plaine and pregnant in this to show that the perfection of our righteousnes lyeth rather in the sight of our own manifolde vnrighteousnes to vrge vs to thirst after the making of vs righteous through the righteousnes of Christ Iesus thē in any finding at any time of any perfect inherent righteousnesse in our selues Wherefore these thinges considered I trust you will rather vse the meanes before laide before you by mee according to Gods worde to breede in you true hunger and thirst after Christ thē that you wil end any eare at al to these subtilties of Sathan to holde you there from such therefore hopping that by those meanes either God hath heretofore made you or at this present hath or wil let vs proceed The next thing beere to be considered of The commande ment which containes 2. things b. what it is to come vnto Christ is the commandementes here giuen by Christ vnto such as I haue spoken of and haue laboured to make all you wherein as I saide in the beginning he requireth of all such two thinges namely that they shoulde come vnto him and then drinke of him where by comming vnto him we haue not as Augustine hath noted in his 26. and 32 tractes vpon Iohn to vnderstand a comming vnto him by the feete of the bodie For so manie came vnto him touched him and througed him and yet were neuer the better Mat. 5.31 but a comming vnto him by the direction of the eies of the soule by the feete of sound knowledge of him what he is in person and what he is in office When this worde is vsed alone as Mat 11.28 in those wordes of his come vnto me all ye that be wearie and heauie laden and I will ease you then thereby doubtlesse we haue not onely to vnderstand thus much but that therby further is required of vs faith in him grounded vpon this our knowledge of him as vpon the foundation thereof But wher it is coupled with other wordes that either expresly or in effect call for faith as it is here then thus as I haue said it is to be taken as Iohn 6.40 compared with this place makes it euident For there insteed of comming vnto him he saith he that seeth the sonne not vnderstanding thereby the seeing of him with bodily eies but with spirituall and then he goeth on saying and beleeueth in him shall haue euerlasting life Wherefore vntill by the light of the gospell men haue so profited through the inward working of Gods holy spirite in them that they knowe and acknowledge Christ aright both in person and office they haue neither eies not feete in Christes sence here to come vnto him by or withall Pray we therefore for this light and the countenance thereof amongst vs. For certainely the naturall man perceiues not the thinges of God neither can he because they are spirituall 1. Cor. 2.11.14 c. But they that haue the light of the gospell shinning amongst them though before they sat in darknesse and in the shadowe of death yet if the faulte be not in them selues they may see a greate light and life is risen vp to them in this behalfe Mat. 4.16 Peter by this light directing him and shinning vnto him shewed that with these feet he was come to Christ Mathew 16.16 confessing Christ to be the sonne of the liuing God and therefore to his greate comforte and to encourage others so to come vnto him also Christ answered him and said Blessed arte thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloode hath not reuealled this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Mat 16.17 Surely we here in England Gods name be blessed for it haue had nowe this greate while the light clearely shining amongst vs to direct vs in our comming to Christ to make streight steps vnto our feet least that which is halting be turned out of the way as we are councelled Heb. 12 13. And yet I feare there is such bad and smale cōming to Christ sound amongst vs that he in respect of most of vs hath too too iust cause to say vnto vs as he did to the Iewes in his time This is the condēnation that light is come into the world men loue darknes better then light because their deeds are euil Io. 3.19 wher for we haue cause to thinke that also which in an other place he said vnto some of them euen to be spoken of vs all yet a little while is the light with you walke whiles ye haue light least the darknesse come vpon you for he that walketh in the darke knoweth not whither he goeth and therefore while ye haue light beleeue in the light that ye may be the children of the light Iohn 12.31.36 But that this his aduise and counsell may be in time and that effectually taken to heart and followed of vs in this case in walking aright vnto Christ by the direction of this light whiles it shines amongst vs we are seeing our owne vnablenesse other wise so to doe at all to be as it is to pray him according to his promise made to his disciples that he woulde also praie his father to bestow vpon vs euen the spirite of trueth to teach vs all thinges Iohn 14.16.17.26 and to leade vs vnto all truthe 16.13 For if euer we attaine by this light to the sound and perfect knowledge of Iesus Christ wherein euen the wisedome of God in a mysterie as Paule speaketh is contained 1. Cor 2.7 doubtlesse we shall haue cause with him to say further as he doth there also Ver 10.11 God then hath renealed it vnto vs by his spirite for that searcheth all things even the deep thinges of God For what man knoweth the thinges of a man saue the spirit of man which is in him euen so the thinges of God knoweth no man but the spirite of God Seeing then that Christ commaundeth vs here to come vnto him and to come vnto him is nothing else but according to the light of the gospell directing vs therein by his spirite to be enabled rightly to knowe him acknowledge and confesse him it stan deth vs vpon diligently to marke and to consider howe therein he is described and set forth vnto vs. Which if we doe we shall soone finde What Christ is in person that the summe and substance of all set before vs therein tendeth ether to set out what he is in person or in office let vs therefore before we proceed any further the better to teach vs and to enable vs to doe as Christ here biddeth vs a little consider what in these two respects it hath taught vs. Touching the former what he is in person therein thus much we may learne that whereas most certaine it is as our catholike saith teacheth vs and the whole course of the scriptures proueth that there is but one eternal true and almightie God the maker and gouenour of all the world and yet in the vnity of Godhead that there
though therein we shew neuer so much zeale and learning he hath the verie thing he desireth For that doubtlesse hath beene and is still a dangerous stratageme or pollicie of his when he findeth he cannot as he would preuaile by keeping men in ignorance and carelesse security then to doe what he can that they may spend their learning and zeale about matters of the least moment that in the meane time he may the more quietlie by their silence in matters of greatest weight by the other contrary way as it were paue the waie to Atheisme yea I feare much to speake plainely what I thinke that lacke of due consideration hereof in time in some hath not onelie beene one of the next causes of the phantasticall sectes of the Brownistes and Familistes but also of too shamefull encrease in so great light of the Gospell both of Papistes and Atheistes amongest vs. Wherefore my heartes desire and prayer to God for England is and euer shall be and for all the Churches of Christ wheresoeuer in the wide world that this subtiltie of Sathan may both heere and euerie where be throughlie well lookt vnto and the mischiefe thence ensuing be as carefully preuented as possiblie may be for otherwise it may growe intollerable and vncurable And J beseech the Lord heartilie to giue your Grace and all the rest of the reuerend Fathers the Bishops of this land and all others that be in authoritie with you in the same both skill and will power and might by the assistance of his holie spirite speedilie and effectuallie to cleanse and purge these Churches of England and Ireland so of all these foure kindes of dangerous aduersaries that without their stopping of vs at the first or seducing of vs afterward eyther of the right hand or of the left all the rest of vs as brethren and heires of the kingdom of heauen may both happilie get into this way thither and also most stedfastlie and constantlie perseuere therein euen vnto the verie end Thus presuming as you see of your Graces curteous and friendlie acceptance both of this my trauell in pointing out this waie and also of this my bold dedicating the same vnto you J will not cease to praie vnto God to requite and recompence seauen-folde into your bosome both this all your great and vndeserued former fauours towardes mee And thus beseeching him also long to preserue you in health and honour to his glorie the Churches good to your owne euerlasting comfort now euer crauing also pardon for this my boldnes and hoping therof I most humblie take my leaue From Blechlie in Buckingham shire 1596. Your Graces alwaies most readie and willing to be at your commandement Thomas Sparks The high way to Heauen Iohn 7. vers 37.38.39 Now in the last and great day of the feast Iesus stoode and cried saying if any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke He that beleeueth in mee as saith the scripture out of his belly shall flow riuers of waters of life This spake be of the spirit which they that beleeued in him should receiue For the holie Ghost was not yet giuen because that Iesus was not yet glorified IN these wordes welbeloued in our Lorde and Sauiour the holy Euangelist Saint Iohn hath set down the summe and effect of a famous sermon made by Christ himselfe the verie consideration whereof ought both to stirre vppe me to open the same the more reuerently and also to prooue you to listen thereunto the more religiously and attentiuely Herein The method the method that he hath followed and that therefore likewise I must is this First hee noteth certaine circumstances thereof then the substance of the sermon it selfe The circumstances hee expresseth in these wordes Nowe in the last and greate day of the feast Iesus stood and cryed saying and the sermon in the rest and that in this order First he noteth to whom he directed it and his speech therein saying that he beganne it thus If any man thirst then in the rest what it was that he spake vnto such Nowe the summe of his speeches as he hath heere recorded it consisted of two pointes first of a commaundement that he gaue to them to whome he spake and then of a promise that he made them obeying that commaundement of his The commaundement the Euangelist saith was this Let him come to me and drinke and the promise was this hee that beleeueth in mee as saith the scripture out of his belly shall flowe riuers of waters of life So that he commaunded two thinges first a comming vnto him and then a drinking of him and forasmuch as the promise was thus deliuered in a figuratiue and metaphoricall kinde of phrase the Euangelist directed by the spiritte of God of a care he had to leade men to the right vnderstanding of Christes meaning therein and to preserue them from mistaking of the same telleth vs plainely that by the riuers of waters of life that Christ spake of in this promise of his he vnderstoode the spiritte which they that beleeued in him shoulde receiue adding withall that that was not in such measure yet powred vppon such as it shoulde be afterward for that Iesus was not yet glorified for so his wordes the holie Ghost was not yet must be vnderstoode as I shall shewe The circūstances when I come vnto them Wherefore nowe to prosecute these thinges in order as they lie as they shall offer themselues vnto vs in the text First we haue to consider what he hath saide concerning the circircumstances of this sermon Touching which nowe in the last and greate daie of the feast Iesus stoode and cryed saith the Euangelist for the better vnderstanding of which wordes if we peruse the former part of this Chapter it will euidentlie appeare vnto vs that when Christ made this sermon he was at Hierusalem and in the temple there by occasion of the feast of tabernacles which then there they kept solemnized where and when the Iewes sought to take him and therfore purposely the pharisies and high priestes sent officers thither and that to the end that so he being taken they might kill him whereof Christ was not ignorant For there before this at this verie feast teaching openly out of the scriptures to the astonishment of all his enemies that heard him he saith slatly vnto them vers 19. Why goe yee about to kill me Nowe the last day of this feast as we may see Leuit. 23. vers 36 was the eight day when by Gods ordināce they were to haue an holie conuocation and a solemne assemblie vpon which daie Iesus stoode vp and made this sermon with a lowde and crying voyce that so the better he might be hearde throughout that great assemblie and concourse of people All these thinges therefore laid together shew vs plainely thus much that Iesus was the preacher of the sermon and where when and in what manner it was preached by him namely that it
was preached at Hierusalem euen in the temple at and in the feast of tabernacles and vpon the last and most solemne day therof and that in the middest of most bloody and malitious enemies most confidently stoutly and boldly for he vttered it standing and crying thereby shewing that he was neither afraide to be heard nor seene yea thereby making it most manifest that he desired nothing more then that they shoulde thorowly both see and knowe his person and vnderstand and beleeue his doctrine And yet for all this howe desirous soeuer his enemies were then to haue taken him yet no man had power to lay handes on him as it is noted Verse 44. yea they that were sent to that ende returned and gaue this reason of their not touching him that neuer man spake as he did vers 46. The noting thus of these circumstances by the Euangelist wee must not thinke was needlesse but to very good purpose yea we ought alwaies to assure our selues howsoeuer in humane writings and speeches there may often be found many idle and superfluous wordes that it is neuor so in the Canonicall scriptures For they beeing as they are all enspired of God 2. Tim. 3. vers 16 and the holy writers thereof speaking and writing therein onely as they were mooued by the holie Ghost as Peter testifieth of them 2. Pet. vers 21. we may be sure they haue not vttered or set downe any word in vaine therein And if we doe but a little weigh and consider of those circumstances thus set downe heere by saint Iohn how sleight soeuer the vse thereof seeme to vs at the first we shall soone perceiue that there is both much and very good vse to be made thereof For first notwithstanding the corruptions of those times in that Christ would come to Hierusalem to the feast of tabernacles we may learne not onely Christes obedience to Gods ceremoniall lawe as then yet standing in force and not abrogated to teach vs alwaies to be obedient to his perpetuall lawes But also that it is not lawfull scismaticallie as Anabaptistes Brownistes and they of the familie of loue and others doe to shunne publike assemblies and the exercises of true religion therein for euery small corruption and superstitious fashion either but seeming to such so to bee or indeede which are so to be found therein Because that then both in the priestes and in their additions and detractions from the lawe of God the corruptions were many grosse and euident as the Euangelistes and stories of those times make it most manifest and yet as we may see by this Christ shunned not the temple and their assemblies there And in that Christ there among the greatest and spitefullest enemies that he had preached and taught thus boldlie Further there by his example he hath giuen vs to learne that hauing a lawfull calling and a good cause as he had neither daungerousnesse of the time place or persons that we hau◠to deale withall ought to make vs shrink from execution and vrging of the same His choise of this day rather then an other to make this sermon in his standing to vtter it and his vttering it crying argue that he had a care and an earnest desire that it both might be heard of as manie as might bee and also be well vnderstoode and caryed awaye for then was it likelie the audience was the greatest and that which they hearde last as Chrisostome verie well obserueth vppon this place in his fiftith Homilie of Sainte Iohn especiallie vttered in this sorte was also likelie best to be regarded and marked of them which may verie well teach vs in all our actions and deedes both wiselie to make a choise of our time to doe them when there is most likelihood to doe good thereby to most and also in the businesse of the Lord to deale faithfully and confidentlie and in no case boldlie but zealously and earnestly And the better to encourage vs therein to followe our Lorde and Sauiour it is worthie the noting that for all his thus dealing and the set purpose of his enemies then to take him that yet he departed thence safe without any trouble for vntill the time appointed of our heauenly father be come wee may see by this we may and shall safely proceed on in the discharging the dueties of our vocation what dangers soeuer otherwise in the meane time seeme to lie in the way to stop vs or to cut vs off And lastly this earnestnesse of Christ about the deliuerie of this doctrine shewed both in his standing and vttering of it crying may teach vs that he saw of the one side the matter was worth the hearing of the other side that there was in his hearers such dulnesse notwithstāding to listen as they should thereunto that al this would be little inough the consideration whereof ought to mooue you that be hearers to rowse vp your spirittes to listen thereunto more attentiuely and straightlie it vrgeth me to be as earnest and vehement as I can in the opening the same vnto you and so consequentlie may and ought to stand in steade of a most forcible place both to me and you to bid vs both in speaking and hearing hereof euerie way to behaue our selues righteously Wherefore thus by these circumstances and the vse thereof we being I hope prepared to doe let vs now go on as it followeth Yf any man thirst saith Christ To whom he spake whereby it appeareth that he directeth his speech although to al that thirsted without exception whatsoeuer they had beene before yet to none but to such for he knewe well inough that none but such would eyther regarde his commaundement or had any right vnto or portion in the promise that he mēt to make In the very same sense saith Esay in the person of God Cap. 55.1 Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. and the same prophet Cap. 44. verse 2. 3. bringeth in the Lord saying Feare not ô Iacob my seruant and thou righteous whom I haue chosen for I will powre water vpon the thirstie and floudes vpon the drie ground c. Likewise of the same kind of men spake Christ Math. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be filled And in the chapter going before this whence I haue my text where Christ teacheth that He is the bread of life and that his flesh is meate indeed and his bloode drinke indeede he sayeth hee that commeth vnto him shall neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in him shal neuer thirst vers 35. By all which places laid together we may see that it is an vsuall thing with the Lord by thirstinesse to describe them to whome with any hope to doe good he speaketh and to whome he vseth to make his gracious promises and that though sometimes he name thirstinesse onely that yet he sometimes also requireth both hunger and thirst expressely thereby teaching vs that
natures together to the constitution of a man as they doe though infinitely it come short of the reaching to the excellencie of this mysterie that we now speake of may truely be said in diuerse respectes to be a heauenly creature and an earthly mortall and immortall heauenly and immortall in respect of his soule and earthlie mortall in regard of his bodie and diuerse thinges that are proper to the bodie are yet saide of the soule and contrarie they which are speciall to the soule are affirmed of the bodie as for example we say somtimes the soule of man awaketh or sleepeth which are properly saide of the bodie and we say the bodie heareth seeth or vnderstandeth when as in deede the body can doe none of these but by the soule and yet as wee thinke they destroy the nature of man that eyther for the vnion or coupling of these two together to make a man or for any of these phrases woulde eyther turne the one of these into the other confounde one of these with the other or inuest the one nature reallie with the properties that be speciall and peculiar vnto the other so holde we it most firmely in this case that it is plainely hereticall to doe the like These things therfore thus weied and considered we haue iust cause to say and thinke with the Apostle That great is the mysterie of Godlines namely euen this that God is manifested in the flesh and yet iustifyed in the spirit seene of Angels preached vnto gentiles beleeued on in the worlde and receiued vp into glorie 1. Tim. 3.16 And by these thinges we may so clearely see our Christ in person to be verie God and verie man and yet for all that but one person as that both with the Apostle Paul we may call him The mightie and blessed God for euer 2. Tim. 2.13 and the man Christ Iesus 1.2.5 and yet still speake of him as but of the one person as hee doth in both these places And to conclude this pointe heereby also euen sufficientlie we may see and heare all the heretiques and their heresies confuted that euer yet haue sette themselues against anie pointe or parte of the trueth of this doctrine of his person For heereby againste Ebion Cerinthus and Photinus denying his Godheade that hath beene a duouched and against Marcion confessing that and denying the truth of his manhoode that hath beene likewise plainely prooued and consequently Arrius that held rightly of neyther affirming that in respect of the one he was but a created spirit and in regard of the other a bodie onely without any other soule then his created Godhead and Apollinaris that denied that he had the minde or reasonable soule of a man howsoeuer he granted him the sensitiue and growing soule are confounded also especially remembring further that Christ himselfe as plainely to teach them by his wordes that he had a verie soule of a man as by experience they sawe and found he had the very body of a man said not onely that his soule was heauy vnto death Math. 26.38 but dying as Luke reporteth 23.46 cryed with a lowde voyce Father into thy handes I commend my spirit And Nestorius that helde the two natures in him only to be vnited by consociation and assistance and that therefore he had stil a Godhead and a manhood not onely distinct in their natures but also so that in him the sonne of God was one and the sonne of the virgin an other as he was condemned in the counsel of Ephesus for one that was led by the spirit of Antichrist for his so loosing or dissoluing of Iesus so hath the Apostle directly confuted him in this place to the Phillipians and Iohn also as I haue shewed in setting downe plainely that he that was in the forme of God whome Iohn called the worde so tooke vnto himselfe the forme of a seruant that he was made very man or flesh Eutiches also who to ouerthrowe Nestorius taught that the two naturs are so vnited after the incarnation that howsoeuer they were two before after they are but one cannot stand with the apparant distinction that Paule hath made betwixt the assumer and assumed nature both before in and after the assuming of the one by the other vnto himselfe And whereas if this opinion of his were true it should thereupon follow that then eyther the Godhead shoulde be turned into the manhoode or the manhoode into the Godhead for that of the commixtion of both a third thing should growe Euerie one of these absurd consequentes Paule hath refelled also by teaching vs both to remayne without eyther turning of the one into the other or confounding one of them by anie commixtion or otherwise one with an other as we haue hearde And consequentlie heereby both the Lutherans and Papistes who for the maintenance of their grosse reall presence and mouth eating of Christ both God and man doe most eagerlie striue and contende to entitle the manhoode of Christ with the peculiar properties of the Godheade as to be muisible incircumscriptible c. are most plainly prooued to teach heerein hereticall and damned doctrine for that thus confounding the properties with Eutiches in deede and trueth they confounde the natures themselues and therefore let them as they may iustly take the condemnation of Eutiches in the councell of Calcedon to bee also directly their condemnation Vnder this same condemnation come the heretiques 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called because Eutiches being condemned they durst not say whom they followed though with him they hold but one nature after the incarnation to remaine and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thought the diuine nature was turned into the humaine and that therfore they might say that it suffered and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also which holding that there was nothing lefte but the diuine nature and that the other was absorpte of that yet helde that that nature was ignoraunte of manie thinges and the Aphterdoxitae who helde that the humaine nature was impassible for the coniunxion that it had with the diuine and also the Monothelites who therefore taught that there was but onelie will in the person of Christ For all these stumbled and fell with Eutiches in vrging so the vnion of the two natures that they in effecte one waie or other ere they had done eyther by confounding the natures or the properties left but one in effecte Let vs therefore whatsoeuer heretiques eyther olde or newe haue thought or doe or shall thinke to the contrarie moste constantlie holde this as the verie rocke and foundation whereupon if we bee builte and stande faste the verie gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs that Christe Iesus in person is verie GOD the seconde person in the trinitie and also verie man the sonne of the blessed virgine Marie and therefore that both these two are so personally vnited in him that he is one person and that without any conuersion of the one nature into
worthily kept backe and that all such alwayes after should a moneth after the rest eate the Passcouer and not before that in the mean time they might purifie themselues Likewise Leuit. 7.20 the Lord saith If any doe eate of the flesh of the Peace offerings that appertaine vnto the Lord hauing his vncleannes vpon him the same person shal be cut off from his people And therefore the godly priest Iehoiada had such a care that these lawes should be obscrued that to his commendation for euer it is recorded of him 2. Chro. 23.19 that he set Porters by the gates of the house of the Lord that none that was vncleane in any thing should enter in And when this is not done the Lord complaineth saying VVho is there among you that would shut the dores c. Mal. 10. Seing then here by it is euident that in the olde Testament God was thus carefull to haue none vnfit admitted to the Sacramentes thereof we may be well assured that he hath as greate care for the Sacraments of the new Our warraÌ„t to admit childreÌ„ to the other is that they be borne and descended of such parentes as professe faith in Christ and therfore to whome and their seede God hath made Couenant to be their God and the other reasons before alleadged to that purpose incourage vs withall to the same but in that Saint Paule as we heard already woulde haue euery one before he eate of this bread and drinke of this cup in this Sacrament to trie examine and iudge himselfe we may plainely learne that none but such as haue discretion and knowledge so to doe and so doe indeede are fit to be admitted to this Most christianly therefore it is prouided that none shoulde presume heere in England to present himselfe to the Lordes table before notice thereof giuen to his minister that he may try whether he can answer his Catethisme or otherwise if he know him to be out of charitie or guiltie of any notorious crime he may put him off vntill he can answere it and vntill he haue satisfied the congregation by the testifying of his repentance and be reconciled vnto the partie whom he hath wronged And not without great and vrgent cause is Christostome so earnest as we may read he was in his 83. Homilie vpon Mathew to perswade the ministers of his time in no case willingly to admit any wicked person to this table willing them that if they durst not or coulde not keepe backe such to tell him for he would die rather then he woulde admit eyther Consull Duke or King for any feare that he knew to be vnfit I would to God therfore that generally all we of the Ministerie would take better care of this then hitherto too many of vs haue done Otherwise doubtlesse we shall not onely before the Lord be guiltie of the monstrous sinne of prophaning his holy misteries in prostituting of them to prophane and filthie persons but also both to the peril of our owne soules and our peoples we shall willingly or carelesly and negligently at the least let them runne apparantly to eate and drinke their owne damnation whose saluation we are bounde to tender and to further what we may as our owne And therefore that complainte of the Lordes vsed in the like case Mal. 1.6.7 will he take vp and vrge against vs saying vnto all such carelesse and negligent ministers O Priestes that despise my name and ye say wherein ye offer vncleane breade vpon mine aultar and ye say wherein haue we polluted thee In that yee say the table of the Lorde is not to be regarded Which after he prooues indeede and effect they did whatsoeuer their wordes were in that contrarie to the lawe they offered the blinde lame and sicke for sacrifice For into this verie fault we runne when we admit as too commonly we doe vnto the receiuing of this Sacrament any whome we before knowe not to be fit both for knowledge and life to receiue the same worthilie Howsoeuer welbeloued let the nature and vse of this Sacrament perswade you that be the people in no case to offer your selues vnto this Sacrament before you finde in your selues an heartie hunger and thirst after Christ Iesus therin offered vnto you as you haue heard and so true repentance for your sinnes past and then a liuely faith grounded vpon Gods promises in him and lastly both these testified vnto your owne soules and consciences by the true fruits of both dying euerie day more and more to sinne and liuing to righteousnesse to be without all hypocrisie and dissimulation For of these quarters and partes must the wedding garment be made which he must bring with him and haue vpon his backe that when the maister of this feast comes in to view his guestes would be approued of him Otherwise let him come neuer so readily with the other guestes heerewith apparrelled indeede and then handle the matter neuer so cunningly to cause all them to take him to be as worthy a guest as any of themselues yet when this suruey your comes that searches the hearts and reynes he shall quickly be confounded and not able to answere one word for his defence in coÌ„ming so irreuerently so shall heare that fearfull sentence which will he nill he he must vndergoe pronounced on him Take him and binde him hande and foote and let him haue his place in vtter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 22.12.13 O therefore deare brethren before we come bither let vs deuoutly religiously and reuerently consider who we are who it is that hath called vs whither we are called before whom we shall appeare and to what end that if not these single yet these ioyntly and together may moue vs to come in that worthy sort that is meete If we had but to intertaine our Landlord a man of worship or noble man we would haue a care to put on our best apparell to decke cur houses in the best manner and in any case to prouide that no fluttish corner be found therein where he should come to offend him or when we are in his presence that any irreuerent or vnseemely worde or deede should passe from vs how much more ought we to haue this care heere where by our comming we make a shew that we meane to intertaine and receiue in Christ Iesus himselfe our Lorde and Sauiour for euer to dwell in vs that all thinges within vs then be prepared accordingly Saint Paule hath tolde vs and we may trust him that we may not take the meÌ„bers of Christ and make them the members of of an harlotâ— 1. Cor. 6.15 that we cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of Deuils be partakers of the table of the Lord and the table of Deâ—iâ— 1. Cor. 10.20 and that as righteousnesse hath no fellowship with vnrighteousnesse or light with darknesse so Christ hath no concord with Beliall or the vnbeleeuer part with the beleeuer 2. Cor. 6.14.15