house of Abraham then testifie your consent by receiuing these hâ—lye tokens of his loue which in his name we exh bit vnto you but if yee will not then shall we stand vp as witnesses against you that we haue called you and ye refused to come O man what wilt thou doe for thy Christ that wilt not come and banquet with him at his Table how canst thou say thou louest him when so small an impediment keepâ—s thee back from going vnto him hast thou not cause to hang downe thy head for shame when thou art conuinced to haue lesse loue to thy Sauiour then Esau had to Iacobs pottage for loue of them he solde his birth-right which hee should haue kept but thou for loue of Christ wilt not forsake thy corrupted will which thou art bouÌ„d to abandon Abraham for the loue of God was content with his own hands to slay his onely lawful Son and thou for the loue of God wilt not slay thy vnlawful bastard affections nor do the holy wil of God except thy wicked will be first fulfilled This euidently proues that â—hou hast not AbrahaÌ„ for thy father but art of the race of wicked Cain that hated his Brother vnto the death Assuredly except thou repent that merciles iudgement abides thee presignified in that mercilesse seruaÌ„t who hauing gotten mercie from his King could shew none to his Companion Oughtest not thou to haue had pittie on thy fellow as I had pittie on thee Thy former sins shall bee imputed vnto thee and thou shalt be deliuered to the Iaylor til thou pay all that is due vnto thy Lord which thou shalt neuer be able to doe But that the pittiful ignorance of both these sortes of Recusants may the better appeare and farther light may arise to such as are willing to communicate wee are to consider what a banquet this is and what are the delicates vnto the participation whereof wee are here called The Apostle saith not let a man eate bread drink wine but let him eate of This bread drink of this Cup. The particle This tels vs it is no coÌ„mon bread wine no surely the comfort is greate that we are commaunded to eate of that bread wherof our Sauiour saith This is my body and to drinke of that Cup which he calles His blood of the New Testament shed for the remission of the sinnes of many He that eates of my bread drinks of any cup vnworâ—hily becomes guiltie of the abuse of Gods creatures but he that eates of this Bread and drinkes of this cup vnworthily becomes guiltie of the bodye and blood of the Lord and eates his own damnatioÌ„ becaâ—se he discerneth not the lords body And therefore that wee fall not into this fâ—arfull sinne wee are to know that this Sacrament is not a simple thing but a compound wherin are things of sundry kinds which must be distinguished and so the word of discerning imports that secret There are here things oâ— sundâ—ie sorts we must discerne euery thing in the owne kinde so our Sauiour taught vs and after him his Apostles and this truth from them the auncient Fathers haue deliuered vnto vs Eucharistia said Irenaeus ex â—uabus râ—buâ— constat â—errenâ— et caelesti The Eucharist coÌ„sists of two kinde of thinges the one earthly the other heauenly And Augustine calleth it vâ—sibile stâ—num inuâ—fibilis gratiae the visible signe of inuisible grace And Macarius calleth this bread wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exemâ—lâ—râ—â— figurae seutâ—pâ— carnis et sauguinis Christs Resemblances figures types of the body blood of Christ Iesus Now it is â—uâ—e that a type patterne or figure must euer bee distinguished from that wherof it is a figure This sacrament then being a compound thing must bee considered not as a simple but as a compound thing If it bee asked whether a man be earthly or heaueÌ„nly because hee is a compound creature It must bee answered by a distinction If it bee asked how a Christian being on the earth the Apostle saieth that hee hath his câ—nconuersation in the Heauens it must bee answered by a distinction And if also it bee asked whether this Sacrament be an earthlye or an heauenlye thing how the signe is giuen how the thing signified how Christ Iesus is in the heauen yet present in this SacrameÌ„t All these I say must be answered by a distinction Sursum est dominus saide Augustin sedetiam hic est veritas dominus corpus enim domini in quo resurrexit vno loco esse potest veriâ—as eius vbique diffusa est Our Lord is aboue in heauen yet heere also is our Lord as he is the truth for the body of our lord in which he arose from death can bee but in one place but his truth is diffused into euerie place And againe Ibat per id quod homâ— erat manebat per id quod deus ibat per id quod vno loco erat manebat per id quod vbique erat He went hence by that which was Man hee stayed by that which was God he went away by that which was but in one place he stayed by that which was in al places And againe Ascendit super omnes coelos corpore noÌ„ recessit maiestate Hee ascended aboue all the heauens in his bodie but he departed not hence in his Maiestie And Cyrill in like maner Non enim quia nunc non adest in carne ex eo outes quoâ— spiritu medio hic noÌ„ adâ—it Think not that with his spirit he is not here amongest vs because hee is not now amongst vs with his bodie Thus ye see we must vse a distinction And yet albeit we are forced here to acknowledge the sundrie natures of things compound and consider them in their owne kinds wee must for all that take heed to the wonderfull vnion and sâ—cramentall coniunction that is betâ—eene them which is so strait that vnto the right receiuer they are inseparable for the which also the earthly thing receyues the name of the heauenly And this must also be considered least on the other hande separating those thinges which God hath conioyned we make this Bread and this Wine but naked and bare signes and so iustly incurre that blame which our aduersaries vniustly would lay vpon vs and in like manner this punishment which here the Lorde threatens against them who are euill discerners We are therefore to consider that for the right discerning of the Lords body these three rules are to be obserued First that in this Sacrament we take vp euery thing in the owne nature kind Next that we vse euerie one of theÌ„ in the maner appointed by Christ with reuerence that is due vnto them And thirdly that this SacrameÌ„t be celebrated vnto the right ends for which our Sauiour appointed it Against the first failes both Papists and bastard professors Papists are euill
of the time 55 The time warneth vs to celebrate this supper like a Passeouer 55 But moste of all the meditation of the loue of God is profitable to worke in vs this heauenly disposition sect 56 It is not a light Meditation of this loue that wil raise vp our heartes 56 Neuer such loue shewed in the world as Christ Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. sect 57 Stronger then the loue of Ionathan to Dauid 57 Or the loue of any mother to her children 57 A proofe of Christ his wonderfull loue towards vs. sect 58 Christ on the crosse prepared as a food in the sacrament is exhibited vnto vs. 58 What a notable comfort we haue here that this banket begun on earth shal be fulfilled in heauen sect 59 Worldlings if they were touched with a sence of this loue would forsake all follow christ sect 60 Sinfull women would change their life like Marie Magdalen 60 And sinfull men would change their life like Mathew the publican 60 The second part of our new christian disposition is that toward our neighbors we be louing sect 61 Without loue we cannot be of the communion of saints 61 By what effects is our loue to be tried sect 62 Readinesse to forgiue a rare vertue 62 Christians liue now like Iewes and Samaritans ofolde 62 As men are mortall so should their anger be 62 Readinesse to doe good vnto others is as rare a vertue sect 63 Professors now liue like the sonnes of Anak churlish Naâ—all or the rich Glutton 63 The third point of our new Christian disposition is that webe sober litle in our own eies sect 64 With Mephibosheth Iacob the Centurion the woman of Canaan and Elizabeth 64 How necessarie our humiliation is for our vnion with God 64 With this inward humiliâ—ie we should also haue an hungring for the Lords saluation sect 65 For the Lord will fill the hungrie 65 None meete banquetters heere who are not hungrie 66 The comfortable fruit arising to them who after prescribed preparation communicate at this holy table 66 A PREPARATIVE for the new Passeouer 1. COR. 11.28 Let a man therefore trie himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. My helpe is in the name of the Lord. T S the soule of a Christiâ—an longeth for nothing more then to bee fully vnited with the Lord Iesus so doth he greatly account of euerie meane wherby tâ—is Vnion is aduanced The Aposte S. Paul was so inflamed with the loue of christ that in comparison of him he esteemed all other thinges to be but doung and euerie thing an aduantage that might serue to conioyne him with Christ for albeit the nature of man abhorreth nothing more then dâ—ath yea euen the soule of the godly desires not to lay aside the body if it might stand with the Lords dispensation which the Apostle is not ashamed to protest of himselfe We wold noâ— saith he be vncloathed but would be cloathed vppon that mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of life Yet did the loue of Christ so farre ouercome him that he was content through the valley of death to followe his Lord yea moste desirous to be dissolued by death in so much as he knew it to be a meane to coÌ„ioyne him neerer with Christ. And herin he stands vp to witnesse vnto vs that vnlesse we haue a most feruent desire to participate of this holy Sacrament which the Lord hath instituted to seale vp increase our spirituall Communion with him wee are manifestly conuinced to bâ—e such as in whom there is no loue of the Lord Iesus If we will not goe with him to eate and drink in his Parlour at Ierusalem it is not likely that we will follow him out of the Cittie bearing his reproach to be crucified with him on mount Caluerie The Apostle is desirous to goe through death that he might come to Christ it was the notable worde of that auncient Ignatius the scholler of Christs best beloued Disciple Saint Iohn Nihil visibilium moror nihil inuisibilium modo Christum acquiram I stande said hee vpon nothing visible nor inuisible I care not what torments come vpon me so that I enioy Christ Iesus and will not we then casting away all impediments come ioyfully forwarde to this holy Table wherein our blessed Sauiour communicates himselfe vnto vs and wherevnto this day so louingly he inuites vs Now he standes at the doore anâ— hee knocks offering to come in and suppe with them wâ—o will open vnto him Now the maister shall say to his Disciples Take yee and eate this is my bodie Now saies the bridegroome to his friends Eate O my friends and mâ—ke you merrie my welbeloued Now doth the Angell intimate that proclamation which hereafter will be resounded with greater ioy from heauen Let vs be glad and reioyce for the marriage of the Lambe is come And now the Sauiour calles vppon sinners with outstretched armes Come to me all yee who are wearie and laden and I will refrâ—sh you These diseased creatures who lay at the poole of Bethesda wayted diligently on the occasion when they should step downe into the water for he that first stepped in after the Angel had troubled the water was made whole whatsoeuer his disease was Praysed be God though we haue not now these waters of Siloam wherein with that blind man wee may cure our bodily diseases wee haue the waters of that Shiloh of the which who soeuer drinks shall not thirst any more these are the waters of life that are able to cure all our spirituall infirmities the benefit is not restrained to one that first sits downe at his Table but is extended to all those who make themselues readie to come vnto him Let vs not therefore neglect so faire an occasion of grace but let vs vp and arise let the Bride make herselfe readie and goe foorth to meete the Bride-groome Let vs begin in this Wildernesse to eate the fruits of our promised Canaan which is aboue Let vs open to the King of glory that knocks let vs goe to our Sauiour that cries Come and ioyfully communicate with our Lord who commaunds Take and eatâ— This is my bodie For here is giuen the greatest gift and that in the most excellent manner that God hath to giue on earth vnto the sons of men for here he giueth it as it were with both his hands that is not only by his word but also by his Sacrament onelie take heede to this warning Let a man trie himselfe and so let him eate There is danger in hearing of the worde and therefore our Sauiour forewarnes vs Take heede howe you heare There is danger also in coÌ„municating in the preceding verse the Apostle forewarned vs of it Hee that eates of this bread and drinks of this cup of the Lord vnworthily is guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lord. In the subsequent verse hee
discerners because they take the signe for the thing signified the earthly thing for the heauenly The men of Lystrâ— were euill discerners when they tooke Paul and Barnabas for Iupiter and Mercurius Gods in their account and therfore would haue worshippâ—d them as Gods but in this light farre blinderarethey who will adore a creature in steede of the creator and that with the same kinde of worshippe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by their owne confession is due to God onelye They alleadge for their error the word of truth Iesus Christ speaking say they of the bread called it his bodye wee say in like manner that this bread is Christes bodye but sacramentalâ—ye but denye that the bread iâ— transubstantiate into the verie naturall bodye of Christ as they against the principles of faith and nature falsely affirme It is strange to see what backward peruerse handlers of holy scripture these men bee where they should sticke to the letter they inforce an allegorie to serue their purpose What plainer Historie then that which Moses hath God made two great lights the greater â—o rule the day the lesser 〈◊〉 rule the night yet is this place violently wrested when out of it they will gather that the Papall digniâ—ie which as they say God hath appointed to rulâ— ouer the spiritualtie is greater then the regall and that the Pope by as manye degrees excelleth the Emperour as the Sunne excells the Moone And againe where the Spirit of God vseth a figure there they sticke to the Leter These wordes according to the Letter Mâ—ndant flaâ—â—ium commaund an impietie And therefore by Augustines rule should be esteemed figuratiue Si praceptiâ—a loquutio est aut flagitium aut facinus vetans aut vtilitatem beneficentiam â—â—bens non est figurata loquâ—tio si auteâ— flagitium vel facinus videtur iâ—bere au vtilitatem aut beneficentiam vetare figurata loquutio est nisi manducaâ—eritis inquit Christus carnem filij hominis facinus iubere videtur figura est ergo praecipiens passionâ— domini esse communicandum et suaniter vtâ—liter recoâ—dendum in memoria quod pro nobis carâ— eius crucifixa sit If a speech of precept either forbid some sinne or heynous deede or else commaund a profitable or good deede then is it no figuratiue speech but if it seeme to commaund a sinne or heynous deede or forbid a profitable honest actioÌ„ then it is a figuratiue speach vnlesse thou eat of the flesh of the sonne of Man saith Christ here hee seemes to commaund a hainous â—ction and therfore â—t is a figure commanding vs to communicate with Christs passion and sweetly profitably to lay this vp in our memory that his flesh was crucified for vs. And after this maner also the perpetuall phrase of the holy spirit doth teach vs to interpret them when he calles Circumcision the Couenant the Lambe the Passeouer Baptisme the Lauer of regeneration the Wine the cup of thâ— new Testament In al these they are forced to acknowledge a figure Only here This is my bodie they will adhere to the letter The learned godly fathers haue with vs also acknowledged this for a Sacramentall speech so Tertul. expouÌ„ds Hoc est corpus meum id est figura corporis mei This is my body that is the figure of my body And againe Dominus pane corpus suuÌ„ râ—praeâ—â—ntat God represents or resembles his body by bread And Augustine said in like maner Non dubitauit dicere hoc est corpus meum cum fignum daret corporis sui He doubted not to say This is my body wheÌ„ he gaue onely a signe of his body And again Iudam adhibuit ad conuiuâ—um in quo corporis sanguinis sui figuram coÌ„mendauit discipulis Christ admitted Iudas to his supper in which he coÌ„mâ—nded to his disciples the figure of his body and blood As Iesus Christis called a stone and called bread so is this bread called his bodie that saies Ber. is Per significationeÌ„ non proprietateÌ„ by significatioÌ„ not that properly it is so And as for carnall professors they are also euill discerners because they esteem lesse of this Bread and Wine then they ought putting no difference betweene it and commâ—n bread and wine whereas it is not so indeed for in all the worlde there is not the like of This bread and this wine except in the like action it is changed by the ordinance of Christ and vertue of his institution not changed in the substance but in the vse and end Panis enim â—â—rrenuâ— percipiens vocationem deâ— iam non communis panis est sed Eucharistia for that earthly receiuing Gods appointment is now no common bread but the Eucharist The Lord who calleth things that are not maketh them to be doth here appoint this breade and this wine to a farre more exâ—ellent vse then that whereunto they serue by nature As wax stamped with the seale of a King in substance differs not from other wax and yetfor value is much more excellent may not b evnreuerently handled without contempt of the King so this bread though in substance it differ not from other bread yet concernâ—ng the vse it is seperâ—te and much more pretious then anye other Bread in the world being now appointed by God to be a signe and a seale and an exhibiting instrument of Christ his body and therefore cannot bee profaned nor abused without contempt of Christ Iesus Against the second condition required in the right discerning of the Lords bodye Papists faile in like manner because they peruert Christs institution and vse not this sacrament as he commaunded for seeing our Sauiour is the ordeâ—nâ—r of this Sacrament saies Cyprian Vâ—ique id nos faceâ—e oportet quod Christus fecit eâ— quod faciendum mandaâ—iâ— Of â—ruth wee ought to doe that which Christ did which he coÌ„manded vs to do And Ambrose writing vpon this same place saith plainely Indignum est domino mysterium hoc aliter celebrare quam ab cotraditum est It is an indignity to our Lord to celebrate this mystery otherwise then hee deliuered it Christ ordeyned it a sacrament for the communication of himselfe to the faithfull at the table they haue turned it into a sacrifice for the oblation of Christ to his Father on an altar Iesus brak the bread gaue it but they if they break the bread they giue it not if they giue it they breake it not In their dayly Masse the priest breaks the bread he abuses the words of Christ secretly whispering theÌ„ accipâ—te comedite he bids others take eate but giues theÌ„ nothing when he giues hee stoppes it whole in the mouthes of the people breaks it not Thus most sacrilegiously they alter our Sauiour his sacred institution as though of purpose they had concluded to be coÌ„trary to him Besides this they withdraw froÌ„ the people the vse of
the cup so mutilate the holy sâ—crament a horrible sacriledge in like maner yet ratified by y e decree of y e haeretical couÌ„cel of Trent Si quis dixerâ— ex dei praecepto vel de necessitate salutis esse omnes et singulos Christi fideles viramque specieÌ„ Eucharistae sumere debere Anatâ—ema sit If any man auouch that it is by Gods commaundement or vppon neceâ—sitie of our Saluation that all Christes faithfull people should receiue the Eucharist vnder both kindes let him be accuâ—sed To whome it contents at vs this time to oppose the decree of their owne Pope Gelasius Comperâ—mus quod quidâ—m sumpta tantuÌ„modo corâ—oris sacri portione a calice sacrati cruoris â—bst meant qui proculdubio quoniam nâ—soâ—o qua superstitione docentur astricti aut integra sacramenta percipiâ—nt aut ab integris â—reeantur quod diuisio vnius eiusdemque mystery sine grandi non sit sacrilegio Wee vnderstand that certaine receiuing only the portion of Christes bodye absteine from the cup of his sacred blood which men because vndoubtedlye they are trayned vp in some kinde of superstition let them be inforced either to receiue the whole sacrament or to bee restayned from the whole because this diuiding of one and the same mysterie cannot bee without great Sacriledge In this contrarietie among themselues which way I pray you shall the poore people turne them The counâ—ell curses all them who affirme this Sacrament should bee ministred with bread and wine The Pope sayes plainly it is superstition and sacriledge to giue the one without the other and commaunds that either we abstaine from both or retaine them both togither If ye follow the counsell the Pope shal condemne you if you follow the Pope the Councell shal accurse you but curse as they will the Lord shall blesse them who in faith communicate at his holy Table according to his institution and the curse of God shal not faile to cleaue vnto thâ— surer theÌ„ the leprosie of Naaman to Gâ—â—â—sa yea their part shall be taken out of the booke of life who dare presume to change the ordinance of God The Apostle hath deliuered vnto vs that which he receyued from the Lord how not only he tooke the bread blessed it and brake it and gaue it but that in like maner he tooke the cup and gaue also to his Disciples What boldnesse is it then to take from the people that which Christ by his Apostles hath deliuered vnto them and thus while they boast of antiquitie they are found fathers of Noueltie And against the third they faile who vse not this sacrament to the right endes which are especially two The first is the commemoration of Christes death and passion with thanksegiuing fâ—r the which also the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second is the communication of Chrâ—st to them who are his And for this the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first I take out of our Sauâ—our his words Do this in râ—membrance of me And from the Apostle So â—ft as ye eate of thiâ— bread and drinke of this cup shew fooâ—th the Lords death till his â—omming againe And in verie deede this holy Sacrament beeing vâ—ed according to Christes institution is a liuely representation of Christ crucified while as the signes of his blessed bodye and blood being sundred one of them from the other the one is broken the other poured out remâ—mbring vs how his blessed body was broken with the Crowne of Thornes the Scourge the Nailes and the Spâ—are and his blood shed for the remission of our sinnes which should worke in vs so oft as wee beholde it an inward contriâ—ion and godly sorrow for our sinnes wherewith wee pierced and wounded our blessed Sauiour vnto the death and indeâ—de if wee bee of the number of those vpon whom God hath powred out the spirit of grace and compassion so often as wee looke vpon him whom we haue pierced as heere in this sacrament we may see him crucified before our eyes as often shall wee lament for this as one mourneth for his onely Sonne or is sorrowfull for his first borne but of this we shall speake God willing hereafter Now here is also discouered the vanity of that error of concomitance wherwith the aduersaries would excuse their dismeÌ„bring of this holy SacrameÌ„t for say they by concomitance where the bodye of Christ is there is his blâ—od and therfore the breade which is his boâ—die being giuen there is no neede â—o giue the cup. But as the Lord asked the King of Tyrus in derision Art thou wiser then Daniell So â—ay wee aske of them are yee wiser then Christ will ye amend his institution This assertion takes away one of the principall ends of this Sacrament to wit the commemoration of Christes death and passion for to haue the blood within the bodie is no declaration of a crucified man nor a shewing foorth of the Lordes death whereas our blessed Sauiour ordeyned them to bee exhibited and receaued sundrie that it might not onely be preached to our eares but represented also to our eyes how his blessed body and blood were sundred for our sinnes The second end for which this Sacrament was ordeyned is that it might bee a mean of the communication of Christ to all them who are his for the sealing vp of our spiritual vnion with him ideo enâ—m Sacramentum ilâ—ud hominibuâ— datur vâ— Caput in terris corporicoaduneâ—ur And this as I said I take out of the words of the Apostle The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodye of Christ And in this respect this holye bread and wine are not onely signes representing Christ crucified nor seales confirming our faith in him but also effectuall instruments of exhibition wherby the holy spirit makes an inward applycation of Christ crucified to all that are his And heerein standes our greatest comfort for if wee had no more a doe in the celebration of this holye Sacrament but to remember Christes death and passion then certainel ye looking to it onely were sufficient to put vs in remembrance therof but when we heare and see that this bread which is his body is giuen vs and we are commaunded to take and eate it what shall wee thinke but that weâ— are called to this high mercy as to bee partakers of Christ and all the benefits that flowe from his death The Lord doth neither deceiue vs with wordes to bid vs take when he giues nothing neither calleth he vs only to a coÌ„munion of naked bread and wine farre be it from vs to thinke so baselye of this holy Sacrament Certainly he that with any measure of light and grace wil ponder these wordes of our Sauiour Take and eate this is my body Shall perceiue that there is here a real and effâ—ctual exbition made of the Lord Iesus to the penitent and beleuing receauer
to his father for vs he hath left behinde him in his laste will his peace for our portion he hath giuen vs his spirit for a comforter his word for a warner and this sacrament for a spirituall foode vntil his second coming againe No marueile his spouse in the Canticle praised his loue to be far aboue the loue of women for though in some of theÌ„ y e strength natural of affection be so great that it makes them indure the painful bearing bringing vp of their children with the milke of their brests yet what is that comparable to this nothing indeed Such a loue as here our Sauiour hath discouered towards vs is not to be fouÌ„d againe in the world for whereas Mothers saieth Câ—risostome either commit their children to Nurses or else brings them vp vpon the milke of their owne breasts Iesus Christ feedes vs not with the milke of another but with his owne flesh and his owne blood Necessitie sometime hath compelled the Mother to eate her owne Children but wee neuer reade that compassion hath mooued the Mother to giue her owne flesh to preserue her Children that they should not die in famine But our Lord Iesus is that kinde Pelican that sendeth out his owne blood to nourish his young and all this hath our Lord Iesus done not grudgingly but willingly prouoked hereunto by that feruent loue hee bare to the glorie of God his Father and to our saluation Which shall yet appeare more euidently out of his owne comfortable saying to his Disciples I haue greatly desired to eate this Passouâ—â— with you O word full of consolation sundrie Passeouers had he eaten before with them but he protesteth this was his desired Passeouer See ye not heere his vnquenchable loue he knew it was the last hee was to eate vpon the earth he knew he was to drinke no more with them of the fruite of the vine till it was fulfilled in his Fathers kingdome Hee knew that the same night they wold betray him and that after Supper a bitter cup of passion was abiding for him yet his loue ouercame all these impediments and made him thinke long to eate of this Passeouer And which is much more before euer he gaue himselfe to be crucified for vs on the Crosse he prouided this Sacrament as a means of the communication of himselfe vnto vs thereby assuring vs that his subsequent passion should not defraude vs but rather affoord vnto vs and make ready for vs that righteousnesse and life by Christ purchased on the Crosse and communicate in his holye table to them who are his In the one he was prepared made ready as the onely foode of our soules to eternall life in the other he is applyed communicated giuen vnto vs both of these necessarily behoued to bee done for the worke of our saluation Sicut enim ad potandum vinum venire neâ—â— potest nisi botrus calcetur ante et prematur sic nos sanguinem Christi bibere non potuimus nisi Christus prius fuisset calcatus et prâ—ssus It was a great loue which made our Sauiour content that his blood shold bee shed out on the crosse so should be made both a ransome a conuenient foode for vs for the father sent him Quasi saccuÌ„plenuÌ„ misericordia in passione coÌ„scindenduÌ„ vt effundatur quod in eo latet pretium nostruÌ„ So is this also a new declaration of his loue that before his body was brokeÌ„ his blood was shed he first ordeyned the meanes whereby it should be communicated vnto vs. These and many more spirituall meditations should be vnto vs as the breathings of the mouth of God to kindle in our soules that little sparke of the loue of God which alasse for fault of entertainmeÌ„t is almost ouer-gone extinguished with the ashes of our corruptioÌ„ for seeing our Sauiour loÌ„ged to eat with vs shal not we long to eat with him he greatly desired to giue himselfto vs in this table for vs on the crosse shall not we earnestly desire to receiue him hee knew it was the last he shold eat vpoÌ„ earth that after it heauy sufferings abode him we know that our banquetting here is the baÌ„quet that shal be accoÌ„plished in heauen it is begun here it shal not end here CoÌ„fortable is y e word of our sauiour it shall be fulfilled in my kingdoÌ„â— wil not we then ioyfully begin this banquet shal we be so foolish as to wait vpoÌ„ lying vanities forsake our owne mercies shal we turne our back vpon y e fountaine of liuing waters and dig to our selues Cisterns y t can hold no water crtainâ—ly our darkene is grosser theÌ„ the darkenesse of Egipt and our hearts harder then the Adamant except this burning loue of the Lord Iesus rauish vpward our hearts after him The spouse in the Canticle professeth she was sicke of the loue of her glorious husband the Lord Iesus but alasse we are not touched with the like loue we feele not the smell of his oyntments and therefore with the rest of the Virgins we runne not after him Eliah touched Elisha with his Mantle and therwithall the Lord ioyned his inward calling suddenly Elisha left his plough of Oxen of a husbaÌ„dmaÌ„ became a prophet Now the lord cals vpon vs by his word sacrameÌ„t Let vs also pray that the Lord wold shed abroad in our hearts by his holy spirit the sence of that loue of God then should we neglecting all things runne after the Lord seeking onely to inioy him The men of this world maruell to beholde the suddaine change of life which is made in the children of God by his effectuall calling they maruell to see them running so feruently after Christ seeking him by continuance in prayer by hearing of his word by participation of his Sacrament and that with such an insatiable desire that in this life they can neuer be satisfied with hearing reading praying and communicating but if the Lord should in like manner touch their hearts and let them feele the power of an inward calling then would they marueile no more farre lesse disdaine yea they would make haste and ioyne themselues to the company of the godly And Saul also shold become amoÌ„gst the Prophets The womaÌ„ who had liued before a licentious life would now change it with Marie Magdalen she had beene a greate sinner in the Citie but became an example of repentance to all the sinners in the Citie she prostrates no more her body to her carnall Louers but falles downe at the feete of Christ to craue his mercie in steed of her wanton lookes her eies poure out teares her beautifull hayre which before shee set out as a proclaimer of her luste now shee pulleth downe to wash the feet of Christ. Thus all the former meanes of her sin she maketh new witnesses of her repentance the man