life and the words of eternall life The cup of benediction is the communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we break is the participation of the Lords bodie We cleave unto the Lord Therefore we are one Spirit with him We are united unto him not onely by the communion of nature but also by the participation of his bodie and bloud I do not therefore say with the Jews How can this man give us his flesh to eat But rather crie out How doth the Lord distribute unto us his flesh to eat and his bloud to drink I do not prie into his power but do admire his benevolence I do not examine his majestie but I reverence his goodnesse His presence I beleeve the manner of his presence I know not I am certainly assured that it is most neare and inward We are members of his body flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones He dwelleth in us and we in him My soul desireth to dive by cogitation into this most profound abysse but cannot finde with what words to set forth and declare that goodnesse and therefore is altogether amazed at the sight of the greatnesse of the grace of the Lord and the glory of the blessed Meditat. XIX Of the mysterie of the Lords Supper Be wise Do not to farre enquire 'To that thou rather shouldst admire IN the Lords holy Supper there is set before us a mysterie to be trembled at and to be adored of us by all means There is the treasure and treasurie of divine grace We know that there was a tree of life planted by God whose fruit might have conserved our first parents and their posteritie by the fertilitie and felicitie thereof There was also placed in paradise a tree of the knowledge of good and evil But even that which was appointed by God for their salvation and life and for an exercise of their obedience became unto them an occasion of death and condemnation whilest they poore wretches obeyed the devils allurements and their own desires Here also is prepared a tree of life that sweet wood whose leaves are for medicine and whose fruit for meat The sweetnesse thereof doth take away the bitternesse of all evils yea of death it self Unto the Israelites was given Manna that they might be fed with heavenly food Here is that true Manna which came down from heaven to give life unto the world This is the heavenly bread and the angelicall meat of which whosoever eateth shall never hunger The Israelites had the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat where they might heare the Lord speak face to face Here is the true ark of the covenant that is the most sacred bodie of Christ wherein the treasures of all science knowledge and wisdome are laid up Here is the true mercy-seat in the bloud of Christ which makes us to be beloved in the beloved neither doth he speak unto us onely by his inward consolation but also dwelleth in us neither doth he feed us onely with heavenly Manna but with himself Here is the gate of heaven indeed here is the angels ladder For can heaven be greater then he that is in heaven Can heaven be more nearly united unto God then the flesh and humane nature which he hath assumed Heaven indeed is the throne of God But in the humane nature assumed by Christ resteth the holy Spirit God is in heaven But in Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the divinitie Certainly this is a great and infallible pledge of our salvation He had no greater thing to give unto us For what is greater then himself What is so closely united unto him as his humane nature which is assumed into the fellowship of the most blessed Trinitie and made the treasurie of all heavenly goods What is so nearly conjoyned unto him as flesh and bloud And yet with these most heavenly nourishments doth he refresh us miserable worms and make us partakers of his nature And shall not he then make us partakers of his grace Who ever hated his own flesh How can the Lord then despise us whom he feedeth with his own flesh and bloud How can he forget those unto whom he hath given the pledge of his own bodie How can Satan be able to overcome us seeing that we are fed with heavenly food that we faint not in battel We are deare unto Christ because he bought us at so deare a price We are deare unto Christ because he feeds us with such deare and precious things We are deare unto Christ because we are his flesh and members This is the onely Panacea of all spirituall diseases this is the medicine of immortalitie For what sinne is there so great that the sacred flesh of God cannot expiate What sinne is so great that the quickning flesh of Christ cannot heal What sinne so mortall that is not taken away by the death of the Sonne of God What fierie darts of the devil can be so deadly that they cannot be quenched in this fountain of divine grace What so great stain of the conscience that this bloud cannot purge The Lord was present to the Israelites in a cloud and in fire But here is no cloud but the sunne of righteousnesse the present light of our souls Here is not felt the fire of Gods fury but the heat of his love neither doth he depart from us but makes his mansion with us Our first parents were brought into paradise that most sweet and fragrant garden the type of eternall beatitude that being put in minde of Gods bountie they might perform due obedience unto their Creatour Behold Here is more then paradise in this place For the creature is filled with the flesh of the Creatour The penitent conscience is cleansed by the bloud of the Sonne of God By the body of Christ are nourished the members of Christ the head The faithfull soul is fed with divine and heavenly dainties The sacred flesh of God which the angels adore in the unitie of person which the archangels reverence at which the Powers do tremble and which the Vertues admire is our spirituall food Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad but much more the faithfull soul upon whom such and so great benefits are bestowed Meditat. XX. Of serious preparation before we come to the Lords Supper A wedding garment put thou on Or keep from this communion HEre is no common cheere nor the feast of some ordinarie king but here is the holy mysterie of the body and bloud of Christ to be handled of us Therefore a due preparation is required lest we finde death in stead of life and receive condemnation in stead of mercy How did that most holy Patriarch so famous for the strength of his faith how did he fear and tremble when the Sonne of God appeared unto him in the
not commend the care of thy body unto him God which is Almighty hath a care of thee Wherefore then dost thou doubt whether he can sustain thee or no God who is most wise hath a care of thee Wherefore then dost thou doubt how he will sustain thee God who is most bountifull hath a care of thee Wherefore then doest thou doubt how he will sustain thee God who is most bountifull hath a care of thee Wherefore then dost thou doubt whether he will sustain thee or no Thou hast the word and bond of Christ who is the Lord of all that is in heaven and earth that they which seek the kingdome of God shall want nothing that is necessary for man Trust in this promise of Christ he will not deceive thee For he is truth it self Covetousnesse is the greatest Idolatry Because it sets the creatures in the place of God The covetous man putteth his trust in the creatures whereas he should put his trust in God Whatsoever we love more then God we preferre before God and whatsoever we preferre before God we set up in the place of God Esau sold his birth-right for a mease of pottage So many sell the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven which was purchased by Christ to get things temporall Judas sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver And covetous men sell Christ for temporall riches How can he ever come to the kingdome of heaven who is filled daily with the husks of the swine How can he ever come unto God by lifting up his heart unto him who studies to seek rest for his soul in riches Riches are thorns so saith truth it self He therefore that loveth riches doth indeed love thorns O ye thorns how many souls do ye choak Thorns do hinder the increase of the seed And even so doth the solicitude and care about riches hinder the spirituall fruit of the word Thorns do afflict the bodie with punctures And even so do riches torment the soul with cares Thou shalt be sure to perish if thou gatherest onely such treasures as do perish They which lay up treasures here on earth are like unto them that lay up their fruits in low and moist places not considering that there they will soon come to rottennesse What fools are they that place the end of their desires in riches How can that which is corporall satisfie the soul which is spirituall when as that rather doth so comprehend corporall things by the vertue of its spirituall nature that it cannot be distended and filled by any quantitie The soul was created for eternitie Thou doest wrong unto her therefore if thou placest the end of thy desires in temporall and momentanie things The soul the more it is lifted up unto God the more it is withdrawn from the love of riches All things the nearer they are unto heaven the lesse they â—oâ—et and hoard up As the fowls of the aire which neither sow nor reap It is a great signe that the soul is busied about heavenly things if it do undervalue and contemne earthly things Mice and creeping things hoard up in the holes of the earth for they are of a worse condition and of a baser nature then the fowls It is a great signe that the soul is turned away from God and fastned unto the creatures if it cleave unto riches with an inordinate love God gave a soul unto thee And wilt thou not commit thy bodie to his care God feedeth the fowls of the aire And dost thou which art created after his image doubt whether he will sustain thee or no God clotheth the lilies of the field And doest thou doubt whether he will provide clothes for thee or no Be ashamed that faith and reason should not effect as much in thee as a naturall instinct doth effect in the fowls The fowls neither sow nor reap but commit the care of their bodies unto God The covetous men do not beleeve the words of God before they make provision for their own sustenance The covetous man is a most unjust man Wherefore Because he brought nothing with him into this world and yet he is so troubled about these earthly things as if he meant to carry much with him out of this world The covetous man is a most unthankfull man Wherefore Because he enjoyeth many gifts which come from God and yet is never lifted up unto the giver thereof by the confidence of heart The covetous man is a most foolish man Wherefore Because he leaveth the true good without which nothing is good indeed and cleaveth unto that which is not good without the grace of God He that is held bound by the love of earthly things doth not possesse them but is possessed of them Covetousnesse is neither diminished by plenty nor want By want it is not diminished because his desire of having doth still increase when he cannot attain what he hath long desired And by plenty it is not diminished because the covetous man the more he getteth the more he desires And when he hath got what he covetously desired he hath still a new occasion ministred unto him to desire more Like unto fire which as more wood is still laid on the more it increaseth Covetousnesse is a torrent at first small but afterwards increasing infinitely Set a term therefore to the desire of riches lest thy covetousnesse at length draw thee into everlasting destruction Many devoure in this life that which they must afterwards digest in hell And many whilest they thirst after gain run unto most certain death Think upon these things O devout soul and as much as thou canst flee from covetousnesse Thou shalt carry to judgement none of thy riches but those which thou hast given to the poore Doest thou refuse to give thy temporall and fading riches to the poore for whom Christ refused not to give his life Give unto the poore that thou mayest give unto thy self That which thou dost not give unto the poore another shall have He is too too covetous to whom the Lord is not sufficient He doth not yet truely hope for heavenly things who overprizeth earthly things How would he lay down his life for his brother who denieth his temporall substance to his brother that asketh The hand of the poore is the treasurie of heaven That which it receiveth it layeth up in heaven that upon earth it may not perish Wouldest thou perform an acceptable office unto Christ Shew thy bounty to the poore That which is done unto his members the head takes as done to himself Christ saith unto thee Give unto me of that which I have given unto thee Do good with thy goods that thou mayest obtain good Give thy earthly things liberally that thou mayest keep them For in keeping them too frugally thou losest them Heare Christ admonishing that thou beest not compelled to heare him at the judgement saying Go ye cursed
into everlasting fire because ye fedde me not when I was hungry The holy seed of almes-giving as it is sowed sparingly or bountifully so it shall be reaped sparingly or bountifully If thou wouldest be in the number of the sheep do good unto the sheep Let the goats cause thee to fear For they are placed at the left hand not because they took any thing away but because they gave not Incline our hearts O God unto thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse Meditat. XXXVI Of the properties of true love and charitie The signe by which the Saints we know It is by love their faith to show TRue sincere love is an inseparable property of the godly No Christian without faith and no faith without charitie Where there is not the brightnesse of charitie neither is there the heat of faith Take away light from the sunne and thou mayst take away charitie from faith Charitie is the outward act of the inward life of a Christian man The bodie is dead without the spirit and faith is dead without charitie He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ he hath not the Spirit of Christ that hath not the gift of charitie Charitie is the fruit of the Spirit The tree is not known to be good unlesse it bring forth good fruit Charitie is the bond of Christian perfection As the members of the bodie are knit together by the spirit that is the soul So the true members of the mysticall bodie are united by the holy Spirit in the bond of charitie In Solomons temple all was covered with gold within and without So in Gods Spirituall temple let all be beautified with love and charitie within and without Let charitie move thy heart to compassion and thy hand to contribution Compassion is not sufficient unlesse there be also outward contribution Neither is outward contribution sufficient unlesse there be also inward compassion Faith receiveth all from God and charitie giveth it again unto our neighbour By faith we are made partakers of the divine nature But God is love Therefore where charitie sheweth not it self without let no man beleeve that there is faith within No man beleeveth in Christ which loveth not Christ And no man loveth Christ unlesse he love his neighbour He doth not yet apprehend the benefit of Christ with true confidence of heart whosoever doth denie unto his neighbour the office which he oweth unto him That is not truely a good work which proceedeth not from faith Neither is it truely a good work which proceedeth not from charitie Charitie is the seed of all vertues It is no good fruit which springeth not forth from the root of charitie For charity is the spirituall tast of the soul For unto it alone is every good thing sweet every hard thing sweet all adversitie sweet and all pain and trouble sweet yea more the taste of charitie maketh even death it self most sweet For love is strong as death yea stronger then death because love brought Christ to die for us And love doth so stirre up the true godly that they doubt not to die for Christ. All the works of God proceed from love yea punishments themselves So let all the works of a Christian man proceed from love In all the creatures God hath set before us the glasse of love The sunne and the starres shine not to themselves but to us The herbs purge not themselves but us Aire water beasts and all creatures serve man Do thou also give thy self wholly to serve thy neighbour Tongues profit not without charâ—tie Because without charitie knowledge of tongues puffeth up but charitie edifieth Knowledge of mysteries profits not without charitie Because the devil also hath knowledge of mysteries but charitie is onely proper to the godly Faith also which can remove mountains profits not without charitie For such faith is the faith of working miracles and not of salvation Charitie is better then the gift of doing miracles Because that is the undoubted mark of true Christians but this is sometimes granted to the wicked It profits not to give all that one hath unto the poore if there be not charitie For the outward action is done in hypocrisie if there be not inward love Rivers of bounty profit not unlesse they spring from the fountain of charitie Charitie is patient For no man is easily angry with him that he loveth truly Charitie is bountifull For he that by charitie hath bestowed his heart which is the chief good of the soul how should he denie the outward goods which are lesse Charitie envieth not Because he that is in charitie looketh upon anothers good as upon his own Charitie thinketh no evil No man easily hurts him whom he loveth truly and from his heart Charitie is not puffed up Because by charity we are all made the members of one bodie and one member prefers not it self before another Charity doth not behave it self undecently For it is the property of an angrie man to bear himself undecently but charitie is the bridle of anger Charitie seeketh not those things which are her own Because that which one loveth he preferreth before himself and seeketh the profit thereof more then his own Charitie is not provoked to anger For all anger proceedeth from pride but charity puts it self under all Charitie imagineth no mischief For it plainly appeareth that he is not yet in perfect charitie whosoever worketh mischief against any one Charity rejoyceth not in iniquitie For charitie maketh anothers miserie to be her own Charitie beareth all things beleeveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things For charitie refuseth not to do unto others as she desires that others should do unto her Tongues shall cease prophesies shall cease and sciences shall be destroyed But charitie shall not cease but the imperfection thereof shall be taken away and the perfection thereof shall be compleat in the life to come God commanded two altars to be built in the tabernacle and fire was carried from the outward to the inward God hath congregated a twofold Church a militant and a triumphant The fire of love shall at length be translated from the militant to the triumphant Think upon these things O devout soul and study after holy love Whatsoever thy neighbour be yet he is one for whom Christ vouchsafed to die Why then dost thou deny to shew thy charitie to thy neighbour when as Christ did not stick to lay down his life for him If thou lovest God truly thou must also love his image We are all one spirituall body Let us therefore have all one spirituall minde It is unfit that they should be at variance upon earth which must at length live together in heaven Whilest our mindes agree in Christ let our wills also be conjoyned We are the servants of one Lord It is not fit that we should
many offences and corrupted with so many iniquities But thy mercy did abound above my sinnes thy goodnesse was greater then mine iniquity How often have I shut the gate of my heart when thou diddest knock Therefore when I knocked thou mightest most justly have shut the doore of mercy against me How often have I stopt mine eares that I might not heare thy voice Therefore when I sighed unto thee thou mightest most justly have stopped thine eares and not hearkened unto my voice But thy grace was more abundant then all my sinne and transgression Thou didst receive me with thy hands spread forth and put away mine iniquities as it were a cloud and cast all my sinnes behinde thy back Thou remembrest my sinnes no more but receivest me into the most ample bosome of thy mercy For this thy inestimable benefit I will give thanks unto thee for ever Amen PRAYER X. He renders thanks unto God for conserving us in that which is good TO thee Lord be honour and glorie and blessing and thanksgiving for that thou hast not onely in mercy received me upon my repentance but also hast enabled me to abstain from sinne and live more reformedly What should it profit a man to be free from his sicknesse and presently to fall into a worse relapse What should it profit to be absolved from sinnes past unlesse grace be conferred to lead a godly life Thou God most faithfull hast shewed all the parts and offices of a faithfull and skilfull Physician in the cure of my souls wounds My wounds were deadly and thou didst cure them by the wounds of thy Sonne But there was cause to fear that the wounds that were healed might wax raw again And thou by the grace of thy holy Spirit as it were a fomentation hast hindred it How many be those that after remission of sinnes obtained return again to their former course of life and reiterating their sinnes more grievously offend God! Alas how many do we see that being freed from the yoke of sinne return to their former captivitie and being brought out of the spirituall Egypt look back again to the pots They have fled from the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of Christ and do wallow again in the same by repeating the former conversation of their most wicked life They were freed out of the bonds of Satan by their conversion and again are held entangled in the same by the delusion of wicked spirits Surely their latter end is worse then their beginning And it had been better for them never to have known the way of righteousnesse then having known it to turn away from the path of the holy commandments which were delivered unto them These are the dogs that return again to their vomit and sowes that after their washing wallow again in the mire Whatsoever hath happened unto them might have happened unto me but that it hath pleased thee by the grace of thy power and the efficacie of thy holy Spirit to enable me to continue in that which is good The same wicked spirit that vanquished them assaulted me The same world that seduced them enticed me The same flesh that overcame them allured me Onely thy grace protected me against their assaults and furnished me with power sufficient for victory Thy strength was powerfull in my weaknes From thee the strength of the Spirit descended with which I was enabled to bridle the assaults of the flesh Whatsoever good there is in me it descends all from thee who art the fountain of all good for in me by nature there is nothing but sinne Therefore as many good works as I finde in me which notwithstanding are impure and imperfect by reason of my flesh so many gifts they are of thy grace I must needs confesse For this thine inestimable gift conferred upon me I will give thee thanks for ever Amen PRAYER XI He renders thanks for all the gifts of the soul and bodie and for externall goods I Render unto thee eternall and mercifull God as it is most due eternall thanks for that thou hast not onely made me a bodie and a soul but moreover hast furnished me with sundry gifts of the soul and bodie and also with externall goods Thou which art wisdome it self teachest man all knowledge If therefore I know any good it is a demonstration of thine abundant grace towards me Without thy light my minde is darksome Without thy grace my will is captive If there be in me either any wit or prudence it is all to be attributed to thy clemencie Wisdome is the eye of the soul and divine grace is the eye of wisdome Whatsoever we know we know either by the light of nature or by the revelation of thy word But from thee O thou light of eternall wisdome doth the illumination of nature spring From thee also doth the revelation of the word come Therefore whatsoever we know descendeth unto us as thy gift Thou O indeficient fountain of life art my life and the length of my dayes Thou O eternall health it self art the strength of my body and the vigour of my vertue Man liveth not by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of thy mouth So then man is not preserved in health and strength by bread onely neither is he preserved from diseases by physick onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Tranquillitie of the minde preserveth the health of the bodie And true godlinesse begetteth tranquillitie of the conscience From thee O thou chief good all true godlinesse all tranquillitie of the minde without disturbance and all wished-for health of body doth come Moreover whatsoever externall good I do possesse all that I ow unto thy liberality and bounty A crust of bread is not due unto my deserts How much lesse then are all these externall goods which thou dost heap upon me They are called indeed the gifts of fortune But they are in deed and in truth the gifts of thy grace There is nothing more blessed then to do good and to be liberall to others and thou hast made me partaker of this blessednesse by bestowing liberally these outward goods upon me Thou hast sowed in me the seed of thy grace that from thence there may arise to others an harvest of liberality and beneficency Thou hast committed many things unto me as unto a steward that I might have wherewithall to do good to my fellow-servants From thee the fountain of all good there descends upon me streams of goods Whatsoever I am whatsoever I possesse whatsoever I bestow depends all I confesse upon thy bounty For this thine inestimable mercy I will give thee thanks for ever Amen PRAYER XII He renders thanks for the sacrament of Baptisme TO thee O eternall and mercifull God Father Sonne and holy Ghost I render humble thaâ—â—s for that thou hast washed me in the holy laver of baptisme from all my sinnes and for
sinners grievously afflicted on the crosse God dies upon the crosse God suffers God poureth forth his bloud Judge the greatnesse of the danger by the greatnesse of the prize Judge the danger of the disease by the value of the remedie Surely those wounds were great indeed which could no otherwise be cured but by the wounds of the living and quickening flesh Surely that disease must needs be great which could not be cured but by the death of the physician Consider thou faithfull soul Gods most fierce anger against us After the fall of our first father the eternall onely begotten and well beloved sonne of God becomes suter unto his Father for us And yet his anger was not turned away from us He by whom the world was made interceded for us became our advocate and took the cause of us miserable sinners upon himself And yet his anger was not turned away from us Our Saviour took upon him our flesh that by the glorie of the divinitie communicated unto the humanitie he might expiate and purge our sinfull flesh that by the saving vertue of his most perfect righteousnesse communicated unto our nature he might wipe away that venemous qualitie of sinne which cleaveth to our nature and in stead thereof conferre grace upon us And yet his anger was not turned away from us Our sinnes and the punishment of our sins he taketh upon himself His body is bound whipped wounded pierced crucified buried His bloud like a dew distilled most copiously down all his members at his passion His most holy soul is made sorrowfull above measure yea even unto death He feels the pains of hell The eternall Sonne of God crieth out that he is forsaken of God So great was his bloudie sweat so great was his anguish that he which comforteth the angels stood in need of an angel to comfort him He dies who is the authour and giver of life to every living thing If this comes to paâ—se in the green tree what shall become of the dry wood If this comes to passe in the just and holy what shall become of sinners How shall God punish us for our own sinnes who is so wrathfully displeased with his own sonne for other mens sinnes If his sonne is so grievously punished shall we his servants think to escape alwayes unpunished What shall the reprobate suffer if such be the sufferings of his best beloved If Christ departed not without a scourge and yet came into the world without sinne what scourges do they deserve which come into the world in sin live in sin and depart in sinne The servant rejoyceth whilest the sonne is in grievous dolour and pain and that for his sinne The servant heapeth up the anger of God whilest the sonne doth thus labour to pacifie and appease his Fathers wrath Oh the infinite anger of God! oh his unspeakable furie oh the inestimable rigour of his justice He which is thus enraged against his onely and best beloved sonne the partaker of his own essence and that not for any sinne of his own but because he intercedeth for the servant what will he do to the servant that persevereth and continueth still securely in his sinnes Let the servant fear and tremble and be sorrowfull for his own merits when the sonne is thus punished and yet not for his own Let the servant fear who ceaseth not to sinne when the sonne of God is thus afflicted for sinne Let the creature fear which hath crucified his Creatour Let the servant fear which hath slain his Lord. Let the sinner and the ungodly fear which hath thus tormented the pious and the godly Beloved let us heare his cries let us behold his teares he cries from the crosse Behold O man what I suffer for thee I cry unto thee because I die for thee behold the punishments that I suffer behold the nails with which I am pierced and see if any grief be like unto my grief Although my outward grief be thus great yet my inward grief is more grievous because I finde thee so unthankfull Have mercy have mercy on us thou whose propertie it is to have mercy and convert our stony hearts unto thee Meditat. III. Of the fruit of true and serious repentance Our Saviour cry'd Repent repent As John that 'fore our Saviour went THe foundation and beginning of holy life is saving repentance For where there is true repentance there is remission of sinnes And where there is remission of sinnes there is the grace of God And where there is the grace of God there is Christ And where Christ is there is his merit And where there is Christs merit there is satisfaction for sinnes And where there is satisfaction for sinnes there is righteousnes And where there is righteousnesse there is joy and tranquillitie of conscience And where there is tranquillitie of conscience there is the holy Spirit And where the holy Spirit is there is the sacred and holy Trinitie And where the holy Trinitie is there is eternall life Therefore where there is true repentance there is eternall life Where there is not true repentance neither is there remission of sinnes nor the grace of God nor Christ nor his merit nor satisfaction for sinnes nor righteousnesse nor tranquillitie of conscience nor the holy Spirit nor the holy Trinitie nor eternall life Why therefore do we deferre our repentance and why do we procrastinate it from day to day To morrow is not ours and to repent truely is not in our power And in the day of judgement we must give an account not onely for to morrow but also for the present day To morrow is not so certain as the destruction of the impenitent is certain God hath promised remission to the repentant but he hath not promised to morrow There is no place for Christ his satisfaction where there is not true contrition in the heart Our sinnes do separate betwixt God and us so saith the Prophet Esay And by repentance we return again unto him Acknowledge and bewail thy sinnes so shalt thou finde God in Christ appeased towards thee I blot out thine iniquities saith the Lord Therefore our sinnes are enrolled in the court of heaven Turn away thy face from my sinnes begs the Prophet Therefore our iniquities are set in the sight of God Be converted unto us O God prayeth Moses Therefore our sinnes do separate us from God Our sinnes have answered us complaineth Esay Therefore they accuse us before Gods judgement-seat Cleanse me from my sinnes prayeth David Therefore our sinnes appeare most foul and filthie in the sight of God Cure my soul for I have sinned against thee prayeth the same David Therefore sinne is the disease of the soul. Whosoever shall sinne against me I will blot him out of my book saith the Lord Therefore for our sinnes are we blotted out of the book of life Cast me not away from thy face prayeth the Psalmist
of the Lambe The church is the throne of the Lambe in which onely the grace of holy baptisme is to be had The prophet Ezekiel saw waters going out of the temple which did quicken and heal all In the spirituall temple of God that is in the church the saving waters of baptisme do yet spring forth into the profunditie whereof our sinnes are thrown Whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall floud in which all flesh of sinne is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Devil But the dove like the holy Ghost flies and brings the olive-branch that is peace and tranquilitie unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soul the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in baptisme and render due thanks unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in baptisme the more diligent must we be in the custodie of the gifts conferred We are buried with Christ by baptisme Therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead unto the glory of his Father So let us walk in newnesse of life We are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us We have put on the most precious robe of Christs righteousnesse Therefore let us not defile it with the stains of sinne Our old man is crucified and dead in baptisme Let the new man therefore live in us We are regenerated and renewed in the spirit of our mindes by baptisme Therefore let not the flesh domineer over the spirit Old things are past Behold aâ— things are become new Let not therefore the oldnesse of the flesh prevail against the newnesse of the spirit We are made the sonnes of God by spirituall regeneration Let us therefore live as it becometh the sonnes of such a Father We are made the temple of the holy Ghost Let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest We are received into Gods covenant Let us take heed therefore that we do not serve under the devil and so fall from the covenant of grace Effect in us all these things O blessed Trinity in Unitie Thou that hast given us such grace in baptisme give us also the grace to persevere in it Meditat. XVIII Of the saving participation of the body and bloud of Christ. He that doth eat and drink by faith Christs flesh and bloud salvation hath HE that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud shall live for ever saith Christ. Exceeding great was the bountie and goodnesse of our Saviour in that he did not onely assume our flesh and exalt it to the throne of celestiall glory but also feedeth us with his bodie and bloud unto eternall life Oh the saving delicates of the soul Oh the heavenly and angelicall food to be desired Although the angels did desire to look into this mysterie yet he did not assume the nature of the angels but the seed of Abraham Our Saviour is nearer unto us then unto the angels for we have knowledge of his love by this in that he hath given us of his own Spirit neither of his Spirit onely but of his bodie and bloud For so saith Truth it self of the bread and wine in the Eucharist This is my bodie This is my bloud How can the Lord forget those whom he hath redeemed with his bodie and bloud and whom he hath nourished with his bodie and bloud He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the bloud of Christ remaineth in Christ and Christ in him I do not much marvel therefore that the haires of our head are numbred that our names are registred in heaven that we are described in the hands of the Lord and that we are carried in his bosome seeing that we are fed with the bodie and bloud of Christ. Without doubt great is the dignitie of our souls seeing that they are fed with a price of redemption of such value Great also is the dignitie of our bodies which being redeemed and fed by the bodie of Christ become the habitacles and temples of the holy Ghost and the dwelling places of the whole and most holy Trinitie It cannot be that they should remain in the grave being fed with the bodie and bloud of our Lord. This is meat indeed We eat it But we change it not into the nature of our bodie but are changed into it We are the members of Christ and are animated by his Spirit and fed with his body and bloud This is the bread which came down from heaven and giveth life unto the world He that eateth thereof shall never hunger This is the bread of grace and mercy Of this whosoever eateth he shall taste and see how sweet the Lord is and receive of his fulnesse grace for grace This is the bread of life not onely the living bread but the quickning bread Whosoever eateth thereof he shall live for ever This is the bread which came down from heaven neither is it onely heavenly but it makes those that eat thereof heavenly They which eat it savingly in the spirit shall become heavenly because they shall not die but shall be raised again at the last day They shall be raised again but not to judgement because he that eateth of this bread cometh not into judgement nor into condemnation because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but they shall be raised to life and salvation For he that eateth the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinketh his bloud hath life in himself and shall live through Christ. His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drink indeed Let us be filled therefore with the meat not of our works but of the Lord. Let us be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse not of our house but of the Lord. This is the true fountain of life He that shall drink of this water shall never thirst but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternall life All ye that thirst come unto these waters and ye that have no silver make haste buy without money Let them that thirst come and come thou my soul that art vexed with the raging heat of sinne But if thou beest destitute of the silver of thy merits make haste the rather If thou hast no merits of thine own make haste the more ardently to the merits of Christ Make haste therefore and buy without silver Here is the chamber of Christ and the soul from which let not thy sinnes deterre thee and into which let not thy merits enter For what can be our merits They lay out their silver and not for bread they labour and not for fulnesse Our labours do not satiate neither is the grace of God bought with the silver of our merits Therefore heare O my soul and eat that which is good and thou shalt be delighted with fatnesse These words are spirit and
holy-day for all eternity Therefore think not onely upon the time of thy friends forsaking thee that is at their death but think also upon the time when they shall be restored again unto thee that is at the resurrection To them that firmly beleeve the resurrection death seemeth not death but rather a quiet sleep The whole universe seems to be a glasse in which we may behold the resurrection The sunne that sets every night riseth again in the morning The herbs that are dead in the winter shoot up again in the spring The Phenix at her death reneweth her self again When times and seasons are past they return again After fruits are come to maturity still there succeed others Seeds unlesse they die and be corrupted they rise not again with increase All things are preserved by perishing and generated by corrupting Shall we think then that God hath to no end or purpose set before us these types in nature Shall nature be more powerfull then God who hath promised that our bodies shall rise again He that quickneth the grain of the seeds that are dead and rotten that thou mayest live thereby in this world shall not he much more raise up thee and thine that thou mayest live with them for ever God hath called thy loving friends unto their beds And do not thou envie them their quiet rest The resurrection will shortly come It may be thou didst hope that thy friends before their death would have been profitable members of the militant Church But it hath pleased God to make them members of the Church triumphant Seeing it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased It may be thou thoughtest that thy friends before their death would have attained to the knowledge of divers things But it hath pleased God to take them up into the heavenly Academie there to learn true wisdome Seeing therefore it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased It may be thou didst hope that thy friends before their death would be raised out of the dust and be set with princes But it hath pleased God to make them the fellows of heavenly princes that is the holy angels Seeing therefore it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased It may be thou didst hope that thy friends before their death would have gathered together much riches But it hath pleased God to make them partakers of the delights of his heavenly kingdome And therefore seeing that it hath so pleased God be thou also well pleased Holy God thou hast taken away nothing but what thou gavest blessed be thy name for ever and ever Meditat. XLV Of the last judgement Remember that Christ Jesus shall Thoughts words and deeds to judgement call THe Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to his Sonne I know Lord Jesus that thou wilt come as the severe Judge of all men to bring their thoughts words and deeds to light though they were done in darknesse Above there shall be a severe judge beneath hell gaping within the conscience gnawing without the fire flaming on the right hand sinnes accusing on the left hand the devils terrifying The good angels keeping out of heaven and the evil angels pulling down to hell Then Lord Jesus to whom shall I betake my self in these my straits I am afraid of all my works knowing that thou sparest not every one that offendeth I shall there be set between time and eternity Time will be past but the infinite space of eternitie will remain behinde The malignant spirits will require their wicked works unto which they have perswaded me and in that severe judgement they will produce all they know against me that they may draw my soul into the fellowship of their torments All the host of heaven shall consume away the heavens shall be rolled together like a scrole all the host of them shall fall even as a leaf falleth from the vine or figge-tree The sunne shall be ashamed and the moon shall be brought to confusion But if these the works of thy hands which never committed any evil against thee if they flee away from thy sight how shall I miserable sinner be able to appear before thy face The heavens of heavens are not clean in thy sight What am I then that drink iniquitie like water But if the righteous shall scarce be saved where shall the sinner appear Whither then shall I fly or to whom shall I go but unto thee O Lord Thou shalt be the Judge of my sinnes who diedst for my sinnes For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement unto his Sonne The Father delivered all judgement to the Sonne but the Son again was delivered for our sinnes For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him How canst thou then condemn me Lord Jesus when as thou wast sent by thy Father to save me Thou â—idst fulfill the will of thy Father in all things How then wilt thou not fulfill it in saving me miserable sinner It is not the will of thy Father that one of the little ones should perish And I am a little one in thy sight and a little one also in mine own sight For what am I but dust and ashes Neither onely dust and ashes but also a very little one and a very dwarf for proficiencie in piety Perfect therefore in me little one the will of thy Father Thou camest O Jesus to save that which was lost How then canst thou condemn him that desires to be saved My sinnes will accuse me and call upon the Judge for severe sentence But thou hast taken my sinnes upon thee Thou takest away the sinnes of the world How then hast thou not taken away mine also How canst thou condemn me for my sins when thou diedst for them Thou diedst for the sinnes of the whole world How then hast thou not died for mine also Certainly Lord Jesus if thou hadst meant to deal with me in thy strict judgement thou wouldest never have descended from heaven to take upon thee my flesh to die and to be crucified The devils will accuse me and require of my soul the works whereunto they have perswaded me But the prince of this world is condemned and hath nothing in thee and if he hath nothing in thee then certainly he hath nothing in me For I beleeve in thee O Lord therefore thou abidest in me and I in thee He will accuse me that am thy friend He will accuse me that am thy brother that am the beloved sonne of the eternall Father How then canst thou deal with me in thy strict judgement seeing that I am thy friend thy brother and thy sonne At that judgement Moses will accuse me and pronounce me accursed for not keeping all that is written in the book of the law
that thou hast received me into the covenant of grace and made me an heir of everlasting life I acknowledge it is thy gift that I was born of Christian parents and by them brought unto this heavenly fount How many thousands of infants are born in Gentilisme and without this sacrament do die in their sinnes There is no difference in nature between me them Onely thy superabundant grace hath made a difference I was joyned with them in communion of sinne But I was separated from them by participation of thy grace How great is this thy goodnesse that thou diddest finde me when I sought thee not that thou didst heare me before I asked that thou didst open unto me before I knockt This thy mercie exceeds all praise yea and all admiration I was baptized in thy holy name thy name for me was called upon Therefore I am received into the heavenly family being made the sonne of my heavenly Father the brother of Christ and the temple of the holy Ghost This is an holy and heavenly laver In it therefore I am washed and purged from all my uncleannesse It is the laver of regeneration and renovation By it therefore I am regenerated renewed by the grace of the holy Ghost Whatsoever Christ my Saviour merited by his most holy obedience by the effusion of his most precious bloud of all that he hath left the saving fount of baptisme as a pledge Therefore the conferring of baptisme is the besprinkling of the bloud of Christ. That precious bloud of Christ doth make me clean from all my sinnes and makes me whiter then snow in the sight of God O eternall God thou hast made an eternall covenant with me in baptisme unto which I have alwayes recourse by true and serious repentance Thou hast betrothed me unto thee for ever in judgement and righteousnesse in grace and mercy Thou hast given me an earnest and pledge of thy Spirit in baptisme Therefore thou wilt not cast me away from thy face but being mindefull of thy promise thou wilt lead me into the joyes of the celestiall marriage As at the baptisme of Christ my Mediatour and head the heavens were opened So by the communion of the same baptisme thou hast opened unto me the gate of paradise As at the baptisme of Christ the holy Ghost descended upon him and a voice from heaven did testifie that he was the beloved Sonne of God So by the same communion of the same baptisme I am made a partaker of the holy Ghost and adopted to be a sonne of God For which inestimable benefit I will give thanks unto thee my God for ever Amen PRAYER XIII He renders thanks for the sacrament of the Lords supper HOw great thanks do I ow unto thee most high God for that in the most sacred mystery of the supper thou dost feed me with the bodie and bloud of thy Sonne What is there in heaven or in earth of more price and excellency then that body which is united to thy Sonne personally What more certain testimonie and pledge of thy grace can there be then the precious bloud of thy Sonne poured out for my sinnes on the altar of the crosse The very price of my redemption thou bestowest upon me that I may have a most certain testimony of thy grace towards me As often as I fall through my sinnes from the covenant of baptisme So often by true repentance and the saving use of this supper I am restored unto it again It is a sacrament of the new Testament and it alwayes enriches me with new gifts of the Spirit In this body life it self dwells and therefore it refresheth me and quickneth me unto everlasting life By the effusion of this bloud satisfaction is made for our sinnes And therefore by the drinking thereof the remission of my sinnes is confirmed unto me Christ saith it Truth it self saith it Whosoever shall eat my flesh and drink my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day that is to the life of glory For this is the bread of life which descended from heaven that whosoever shall eat thereof may not die but have everlasting life It is the eating by faith that Christ so commends which must needs be added unto the sacramentall eating that so that which was appointed to life may be received by us unto life I come therefore with true faith unto this heavenly banquet being firmly perswaded that the body which I eat was delivered unto death for me and the bloud which I drink was poured forth for my sinnes I cannot in any wise doubt of the remission of my sinnes when as it is confirmed by the participation of the price which was offered for my sinnes I cannot in any wise doubt of Christ his dwelling in me when he seals unto me the same by the communion of his body and bloud I cannot in any wise doubt of the assistance of the holy Spirit when my infirmity is strengthened with such safegard I am not afraid of Satans assaults when as this angelicall food doth make me strong to fight I am not afraid of the allurements of the flesh when as this quickning and spirituall food doth corroborate me by the vertue of the Spirit These taken and drunk do make Christ to dwell in me and me in Christ. The good shepherd will not suffer the sheep that is fed with his own body and bloud to be devoured by the infernall wolf Neither will the power of the Spirit suffer me to be overcome by the weaknesse of the flesh To thee O Saviour most benigne be praise honour and thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen PRAYER XIIII He renders thanks to God for preserving us from sundry evils TO thee O eternall and mercifull God I render eternall thanks for that thou hast hitherto preserved me from infinite evils and dangers and hast kept me safe by the guard of thy holy angels Thy privative blessings by which thou dost keep me from evil are more in number then thy positive by which thou dost conferre good upon me As many evils of soul and bodie as I see in others so many tokens do I see of thy mercie toward me For my deliverance from those evils is to be attributed as due onely to thy goodnesse How great is the power of the devil How great is his subtiltie As often therefore as that malignant and most subtile spirit and our most potent adversarie doth labour to do us any mischief so often by the buckler of thy benignity and by the guard of thy holy angels being protected I have been able to escape his nets But who can reckon up the treacherous assaults and invasions of the devil Who can therefore reckon up the riches of thy bounty When I sleep by night the eye of thy providence doth watch over me that the infernall enemy which goeth about like a roaring lion may not be able by his