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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20536	Ten sermons tending chiefely to the fitting of men for the worthy receiuing of the Lords Supper VVherein amongst many other holy instructions: the doctrines of sound repentance and humiliation, and of Gods speciall fauours vnto penitent sinners, and worthy communicants are largely and effectually handled. The six first, by I. Dod. The foure last, by R. Cleauer. Whereunto is annexed, a plaine and learned metaphrase on the epistle to the Collossians, written by a godly and iudicious preacher. There is also set before the sermons, a short dialogue of preparation: containing the chiefe points that concerne the worthy receiuing of the Lords Supper, taken for the most part, out of the sermons following: and collected into a method for the benefit and ease of those that desire direction in this matter.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634.	1610 (1610)	STC 6945; ESTC S114601	221,900	292

neither Gods iustice is vnsatisfied nor any sinne vnrepented in those that labour to wash their soules by true and godly sorrow it is apparant that there is no transgression no not the most hamous that shall stand in record against them but all shall be remitted and couered from Gods sight that hee shall neuer looke vpon them in anger and indignation for the same Indeed those that haue fallen in to more notorious and grieuous crimes Why the pardon of great sinnes is not so soone apprehended cannot ordinarily get the assurance of their reconciliation vnto the Lord so soone as others that haue not beene so great offenders but the cause hereof is in themselues in that such open and scandalous offences doe make an exceeding great breach into their faith and bring maruellous great hardnesse vpon their hearts and they are very vnwilling to set their consciences vpon the rack to sift and examine their owne soules to the intent their hearts may bee pierced and wounded for their sinnes but they will rather shift and scamble and put off their humiliation as long as may bee as Dauid did Psalme 32. so that it 's a wonder they euer get out of the snares of the diuell till God either by some sharpe rebuke or by some fore affliction doe rouse them and as it were by violent hand pull them out thence But if once they come to great sorrow for their sinnes and in humblenesse of heart and assurance of faith can make claime to the blood of Christ they shall be discharged freed from all their transgressions and bee brought to that puritie and whitenesse which they neuer dreamed such miserable ereatures as themselues could haue attained vnto For confutation of that wretched errour of the Papists Vse 1 that would beare men in hand Against Purgatorie that there is a Purgatory where some men after this life must haue a further purging and scouring then heere they haue attained vnto but see heere what the Lord saith Though men haue broken foorth into neuer so many abominations though their sinnes were as crimson and as scarlet yet if they would seeke to wash cleanse themselues by the meanes that God hath appointed hee giueth them his faithfull promise that they shall be made white as wooll yea white as snow as if they had neuer offended at all To what end then should men appoint a second washing when God himselfe hath vndertaken to wash vs from all our filthinesse and from our greatest corruptions as hath beene more largelie declared before What an absurd thing is it to imagine that we must goe thorow a strange inuented fire which may more thorowly purge away the drosse of our corruptions as if Christ his blood were not sufficient to make vs white as snow This is but a carnall conceit of mans foolish braine for if fire and enduring of paines and torments could haue scoured off sinne the reprobates in hell should haue beene purged therefrom long agoe But God alone hath cleane and precious water and a skilfull and powerfull hand to effect that worke and in the Reuelation Christ Iesus the true and faithfull Witnesse telleth vs how all our vncleannes may be couered from Gods eies Reu. 3.18 I counsell thee saith he to the Church of Laodicea to buy of me white raiment that thou maist be clothed and that thy filthy nakednesse may not appeare Nakednesse there is in the best but Christ his righteousnesse is that garment which must couer it and then God will neuer in anger and displeasure looke vpon it but in mercie and goodnesse looke vpon the holinesse of his sonne wherewith our soules are inuested and all our iniquities hidden and couered Secondly Vse 2 heere is matter of great comfort vnto those that that doe in good earnest set vpon this worke of cleansing and purging themselues they shall not be destitute of companie to ioine with them for God himselfe will assist them and inable thē to go thorow with that worke and therfore this should incourage vs vnto the exercises of humiliation and of examination and iudging of our selues for are not a few teares well bestowed vpon God when he will thereupon bestow on vs the blood of his sonne Many are afraid to aduenture vpon the worke of repentance lest they should bee driuen thereby to desperation but let vs neuer feare that though our vncleannesse be neuer so great though wee bee stained and died from top to toe within and without in euery part and power of soule and body by reason of our originall corruption and actuall transgressions so that all the men in the world cannot take away the foule spots and horrible staines of sinne that cleaue vnto vs and are settled in vs yet the Lord of heauen who hath all sufficiencie of power in his hand can and will without any difficultie purge vs from euery one of our iniquities by sprinkling on our hearts the precious blood of his owne sonne which is as it were a souereigne Bath ordained for the cleansing of the soules of his elect from that contagious leprosie of sinne wherewith they are wholly ouer-spread And therefore let none bee discomforted in regard of his many and greeuous offenses seeing that the Lord hath entred into a sure couenant with vs for the pardoning and healing of them all who can as easily cure the most deadly wound as the smallest scarre and the harder the cure is the more hee shall bee glorified in shewing foorth the riches of his mercie towards poore sinners that stand in need thereof Our greatest extremitie is Gods fittest oportunity Now the chiefe meanes that he vseth for our cleansing and sanctifying Meanes of cleansing are two One is the word which being receiued into the heart by faith doth purifie the same The word according to that of our Sauiour to his Disciples Iohn 15.3 Now are ye cleane through the word that I haue spoken vnto you Another meanes is the Sacrament whereby God is ready to conuey vnto vs the merit and vertue of his sonnes death The Sacrament by the effectuall operation of his spirit that Christ may be vnto vs holinesse for our sanctification 1. Cor. 1.30 as well as righteousnesse for our iustification God doth not offer vnto vs onely the outward elements but hee is more willing to giue vnto vs the things signified thereby then any earthly father can bee to giue foode vnto his hungrie child that crieth for some reliefe at his hands when he hath all plentie and abundance whereby to supply his need I say hee is so much more willing then any earthly father as God is kinder then man and his store more plentifull then mans and it 's lesse cost and lesse paines vnto him and yet more for his praise to refresh the thirstie soules of his poore seruants then for a mortall man to satisfie the appetite of his hungry child For as the Prophet speaketh Mercy pleaseth him

The Lord will not deceiue them nor shut out those supplications that they make before him but according as they intreat of him where their faith is weake he will strengthen it where their repentance comes short hee will perfect it where their loue is cold hee will increase it and in a word where any good thing is wanting hee will supply it If Hezekiah Note praying for such a great multitude which had beene monstrous Idolaters and had continued long time in their Idolatrie heaping vp one abomination vpon an other and now came to the Sacrament not of their owne accord but by the intreaty and perswasion of Hezekiah and his Princes and being thus come failed much in that preparation which they should haue made if hee I say had such good and gracious hearing from the Lord things standing as hath beene said then how much more may wee expect mercy from him when we intreat for our selues who through Gods wonderfull restraint and gracious prouidence haue not fallen into such notorious euils nor into such greeuous and monstrous offences as they had done especially if wee haue this witnesse vnto our soules that wee come voluntarily and in some degree preparedly vnto the mysteries of saluation and are so farre from looking for intreatie or exhortation thereunto that through Gods grace and goodnesse wee would not bee restrained from it for any worldly gaine And healed the people For the vnderstanding of this wee must know that sinne maketh a wound and that the word and Sacrament are meanes and plaisters as it were to heale the same if they bee rightly applied and blessed vnto the receiuers of them In that they found this good effect vpon the eating of the Passeouer and Hezekiahs praier made for them the doctrine hence to be learned is that The Sacrament worthily receiued Doct. 5 doth heale and cure For whence came their healing in this place The vertue of the Sacrament but from the vertue of the Sacrament blessed vnto them at the earnest request of that holy king Hee telleth vs not the particular euils of which they were healed because we should conceiue that they were in a sort perfectly and thorowly cured of all First of the euils that were in their soules they were pardoned their consciences quieted and their hearts bettered so that they had a greater dislike of their own corruptions and of Satans temptations and more power to withstand them and to ouercome them then formerly they had Then for outward euils if there were any sickenesse or weakenesse or any other crosses or calamities vpon them they had the same either quite remoued or at least sweetned and sanctified vnto them for their profit and comfort For this is the substance of the couenant whereof the Sacrament is a seale made vnto penitent persons Ezek. 36. which hauing beene spoken of before it would be needlesse at large to repeat the same things againe Only in briefe for the vse of this point Vse let vs hence learne to make full account of this healing when the Lord shall please to make vs partakers of the body and blood of his deare sonne For then that seede is cast vpon euery faithfull heart that will spring vp in due season vnto euerlasting life and yeeld vs such fruit as we shal haue great cause to reioice and to magnifie the name of the Lord who hath done such great things for vs. Let vs then looke for much and we shall haue much Open thy mouth wide saith the Lord and I will fill it Therefore when we behold with our naturall eye the bread broken the wine powred forth and offered vnto vs by the hand of the Minister Note let vs lift vp the eye of our faith and looke vpon Christ Iesus who is as it were held forth vnto vs by the hand of the Trinity being broken with many sorrowes terrors in bearing his fathers wrath and vndergoing the punishment due vnto vs for our hainous trangressions and powring forth his precious blood to satisfie the Lords iustice to pacifie his displeasure conceiued against vs and as we with our bodily hand do receiue the outward elements so let vs by the hand of faith lay hold of our Lord Sauiour of al his merits assuring our selues that as the bread wine are made one substance with vs so is Christ Iesus in a spirituall maner made one with vs we with him he being the head we the members he the vine and we the branches c. And further let vs vndoubtedly beleeue that as by bread wine our naturall strength is increased and our weary bodies and languishing spirits refreshed so by those heauenly my steries daily applied our inward man shall bee confirmed and our hearts sooner or later comforted and reuiued And therefore in assurance of faith wee should stirre vp our soules to reioice and praise the Lord giuing vnto him the glorie of his truth in resting vpon him for the performance of all his promises made vnto vs through Christ Iesus and concluding euery one in his owne heart though my knowledge be but small it shall be increased though my memory be weake it shall be confirmed though my affections be out of order they shall be rectified though my stripes be many the number of them shal be diminished and though my graces be but few and feeble they shall be augmented and still further strengthned I shall haue Christs power to inable me to do good and to resist euill his wisedome to direct mee in the right way and to cause me to decline from all by-paths And in a word his good spirit to worke all my workes for me and to perfect all heauenly vertues in me And when after we haue been at the Lords table we find any sinfull motions stirring within vs let vs reason thus Did I not lately receiue the Sacrament for the curing of my soule and did not God grant it vnto me as a seale and pledge that hee would take away my stony heart Ezek. 36. and giue vnto me a fleshy heart Why then should I yeeld vnto my corruptions Nay I will not do so but resist and striue against the same and vrge the Lord with his owne couenant sealed vnto me in the Sacrament So likewise when wee see our manifold imperfections in Gods seruice our want of loue and good affection vnto his seruants our inabilitie to beare crosses and the like let vs repaire vnto the Lord and beseech him that is true and faithfull in all promises that hee will make good his word vnto vs in those particulars giuing vs strength to doe what hee commandeth vs and to beare with profit whatsoeuer hee laieth vpon vs. Which if we can doe so often as wee come vnto the Lords Table wee shall receiue great helpe and comfort against all our sinnes and sorrowes and be much stirred vp to loue and praise the Lord for the continuance and increase of his heauenly graces and

are blessed it is more then if it had beene said they shall enioy honour credit wealth and whatsoeuer outward blessing else can be named for that implieth thus much that they shall haue the good gifts of God so far as they are needful for them that they shal haue the right vse of them But this may seeme quite contrarie Obiect The wicked florish for commonly wicked and prophane persons liue in all manner of plenty when the godly sustaine penurie and scarcity and therefore in appearance godlinesse is not the best course to procure a happy and prosperous estate For the remouing of this doubt wee must consider Ans that howsoeuer the wicked of the world seeme to thriue best and to enioy great matters in comparison of that which good Christans haue yet in truth their case is nothing so good as is the case of Gods seruants but in the middest of al the things that they possesse they are very miserable for 1 First they haue right to nothing They haue right to nothing but are meere theeues and vsurpers and shall answer for laying hold of those things that are in truth none of their owne A thiefe may break into the Kings treasurie yet it is none of his but hee shall quickly bee thrust out thence and so may a moth creepe into a veluet gowne yet hath it no right there Iob. 27.18 but may bee brusht out at the owners pleasure and the same is the case of all vnregenerate persons they are intruders into other mens possessions and the great Landlord of the world may thrust them foorth when it seemeth best vnto himselfe and call them to a reckoning for medling with those things that they could lay no lawfull claime vnto by any one clause or title that is contained in Gods Law 2 Secondly as they haue no right to haue any thing They haue the right vse of nothing Isa 57.20 so neither haue they any comfortable vse thereof There is no peace to the wicked saith my God But they are like the raging waues of the Sea that cannot rest but are still tossed too and fro from one side to an other and cast vp filthy mire and durt And when they are most loude in their laughter and seeme to bee most pleasant and merry euen then their mirth is full of hollownesse and discontentednes for let them but haue some apprehension of death or of any sudden and extraordinarie iudgement likely to befall them nay let them bee but a little crossed and disgraced by any of their companions they wil bee suddenly distempered and much daunted and many times fall a trembling euery ioynt of them Dan 5.6 as Belshazzar king of Babel did at the sight of the hand writing on the wall And if no such thing doe betide them yet they are still pursued by such enemies as will suffer them to haue no great quietnesse nor comfort in the things of this present life which they doe possesse If we should see a Bucke hunted through a greene pasture where there is much pleasant grasse and many sweet and pleasant flowers and springs of water we would not thinke his case very happy nor that hee had any great inheritance there when wee perceiued the hounds following close at his heeles yet such is the state of all sinners they haue a large and pleasant walke perchance in this world but they are still hunted with many noisome lusts of couetousnes and pride and filthines and the like and Satan and the world haue them euer in chase and shall pursue them still till they haue driuen them into hell it selfe if they alter not their prophane and wretched course of life 3 Further Gods curse is vpon all they haue the wrath of God lying on their bodies and soules which poisoneth and inuenometh all that belongeth vnto them His terrible and vnauoidable curse shall euer close with sinners so that though they eat and drinke and wallow in their pleasures yet they can finde no sound delight nor true contentment therein because being possessed with hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind and being giuen vp to a reprobate sence all things that they haue are imbittered by their owne sinne and Gods heauie vengeance falling vpon them Put case all a mans bones were broken and one should put on him a veluet coate beset with pearles and diamonds in the most rich and costly manner that might bee and he should begin to thinke and say Now I trust I shall bee at ease and shall haue no more cause of complaint alas poore man his rich attire cannot take away his paines euen so fareth it with the vngodly sinne hath set them out of ioynt nay it hath so wrought on all the powers and parts of soule and body that it hath as it were chrusht all their bones in peeces and what sound peace rest or comfort can they then finde from all these outward things of the world that are cast vpon them till there bee some cure wrought on their soules But it is quite contrarie with Gods children though they be pressed and pinched with many distresses and wants and driuen to many extremities and straights yet they may bee fuller of ioy in the middest of their afflictions then the wicked are in the middest of their iollity Acts 16. Paul and Silas were fuller of gladnesse and of true contentednesse in the dungeon when their feet were fast in the stocks then Herod was on his throan hauing all his flatterers and Sycophants about him Note to extoll and magnifie him The very teares of the people of God are sweeter and more comfortable then the greatest ioy of carnall and wretched sinners for the Lord is with his in mercie and goodnesse whereas his face is bent against the wicked and impudent Psal 37. and thence it is that a little that the righteous hath is better then great riches of the vngodly Better is a dinner of greene hearbs seasoned with the blessing of God then many daintie dishes poisoned with gods wrath and malediction And albeit the Saints of God bee sometimes depriued of these transitorie things yet they shall neuer bee depriued of Gods fauour and that want of outward things shall bee supplied with inward graces They haue a sure promise that they shal haue sufficient and God neuer giueth lesse then he promiseth though many times he do giue more and if that which is wanting in drosse be paide home in good Gold we need not much to complain as if we were loosers by such an exchange Therefore let vs shut vp all with that saying of Salomon Prou. 2.20.21.22 Walke thou in the way of good men and keepe the waies of the righteous For the iust shall dwell in the land and the vpright men shall remaine in it But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it But if yee refuse and be rebellious ye shall be

vnto his Father for a blessing to be bestowed vpon the receiuing of it not onely vpon those that were then present but vpon all that should afterwards to the end of the world faithfully partake of the same In that Christ Iesus seekes the blessing of this ordinance from the Lord Doct. 6 the doctrine is that The vertue and efficacie of the Sacrament The vertue of the Sacrament is from Gods owne hand See the Sermon on Iohn the 6. is from Gods owne hand through the mediation of Christ Iesus God giues it and Christ procures the benefite of it vnto his people and this is common to all other ordinances and seruices with the Sacrament To this purpose it is said that Moses gaue not that Manna vnto the Israelites in the wildernesse from heauen Doct. 5 but my Father saith Christ giueth you the true bread Iohn 6.32.33 which giueth life vnto the world that no Minister nor creature in heauen or earth can bestow vpon any First Reasons 1 one generall reason of this doctrine is that euery good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and cometh downe from the Father of lights Iames 1.17 Now what more excellent perfect gift can there be then the body and bloud of Iesus Christ and therefore if God be the author and giuer of all other good things this must of necessity proceed from his bounty in a speciall manner A second cause why God wil haue the disposing of his graces in his owne hand is that there might be a difference betweene him and all his Ministers and that he might retaine that prerogatiue for Christ Iesus alone for he it is that giueth the meate which endureth to euerlasting life And the reason is because the Father hath sealed him that is the Lord hath authorized him by the broade seale of heauen and will et none to be copartners with him in that office he is the Lord Treasurer of all graces and therefore he must blesse his ordinances vnto vs if euer we looke for benefite thereby In which regard Iohn Baptist saith I baptize you with water that is all that he could do as for washing of the heart and purging of the conscience that he attributeth wholly vnto Christ Iesus Matth. 3.11 He will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Iohn would not arrogate that vnto himselfe lest he should treacherously lay claime to that which is proper vnto the crowne The like faithfulnesse in giuing God his due we see in the Apostle Paul who saith I haue planted Apollos watered 1 Cor. 3.6 but God giueth the increase thereby intimating that the best Ministers are but as Gardeners in the Lords Church they can but put the scions into the stock or the roote into the ground And as possible it is for a man to make a tree as for a Minister to make a Christian and as possible to put sap into a dead blocke and to make it grow and flourish and bring forth fruit in aboundance as for a Minister to put into any the least drop of grace or to adde any whit vnto it where it is already wrought Thirdly the Lord wil haue the vertue of the Sacrament to be in his owne power to bestow where how he will that there might be a difference betweene Communicants to wit betweene the good and the bad If it were in mens hands to dispose and did consist in the deede done as ignorant Papists imagine men would bestow it promiscuously and wicked hypocrites should haue as good a share as those that are truly religious and the worst speed as well as the best for men cannot search the hearts of their people to see with what prepararation they come and there is that loue in them which is a thing commendable that they desire all might be faued If Moses could haue giuen euery man in Israel grace when he gaue them the Manna he would haue done it he that could haue bene content that his name should be razed out of the booke of life for their sakes would not haue stuck with them for such a matter If Abraham could haue circumcised Ismaels heart when he circumcised his flesh he should not haue bene excommunicated for his prophanenesse but God hath alwaies heretofore and doth still keep this power in his owne hand that so he may enrich with grace those whom he thinketh fittest and deale with euery one as he knoweth their hearts 1 Cor. 10. Moses was the Minister of Baptisme to those that passed through the red sea yet with many of them God was not pleased for onely those that are good in his sight shall taste of his good gifts And therefore Christ praieth not for the world but onely for those which he hath chosen out of the world Iohn 17. such as shall beleeue through the preaching of the Gospell that they may be partakers of the benefite of his ordinances First for instruction Vse 1 if euer we would speed well when we come to the Sacrament let vs make the Lord our friend sith the distribution of grace pertaineth to him alone let vs seeke it at his hand and not bring any sinne with vs which may offend his glorious presence which if we can do we may and must expect a blessing from him It is not the goodnesse of the Minister that can do it though it be a good comfort to haue a holy mans praier for vs it is as possible that a man should appoint where the raine shall fall as where grace shall fall and though it should be concluded by Parliament what daies it should raine and in what parts of the land it were of no force for God alone hath the ordering of the cloudes and so hath he also of the graces of his Spirit Secondly Vse 2 this maketh for the comfort of such as come preparedly vnto the table of the Lord with a true heart though burdened and wearied with many corruptions Christ hath praied that the Sacrament may be effectuall vnto them and therefore it shall be so and he hath praised God for giuing it vnto his people and therefore it shall not be in vaine neither their owne weaknesse nor the meanenesse of the Elements nor the imperfections of the Minister shall hinder the powerfull working of Gods ordinance But we are base creatures Obiect and the Minister is no better then he should be Indeed if Grace were to be fetched out of such dirty ditches as we are we could looke for little good Answer but God is a cleare fountaine and from his fulnesse shall we receiue grace vpon grace But alas neither we Obiect nor our Minister can pray so earnestly nor praise God so heartily when we communicate at the Lords table as God requires and we ought to do What of that Answer were not Christs praiers and praises such as must needes be pleasing to the Lord If they were as cannot be denyed let vs neuer be discouraged for

these imperfectiōs of ours for Christ was appointed to be an vniuersall Minister for all his elect in the perfection of his petitions thankesgiuing all the blemishes that are in ours shall be hidden and couered Thirdly this is for the reproofe of such prophane persons Vse 3 as come vnchearefully and heauily vnto this Sacrament and if the respect of their gouernour of the lawes and of their owne credite did not moue them they would altogether absent themselues from it these are wretched persons that make no more account of this singular pledge of Gods fauour Hath Christ prayed vnto his Father for a matter of no worth and giuen thanks vnto him for that which is of no estimation But let such vnbeleeuing and sinfull wretches go and as for vs let vs be assured for our comfort that when Christ became asuitor to his Father he was in such fauour with him that he obtained that which was worth the hauing and deserued praise thankesgiuing both from him and from all his people as that which should be a meanes of their euerlasting happinesse Verse 22. Take eate this is my body c. This is the commandement that our Sauiour giueth vnto the communicants to wit that they should take the bread and take his body eate corporally and eate spiritually receiue the signe and the thing signified the one as well as the other for so much doth the promise which is annexed This is my body imply As if he should haue said This bread broken before your eies doth plainly represent vnto you my body that is the whole manhood a part being put for the whole which is giuen for you and shall be broken for you that so you may haue a spiritual communion with me as there is a naturall vnion betwixt you and this bread which I giue vnto you and the like is to be vnderstood of the wine The words thus expounded according to the simple meaning thereof affoord vs this doctrine that Christ Iesus in the Lords Supper Doct. 7 by corporall foode doth giue vs a most sure possession of himselfe Our vnion with Christ by the Sacrament and neare vnion with himselfe The bread and wine are not onely pledges of what shall be bestowed on vs but effectual means to exhibite the things promised vnto vs and therefore Christ vseth these words Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 Luke 22.20 Take eate this is my body which is giuen for you which is broken for you and so of the wine Drinke ye all of it this is my bloud which is shed for you Now what can be nearer vnto vs then our meate and drinke We haue greater interest in nothing then in our foode for that is made a part of our selues If we eate meate in another mans house after we haue receiued it it is more ours then his that prepared it no one ioint is so neare another nor the soule so neare to the body as our foode is neare vs when once it is digested and turned into nourishment vnto vs which doth plainly represent vnto vs the neare coniunction that is betwixt Christ euery worthy receiuer Hence proceedeth that speech of the Apostle The cup of blessing which we blesse 1 Cor. 10.16 is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is do not these cause vs to haue an effectuall cōmunion with him in all his gracious merits Now if question should be made why Christ should make choise of bread to be a signe in this Sacrament rather then of any other more excellent and glorious creature The answer is Answer that he did it for diuerse reasons 1. Why GOD made choise of bread Because it was his will as it is said concerning the Gospel that it pleased him by the foolishnesse of preaching to sone them that beleeue There is besides his pleasure great wisedome in it because it is very fit to represēt that vnto vs for which it was ordianed it being substantiall foode and therefore called the staffe of mans life on which it doth as it were leane and whereby it is vpholden and besides this is for euery mans stomach and for euery ones state and may euery where be gotten And yet withall we must know that bread cannot fully expresse the efficacy of the spiritualll food Christ Iesus which we are to feed vpon for bread is earthly that food is heauenly bread preserueth the corporall life and that but for a time Christ not onely preserueth but giueth not a naturall but a supernaturall not a temporall but an eternall life Thirdly God made choyce of bread in respect of his owne glory that the weaker the meanes are the stronger his hand might appeare to be If we had bene to receiue gold or gemmes or precious stones our senses would haue bene more wrought on then our hearts and we should haue more regarded the signe then the thing signified the which inconueniences with other of the like kind the Lord by giuing vs bread hath preuented Seeing then that the bread as also the wine in the Lords Supper is of such excellent force and vse as to put vs in mind of Christs death and bloudshedding to testifie his vndoubted true and reall presence to euery faithfull communicant and to refresh and feede the soules of the worthy receiuers vnto eternall life in which regard they doe as farre surmount common bread and wine as the waxe wherewith a pardon or charter or any other euidence is sealed is of more worth then that which is to be sold in the trade mans shop Seeing I say that the bread is of such singular vse this maketh first Vse 1 for the confutation of the Papists which hold that after the words of consecration there remaineth no bread at all but that it is transubstantiated into the very body of Christ I●ndeed we graunt that as the bread so Christ his body is there offered and receiued by euery faithfull communicant but how nor corporally but spiritually not from the Ministres hand but from God hand not by sense but by faith And for the further clearning and confirming of this truth many reasons might be brought but I wil produce but onely some few The first is taken from the expresse words of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures who mentioneth bread after the words of consecration Reasons against transubstantiation saying the bread which we breake 1 Cor. 10.16 and againe He that eateth this bread c. I Corinthians 11.27.28 A second reason is this We receiue the same in substance which the Fathers did in the wildernesse I. Cor 10.1 for the Manna is there called spirituall meate and the rocke is said to be Christ now it is certaine that they did not corporally eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ because he had not then assumed our nature and our Sauiour denieth the Manna to bee the true bread