night for the staine of the daughter of my people Oh that I had in the wildernes a cottage of wayfaring men that I might leaue my people and go from them for they be all adulterers and an assemblie of rebels and they bend their tongues like their bowes for lies but they haue no courage for the truth vpon the earth for they proceed from euill to worse and they haue not knowne mee saith the lord Let euerie one take heede of his neighbour and trust you not in any brother for euery brother will vse deceit and euerie friend will deale deceitfully and euery one will deceiue his frend and will not speake the truth for they haue taught their tongues to speake lies and take great paines to do wickedly Thine habitation is in the midst of deceiuers because of their deceite they refuse to know me saith the lord Therefore thus saith the lorde of hostes behold I will melt them try them for what shall I else doe for the daughter of my people their tongue is an arrowe shot out and speaketh deceipt one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but his hart he layeth waite for him Shall I not visit them for these things saith the lord or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hostes the God of Israel behold I will feede this people with wormewood and giue them waters of gall to drinke for death is come vp into our windowes and is entred into our palaces to destroy the children without and the yong men in the streetes Speake thus saith the lord the carkases of men shall lie euen as the dung vpon the field and as the handfull after the mower and none shall gather them Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisedom nor the strong maÌ„ glory in his strength nether the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstaÌ„deth and knoweth me for I am the Lord which shew mercie iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord learne not the way of the heathen be not afraid for the signes of heauen though the heathen be afraid of such Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge for the pastors are become beasts and haue not sought the lord therfore haue they no vnderstanding and all the flocks of their pastures are scattered O Lord I know that the way of maÌ„ is not in him selfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps O Lord correct me but with iudgement not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing power out thy wrath vpon the heathen that know thee not and vpon the families that call not vpoÌ„ thy name let me see thy vengeance on them for vnto thee haue I opened my cause O lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let me talke with thee of thy iudgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Thou hast planted them and they haue taken roote they grow and bring forth fruit thou art neare in their mouth farre from their reines O lord thou hast ordeined them for iudgement and O GOD thou hast established them for correction Giue glory to the lord your God before hee bring draknes and or euer your feete stumble in the darke mountains and whiles you looke for light he turneth it into the shadowe of death and make it as darkenes But if you will not heare this my soule shall weepe in secret for your pride mine eie shall weepe and drop downe teares for the crowne of your glorie shal come downe froÌ„ your heads O lord though our iniquities testifie against vs deale with vs according to thy name for our rebellions are many we haue sinned against the. O the hope of Israel the sauiour thereof in the time of trouble why art thou as a stranger in the land as one that passeth by to tarry for a night why art thou as a man astonied as a stroÌ„g man that cannot helpe yet art thou O lord in the middest of vs thy name is called vpon vs O forsake vs not Thus saith the lord vnto this people thus haue they delighted to wander they haue not refrained their feete Therfore hath the lord no delight in them but he will now remember their iniquitie and visit their sinnes when they fast I will not heare their cries I will not accept them but I will consume them by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence Wee acknowledge O lord our wickednes and the iniquitie of our fathers for wee haue sinned against thee do not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy glory remember and breake not thy couenant with vs. Are there any among the vanities of the gentiles that can giue raine or can the heauens giue showers is it not thou O lord our God Therefore will we waite vpon thee for thou hast made all these things Then said the lord vnto me though Moises and Samuel stoode before me yet mine affection could not be towards this people Cast them out of my sight and let them depart and if they say vnto thee whither shall wee depart then tell them thus saith the lord such as are apointed to death vnto death such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for famine to the famine such as are for the captiuitie to the captiuitie and I will appoint ouer them foure kindes saith the Lord the sword to slay and the dogs to teare in pieces and the fowles of the heauen and the beasts of the earth to deuoure and to destroy Thou hast forsaken me saith the lord and gone backward therfore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee for I am wearie with repenting Thy substance and thy treasures will I giue to be spoiled without gaine and that for all thy sinnes euen in all thy borders Behold saith the lord I will send out many fishers and they shall fish them and after I will send out many hunters and they shall hunt them from euerie mountaine and from euery hill out of the caues of the rocks for mine eies are vppon all their waies they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquitie hid from mine eies And first I will recompence their iniquitie their sinne double because they haue defiled my land and haue filled my inheritance with their filâ—hy carrions and their abhominations Thus saith the lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdâ—aweth his heart from the lord for he shall be like the heath in the wildernes shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernes in a salt land and not inhabited Blessed is
and 3. verse and 5. of the 2. to the Corinth and 21. verse God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sinne in the flesh For hee made him to bee sinne for vs which knew no sinne that wee should bee made the righteousnes of GOD in him By which words the Apostle meaneth not that the holy bodie of Christ was defiled with any the sinnes of mankinde but that he was the true sacrifice propitiatorie vnto God for the sinnes of mankinde hauing borne away and taken vpon himselfe all their sinnes in his own reall naturall bodie flesh and bloud as if he himselfe were the particular persō of euerie of them and had committed their seuerall sinnes and as though hee himself were the selfe same bodily person flesh and bloud in essence and substance nature quality of euery of the faithfull being sinners transgressers of the Law of God guilty of the wrath iudgement eternall damnation curse of God from which punishments our Sauiour Christ hath acquitted euery of them by his death passion suffering and all that haue or shall hereafter truly beleeue in him By which their faith through the working of the holy ghost as Christ is apprehended and conuerted into them hath borne a way their sinnes vpon himselfe and the punishment due for the same so are they also and euerie of them conuerted into Christ and are made partakers of the righteousnes of God in him according as before hath been remembred wherin the infinite iustice mercy of God most liuely appeareth to the eies vnderstanding taste and feeling of all the faithfull infinite in iustice for that no satisfaction could or can satisfie the iustice of God for the recompence or redemption of the least sinne in mankind but that the same must bee fully punished for the satisfaction of Gods infinit iustice in the true reall naturall flesh of man which satisfaction our Sauiour Christ made for mankinde who came downe from heauen and was made man of the substance of his mother that in the fraile flesh of mankinde hee might take vpon himselfe and suffer all the punishment due vnto sinners that as manie as beleeued or should to the end of the world beleeue in him might not perish but haue euerlasting life For christ in the power of his diuine nature to which hee ioyned our flesh suffered the wrath curse punishment of God due for sinne which no mortall creature beeing only man was or could bee able to beare or ouercome for which cause the sonne of God made himselfe flesh to the end that according to gods infinit iustice the sinnes of the faithfull might be borne away and fully punished in his flesh wherein his infinite Iustice did most brightly shine apeare His infinite mercie herein appeareth that where the sinnes of the faithfull be fully punished through the sufferings of Iesus Christ for the satisfaction of Gods iustice it appeareth plainly vnto them that they are freely forgiuen pardoned because in them as in their owne persons their sinnes are not nor shall euer be punished nor any satisfaction made or to be made vnto GOD by themselues Christ hauing borne the wrath and full punishment of God due vnto them for sinne and quite freed discharged them so that neither their sinnes shall be laid to their charge nor any punishment nor purgation due for the same required at their hāds Which plainly setteth forth and declareth vnto all the faithfull Gods infinite and vnspeakeable mercie whereof this sacramēt communion of his precious bodie bloud is a plain declaration resēblance perfect seale of assurance vnto all the faithful But the Church of Rome with her followers as by the Doctrine of transubstantiation they do denie the truth of the manhood of the sonne of God so by the same doctrine they denie also and abolish the truth of the Sacrament and the end of the institution of the same which was to put the faithfull in mind of the great loue of God and sufferings of Christ for thē for so saith the Apostle You shall shew the Lords death till hee come It serueth also to put them in mind of all the benifits receiued by his precious body and bloud who gaue his body to bee broken and his bloud to bee shed for their sinnes and by this holy sacrament giueth to all true beleeuers his reall naturall flesh and bloud to bee their spirituall meate drinke to preserue and nourish their bodies and soules vnto life euerlasting and to declare testifie and assure vnto them their vnion that they haue with him as members making one body distributing vnto all and euery member the spirituall graces and vertues of his most excellent reall naturall holy body which spirituall and immortall foode of their bodies and soules is receiued from their head Iesus Christ who distributeth and sendeth it downe to the nourishment of all his members euen as the foode of this mortall life is receiued by meanes of the head and sent downe to the nourishmēt of all our earthly members whereof these outward elements are a full declaration and a perfect seale of assurance to all the faithfull being by the institution of God made a holy sacrament to represent the same vnto them and by his holy ordinance appointed to carrie the very name of his body which is signified by these elements offered vnto all and giuen to the true beleeuers wherein God of his infinite goodnes and mercy applieth himselfe to the dulnes of the capacities of his children who without these outward pledges being signes tokens and remembrances of his great mercy would neuer haue conceiued and would haue beene ready also to forget the infinite benefits mercies of God purchased for them by the death and passion of his beloued sonne which God in his excellent wisedome hath so liuely declared and set forth in these Sacramentall elements because the reall naturall bodily presence of Christ did not so plainely make the same knowne and and open to the vnderstanding of his disciples and the Church For which cause our Sauiour did institute command and celebrate this holy Sacrament whiles hee was yet bodily present amongst his disciples both for that his bodily presence was not long to continue but to depart away from them whereof this Sacrament was to keepe a remembrance amongst them as also of all the benefits receiued and to be receiued by all and euery of the faithfull by his most precious bodie bloud giuen vp to bee crucified broken and shed for their sinnes whereof these sacramentall elements did and would make a more liuely declaration to the senses and vnderstanding of his Disciples and the Church through the grace of his holy spirit working in euery of their hearts then by his bodily presence they were able to conceiue For which cause it pleased our Sauiour to giue to this Sacrament the name of his bodie because in this Sacrament the
true reall and naturall holy body of Christ is offered to all giuen to the true beleuers receiued of them by a true and liuely faith with praise and thanksgiuing as before hath beene remembred Of which true real natural holy body the wicked and vnbeleeuers are not nor cannot bee partakers either worthily or vnworthily as thâ— church of Rome imagineth by their doctrine of Transubstantiation or as the Lutherans imagine by their doctrine of CoÌ„substantiation but comming to this holy Sacrament without true faith they receiue the same sacrament vnworthily whereby they eate and drinke their owne damnation as the Apostle saith in the 11. to the Corin. ver 29. He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his own damnation because he discerneth not the Lords body but reiecteth despiseth the same by receiuing the holy SacrameÌ„t vnworthily without true faith For wheÌ„ they presume to receiue the holy SacrameÌ„t without a true faith to be thereby made partakers of the true natural holy body and bloud of Christ they receiue as Augustine saith by their vnworthy receiuing the holy Sacrament without true faith the bread of the Lord but not together by and with the same the bread the Lord that is they receiue the Sacrament but not that which is signified declared offered vnto all and giuen through the worke of the holy Ghost by and with the Sacrament vnto all the true beleeuers and seeing the wicked vnbeleeuers haue wilfully put from them reiected and despised that which they might haue receiued if they had come with true faith they doe worthily eate drinke iudgement to themselues as the Apostle saith for not discerning the body of the Lord. Wherby it doth also most euideÌ„tly appeare that there is neither consubstantiation nor transubstantiation in the Sacrament for seing the wicked eate drinke iudgement to themselues by their vnworthy receiuing the holy Sacrament it must therefore needs follow that they are thereby no partakers of the true naturall bodie bloud of Christ of which whosoeuer eateth or drinketh receiue life and not death for the true natural body of Christ is not iudgemeÌ„t to any but life vnto all that receiue it therefore that which the wicked eate and drinke is not the body of Christ neither by transubstantiation nor consubstantiation but the Sacrament of his body as Augustine saith by receiuing wherof vnworthily they eate drinke iudgement for the reasons and causes before remembred For the auoyding of which fearefull and intolerable punishment it is necessarie to shew somewhat of the preparation requisite to be made by euery Christian man both before and at his presenting himselfe to this holy table of the Lord. Before the receiuing then of the blessed Sacrament euery true Christian man ought thus to consider with himselfe First by a sound knowledge and good discretion to meditate and imprint deeply in his heart what hee doth either refuse or receiue when he presenteth himselfe at the Communion and holy table of the Lord what he himselfe is that doth receiue The thing hee doth refuse or receiue in by and with this holy Sacrament if hee come with a true and right faith or refuse if he come not so is Iesus Christ perfect God that made all things of nought and perfect man that died for man-kind on the Crosse Hee that receiues must remember and know himselfe to bee a man and not a beast and therefore must present himselfe to this Sacrament like a man in whom the image of God is renued through the worke grace of the holy Ghost all malice and beastlines of sin being subdued and not suffered to raigne and in stead thereof true faith and godlinesse though not perfect which is reserued to the life to come being firmely grounded and planted lest if he come like a beast in vnfaithfulnes and vnholines hee be found an vnworthy partaker of this blessed Sacrament by which meanes he doth not receiue but refuse and put from him the precious body and bloud of the sonne of God to his owne iust and eternall damnation Secondly he must not presume to come but with great deuotion dread and reuerence of heart for seing Iesus Christ who offereth himselfe to bee receiued is holy and all holines he must labour diligenly to receiue him in as much deuotion holines as hee may earnestly confessing and bewailing his former sinnes and wickednes and making earnest and heartie prayers vnto God for pardon and forgiuenes of the same It behoueth him therfore in all humblenes and lowlines of heart before hee receiue this blessed Sacrament to examine search diligently his owne heart and conscience confessing before God in the secret of his heart the miseries of all his sinnes and offences hauing displeasure and greefe at himselfe with deepe sighings sorrowings for all the vncleanes of his body soule lamenting and bewailing that hee is yet so carnall so worldly so wilfull vnmortified in all his passions so full of motions of concupiscences of his sinfull flesh so vnwary ill ordered in all his words and deeds and so encumbred with vaine fancies so much enclined to outward worldly things so negligent and careles to the attainement of spirituall and heaueÌ„ly things so readie to laughing and wantounesse so busie in things easie and pleasing to the flesh so slow and hardly drawne to hartie sorrow and earnest repentance for his sinnes and offences or to any care of his soules health being so quick and curious to heare and see the vanities and pleasures of this world so niggardly and scarce to giue so greedie and couetous to scrape together hold and keepe so rude and vnmannured so prodigal rioâ—ous and gâ—â—ttenous in â—aiment meate and drinke without all hunger desire or thirst to the word of God the precious clothing and foode of the soule so attentiue to toyes and fables so sleepie to all holy exercise so lightly displeased and rigorous to reproue other mens faults so deafe blind froward to heare see or amend his owne faults so glad in prosperitie so feeble in aduersitie so oft purposing many good things so seldome bringing any of theÌ„ to effect all which defaults and manie other which he seeth and beholdeth in himselfe when hee hath with great sorrow and displeasure at himselfe for his owne frailenes in his secret heart confessed and bewailed vnto God let him theÌ„ in a full purpose through the grace of God set himselfe to amend his sinfull life past and to profit alway from better to better and with great reuerence of heart let him bee afraid as of himselfe knowing his owne wretchednes and vnworthines to approach and come neere so worthy a Lord as Christ is For if a man defiled with filthines stinke be vnworthy to stand in the presence of a king how much more vnworthie is any man as of himselfe to receiue Christ in the precious Sacrament For why all our good deeds are but as vncleannes in his
euerlasting life through the merits of thy percious death and passion And thus must wee that are sicke in sinne receiue this healthfull medicine of the holy Sacrament the body and bloud of Christ and when we feele through it any comfort to our soules let vs ascribe that comfort not to our selues but to the goodnes of God which so comforteth and refresheth our soules by feeding vs with his own flesh and bloud of his own great mercy grace let vs thus thinke with our selues loe thus doth our Lord vnto vs to shew vs our wretchednes and miseries wherein we lie intaÌ„gled vnles we be loosed by him and to ouercome our wickednes with the plentie of his goodnes for he maketh vs that are dead in sinne to feele life and being rotten and stincking wormes to tast heauenly sweetnes O Lord God sith thou art so mercifull to vs that now liue in sinne as to feed vs with the heauenly bread of thy owne flesh and bloud in this holy sacrament by which foode through the working of the holy Ghost wee are nourished and cherished in body and soule vnto life euerlasting let our hearts from henceforth in this most cherefully reioyce that our God our spouse and our loue is made vnto vs our spirituall meate and drinke to strengthen our bodies and soules that wee may grow vp to life euerlasting the blisle of Saints the ioy of Angels the sonne of the highest father maketh himselfe our spirituall nourishing the light of the world the sonne of righteousnes the wisedome of God is made the foode of our soule the redeemer of man the brightnes of heauen the matter of all mirth and the Lord of ioy vouchsafeth for to feed vs with himselfe what kindnes what courtesie what tokeÌ„ of loue might bee more Wherefore since wee haue him let vs not from henceforth suffer our hearts to delight in any creature for it were a great vnkindnes and vile wretchednes of vs after the receiuing of so worthy a meate so precious and sweete as it is to sâ—ttle our selues to the liking and iust againe of the world and of the flesh Keepe vs therefore sweet Iesus from such wretchednes and vnkindnes and be thou our meate and our foode our lust and our liking and make vs continually to hunger after thee and to feede on thee with greedie desire for thy sweetnes sufficeth vnto all the world why vouchsafest thou merciful Lord to feed vs with this heauenly bread and with this so precious foode of thine owne flesh and bloud what seest thou in vs or what findest thou in vs or what profit shalt thou haue of vs surely none but thy great loue constraineth thee to doe thus vnto vs since therefore thou which art the soueraigne goodnes the whitenesse of endles light and mirror without spot vouchsafest thus louingly to come to vs to dwell in vs and to feede vs how is it that wee stincking wretches desire not most earnestly to welcome thee deuoutly to receiue thee it is great shame to vs but Lord we beseech thee to take away our shame and to make vs to ameÌ„d Giue vs daily this heaueÌ„ly bread make vs daily to receiue the precious body bloud of thy son our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ either ghostly or both ghostly and sacramentally through a true liuely vnfained faith so that thou maist continually be with vs and we with thee for thou hast so limed vs with thy loue and so glewed vs with thy grace that we may not depart from thee grant therefore thy grace that Christ in vs and wee in Christ may dwell perpetually and that we may worthily beare this name sith of Christ wee are called Christen By this which hath been shewed it appeareth how Christs reall naturall holy flesh and bloud is receiued in by and with the SacrameÌ„t wherin as hath beene also shewed there is not any consubstantiation nor transubstantiation It hath beene shewed also what preparation must bee vsed that wee receiue not this holy Sacrament vnworthily whereby Christ is refused and cleane shut out from vs and wee refused and cleane shut out from him to the eternal damnation of our owne soules From which danger God of his great mercy deliuer vs and giue vs grace that wee may at all times be made thankfull and worthy receiuers to the praise of his name and the attainement of euerlasting life through his onely sonne our Lord Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour glory and praise now and for euer Amen LAMENTATIONS mournings and woes pronounced by the Prophet Isaiah against impenitent sinners HEare O heauens and harken Esay against impenitent sinners cap. 1. O earth for the Lord hath said I haue nourished and brought vp childreÌ„ but they haue rebelled against me A sinfull nation a people laden with iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children They haue forsaken the Lord and prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger They are gone backward for they fall away more and more The whole head is sicke and the whole heart is heauie from the soule of the foote vnto the head there is nothing sound therin but woundes and swellings and sores full of corruption When you come to appeare before the Lord who requireth this at your handes to tread in my Courts and when you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many praiers I will not heare for your hands are full of bloud Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to do euill learne to do well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherles defend the widow If you consent and obey you shall eate the good things of the land but if you refuse and be rebellious you shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it How is the faithfull citie become an haâ—lot it was full of iudgement and iustice lodged therein but now they are murtherers thy Princes are rebellious and companions with theeues euery one loueth gifts and followeth after rewards they iudge not the fatherles neither doth the widdowes cause come before them Therefore saith the Lord God of hosts the mightie one of Israel ah I will case me of mine aduersaries and auenge me of mine enemies and the strong shall be as tow and the maker thereof as a sparke and they shall both burne together and none shall quench them Enter into the rocks and hide thee in the dust from before the feare of the Lord and from the glory of his maiestie The high looke of a man shal be humbled and the loftines of men shall be abased and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day For the day of the Lord of hosts is vpon all the proud and haughtie and vpon all that is exalted and it shall be made low The people shall bee oppressed one of another and euery