place thus And therefore let not our Adversaries say it is a new interpretation it is fastned on the words by Calvin and Beza as they doe it is the interpretation of the Fathers nay I will goe further it is the interpretation not of the Fathers onely but of some
of their owne Writers Cajetan upon the third part of Thomas the 80. Question saith plainly To eat the flesh of Christ is to beleeve in Christ. And Biel in the Canon of his Masse and Canisius upon the Corinthians and others of their owne Writers which is enough to make it cleare to them that this is the meaning of the words that we have said before So much shall serve for the answering of that Objection We shewed the last day in what manner Christ is in the Sacrament I will not stand to repeat it we came to draw some consectaries from the point that there is a reall Communion of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament The first was for the strengthning of our faith If God had said it only it had beene enough God that cannot lye But I told you he had not only said it but sworne it and not only sworne it but hath put to his Seale And therefore we have reason to beleeve him only I told you what was required if we will partake of Christ First we must take him by faith Secondly that is not all we must take him in deed aswell as in word that is we must obey him and live by his Lawes we must lay downe the armes of rebellion and come in if we will have pardon Thirdly it is not enough to doe this but we must doe all out of love Now when a man heares of this that all this is required in taking of Christ here I told you all the world is at a stand there is no body will be content to take him when they heare these conditions that they must deny themselves in every thing in their profit in their pleasures in their credit and must take up every crosse and when they meet a crosse they must not balke the way but they must goe thorow when they heare they must follow him and serve him I say when men heare this they refuse Christ they will not come in to God Now what is our businesse but to invite men to come in to God and to compell them as he saith That my house may be full we are the Messengers of the Lord sent that we may invite men to this Banquet I meane not to this Sacrament but to the thing And therefore we will make it the second Consectary and so proceed If there be here a reall Communion of the body and of the bloud of Christ then here is the gift or offer of his body and bloud Consider therefore the greatnesse of Christs love that he should regard us so much as to take our Nature to cloath himselfe with our flesh and bloud that he might be crucified in that I say this is an extraordinary love Compare but our condition with the Angels that were fallen and we shall see the greatnesse of this love The Angels that were fallen and we were sunke in the same mire when God looked downe from heaven and saw the miserable condition of both saith the Author to the Hebrewes he had compassion on us but on the Angels he had not compassion Which difference shewes his liberty and magnifieth his mercy toward us as you shall finde in Malachy the Lord reasoning with Israel Thus have â—â—oved you and yet you say Wherein hast thou loved us saith he Was not Esau Iacobs Brother and yet Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated So I say the Lord hath loved us in doing this for us in giving this body of his to be broken and his bloud to be shed he hath loved us and hated them And why hath he put this difference but because he loved us And therefore Paul as he is excellent when he comes to set forth this point Ephes. 2. he saith When wee were children of wrath when we were dead in trespasses and sinnes when we were enemies he that is rich in mercy according to the greatnesse of his love hath quickned us and set us together with Christ in heavenly places marke it when we were in this condition dead it was he that was rich in mercy according to the greatnesse of his love c. You shall finde that the Apostle whensoever he comes to this matter knowes not how to expresse himselfe but as a man that stood amazed at the greatnesse of Gods love he had his thoughts swallowed up with it Ephes 3. That you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you may comprehend the length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ c. which cannot be measured that is the love of Christ was exceeding great And this is that you are to doe now when you come to the Sacrament and not only then but at all times For it is profitable for us to doe this Doe that saith Christ in remembrance of me what is that we should remember His love And why his love to gaze upon it only to know it No but to be moved with it to love him againe to take him to feare him to serve him to obey him for that end you should remember it When Paul was going to Damascus you know the Loâ—â— met him by the way and when he had met hiâ— Paul saith he I am IESUS whom thou persecutest I am IESUS that was crucified for thee I am IESUS that gave my body for thee and as many as receive me You know when Paul heard this it melted it softned his heart and drawes from him that holy and good and humble expression Lord what wilt thou that I doe As if he should say I will doe whatsoever thou wilt have me I say it was this love I am IESUS whom thou persecutest that melted the heart of Paul So I may to every one that heares me at this time If there be any among you that live in any sinne whatsoever it is be it swearing be it drinking be it fornication be it Sabbath-breaking be it what it will I may say to him as if a voyce should come from heaven as it did to Paul It is Iesus whom thou provokest it is he whom thou offendest whom thou wrongest whom thou dishonourest it is Iesus that was crucified for thee that Iesus that gives his body and bloud for thee shall not this melt thee shall not this affright thee somewhat shall it not bring you on your knees and make you say I am a sinfull wretch not worthy to be received into the number of the Saints Lord what wilt thou that I doe I will doe it I will continue to doe this no more Surely this is a strong motive Paul thought so I beseech you by the mercies of God that you would come in Take it in the Prodigall sonne when he comes home and expects little as he had reason to expect little from his father when he had carried himselfe so rebelliously when his father used him in that manner when he provided a feast for him and put the robes upon him and rings upon his fingers how
thankfull was he how was he affected how would a man be affected in such a case So I say that is our condition we have cause to looke for nothing but death thereupon comes the Gospell that comes and offers life that overcomes with kindnesse as it were the Lord comes and tels us Well notwithstanding all this you shall be received to mercy goe Take this is my body which is given for you I say this would move an ingenious disposition You know Mary Magdalen was moved with this when she was such a sinner and saw that God had received her in that manner that melted her heart so that she watred his feet with her teares So should we be affected if we did seriously consider the greatnesse of CHRISTS love I will give you my body and my bloud this is a great thing if we were able to consider it aright that the Lord should give us his body and his bloud There is no love like this Hee hath loved me saith Paul and hath given himselfe for mee And this is that indeed which should bee the most effectuall motive of all others that there is a pardon that Christ still makes offer of to you indeed there is nothing else brings us into Christ but this other things may prepare us but nothing brings us in but this You know a Pirate as long as a proclamation of rebellion is out against him will not come in but a pardon being promised and advancement annexed to it that if any thing will bring him in The theefe runnes away as long as he is pursued with Hue and Crie but the promise of pardon makes him returne back So I say it is not the Law that brings you in that may prepare you but it is this Gospell for as I told you the Sacrament preacheth the Gospell to the eye as we doe to the eare and when mercy is promised when a pardon is promised a generall pardon without exception of persons or sinnes my thinkes this should affect you and bring you in As it is said Ier. 3. Saith the Lord If one of you have put away his wife will he returne to her againe No but you have played the harlot in many places and many times and yet returne to me saith the Lord And so I may say to every man that hears me though thy sins be never so great like that sin of Idolatry like that sin of playing the Harlot though that were frequently committed though it were done oft many times yet returne saith the Lord if thou wilt come in thou shalt be pardoned and not so only but whosoever receiveth me saith Christ shall be made the sonne of God Consider this be affected with it let it not be in vaine unto you when you heare those patheticall speeches 1 Iohn He came to his owne and his owne received him not And againe Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I have gathered thee c. I say when you heare these things it may be you thinke with your selves these were rebellious people to use Christ thus you thinke if it had beene the case if you had beene there among them you would not have done it Well I say it is the case of every man that continues in any knowne sin Christ offers himselfe we make offer of him when we preach the Gospell in the Sacrament he is offered he is made like a common dole all may come that will and certainly all that hunger doe come but when thou goest on still in thy sinnes thou art one of them to whom Christ is come and thou wilt not receive him thou art one of them whom he would gather and thou wilt not No but thou wilt goe on thou takest the Grace of GOD in vaine thou tramplest the bloud of CHRIST IESUS under-foot as a common thing thou doest what thou canst that the death of CHRIST should be of no effect thou recompencest to the Lord evill for good doest thou thinke that the LORD will beare this at thy hands No surely he will be revenged on such a man on such a people as this But you will say it is an hard thing to doe this that you exhort us to And therefore that I may not onely shew you what the duty is without affording you some helpe to doe it we will adde some things that may invite you to come in And take Christ thus offered in the Sacrament and which is continually offered by and in the Gospell And what is it that should invite you But two things to goe no furâ—her one is the misery out of Christ the second is the happinesse you shall have by him And that is the businesse we have principally to doe at this time that we might invite you to take the body and bloud of Christ that is to take the Lord himselfe who is offered effectually and freely to you He makes proclamation to all that will come and take of the waters of life freely Now if we consider what should invite the sons of men to come in these two things will doe it their misery out of Christ and their happinesse by him As the Prodigall what did invite him to come home The misery he was in he saw he could not live he could not get huskes to sustaine him On the otherside in his fathers house there was bread enough those two together wrought on him and brought him home So we when we invite men to the marâ—iage of â—he Kings Sonne that is to marry the Sonne himselfe What should we say to invite them We bring them to consider on the one side I cannot live without Christ I am undone I perish if I doe Againe on the otherside by matching with him I shall have all by Grace that he hath by Nature I shall be a son of God a King and heire of all things I shall have all that Christ hath I say these two should invite us to come in and therefore we will doe these two First shew you the misery you are in out of Christ Iohn 3.18 saith the Evangelist there He that beleeves not in Christ is condemned alreadie Marke he needs not a new condemnation but he that beleeves not in Christ is condemned already He that hath not the Sonne hath not life Is not this misery enough to be in a state of condemnation Iohn 5. Hee that obeyes not the Sonne the wrath of God abides on him And what is that wrath of God If the wrath of a King be a messenger of Death what think you of the wrath of God Who knowes the power of his wrath Rom. 9. What if he will to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with patience the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction that is when the Lord shall come to execute his wrath on evill men he will use all the power he hath to execute the fiercenesse of his wrath on them And therefore it is a terrible thing to be subject to the wrath of God But