to say the Wine and minister it but vnder one kinde vnder the Bread without the wine contrarie vnto Christs institution who first tooke Bread and then Wine Ob Ob. But are not the outward signes ordinarie bread and wine Sol Sol. No. They are consecrated by a diuine Word which doth not change their substance into other substances but changeth them in their vse and name for that which was before but common Bread and Wine to nourish mens bodies is after the blessing set apart to an holy vse for the feeding of the soules of Christians And where before they were called but bread and wine they are now called by the names of those holy things they signifie the bodie and bloud of Christ the better to draw our mindes from those outward Elements to heauenly Graces which by the sight of our bodies they represent to the spirituall eyes of our faith The second thing that must be knowne is the vse and end of this Sacrament there be diuerse ends thereof First it is ordained of God to shew vs the Lord his death Christ when he had giuen the bread and wine to his Disciples bids them doe all in remembrance of him Luk 12.19 Mat. â—6 26 1. Cor. 11.26 And Paul sayth as often as we eate this bread and drinke of this cup we shew forth the Lords death till he come As the staying and killing of the Paschall Lambe was a notable meanes to shew the Lords death â—ill he came in the flesh so this Sacrament is a speciall meanes to shew vs his death alreadie come and vnder-gone for vs â—ill such time as he shall come againe to Iudge the world in righteousnesse Hence the Lords Supper is called a Propitiatorie sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not properly or really but figuratiuely because it is a memoriall of that Propitiatorie sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the crosse Vse Vse 1. This doctrine serueth to confute and ouerthrow the Popish Masse wherein the Priest would represent Christ vnto the People for this Sacrament is onely ordained of God as a liuely meanes to represent Christ and to shew forth his death till he come but yet they are not contented with this liuely representation of Chrisâ— exhibited but they haue brought in three more representations and so make foure in all 1. Simplex representatio a simple representation of the death of Christ which is done so often as this Sacrament is receiued 2. Representatio ad viuem a liuely and full representation of Christs death which they doe vse yearely to set forth by solemne gestures apparell and other ceremonies vpon good Fryday as it is commonly called before Easter and so they make this Sacrament nothing else but a Pageant play 3. The third representation is their sacrifice of the Masse Bellar de Missa lib. cap. 1. And 4. the fourth is added by the Rhemists who wished that this Sacrament might bee celebrated at Easter Rhemist 1. Cor. 6.8 and the reliques of it if there were any hanged vp in a Pixe not onely to represent Christ but to housle the sicke But wee are taught by the word of God that by eating the bread and drinking the wine and not by gazing or looking on or lifting vp or turning about or carrying in processions or hanging vp bread in Pixes or by any such meanes is the Lords death shewed forth We are to acknowledge onely one Sacramentall representatioÌ„ of Christ in the Supper Morna contra Missam cap 60. and the sacrifice of the Masse an abhominable Idoll neuer heard of till after the time of Gregorie the Great in the fixt age of the Church Secondly by this point falleth to the ground another pillar of Poperie namely their Transubstantiation whereby they hold the very Elements of bread and wine to be changed into the very bodie and bloud of Christ and so maintaine the Physicall substantiall and reall presence but if the end of this Sacrament be to shew forth Christs death and all that wee must doe must be done in remembrance of him then Christ is not really or physically present Helpes of remembrance are of things absent not present and therefore Gelasius sayth Lib de duabus Christi naturis Bread and Wine in this Sacrament passe into the bodie and bloud of Christ yet so as the substaÌ„ce and nature of Bread and Wine ceaseth not Bernard could say Christ is present Non materialiter sed spiritualiter not substantially but by a Sacramentall relation betweene the signes and the things signified This Popish tradition was not known in the primitiue church nor long after Which makes Ignatius say thus Ignatius in Epist ad Philadelph There is one flesh of our Lord and one bloud shed for vs one bread broken for all and one cup for the whole Church how was it possible better to distinguish betweene the signes and the thing signified then by these foure words first flesh and secondly bloud on the one part thirdly bread and fourthly cup on the other part This point is handled elswhere in one Treatise of the doctrine of this Sacrament 2. A second end of this Sacrament is to coÌ„firme our faith in which respect it is called a seale of the new couenant Mat. 26.28 Rom. 4.11 1 Cor. 11.25 and remission of sinnes and also to assure vs of life eternall in which respect it is called Reu. 2.7 the tree of life which God hath planted in the midst of the Paradise of his Church and whereof he hath promised to giue euery one that ouercommeth to eate Our Sauiour assureth vs Ioh 6.5 that if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue him is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the World Ob Ob. Yea but wee haue the word to confirme our faith and to assure vs of our saluation what need we this Sacrament Sol Sol. Though wee haue the word yet this Sacrament is needfull and in two things it goeth beyond the word 1. In this Sacrament God offers and exhibites Christ and his benefits to euery faithfull Communicant Not onely generally as the word doth but also particularly therefore hee sayth Take thou this eate thou this c. But in the word hee speakes and offers Christ onely generally to all that beleeue and repent ctc. 2. In the word he giueth but onely his promise of grace touching Christ and his benefits but in this sacrament he giueth not onely his promise of grace and that in particular but also his seale and pledge for the further ratifying and establishing of his promise therefore it is said This is my bodie c. This then must needes much confirme our faith Vse as we see the Kings great broad seale set to a pardon confirmeth a pardon the matter of the seale of Gods Couenant consisteth not as doe the seales of Kings and Princes of the earth either of yellow
filled and the wedding furnished Oh that in this our day men would thinke vpon the Lords kinde Inuitation of vs to his well stored Table Isa 55.1.2 Pro. 9.5 Reason 4 4. Vnlesse a man doth often receiue he cutteth himselfe off from Christ the head and from the body which is the church for this Sacrament is a signe of that vnion and communion which we haue with Christ our head and of that fellowship vnion and communion which one member of the Church hath with another and how they are separated from all Atheists heretiques prophane persons of the world Christ sayth to Peter Iohn 13.8 vnlesse thou suffer me to wash thy feete thou hast no part in me So vnlesse in this Sacrament we suffer Christ to wash vs with his bloud we haue no part in him And againe sayth our Sauiour Ioh 15.6 If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch that is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Reason 5 5. He that neglecteth this Sacrament when it is offered neglecteth the food of his own soule and a speciall seale and pledge of his faith of Gods loue towards him in Christ for Christ the true bread of life is offered in this Sacrament and so often as God sendeth vs to this Sacrament so often he sendeth vs to a new token seale and pledge of his ancient loue Now none will bee content I thinke with feeding the body once a yeare nay scarce once a day What leannesse and lacke of grace is this to be content to haue our soules fedd with the bread of life but once a yeare The oftener our friends send vs loue-tokens and pledges of their affections the more doe we reioyce and with thankfull hearts receiue them but this token that GOD sends vs is Christ with all his benefits let vs therefore receiue him with prayse and with much ioy and whensoeuer he is offered to the hand of our faith Reason 6 6. Lastly to receiue Christ but once a yeare and no oftner came first in by the Romish Church who turned the Sacrament of the Lords Supper into the Propitiatory sacrifice of the Masse Concil trid sess 13. Can. 9. Mornae câ—â—tra Missam pa. 229 Willet Synop. Pag. 629. where they will offer Christ but not receiue him wheras still to this day all other Churchet among the Grecians Armenians Syrians Muscouites Germanes c. retaine an often Communion in one yeare Vse 1 The vse of this point serueth to confute 1. The Papists that goe about to disanuall the necessarie vse and often receiuing of the Lords Supper binding lay men to a set time and season of receiuing to Easter time onely whereas Christ requireth an often repetition of his death and a diligent comming vnto his Supper 2. The Atheists that make no reckoning of this Sacrament perhaps they will come once in a month to the Church to saue a forfeit but scarce once in a yeare to receiue the Lords Supper and when they receiue it they make no more account of it then some three halpenie Ordinarie there is such scantnesse of Grace among them that they feele no sweetnesse in it 3. Temporizing Communicants that communicate at some season of the yeare or at some supposed good times onely as though seasons and Moones and the influences of the skie gaue vertue to Gods ordinances 4. All wicked people that abstaine from this Supper for very negligence in want of preparation or because they are fallen out with their neighbour and cannot be in perfect charitie To these and all such it may be said that they are grieuous sinners and great transgressors of Gods Commandements they are open contemners of the practise of the faithfull they incurre the wrath and displeasure of the Master of this feast so as in Iustice and true Iudgement he may tell them they shall neuer tast of his meate any more they cut themselues off from Christ and from vnitie and concord with his Church they despise the foode of their soules and the pledges and tokens of Gods loue and they vtterly cast off the seales of their owne saluation Ob Ob. Yea but S. Paul sayth that it is better for a man to abstaine then come for the worse 1. Cor. 11.34 Sol Sol. It is true indeed therefore all such as come vpon a good intent and yet without knowledge of that they come for or such as come for custome or companie without examination of themselues or such as because they would be counted Christians come without their wedding garment Mat. 22.12 hauing neither faith nor a good conscience doe sinne greatly in comming as well as the former in not comming at all but yet these can be no preiudice oâ— discouragement to them thaâ— are rightly prepared Other mens sinnes must not be blockâ— in their way to this banquet to hinder them from it Vse 2 2. This serues for our Instruction If so often as the bloud of Christ is shed it is shed for the remission of sinnes then we ought often to receiue it that our sins accordingly may be forgiuen Ambros de Sacra lib. 5. cap 6. Make hast to come oftentimes vnto this Sacrament for when this thing is diâ—igently and continually done Ignatius in Epist ad Ephes the powers of Sathan are expelled which turneth his actes into firie darts to moue men to sinne And albeit thou make a stand at thy sinnes yet if they be not so great as for them thou ought to be excommunicate thou mayest not separate thy selfe from the medicine of the bodie and bloud of Christ for Hilarius de Consecra dist 2. it is to be feared least that hee which withdraweth himselfe â—ong from the bodie of Christ be vtterly estranged from saluation He therefore that ceased to sinne let him not cease to communicate Oh therefore examine Theophilact in 1. Cor. cap. 11. and bolt out thy conscience and so come vnto these heauenly mysteries not on the festiuall not on the vnfestiuall dayes onely but at all times when thou findest thy selfe readie and worthie The second dutie in our behauiour before wee receiue is Preparation whereby we must prepare and fit our selues to a right receiuing of this holy Sacrament this is verie necessarie the People of God are commanded to prepare themselues before-hand Psal 57.7 2. Chro 30.12.13 to all the parts of Gods worship and seruice and therefore much more to this holy Sacrament This Preparation is called Examination Let a man sayth the Apostle examine himselfe 1. Cor. 11.28 and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. This examination is threefolde 1. Of our sinnes past and present 2. Of our reconciliation with God 3. Of our reconciliation with our brethren First for the Examination of our selues touching our sinnes past or present that is set down in the Lamentations of Ieremiah Lam.
passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fulnes of God c. Reason 2 A second Reason to moue vs to thankefulnesse is this in this Sacrament we receiue the seale of all Gods promises and of all the assurances of our owne saluation If a pardon should come to a malefactor he would be a glad and a thankfull man but when he seeth the Kings broad seale put to it much more ioyfull and thankefull for then he knoweth all is cocksure it is no forged Counterfeit So the King of heauen and earth hath not onely giuen vs a pardon but also hath set to it his seale in this Sacrament therefore we should alwayes bee singing Psalmes of praise and lift vp our hearts with ioyfull thankefulnesse vnto the Lord. Reason 3 A third Reason is In this SacrameÌ„t we feele our selues most strongly knit vnto Christ and vnto his Church so that nothing can remoue vs from the loue of Christ and his Saints and we haue such continuall comfort in the sense feeling of both that we haue not onely iust cause of ioy but also of thankefulnesse Vse Vse This may serue to giue a checke to our vnthankfulnes as for all Gods benefits so especially for the Crowne of all the rest euen his Son Christ giuen vnto vs in this Sacrament this is a bolt and a barre to keepe Gods benefits from vs wee will not be thankful for them when we haue receiued them Vnthankefulnesse sayth one Ventus exiccans et vrens fluenta gratiae Bernar. is a block that stops vp the passages of Grace and it turneth the blessings of God into curses because the Gentiles were vnthankefull Rom. 1.21.22 2 Tim. 3.2 the Lord infatuated their vnderstanding It is a sin most hatefull to man say he is vngratefull Ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris Minus Publianus and thou mayest well say he is euery way faulty If we respect Gods Commandement that commandeth vs to be thankful in all things or the practise of Christ and his Disciples that after the receipt of this Sacrament gaue thankes or the loue of God that ought to mooue vs to thankefulnesse or the seale of our pardon which ministreth matter of thankefulnesse or the fellowship we haue with Christ and beleeuers which vrgeth vs to be thankefull let vs then testifie our thankfulnesse to God with the Prophet Dauid Psal 116.12.13 saying What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his mercies I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord the sacrifice of thanksgiuing is as pleasant and acceptable vnto God as is any sacrifice and therefore by Dauid the Lord sayth Psal 50.23 Who so offereth me thankes and prayse he honoureth me euen with most excellent honour The second dutie after wee haue receiued this sacrament is carefulnes to grow in strength and to encrease in spirituall grace We must striue to feele encrease and take heed that we be not vnprofitable in our receipts As Peter speaketh of the Word it must be desired to the end we may grow by it 1. Pet. 2.2 so we desire and receiue this sacrament that we may gather strength grow thereby in grace till at last we come to a perfect and a full age in Christ Our Sauiour testifieth of himselfe Ioh 15.1.2.3 that he is the vine and his father is the husbandman euery brauch that bringeth not forth fruit in him he taketh away Mat. 3. but euery one that bringeth forth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit This duty of growing is much vrged in Scripture we beseech you brethren and exhort you in the Lord Iesus 1 Thes 4.4.10 that yee increase more and more 2 Pet. 3.18 Heb. 6.1 Grow in grace Let vs bee led forward vnto perfection Salomon compareth the righteous vnto the Sunne Pro. 4.18 that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day This is a manifest truth neither is there any point plainer then this that the children of God after grace receiued must alwayes be growing And the Reasons of it are these Reason 1 1. Because otherwise we frustrate the end of the Sacrament which is to feede vs that wee may gather strength and encrease of grace Psal 92.12.13.14 As a poore man comming to a good banquet is much refreshed strengthened and cheared thereby So the Lord hath appointed this banquet Eze. 47.12 that all the good graces of our soules begun in vs which are but poore and weake may receiue much strength and refreshing Reason 2 2. Because otherwise we in respect of our owne good receiue Gods graces in vaine if we thriue not and prosper not thereby A thing which the Apostle would haue vs especially to looke vnto exhorting and beseeching vs in the examble of the Corinthians to take â—eede to our selues 2 Cor. 6.1 least we receiue the grace of God in vaine Reason 3 3. If we receiue this ordinance in vaine the danger of it is great for God will one day most surely punish it And therfore our Sauiour Christs sentence is that al vnfruitful vnprofitable seruants that would not reape profit by Gods ordinances and talents shall be cast into vtter darknesse where is nothing but torments Mat 25.26 30.31 weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth Vse 1 Vse 1. This may serue to reproue those that keepe one standing and one stay in their Profession and Religion and though they haue had the meanes of grace long and vsed them often yet there is no encrease of grace no encrease of knowledge faith repentance new obedience c. They can goe from day to day to the hearing of the Word and other godly exercises but still they are at one stay as ignorant as senselesse as void of true iudgment and of as bad a Conscience But alas what a fearefull state and condition is this If a childe grow neither in length nor strength nor fatnesse after many yeares feeding sucking attending on him c. surely the mother will be out of conceite with him So when the Lord shall feed vs in seasonable time and we shall be all at one stand at a stay neither thriuing in knowledge nor encreasing in good affection towards religion he will be out of all good conceits with vs and at last giue vs ouer to our owne sencelesnesse The sicke person that is so sicke that he feeles not his disease and wants a stomacke that he cannot eate is much pitied and lamented and euery one saith of him surely he cannot liue So these that receiue Gods graces in vaine in respect of the sence of comfort in themselues though not in vaine in respect of God these men I say that reape no profit by receiuing the Sacrament are much to be pitied for they are neare vnto death and their end will be damnation Vse 2 Vse 2. This serueth also for our Instruction Let vs striue after perfection that we may daily
grow from perfection to perfection till we become perfect men in Christ Iesus Let vs continually pray with the Apostle Lord encrease our faith and let vs labour by all holy meanes of hearing the Word preached and reuerent vse of the blessed Sacrament to grow more and more in faith Let vs pray with the Prophet Psal 68.28 Stablish the thing O God that thou hast wrought in vs. And let vs labour to be daily more more grounded and stablished in euery grace that the Lord hath wrought in vs. And if alreadie we doe thus let vs comfort our selues in this that we doe as we ought and let vs hold on our good course vnto the end The third dutie after our receiuing of the Sacrament is that hauing gotten strength encrease of grace thereby both in our generall calling as Christians in the speciall calling wherein God hath set vs wee must walke worthie this badge of our high and honourable profession whereunto wee are called by glorifying God and edifying his Church This dutie is set downe in the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians where the Apostle exhorteth vs to walke worthie of that high Ephes 4.1 and honourable vocation whereunto we are called This made Paul goe vnto God in the behalfe of the Thessalonians as he sayth We pray alwayes for you 2 Thes 1.11.12 that our God would count you worthie of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the worke of faith with power that the name of the Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and yee in him according to the grace of God and our Lord Iesus Christ As we receiue our naturall foode that we may grow in strength or at least haue our strength preserued that so we may be able to vnder-goe our callings so in this Sacrament we receiue our spirituall foode that thereby gathering strength in the inner man we may be the better able to glorifie God by walking in our callings Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine sayth our Sauiour that men seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in Heauen And the ground of all this ought to be the loue of God in Christ therefore sayth Paul 1 The. 2.12 I beseech you that ye would walke worthie of God who hath called you to his kingdome And this we shall doe Rom. 12. â—1 1. when wee present our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to God and 2. when for Conscience sake we endeuour to keepe Gods comman If ye loue me sayth Christ Ioh. 14.15.21 keepe my Commandements For he that loueth my CoÌ„mandements keepeth them is he that loueth me he that loueth me shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him and will manifest my selfe to him Reasons of this point first we professe our selues the children of God and true Christians it becommeth vs to manifest our selues so in our calling Secondly we are called to a kingdome which makes Paul stile this Calling Phil. 3.14 an high or supernall Calling Not so much because the Caller is heauenly but because the honour to which therby we are aduanced is indeed heauenly Hence also it is termed Heb. 3.1 the heauenly vocation not so much because the author meanes and manner is heauenly but because the state whereto we are brought is heauenly and glorious Ob Ob But how may I discerne this worthie walking Sol Sol. By these three signes the first is for a man to resist Sathan and all his temptations and neuer to make himselfe a drudge and a slaue vnto sinne any more The Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians to put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the assaults of the Deuill Ephes 6.11.12 for we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkenesse of this world c. What this spirituall Armour both offensiue and defensiue meaneth is further expressed in that Chapter Ver. 14.15 And for sinne let not that haue dominion ouer vs Rom. 6.12.14 for we are not vnder the law but vnder grace and wee may very well know that to whom we yeeld our selues seruants to obey 16. his seruants wee are to whom we obey whether of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse The second is for a man to liue blamelesse and vnspotted of the world to auoid offence and to forsake that which is euill and not onely so 1 The. 5.22 but to abstaine from all appearance of euill S. Peter exhorteth vs not only to abstaine from fleshly lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 which fight against our soules but also to liue so 12. that our conuersation may be honest among the Gentiles and wicked men that they perceiuing our good workes may be prouoked to glorifie God in the day of their visitation S. Paul in three seuerall places of his Epistle to the Philippians perswadeth vs to liue vnrebukeable Onely let your conuersation be as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Phil. 1.27 that is so walke that it may appeare our life is framed after the doctrine of the Gospell and is answerable to our Profession Againe let vs doe all things without murmuring Phil. 2.14.15 and reasonings that we may be blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without rebuke c. And in another place Whatsoeuer things are true honest iust pure louely Phil. 4.8.9 of a good report and that are well fraughted with vertue and deserue prayse let vs thinke on them and doe them In all these places wee are exhorted vnto holinesse of life integritie of conuersation The third is for a man to abound in loue towardes his Christian brethren in mercy towards the poore members of Christ Loue of our brethren is the surest Euidence of our translation from death to life 1 Ioh 3.14 the Cognisance of a Disciple It is called that fauourable Ioh 13.35 well-wishing affection of Gods children one towardes another the speciall obiect of this loue are the brethren vnder that name come all that are partakers of like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 and spirit of Adoption with our selues The load-stone of this loue is brotherhood Mat. 10 42. Disciples are loued eâ— nomine because they are Disciples Gods children because they are Gods childreÌ„ stamped with his Image The manner of this loue is 1. naturall and kindly proceeding from selfe inclination no outward prouocations 2. Impartiall whether poore or rich 3. Feruent much water will not quench it And the fruits of this loue are 1. sociall conuersing one with another for mutuall comfort and edification 2. A fellow-feeling of miseries 3. a succouring of distresses and a chearful distribution to their present necessities Rom. 12.13 This last fruit of loue is peculiarly required after the receipt of the Sacrament for as GOD hath shewed his great mercie vnto