which was the Lord. Some receiue the spirituall grace without the outward signe as the Saint-Theefe on the Crosse and innumerable of the faithfull who dying desire it but cannot receiue it through some externall impediments but the worthy Receiuers to their comfort receiue both in the Lords Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather then any other Elements to be the outward signes in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attaine vnto secondly to teach vs that as mans temporall life is chiefely nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our soules by his body and bloud sustained and quickned vnto eternall life Hee appointed Wine vvith the Bread to be the outward signe in this Sacrament to teach vs first that as the perfect nourishment of mans Body consists both of meate and drinke so Christ is vnto our soules not in part but in perfection both saluation and nourishment secondly that by seeing the Sacramentall Wine apart from the Bread wee should remember how all his precious bloud was spild out of his blessed body for the remission of our sinnes The outward Signes the Pastor giues in the Church and thou dost eate vvith the mouth of thy body the spirituall grace Christ reacheth from Heauen and thou must eate it with the mouth of thy Faith 3 Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or fruits for vvhich this blessed Sacrament vvas ordayned are seauen Of the first end of the Lords Supper 1 To keepe Christians in a continuall remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death vpon the crosse to reconcile vs vnto GOD. Doe this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as yee shall eat this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the preaching of the word Iesus Christ was so euidently set forth before the eies of the Galathians as if he had beene crucified among them For the whole action representeth Christs death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctified wine the shedding of his holy bloud Christ was once in himselfe really offered but as oft as this Sacrament is celebrated so oft is hee spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lords Supper is called a propitiatorie sacrifice not preperly and really but figuratiuely because it is a memoriall of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the Crosse. And to distinguish it from that reall sacrifice the Fathers call it the vnbloudy Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this action offereth vnto God the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing for her redemption effected by the true and onely expiatory sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse. If the sight of Moabs King sacrificing on his walles his owne sonne to moue his gods to rescue his life 2 King 3.27 mooued the assayling Kings to such pitty that they ceast their assault and raised their siege how should the spirituall sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Crosse his onely begotten sonne to saue thy soule mooue thee to loue God thy Redeemer and to leaue sinne that could not in iustice be expiated by any meaner ransome Of the second end of the Lords Supper 2 To confirme our faith for God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seale vnto vs from heauen that according to the promise and new couenant which he hath made in Christ he will truely receiue into his grace and mercy all penitent beleeuers who duely receiue this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ hee will as verily forgiue them all their sinnes as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called the seale of the new Couenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts wee may therefore receiuing this Sacrament vndoubtedly say with Sampsons mother If the Lord would kill vs hee would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he haue shewed all these things nor would at this time haue told vs such things as these Of the 3. ende of the Lords Supper 3 To bee a pledge and symbole of the most neere effectuall communion which Christians haue with Christ. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectuall signe and pledge of our Communion with Christ. This vnion is called abiding in vs ioyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by diuers Similies First of the Vine and branches Secondly of the head and body Thirdly of the foundation and building Fourthly of one Loafe confected of many graines Fiftly of the matrimoniall vnion twixt man and wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is naturall betwixt our humane nature and Christs diuine nature in the person of the vvord The second is mysticall betwixt our persons absent from the Lord and the person of Christ God and Man into one mysticall body The third is celestiall betwixt our persons present with the Lord and the person of Christ in a body glorified these three coniunctions depend each vpon other For had not our nature beene first hypostatically vnited to the nature of GOD in the second person wee could neuer haue been vnited to Christ in a mysticall body And if wee be not in this life though absent vnited to Christ by a mysticall vnion wee shall neuer haue communion of glory with him in his heauenly presence The mysticall communion chiefly heere meant is wrought betwixt Christ and vs by the Spirit of Christ apprehending vs and by our faith stirred vp by the same spirit apprehending Christ againe Both which Saint Paul doth most liuely expresse I follow after If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus How can hee fall away that holdeth and is so firmely holden This vnion he shall best vnderstand in his minde who doth most feele it in his heart But of all other times this vnion is best felt and most confirmed when wee doe duely receiue the Lords Supper For then we shall sensibly feele our hearts knit vnto Christ and the desires of our soules drawn by faith and the holy Ghost as by the cordes of loue neerer and neerer to his holinesse From this Communion with Christ there followeth to the faithfull many vnspeakeable benefits As first Christ tooke by imputation al their sinnes and guiltinesse vpon him to satisfie Gods iustice for them and he freely giues by imputation vnto vs all his righteousnesse in this life and all his
vvho came to Christ for mercy went euer away vvithout his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sicke Soule in this fountaine of Christs bloud and doubtlesse according to his promise Zach. 13.1 thou shalt be healed of all thy sinnes and vncleannesse Not sinners therefore but they who are vnwilling to repent of their sinnes are debarred this Sacrament Fiftly meditate that Christ left this Sacrament vnto vs as the chiefest token pledge of his loue not when wee vvould haue made him a King Iohn 6.15 which might haue seemed a requitall of kindnesse but vvhen Iudas and the High Priest were conspiring his death therefore vvholy of his meere fauour When Nathan would shew Dauid how entirely the poore man loued his sheepe that was killed by the rich man hee gaue her said hee to eate of his owne morsels and of his owne Cup to drinke 2 Sam. 12.3 and must not then the loue of Christ to his Church be vnspeakeable when hee giues her his owne flesh to eate and his owne bloud to drinke for her spirituall and eternall nourishment If then there be any loue in thine heart take the Cuppe of saluation into thy hand and pledge his loue with loue againe Psal. 116.11 Sixtly when the Minister beginneth the holy consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoeuer and settle thy meditation onely vpon those holy actions and rites which according to Christs Institution are vsed in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weaknesse to appoint those rites as meanes the better to lift vp our mindes to the serious contemplation of his heauenly graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lords Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsall of Christs Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Bloud of Christ then meditate how GOD the Father of his meere loue to mankinde set apart and sealed his onely begotten Sonne to be the all-sufficient meanes and onely Mediator to redeeme vs from sinne and to reconcile vs to his grace and to bring vs to his Glory When thou seest the Minister breake the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of GOD was put to death and his blessed Soule and Body vvith the sense of Gods anger broken asunder for thy sinnes as verely as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withall call to minde the hainousnesse of thy sinnes and the greatnesse of Gods hatred against the same seeing Gods Iustice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himselfe to distribute it then meditate The King who is the Master of the feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh vpon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding garment thinke also that all the holy Angels who attend vpon the Elect in the Church and doe desire to behold the celebration of these holy Mysteries doe obserue thy reuerence and behauiour Let thy Soule therefore whilest the Minister bringeth the Sacrament vnto thee offer this or the like short Prayer vnto Christ. A sweet Soliloquie to be said betwixt the Consecration and receiuing of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that GOD will dwell on earth behold the Heauen and the Heauen of Heauens are not able to containe thee how much more vnable is the soule of such a sinfull câ—itife as I am to receiue thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to suppe with me and to dwell in mee I cannot for ioy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou so regardest him What fauour soeuer thou vouchsafest mee in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confesse what I am in the wretchednesse of my Nature I am in a vvord a carnall Creature vvhose very soule is sold vnder sinne a wretched man compassed about with a body of death yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I haue thrust my selfe in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heauiest loades I see no reason why I should stay behinde O Lord I am sicke and whither should I goe but vnto thee the Physitian of my Soule Thou hast cured many but neuer didst thou meete vvith a more miserable patient for I am more leaprous then Gehazi more vncleane then Magdalene more blinde in Soule then Bartimeus vvas in Body for I haue liued all this while and neuer seene the true light of thy Word My Soule runnes with a greater fluxe of sinne then vvas the Hemorisse issue of bloud Mephiboseth was not more lame to goe then my soule is to walke after thee in loue Ieroboams Arme was not more withered to strike the Prophet then my hand is maimed to relieue the poore Cure me O Lord and thou shalt doe as great a worke as in curing them all And though I haue all their sinnes and sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgiue the one and heale the other And vvhy should I doubt of thy good will when to saue mee will cost thee now but one louing smile vvho shewedst thy selfe so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart bloud and now offerest so gratiously vnto mee the assured pledge of my redemption by thy bloud Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so deare a price It is meerely thy mercie and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much lesse to be a partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest Pledge of the greatest mercy that euer thou diddest bestow vpon those sonnes of men whom thou louest How might I in respect of mine owne vnworthynesse cry out for feare at the sight of thy holy Sacrament as the Philistimes did when they saw the Arke of God come into the assembly Woe now vnto me a sinner But that thy Angel doth comfort me as he did the women Feare thou not for I know that thou seekest Iesus which was crucified It is thou indeed that my soule seeketh after And heere thou offerest thy selfe vnto me in thy blessed Sacrament If therefore ELIZABETH thought her selfe so much honoured at thy presence in the wombe of thy blessed mother that the babe sprange in her bellie for ioy how should my soule leape within mee for ioy now that thou commest by thy holy Sacrament to dwell in my heart for euer Oh what an honour is this that not the mother of my Lord but my Lord himselfe should come thus to visit me Indeede Lord I confesse with the faithfull Centurion that I am not worthy that thou shouldest
remembrance of me and in doing this thou shalt shew thy selfe best mindefull and thankefull for his death For as oft as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shall shew the Lords death vntil he come And let this bee the chiefe ende whereunto both thy receiuing and liuing tendeth that thou maiest be a holy Christian zealous of good workes purged from sinne to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world that thou maiest be acceptable to God profitable to thy brethren and comfortable vnto thine own soule Thus farre of the manner of glorifying God in thy life Now followeth the Practise of Piety in glorifying God in the time of sickenesse and when thou art called to die in the Lord. AS soone as thou perceiuest thy selfe to be visited with any sicknesse meditate with thy selfe 1 That misery commeth not forth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth Sicknesse comes not by hap or chance as the Philistimes supposed that their Mise and Emeroides came but from mans wickednesse vvhich as sparkles breaketh out Man suffereth saith Ieremie for his sinnes Fooles saith Dauid by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted As therefore Salomon aduised a man to carry himselfe towards an earthly Prince If the spirit of him that ruleth rise vp against thee leaue not thy place for gentlenesse pacifieth great sins so counsell I thee to deale with the Prince of Princes If the spirit of him that ruleth heauen and earth rise vp against thee let not thy heart despaire for repentance pacifieth great sins And whosoeuer returneth in his affliction to the Lord God of Israel and seekes him he will be found of him 2 Shut too thy Chamber doore Examine thine owne Heart vpon thy bed Search and try thy wayes Search as diligently for thy capitall sinne as Ioshua did for Achan till thou findest it for albeit GOD when he beginneth to chasten his Children hath respect to all their sinnes yet vvhen his anger is incensed he chiefely taketh occasion to chasten and enter vvith them into Iudgement for some one grieuous sinne wherein they haue liued without Repentance 3 When thou hast thus considered all thy sinnes put thy selfe before the Iudgement seate of God as a fellon or murtherer standing at the Bar of an earthly Iudge and with griefe and sorrow of heart confesse vnto God all thy knowne sinnes especially thy Capitall offences wherewith GOD is chiefely displeased Lay them open with all the circumstances of the time place and manner how they were committed as may most serue to aggrauate the hainousnesse of thy sinnes and to shew the contrition of thy heart for the same Lift vp thine hand and acknowledge thy selfe before the righteous Iudge of heauen and earth guilty of eternall death and damnation for those thy hainous sinnes and transgressions And hauing thus accused and iudged thy selfe cast downe thy selfe before the Foote-stoole of his Throne of Grace assuring thy selfe that whatsoeuer the Kings of Israel be yet the GOD of Israel is a mercifull God And cry vnto him from a penitent and faithfull heart for mercy and forgiuenesse as eager and earnest as euer thou knewest a malefactor being to receiue his sentence crying vnto the Iudge for fauour and pardon vowing amendement of life and by the assistance of his Grace neuer to commit the like sinne any more All vvhich thou maist doe in these or the like words A Prayer when one begins to be sicke O Most righteous Iudge yet in Iesus Christ my gracious Father I wretched sinner doe here returne vnto thee though driuen with paine and sicknesse like the prodigall childe with want and hunger I acknowledge that this sicknesse and paine comes not by blinde chance or fortune but by thy diuine prouidence and speciall appointment It is the stroke of thy heauie hand vvhich my sinnes haue iustly deserued and the things that I feared are now fallen vpon mee Yet I doe vvell perceiue that in wrath thou remembrest mercie When I consider how many and how hainous are my sinnes and how few and easie are thy corrections Thou mightest haue strucken me with some fearefull and sodaine death vvhereby I should not haue had eyther time or space to haue called vpon thee for grace and mercy and so I should haue perished in my sinnes and beene for euer condemned in Hell But thou O Lord visitest mee vvith such a Fatherly chastisement as thou vsest to visit thy dearest children whom thou best louest giuing mee by this sicknesse both warning and time to repent and to sue vnto thee for grace and pardon I take not therefore O Lord this thy visitation as any signe of thy wrath or hatred but as an assured pledge and token of thy fauour and louing kindnes whereby thou dost vvith thy temporall Iudgements draw mee to iudge my selfe and to repent of my wicked life that I should not be condemned with the godlesse and vnpenitent vvorld For thy holy Word assures mee that whom thou louest thou thus chastenest and that thou scourgest euery Sonne that thou receiuest That if I endure thy chastening thou offerest thy selfe vnto me as vnto a sonne and that all that continue in sinne and yet escape without correction whereof all thy Children are partakers are Bastards and not sonnes and that thou chastenest mee for my profit that I may be a partaker of thy holinesse O Lord how full of goodnesse is thy nature that hast dealt with mee so gratiously in the time of my health and prosperitie and now being prouoked by my sinnes and vnthankefulnesse hast such fatherly and profitable ends in inflicting vpon me this sicknesse and correction I confesse Lord that thou doest iustly afflict my body with sicknesse for my soule was sicke before of long prosperitie and surfetted with ease peace plentie and fulnesse of bread And now O Lord I lament and mourne for my sinnes I acknowledge my wickednesse and mine iniquities are alwayes in my sight Oh what a vvretched sinner am I void of all goodnesse by nature and full of euill by sinfull custome Oh what a world of sinne haue I committed against thee whilest thy long sufferance expected my conuersion and thy blessings wooed mee to repentance Yet O my God seeing it is thy propertie more to respect the goodnesse of thine owne nature then the deserts of sinners I beseech thee O Father for thy Sonne Iesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that all-sauing death which he hath voluntarily suffered for all which beleeue in him haue mercy vpon me according to the multitude of thy mercies turne thy face away from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquitie cast me not out of thy presence neither reward mee according to my deserts for if thou doest reiect mee who will receiue me or who will succour me if thou dost forsake mee
prison of vtter darkenesse S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be forsaken of all thy Disciples C. That I might reconcile thee vnto God of whom thou wast forsaken for thy sinnes S. Lord wherfore wouldest thou stand to be apprehended alone C. To shew thee that my loue of thy saluation was more then the loue of all my Disciples S. Lord wherefore was the young man caught by the Souldiers and onstript of his linnen who came out of his bed hearing the stir at thy apprehension and leading to the high Priest C. To shew their outrage in apprehending me and my power in preseruing out of their outragious hands all my Disciples who otherwise had been worse handled by them then was that young man S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be bound C. That I might lose the cordes of thine iniquities S. Lord why wast thou denied of Peter C. That I might confesse thee before my Father and thou mightest learne that there is no trust in man and that Saluation proceedes of my meere mercy S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou bring Peter to repentance by the crowing of a cocke C. That none should despise the meanes which God hath appointed for their conuersion though they seeme neuer so meane S. Lord wherefore diddest thou at the Cock-crowing turne and looke vpon Peter C. Because thou mightest know that without the helpe of my grace no meanes can turne a sinner vnto God when he is once falne from him S. Lord wherefore wast thou couered with a purple roabe C. That thou mightest perceiue that it was I that did away thy Scarlet sinnes S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be crowned with thornes C. That by wearing thorns the first fruits of the curse it might appeare that it is I which takes away the sinnes and curse of the world and crownes thee vvith the crowne of life and glory S. Lord why was a Reede put into thine hand C. That it might appeare that I came not to breake the brused Reede S. Lord wherefore wast thou mocked of the Iewes C. That thou mightest insult ouer Diuels who otherwise would haue mocked thee as the Philistims did Sampson S. Lord wherfore wouldest thou haue thy blessed face defiled with spittle C. That I might clense thy face from the shame of sinne S. Wherfore Lord were thine eyes hood-winkt with a vaile C. That thy spiritual blindnesse being remoued thou mightest behold the face of my Father in heauen S. Lord wherefore did they bâ—ffet thee with fists and beat thee with staues C. That thou mightest be freed from the stroakes and tearings of infernall fiends S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be reuiled C. That God might speake peace vnto thee by his word and spirit S. Lord wherefore was thy face disfigured with blowes and bloud C. That thy face might shine glorious as the Angels in heauen S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou be so cruelly scourged C. That thou mightest be freed from the sting of conscience and whips of euerlasting torments S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be arraigned at Pilats barre C. That thou mightest at the last day be acquited before my iudgement seat S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be falsly accused C. That thou shouldest not he iustly condemned S. Lord wherefore wast thou turned ouer to be condemned by a strâ—nge Iudge C. That thou being redeemed from the captiuity of a hellish Tyrant mightest bee restored to God whose owne thou arâ— by right S. Wherefore O Christ didst thou acknowledge that Pilate had power ouer thee from aboue C. That Antichrist vnder pretence of being my Vicar should not exalt himselfe aboue all Principalities and Powers S. Lord why wouldest thou suffer thy passion vnder Pontius Pilate being a Romane President to Caesar of Rome C. To shew that the Caesarian and â—ontifician policie of Rome should chiefely persecute my Church and crucifie me in my members S. But why O Lord wouldest thou be condemned C. That the law being condemned in me thou mightest not be condemned by it S. But why wast thou condemned seeing nothing could be proâ—ed against thee C. That thou mightest know that it was not for my fault but for thine that I suffered S. Lord wherefore wast thou led to suffer out of the City C. That I might bring thee to rest in the heauenly Citie S. Lord why did the Iewes compell Simon of Cyrene comming out of the field to carrie thy Crosse. C. To shew the weakâ—nesse whereunto the burthen of thy sinnes brought me and what must be euery Christans case which goeth out of the field of this world toward the heauenly Ierusalem S. Lord why wast thou vnstripped of thy garments C. That thou mightest see how I forsooke all to redeeme thee S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be lift vp vpon a Crosse C. That I might lift thee vp with me to heauen S. Lord wherefore diddest thou hang vpon a cursed tree C. That I might satisfie for the sin committed in eating the forbidden fruit of a tree S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou hang betweene two theeues C. That thou my deare soule mightest haue place in the midst of heauenly Angels S. Lord wherefore were thy hands and feete nayled to the Crosse C. To enlarge thy hands to doe the workes of righteousnesse and to set thy feete at libertie to walke in the wayes of peace S. Lord wherefore did they crucifie thee in Golgotha the place of dead mens souls C. To assure thee that my death is life vnto the dead S. Lord why did 〈◊〉 the Souldiers diuide thy seamelesse coate C. To shew that my church is one vvithout rent of Schisme S. Lord wherefore didst thou taste vinegar and gall C. That thou mightest eate the bread of Angels and drinke the water of life S. Lord why saidst thou vpon the Crosse It is finished C. That thou mightest know that by my death the Law was fulfilled and thy redemption effected S. Lord why didst thou cry out vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me C. Least thou being forsaken of God shouldest haue beene driuen to cry in the paines of hell Woe and alas for euermore S. Lord wherefore was there such a 〈◊〉 darknesse when thou didst suffer and cry out â—n the Crosse C. That thou mightest see an Image of those Hellish pâ—inâ—â— which I 〈…〉 deliuer thee from 〈◊〉 lesse paines of Hell and euerlasting chaines of darknesse S. Lord why wouldest thou haue thin◠〈…〉 bread C. That I might embrace thee more louingly my sweet soule S. Loâ—d how 〈◊〉 thâ— theefe that neuer wrought good before obtaine Paradise vpon so short repentance C. That thou maist see the power of my death to forgiue them that repent that no sinner needs despaire S. Lord why did not the other
Saint Paul together with seauen of the chiefe Euangelists of the Church Sopater Aristarchus Secundus Gayus Timotheus Tichicus and Trophimus and all the Christians that were there kept the holy Sabbath on the first day of the weeke in praying preaching and receiuing the Lords Supper And as it is a thing to be noted that Luke saith not that the Disciples were sent for to heare Paul preach but the Disciples being come together to breake bread vpon the first day of the weeke that is to be partakers of the holy Communion at what time the Lords death vvas by the preaching of the word shewed 1 Cor. 11.26 Paul preached vnto them c. And that none kept these meetings but Christians who onely are called Disciples Act. 11.26 But at Philippi vvhere as yet there were no Disciples Paul is said to goe on their Sabbath day to the place where the Iewes and their Proselites were wont to pray and there preached vnto them Acts 16.12.13 so that it is as cleare as the Sun that it vvas the Christians vsuall manner to passe ouer the Iewish seauenth day and to keepe the Sabbath and their holy meetings on the first day of the vveeke And why doth S. Iohn call this the Lords day but because it was a day knowne to be generally kept holy to the honour of the Lord Iesus who rose from death to life vpon that day throughout all the Churches which the Apostles planted Which Saint Iohn calleth the Lords day the rather to stirre vp Christians to a thankefull remembrance of their Redemption by Christ his Resurrection from the dead And vvith the day the blessing of the Sabbath is likewise translated to the Lords day because that all the sanctification belonging to this new world is in CHRIST and from him conuayed to Christians And because there cannot come a greater authoritie then that of Christ and his Apostles nor the like cause as the new creation of the vvorld therefore the Sabbath can neuer be altered from this day to any other vvhilest this vvorld lasteth Adde hereunto how the Scripture noteth that in the first planting setling of the Church nothing was done but by the speciall order and direction of the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.34 1 Cor. 14.36.37 Tit. 1.5 Acts 15.6.24 and the Apostles did nothing but what they had vvarrant for from Christ 1 Cor. 11.23 To sanctifie then the Sabboth on the seauenth day is not a ceremoniall Law abrogated but the morall and perpetuall Law of God perfected So that the same perpetuall Commaundement which bound the Iewes to keepe the Sabbath on that seauenth day to celebrate the worlds creation bindes Christians to solemnize the Sabbath on this seauenth day in memoriall of the worlds Redemption for the fourth Commandement being a Morall Law requireth a seauenth day to be kept holy for euer And the Moralitie of this as of the rest of the Commandements is more religiously to be kept of vs vnder the Gospel then of the Iewes vnder the Law by how much we in Baptisme haue made a more speciall Couenant vvith God to keepe his Commandements and God hath couenanted vvith vs to free vs from the Curse and to assist vs vvith his spirit to keepe his Lawes And that this Commandement of the Sabbath as vvell as the other nine is Morall and perpetuall may plainely appeare by these reasons Tenne Reasons demonstrating the commandement of the Sabbath to be Morall 1 BEcause all the reasons of this Commandement are morall and perpetuall And God hath bound vs to the obedience of this Commandement with more forcible reasons then to any of the rest First because he did fore-see that irreligious men vvould eyther more carelesly neglect or more boldly breake this Commandement then any other Secondly because that in the practise of this Commandement the keeping of all the other consisteth vvhich makes GOD so often complaine that all his worship is neglected or ouer-throwne when the Sabbath is eyther neglected or transgressed It vvould make a man amazed saith Mr. Caluin to consider how eft and vvith what zeale protestation God requireth all that will be his people to sanctifie the seauenth day Yea how the God of mercy mercilesly punisheth the breach of this Commandement with cruell death as though it were the summe of his vvhole honour and seruice And it is certaine that hee who makes no conscience to breake the Sabbath will not to serue his turne make any conscience to breake any of the other Commandements so hee may doe it without discredit of his reputation or danger of mans law Therefore God placed this Commandement in the middest of the two Tables because the keeping of it is the best helpe to the keeping of all the rest The conscionable keeping of the Sabbath is the Mother of all Religion and good discipline in the Church Take away the Sabbath and let euery man serue God when hee listeth and vvhat vvill shortly become of Religion and that peace and order which God will haue to be kept in his Church The Sabbath day is Gods Market day for the weekes prouision wherein hee vvill haue vs to come vnto him and buy of him without siluer or money the Bread of Angels and Water of life the Wine of the Sacraments and Milke of the Word to feede our Soules tryed Gold to enrich our Faith precious eye-salue to heale our spirituall blindenesse and the white rayment of Christs righteousnesse to couer our filthy nakednesse Hee is not farre from true Pietie who makes conscience to keepe the Sabbath day but he who can dispense with his conscience to breake the Sabbath for his owne profit or pleasure his heart neuer yet felt what eyther the feare of God or true Religion meaneth For of this Commandement may that speech of S. Iames be verified he that faileth in one is guiltie of all Seeing therefore that GOD hath fenced this Commandement vvith so many morall reasons it is euident that the Commandement it selfe is morall 2 Because it vvas commanded of GOD to Adam in his Innocencie vvhilest holding his happinesse not by Faith in Christs Merits but by Obedience to Gods Law hee needed no Ceremonie shadowing the Redemption of Christ. A Sabbath therefore of a seauenth day cannot be simply a Ceremonie but an essentiall part of Gods worship enioyned vnto man vvhen there vvas but one condition of all men And if it was necessary for our first Parents to haue a Sabbath day to serue GOD in their perfection much more neede their Posteritie to keepe the Sabbath in the state of their corruption And seeing God himselfe kept this day holy how can that man be holy that doth wilfully prophane it 3 Because it is one of the commandements which God spake with his owne mouth and twice vvrote with his owne Fingers in Tables of stone to signifie their authoritie and perpetuitie All that God wrote were morall and perpetuall commandements and
Sabbath vvhich wee call the Lords day and which he himselfe ordained according to Christs commandement in the same Churches of Galatia and Corinth kept himselfe in other Churches but he speakes of the Iewish daies and times and yeeres and the keeping of the Sabbath on the seauenth day from the Creation which he tearmeth shadowes of things to come abolished now by Christ the body and in the Law are called sabbaths but distinguished from the morall Sabbaths 2 That of Paul to the Colossians let no man therfore condemne you in meate or drinke or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath dayes But here the Apostle meaneth the Iewish ceremoniall Sabbaths not the Christian Lords day as before 3 That of the same Apostle to the Romanes This man esteemeth one day aboue another day and another counteth euery day alike c. But Saint Paul makes no such account For the question there is not betweene Iew Gentiles but betweene the stronger and weaker Christian The stronger esteemed one day aboue another as appeares in that there vvas a day both commanded and receiued in the Church euery where knowne and honoured by the name of the Lords day And therefore Paul saith here that hee that obserued this day obserued it vnto the Lord. The obseruation whereof because of the change of the Iewish seuenth day some weake Christians as many now a dayes thought not so necessary so that if men because the Iewish day is abrogated will not honour and keepe holy the Lords day but count it like other dayes it is an argument saith the Apostle of their weaknesse whose infirmitie must be borne till they haue time to be further instructed and perswaded Other obiections are friuolous and not worth the answering The true manner of keeping holy the Lords day NOW the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things First In resting from all seruile and common businesse pertaining to our naturall life Secondly In consecrating that rest wholy to the seruice of God and the vse of those holy meanes which belong to our spirituall life For the first 1 The seruile and common workes from which wee are to cease are generally all ciuill workes from the least to the greatest More particularly First from all the workes of our calling though it were reaping in the time of haruest Secondly from carrying burthens as Carryers doe or riding abroad for profit or for pleasure GOD hath commanded that the beasts should rest on the Sabbath day because all occasion of trauailing or labouring vvith them should be cut off from man GOD giues them that day a rest and he that without necessitie depriues them of their rest on the Lords day the groanes of the poore tyred beasts shall in the day of the Lord rise vp in Iudgement against him Likewise such as spend the greatest part of this day in trimming painting and pampering of themselues like Iezabels doing the Diuels worke vpon Gods day Thirdly from keeping of Fayres â—r Markets which for the most part God punisheth with pestilence fire and strange flouds Fourthly from studying any books or science but the holy Scriptures Diuinity For our studie must be to bee rauished in spirit vpon the Lords day In a word Thou must on that day cease in thy calling to doe thy worke that the Lord by his calling may doe his worke in thee For whatsoeuer is gotten by common working on this day shall neuer be blessed of the Lord but it will prooue like Achans golde which being got contrary to the Lords commandement brought the fire of Gods curse vpon all the rest which hee had lawfully gotten And if Christ scourged them out as theeues who bought and sold in his Temple which was but a ceremony shortly to be abrogated is it to bee thought that hee will euer suffer those to escape vnpunished who contrary to his commandement buy and sell on the Sabbath day which is his perpetuall law Christ calleth such sacrilegious Theeues and as well may they steale the Communion Câ—p from the Lords Table as steale from GOD the chiefest part of the Lords day to consume it in their owne lasts Such shall one day finde the Iudgements of God heauier then the opinions of men Fiftly from all recreations and sports which at other times are lawfull for if lawfull workes be forbidden on this day much more lawfull sports which do more steale away our affections from the contemplation of heauenly things then any bodily worke or labour Neither can there bee vnto a man that delighteth in the Lord any greater delâ—ght or recreation then the sanctifying of the Lords day For can there be any greater ioy for a person condemned then to come to his Prince his house to haue his pardon sealed For one that is deadly sicke to come to a Phisitian that can cure him Or for a Prodigall childe that fed on the huskes of Swine to bee admitted to eate the bread of life at his Fathers Table Or for him who feares for sinne the tydings of death to come to heare from God the assurance of eternall life If thou wilt allow thy selfe or thy seruant recreation allow it in the sixe daies which are thine not on the Lords day which is neither thine nor theirs No bodily receation therefore is to bee vsed on this day but so farre as it may helpe the soule to doe more cheerefully the seruice of the Lord. Sixtly from grosse feeding liberall drinking of wine or strong drinke which may make vs either drowsiâ— or vnapt to serue GOD with our hearts and mindes Seuenthly from all talking about wordly things which hindreth the sanctifying of the Sabbath more then working seeing one may worke alone but cannot talke but with others He that keepes the Sabbath onely by resting from his ordinary worke keepes it but as a beast But rest on this day is so farre commanded to Christians as it is an helpe to sanctification and labour so farre forbidden as it is an impediment to the outward and inward worship of GOD. If then those recreations which are lawfull at other times are on the Sabbath not allowed much more those that are altogether at all times vnlawfull Who without mourning can endure to see how in most places Christians keepe the Lords day as if they celebrated a feast rather to Bacchus then to the honour of the Lord Iesus the Sauiour and Redeemer of the world For hauing serued God but an houre in outward shew they spend the rest of the Lords day in sitting downe to eate and drinke and rising vp to play First balasting their bellies with eating and drinking and then feeding their lusts with playing and dancing Against which prophanation all holy Diuines both old and new haue in their times most bitterly inueighed Insomuch that August affirmeth that it was better to plough
come vnder my roofe and that if thou didst but speake the word onely my soule should be saued Yet seeing it hath pleased the riches of thy grace for the better strengthning of my weakenesse to seale thy mercy vnto mee by thy visible signe as well as by thy visible word In all thankefull humiliâ—y my soule speakes vnto thee with the blessed Virgin Behold the handmaide of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy word Knocke thou Lord by thy word and Sacraments at the doore of my heart and I will like the Publicane with both my fists knocke at my breast as fast as I can that thou maiest enter in and if the dore will not open fast enough breake it open O Lord by thine Almighty power and then enter in and dwell there for euer that I may haue cause with Zacheus to acknowledge that this day saluation is come into my house And cast out of me whatsoeuer shall be offensiue vnto thee for I resigne the whole possession of my heart vnto thy sacred Maiestie entreating that I may not liue henceforth but that thou maist liue in mee speake in me worke in me and so to gouerne me by thy spirit that nothing may be pleasing vnto me but that which is acceptable vnto thee That finishing my course in the life of grace I may afterwards liue with thee for euer in thy kingdome of glory Grant this O Lord Iesu for the merits of thy death and bloodshedding Amen When the Minister bringeth towards thee the bread thus blessed and broken and offering it vnto thee bids thee Take eate c. Then meditate that Christ himselfe commeth vnto thee both offreth and giueth indeed vnto thy faith his very body blood with al the merits of his death and passion to feed thy soule vnto eternal life as surely as the minister offereth giueth the outward signes that feeds thy body vnto this temporall life The bread of the Lord is giuen by the Minister but the bread which is the Lord is giuen by Christ himselfe When thou takest the bread at the Ministers hand to eate it then rouse vp thy soule to apprehend Christ by faith to apply his merits to heale thy miseries Embrace him as sweetly with thy faith in the Sacrament as euer Simeon hugde him with his armes in his swadling clouts When thou eatest the bread imagine that thou seest Christ hanging vpon the Crosse and by his vnspeakeable torments fully satisfying Gods iustice for thy sinnes and striue to be as verily pertaker of the spirituall grace as of the elementall signes For the truth is not absent from the signe neither doth Christ deceiue when he saith This is my body but he giueth himselfe indeede to euery soule that spiritually receiues him by faith For as ours is the same Supper which Christ administred so is the same Christ verily present at his owne Supper not by any Papall Transubstantiation but by a Sacramentall participation whereby he doth truly feede the faithfull vnto eternall life not by comming downe out of heauen vnto thee but by lifting thee vp from the earth vnto him According to that old saying Sursum corda Lift vp your hearts and where the carkase is thither will the Eagles resâ—â—t Mat. 24 When thou seest the wine brought vnto thee apart from the bread then remember that the bloud of Iesus Christ was as verily separated from his body vpon the Crosse for the remission of thy sinnes And that this is the seale of that new couenant which GOD hath made to forgiue all the sinnes of al penitent sinners that beleeue the merits of his bloodâ—heding For the wine is not a Sacrament of Christs blood contained in his â—eines but as it was shed out of his body vpon the Crosse for the remission of the sinnes of all that beleeue in him As thou drinkest the wine and pourest it out of the Cup into thy stomacke meditate and beleeue that by the merits of that bloud vvhich Christ shed vpon the Crosse all thy sinnes are as verely forgiuen as thou hast now drunke this Sacramentall Wine and hast it in thy stomach And in the instant of drinking settle thy meditation vpon Christ as he hanged vpon the Crosse as if like Mary and Iohn thou did see him nailed and his bloud running downe his blessed side out of that gastfull wound vvhich the Speare made in his innocent heart wishing thy mouth closed to his side that thou mightest receiue that precious bloud before it fell to the dustie earth And yet the actuall drinking of that reall bloud with thy mouth vvould be nothing so effectuall as this Sacramentall drinking of that bloud spiritually by Faith For one of the Souldiers might haue drunke that and beene still a reprobate but vvhosoeuer drinketh it spiritually by Faith in the Sacrament shall surely haue the Remission of his sinnes and Life euerlasting As thou feelest the Sacramentall Wine vvhich thou hast drunke warming thy cold stomach so endeuour to feele the Holy Ghost cherishing thy soule in the ioyfull assurance of the forgiuenesse of all thy sinnes by the merits of the bloud of Christ. And to this end God giueth euery faithfull soule together with the Sacramentall bloud the holy Ghost to drinke Wee are all made to drinke into one Spirit And so lift vp thy minde from the contemplation of Christ as hee vvas crucified vpon the Crosse to consider how hee now sits in glory at the right hand of his Father making intercession for thee by presenting to his Father the vnualuable meâ—its of his death which hee once suffered for thee to appease his Iustice for the sins which thou dost daily commit against him After thou hast eaten and drunke both the Bread and Wine labour that as those Sacramentall Signes do turne to the nourishment of thy body and by the digestion of heate become one with thy substance so by the operation of Faith and the Holy Ghost thou maist become one vvith Christ and Christ with thee and so maist feele thy Communion with Christ confirmed and encreased daily more and more That as it is vnpossible to separate the Bread and Wine digested into the bloud and substance of thy body so it may be more vnpossible to part Christ from thy Soule or thy Soule from Christ. Lastly as the Bread of the Sacrament though confected of many graines yet makes but one Bread so must thou remember that though all the faithfull are many yet are they all but one Mysticall Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore thou must loue euery Christian as thy selfe and a member of thy body Thus farre of the duties to be done at the receiuing of the holy Sacrament called Meditation 3 Of the duties which we are to performe after receiuing of the holy Communion called Action or Practise THe duetie vvhich vvee are to performe after the receiuing of the Lâ—rds Supper is called Action or
in the Church euer since the Apostles time Ignatius Bishop of Antioch liuing in S. Iohns time saith Let euery one that loueth Christ keepe holy the Lords day renowned by his Resurrection which is the Queene of dayes in which death is ouercome and life is sprung vp in Christ. Iustine Martyr vvho liued not long after him sheweth how the Christians kept their Sabbath on the Lords day as we doe Origen who liued about 180. yeeres after Christ shewes the reason why the Sabbath is translated to the Lords day Augustine saith that the Lords day was declared vnto the Church by the Resurrection of the Lord vpon that day Et ex illo caepit habere festiuitatem suam and by Christ it was first ordained to be kept holy And in another place that the Apostles appointed the Lords day to be kept with all religious solemnitie because that vpon that day our Redeemer rose from the dead which also is therefore called the Lords day As therefore Dauid said of the Citie of God so may I say of the Lords day Glorious things are spoken of the day of the Lord for it vvas the birth-day of the vvorld the first day vvherein all Creatures beganne to haue being In it Light was drawne out of darknesse In it the Law vvas giuen on Mount Sinai In it the Lord rose from death to life In it the Saints came out of their graues assuring that on it Christians should rise to newnesse of life In it the Holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles And it is very probable that on the seauenth day when the 7. Trumpets haue blowne the cursed Iericho of this world shall fall and our true Iesus shall giue vs the promised possession of the heauenly Canaan He that would see the vniforme consent of Antiquity and practise of the Primitiue Church in this point let him reade Eusebius Ecclesisticall history Lib. 4. cap. 23. Tertullian lib. de Idololatria cap. 14. Chrysost. Serm. 5. de resurrectione Constiâ—â—â— Apost lib. 7. cap. 37. Cyrill in Iohan. lib. 12. cap. 58. Of this iudgement are all the sound new writers see Fox on the Apoc. 1.10 Bucer in Mat 12.11 Gualt in Malach. 3. hom 23. Fulke on the Rhemish Test. Apo. 1.10 Chem. Exam. Conc. Trid. par 4. de diebus festis Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Armin Thes. in 4. precept and innumerable others Learned Iunius shal speake for al. Quamobrâ—m cum dies dominicus c. Wherefore seeing the Lords day is both by the fact of Christ viz. his resurrection and of often appearing to his Disciples vpon that day by the example and institution of the Apostles and by the continuall practise of the Ancient Church and by the testimony of the Scripture obserued and substituted into the place of the Iewish Sabbath Inepté faciunt they doe foolishly who say that the obseruation of the Lords day is of Tradition and not from the Scripture that by this meanes they might establish the traditions of men And againe The cause of this change is the resurrection of Christ and the benefit of the restoring of the Church by Christ the remembrance of which benefit did succeede into the place of the memory of the creation Non humana traditione sed Christi ipsius obseruatione instituto not by the tradition of man but by the obseruation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on euery eight day after vnto his ascention into heauen did appeare vnto his Disciples and came into their assemblies 9 Because that the Lord himselfe expoundeth the end of the Sabath to bee a signe and document for euer betwixt him and his people that he is Iehouah by whom they are sanctified and therefore must only of theÌ„ be worshipped and vpon the paine of death chargeth his people for euer to keep this memoriall vnuiolated But this end is morall and perpetuall Therefore the Sabath is morall and perpetuall What God hath perpetually sanctified Let â—â— man euer presume to make common or prophane Vpon this ground it is that the Commandement termes this day the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And GOD himselfe cals it his holy day And vpon the same ground likewise the oldâ— Testament consecrated all their Sabaths and Holy daies to the worship and honour of God alone To dedicate therefore a Sabbath to the honour of any creature is grosse Idolatry For the first Table makes it a part of Gods worship to haue a Sabbath to his honour So doth Leuit. 23.3.37.38 c. and Ezek. 20.20 Neh. 9.14 the Sabbath is put for the whole worship of GOD. And our Sauiour teacheth that We must worship the Lord God onely Matth. 4. and therefore keep a Sabbath to the onely honour of GOD. The holy Ghost notes it as one of Ieroboams greatest sinnes That he ordained a feast from the deuise of his owne heart 1 King 12.33 And God threatneth to visit Israel for keeping the daies of Baalim That is of Lords as Papists doe of Saints Hos. 2.13 but saith that such forget him And so indeede none are lesse carefull in keeping the Lords Sabbath then they who are most superstitious obseruers of mens holy daies The Church of Rome therefore commits grosse Idolatry First in taking vpon her to ordayne Sabbaths which belongs onely vnto the Lord of the Sabbath to doe Secondly in dedicating those Holy-daies to the honour of Creatures which in effect is to make them sanctifying Gods Thirdly in tying to these daies Gods worship Praiers fasting and merit Fourthly in exacting on these daies of mens inuention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification then vpon the Lords day which is Gods commandement which in effect is to preferre Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath iustly abolished all superstitious and Idolatrous Feasts and onely retaines a few holy dayes to the honour of God alone and easing of seruants Deut 5.14 though long custome forceth to vse the olde names for ciuill distinction as Luke vsed the profane names of Castor and Pollux Act. 28.11 and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16.17 Mercurius Rom. 16.14 and Iewes of Mardocheus day 2 Macab 15.37 10 Lastly the examples of Gods Iudgements on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seale vnto them whose hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilfull profaners of the Lords day The Lord who is otherwise the GOD of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous minde would openly goe to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small True but his sinne was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to breake so great a commandement Nichanor offering to fight against the Iewes on the Sabath day was slaine himselfe and 35000. of his men A husband man grinding Corne vpon the Lords day had his Meale burned to ashes Another carrying Corne on this
of my life to behold thy beauty and to visit thy temple therefore will I offer in thy Tabernacle sacrifices of ioy I will sing and praise the Lord. Hearken vnto my voice O Lord when I cry haue mercy also vpon mee and heare mee Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord. And this is that preparation or looking to our feete whereto Salomon aduiseth vs before we enter into the House of GOD. The second sort of duties which are to be performed at the time of the holy Assembly WHen praiers begin lay aside thine own priuate Meditations and let thine heart ioine with the Minister and the whole Church as being one body of Christ and because that GOD is the God of order he will haue all things to bee done in the Church with one heart and accord and the exercises of the Church are common and publike It is therefore an ignorant pride for a man to thinke his owne priuate praiers more effectuall then the publike prayers of the whole Church Salomon therefore aduiseth a man not to bee rash to vtter a thing in the Church before GOD. Pray therefore when the Church prayeth sing when they sing and in the action of kneeling standing sitting and such indifferent ceremonies for the auoyding of scandall the continuance of charity and in testimony of thine obedience conforme thy selfe to the manner of the Church wherein thou liuest Whilest the Preacher is expounding and applying the word of the Lord looke vpon him for it is a great helpe to stirre vp thine attention and to keepe thee from wandring thoughts so the eyes of all that were in the Synagogues are said to be fastned on Christ whilest he preached and that all the people hanged vpon him when they heard him Remember that thou art there as one of Christs Disciples to learne the knowledge of saluation by the remission of sinnes through the tender mercy God Luk. 77. Be not therefore in the Schoole of Christ like an idle boy in a Grammar schoole that often heareth but neuer learneth his lesson and still goeth to Schoole but profiteth nothing Thou hatest it in a childe Christ detesteth it in thee To the end therefore that thou maiest the better profit by hearing marke 1 The coherence and explication of the Text. 2 The chiefe summe or scope of the holy Ghost in that Text. 3 The diuision or parts of the Text. 4 The doctrines and in euery doctrine the proofes the reasons and vses thereof A method of all others easiest for the people being accustomed thereto to helpe them to remember the Sermon and therefore much wished to be put in practise of all faithfull Pastors who desire to edifie their people in the knowledge of God and his true Religion If the Preachers method be too curious or confused then labour to remember 1 How many things hee taught which thou knewest not before and be thankefull 2 What sinnes hee reproued whereof thy conscience tels thee that thou art guilty and therefore must bee amended 3 What vertues he exhorteth vnto which are not so perfect in thee and therefore endeauour to practise them with more zeale and diligence But in hearing apply euery speech as spoken to thy selfe rather by GOD then by man and labour not so much to heare the words of the Preacher sounding in thine eare as to feele the operation of the spirit working in thy heart therefore it is said so often Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit speakes to the Church And did not our hearts burxe within vs whilest hee opened vnto vs the Scriptures And thus to heare the Word hath a blessing promised thereto It is the acceptablest sacrificing of our selues vnto God It is the surest note of Christs Saints The truest marke of Christs sheepe the apparantest signe of Gods elect the very blood as it were which vniteth vs to bee the spirituall kindred brethren and sisters of the Sonne of God This is the best Art of memory for a good hearer When the Sermon is ended 1 Beware thou depart not like the nine Leapers till that for thine instruction to sauing health thou hast returned thankes and praise to GOD by an after prayer and singing of a Psalme and when the blessing is pronounced stand vp to receiue thy part therein and heare it as if Christ himselfe whose Minister hee is did pronounce the same vnto thee for in this case it is true Hee that heareth you heareth mee and the Sabbath day is blessed because GOD hath appointed it to be the day wherin by the mouth of his Ministers hee will blesse his people which heare his word and glorifie his Name For though the Sabbath day in it selfe be no more blessed then the other sixe dayes yet because the Lord hath appointed it to holy vses aboue others it doth as farre excell the other dayes of the weeke as the consecrated bread which wee receiue at the Lord Table doth the common Bread which wee eate at our owne Table 2 If it be a Communion day draw neere to the Lords Table in the Wedding Garment of a faithfull and penitent heart to be partaker of so holy a banquet And vvhen Baptisme is to be administred stay and behold it with all reuerent attention that so thou maist First shew thy reuerence to Gods ordinance Secondly that thou maist the better consider thine owne ingraffing into the visible body of Christs Church and how thou performest the vowes of thy new Couenant Thirdly that thou maist repay thy debts in praying for the Infant which is to be baptized as other Christians did in the like case for thee that God would giue him the inward effects of Baptisme by his Bloud and Spirit Four'thly that thou maist assist the Church in praising God for graffing another member into his Mysticall Body Fiftly that thou maist proue whether the effects of Christs death killeth sinne in thee and whether thou be raised to newnesse of life by the vertue of his Resurrection and so to be humbled for wants and to be thankefull for his grace Sixtly to shew thy selfe to be a Free-man of Christs Corporation hauing a voyce or consent in the admission of others into that holy society 3 If there be any Collection for the poore freely without grudging bestow thine Almes as GOD hath blessed thee with abilitie And thus farre of the duties to be performed in the holy assembly Now of the third sort of duties after the holy Assembly AS thou returnest home or when thou art entered into thy house meditate a little vvhile vpon those things vvhich thou hast heard And as the cleane beasts which chew the cudde so must thou bring againe to thy remembrance that vvhich thou hast heard in the Church And then kneeling downe turne all to a
Wine therefore are not bare signifying Signes but such as vvherewith Christ doth indeede exhibite and giue to euery worthy Receiâ—er not onely his diuine vertue and efficacie but also his very Body and Bloud as verely as hee gaue to his Disciples the Holy Ghost by the signe of his sacred Breath or Health to the diseased by the word of his Mouth or touch of his hand or garment And the apprehension by faith is more forcible then the exquisitest comprehension of Sense or Reason To conclude this point this holy Sacrament is that Blessed Bread vvhich being eaten opened the Eyes of the Emauites that they knew Christ. This is that Lordly Cup by vvhich wee are all made to drinke into one Spirit This is that Rocke flowing with hony that reuiueth the fainting spirits of euery true Ionathan that tastes it vvith the mouth of Faith This is that Barly Loafe vvhich tumbling from aboue strikes downe the Tents of the Midianites of infernall darkenesse Elias Angelicall Cake and Water preserued him fortie dayes in Horeb and Manna Angels foode fed the Israelites forty yeeres in the Wildernesse but this is that True Bread of life and heauenly Manna which if vvee shall duely eate will nourish our Soules for euer vnto life eternall How should then our Soules make vnto Christ that request from a spirituall desire which the Capernaites did from a carnall motion Lord euermore giue vs this Bread The fift end of the Lords Supper 5 To be an assured pledge vnto vs of our Resurrection The Resurrection of a Christian is two-folde first the spirituall Resurrection of our Soules in this life from the death of Sinne called the first Resurrection because that by the Trumpet-voyce of Christ in the preaching of the Gospell we are raysed from the death of sinne to the life of grace Blessed and holy is he saith Saint Iohn who hath part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death hath no power The Lords Supper is both a meane and a pledge vnto vs of this spiâ—rituall and first Resurrection Hee that eateth mee euen hee shall liue by mee And then are we fit Guests to sit at the Table with Christ when like Lazarus wee are raysed from the death of sinne to newnesse of life The truth of this first resurrection vvill appeare by the motion vvherewith they are internally moued for if when thou art moued to the duties of Religion and practise of Pietie thy heart answereth vvith Samuell Here I am Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth And vvith Dauid O God my heart is ready And vvith Paul Lord what wilt thou haue mee to doe Then surely thou art raysed from the death of sinne and hast thy part in the first Resurrection but if thou remainest ignorant of the true grounds of Religion and findest in thy selfe a kinde of secret loathing of the exercises thereof and must be drawne as it were against thy will to doe the workes of Pietie c. then surely thou hast but a name that thou liuest but thou art dead as Christ tolde the Angell of the Church of Sardis and thy Soule is but as salt to keepe thy body from stincking Secondly the corporall Resurrection of our bodies at the last day which is called the second resurrection which freeth vs from the first death Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day For this Sacrament signifieth and sealeth vnto vs that Christ died and rose againe for vs and that his flesh quickneth and nourisheth vs vnto eternall life and that therefore our bodies shall surely be raised to eternall life at the last day For seeing our head is risen all the members of the body shall likewise surely rise againe For how can those bodies which being the weapons of Righteousnesse Rom. 16 13. Temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 and Members of Christ. haue bin fedde and nourished vvith the body and blood of the Lord of life but be raised vp againe at the last day And this is the cause that the bodies of the Saints being dead are so reuerently buried and laid to sleepe in the Lord. And their buriall places are termed the beddes and dormitories of the Saints The reprobates shall arise at the last day But by the Almighty power of Christ as he is Iudge bringing them as malefactors out of the goale to receiue their sentence and deserued execution but the Elect shall arise by vertue of Christs resurrectiâ—n and of the Communion which they haue with him as with their head And his resurrection is the cause and assurance of ours The Resurrection of Christ is a Christians particuler faith the Resurrection of the dead is the childe of Gods chiefest confidence Therefore Christians in the Primitiue Church were wont to salute one another in the morning with these phrases The Lord is risen and the other would answere True The Lord is risen indeede The sixt end of the Lords Supper 6 To seale vnto vs the assurance of euerlasting life Oh what more wished or loued then life Or what doe all men more either feare or abhorre then death Yet is this first death nothing if it be compared with the second death neither is this life any thing worth in comparison of the life to come If therefore thou desirest to be assured of eternall life prepare thy selfe to be a worthy receiuer of this blessed Sacrament For our Sauiour assureth vs That if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Hee therefore who duely eateth of this holy Sacrament may truely say not onely Credo vitam aeternam I beleeue the life euerlasting but also Edo vitam aeternam I eate life euerlasting And indeed this is the true tree of life which GOD hath planted in the middest of the Paradise of the Church And whereof hee hath promised to giue euery one that ouercommeth to eate And this tree of life by infinite degrees excelleth the tree of life that grew in the Paradise of Eden for that had his roote in the earth this from heauen that gaue but life to the body this to the soule that did but preserue the life of the liuing this restoreth life to the dead The leaues of this tree healeth the Nation of beleeuers and it yeelds euery moneth a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life euerlasting Oh blessed are they who often eate of this Sacrament at lest once euery moneth taste anew of this renewing fruit which Christ hath prepared for vs at his Table to heale our infirmities and to confirme our beleefe of life euerlasting The seauenth end of the Lords Supper 7 To binde all Christians as it were by an
But thou O Lord art the helper of the helplesse and in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy for though my sinnes be exceeding great yet thy mercy O Lord farre exceedeth them all neither can I commit so many as thy Grace can remit and pardon Wash therefore O Christ my sins with the vertue of thy pretious bloud especially those sinnes vvhich from a penitent heart I haue confessed vnto thee but chiefely O Lord for Christ his sake forgiue mee And seeing that of thy loue thou diddest lay downe thy life for my ransome vvhen I vvas thine enemie Oh saue now the price of thine owne bloud vvhen it shall cost thee but a smile vpon mee or a gratious appearance in thy Fathers sight in my behalfe Reconcile mee once againe O mercifull Mediatour vnto thy Father for though there be nothing in mee that can please him yet I know that in thee and for thy sake hee is well pleased with all whom thou acceptest and louest And if it be thy blessed vvill remoue this sickenesse from mee and restore mee to my former health againe that I may liue longer to set forth thy glory and to be a comfort to my Friends vvhich depend vpon mee and procure to my selfe a more setled assurance of that heauenly inheritance vvhich thou hast prepared for mee And then Lord thou shalt see how religiously and wisely I shall redeeme the time which heretofore I haue so lewdly and prophanely spent and to the end that I may the sooner and the easier be deliuered from this paine and sicknes direct mee O Lord I beseech thee by thy diuine prouidence to such a Physitian and helper as that by thy blessing vpon thy meanes I may recouer my former health and welfare againe And good Lord vouchsafe that as thou hast sent this sicknesse vnto mee so thou wouldest likewise be pleased to send thy holy spirit into my heart whereby this present sicknesse may be sanctified vnto me that I may vse it as thy schoole wherein I may learne to know the greatnesse of my misery and the riches of thy mercy that I may be so humbled at the one that I despaire not of the other and that I may so renounce all confidence of helpe in my selfe or in any other creature that I may onely put the whole rest of my saluation in thy all sufficient merits And forasmuch as thou knowest Lord how weake a vessell I am full of frailty and imperfections and that by nature I am angry and froward vnder euery crosse and affliction O Lord who art the giuer of all good gifts arme me with patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure and of thy mercy lay no more vpon me then I shall be able to endure and suffer Giue me grace to behaue my selfe in all patience loue and meekenesse vnto those that shall come and visit mee that I may thankefully receiue and willingly embrace all good counsels consolations from them and that they may likewise see in me such good examples of patience and heare from me such godly lessons of comfort as may bee arguments of my Christian faith and profession and instructions vnto them how to behaue themselues when it shal please thee to visit them with the like affliction or sickenesse I know O Lord I haue deserued to die and I desire not longer to liue then to amend my wicked life and in some better measure to set forth thy glory Therefore O Father if it bee thy blessed will restore mee to health againe and grant me a longer life But if thou hast according to thine eternall decree appointed by this sickenesse to call for mee out of this transitory life I resigne my selfe into thy hands and holy pleasure thy blessed will be done whether it be by life or by death Onely I beseech thee of thy mercy forgiue mee all my sinnes and prepare my poore soule that by a true faith and vnfeigned repentance shâ—e may bee ready against the time that thou shalt call for her out of my sicke and sinfull body O heauenly Father who art the hearer of prayers heare thou in heauen this my prayer and in this extremity grant me these requests not for any worthinesse that is in me but for the merits of thy beloued Sonne Iesus my onely Sauiour and Mediator for whose sake thou hast promised to heare vs and to grant whatsoeuer we shall aske of thee in his Name In his name therefore and in his owne words I conclude this my vnperfect Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. Hauing thus reconciled thy selfe with GOD in Christ 1 Let thy next care be to set thy house in order as Isay aduised king Ezechias making thy last Will and Testament if it bee not already made If it be made then peruse it confirme it and for auoyding all doubts and contention publish it before witnesses that if God call for thee out of this life it may stand in force and vnalterable as thy last Will and Testament and so deliuer it locked or sealed vp in some Boxe to the keeping of a faithfull friend in the presence of honest witnesses 2 But in making thy Testament take a religious Diuines aduise how to bestow thy beneuolence and some honest Lawyers counsell to contriue it according to Law Dispatch this before thy sickenesse doth encrease and thy memory decay lest otherwise thy Testament prooues a dotement and another mans fancy rather then thy will 3 To preuent many inconueniences let me recommend to thy discretion two things 1 If God haue blessed thee with any competent state of wealth make thy Will in thy health time It will neither put thee further from thy goods nor hasten thee sooner to thy death but it will bee a great ease to thy minde in freeing thee from a great trouble when thou shalt haue most need of quiet for when thy house is set in order thou shalt be better enabled to set thy soule in order and to dispose of thy iourney towards GOD. 2 If thou hast children giue to euery one of them a portion according to thine ability in thy life time that thy life may seeme an ease and not a yoake vnto them yet so giue as that thy children may still bee beholding vnto thee and not thou vnto them But if thou keepe all in thy hands whilest thou liuest they may thanke death and not thee for the portion that thou leauest them If thou hast no children and the Lord haue blessed thee with a great portion of the goods of this world and if thou meane to bestow them vpon any charitable or pious vses put not ouer that good worke to the trust of others seeing thou seest how most of other mens Executors prooue almost Executioners And if friends be so vnfaithfull in a mans life How much greater cause hast thou to distrust their fidelity after thy death Lamentable experience sheweth how many dâ—admens Wils haue
that he had rather lose 1000. worlds then suffer priuate confession to be thrust out of the Church Our church hath euer most soundly maintained the truth of this doctrine but most iustly abolished the tyrannous and Antichristian abuse of Popish auricular confession vvhich they thrust vpon the Soules of Christians as an Expiatorie Sacrifice and a meritoâ—ious satisfaction for sinne racking their Consciences to confesse when they feele no distresse and to enumerate all their sinnes which is impossible that by this meanes they might diue into the secrets of all men which oft times hath proued pernitious not onely to priuate persons but also to publike states But the truth of Gods vvord is that no person hauing receiued Orders in the Church of Rome can truely absolue a sinner for the Keyes of absolution are two the one is the Key of Authoritie and that onely Christ hath the other is the Key of Ministerie and this hee giues to his Ministers who are therefore called the Ministers of Christ The Stewards of Gods Mysteries The Ambassadours of reconciliation Bishops Pastors Elders c. But Christ neuer ordayned in the New Testament any Order of sacrificing Priests neyther is the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Sacerdos or sacrificing Priest giuen to any Officer of Christ in all the New Testament Neyther doe we reade in all the New Testament of any who confessed himselfe to a Priest but Iudas Neyther is there any reall Priest of the New Testament but onely Christ. Neyther is there any part of his Priesthood to be now accomplished on Earth but that which hee fulfilleth in Heauen by making intercession for vs. Seeing therefore Christ neuer ordayned any Order of sacrificing Priests and that Popish Priests scorne the name of Ministers of the Gospell to whom onely Christ committed his Keyes it necessarily followeth that no Popish Priest can truely eyther excommunicate or absolue any sinner or haue any lawfull right to meddle with Christs Keyes But the Antichristian abuse of this diuine Ordinance should not abolish the lawfull vse thereof twixt Christians and their Pastors in cases of distresse of Conscience for which it was chiefely ordayned And verily there is not any meanes more excellent to humble a proud heart nor to raise vp an humble spirit then this spirituall conference betwixt the Pastors and the People committed to their charge If any sinne therefore troubleth thy conscience confesse it to Gods Minister aske his counsell and if thou dost truely repent receiue his Absolution And then doubt not in foro Conscientiae but thy sinnes be as verily forgiuen on earth as if thou didst heare Christ himselfe in foro iudicij pronouncing them to be forgiuen in Heauen Qui vos audit me audit hee that heareth you heareth mee Try this and tell mee whether thou shalt not finde more ease in thy Conscience then can be expressed in words Did prophane men consider the dignitie of this diuine calling they would the more honour the Calling and reuerence Persons The sicke man hauing thus eased his Conscience and receiued his Absolution may doe well hauing a conuenient number of faithfull Christians ioyning with him to receiue the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper to encourage him in his Faith to discourage the Diuell in his assaults In this respect the Councell of Nice tearmeth this Sacrament Viaticum the soules prouision for her iourney And albeit the Lords Supper be an Ecclesiasticall action yet for as much as our Lord the first institutor celebrated it in a priuate house and that Saint Paul tearmeth the houses of Christians the Churches of Christ. And that Christ himselfe hath promised to be in the middest of the faithfull where but two or three are gathered together in his Name I see no reason but if Christians desire it vvhen they are not through sickenesse able to come to the church but that they should receiue and Pastors ought to administer vnto them the Sacraments at home Hee sheweth more simplicitie then knowledge who thinks that this sauours of a priuate Masse For a Masse is called priuate not because it is said in a priuate house but because as Bishop Iewel teacheth out of Aquinas the Priest receiueth the Sacrament himselfe alone without distribution made vnto others and then it is priuate although the vvhole Parish be present and looke vpon him There is as much difference betweene such a Communion and the Antichristian Idol of a priuate Masse as there is betwixt Heauen and Hell For at a Communion in a priuate family vpon such an extraordinary occasion Christ his institution is obserued Many faithfull brethren meet together and tarry one for anothâ—r Christ his death is remembred and shewed and the Minister together with the faithfull and the sicke party do communicate Master Caluin saith That he doth very willingly admit administring of the Communion to them that are sicke when the case and opportunity so requireth And in another place hee saith That hee hath many waighty reasons to compell him not to deny the Lords Supper vnto the sicke Yet I would wish all Christians to vse to receiue often in their health especially once euery moneth with the whole Church for then they shall not neede so much to assemble their friends vpon such an occasion nor so much to be troubled themselues for want of the Sacrament For as Master Perkins saith very well The fruit and efficacy of the Sacrament is not to be restrained to the time of receiuing but it extends it selfe to the whole time of mans life afterward the efficacy whereof did men throughly vnderstand they should not neede to be often exhorted to receiue it Pastores omnes hic exoratâ—s vellem vt in huius controuersiae statum penitius introspiciant nec fideles ex hac vita migrantes panem vitae petentes viatico suo fraudari sinaâ—t ne lugubris ista in â—ijs adimpleatur lamentatio Parvâ—li panem petunt non sit qui frangat eis As therefore when a wicked liuer dyeth he may say to death as Ahab said to Eliah Hast thou found me O mine enemy So on the other side when it is told a penitent sinner that death knocks at the doore and beginnes to looke him in the face he may say of death as Dauid said of Ahimaaz Let him come and welcome for he is a good man and commeth with good tidings he is the messenger of Christ and bringeth vnto me the ioyfull newes of eternall life And as the Redde Sea was a gulfe to drowne the Aegyptians to destruction but a passage to the Israelites to conuey them to Canaans possession so death to the wicked is a sincke to hell and condemnation but to the godly the gate to euerlasting life and saluation And one day of a blessed death will make an amends for all the sorrowes of a bitter
Theefe which hanged as neere thee obtaine the like mercy C. Because I leaue whom I will to harden themselues in their lewdnesse to destruction that all should feare and none presume S. Lord wherefore didst thou cry with such a loud and strong voyce in yeelding vp the ghost C. That it might appeare that no man tooke my life from me but that I laid it downe of my selfe S. Lord wherefore didst thou commend thy Soule into thy Fathers hands C. To teach thee vvhat thou shouldest doe being to depart this life S. Lord wherefore did the vaile of the Temple rend in twaine at thy death C. To shew that the Leuiticall Law should be no longer a partition-wall betweene Iewes and Gentiles and that the way to Heauen is now open to all beleeuers S. Lord wherefore did the Earth quake and the Stones cleaue at thy death C. For horror to beare her Lord dying and to vpbraid the cruell hardnesse of sinners hearts S. Lord wherefore did not the Souldiers breake thy Legs as they did the Theeues who hanged at thy right and left hand C. That thou mightest know that they had not power to doe any more vnto mee then the Scripture had fore-tolde that they should doe and I should suffer to saue thee S. Lord wherefore was thy side opened with a Speare C. That thou mightest haue a way to come neerer my heart S. Lord wherefore ranne there out of thy pierced side bloud and water C. To assure thee that I was slaine in deede seeing my heart-bloud gushed out and the water which compassed my heart flowed forth after it which once spilt man must needes dye S. Lord wherefore ranne the bloud first by it selfe and the water afterwards by it selfe out of thy blessed wound C. To assure thee of two things first that by my Blood shedding Iustification and Sanctification were effected to saue thee secondly that my Spirit by the conscionable vse of the Water in Baptisme and bloud of the Eucharist will effect in thee righteousnesse and holinesse by which thou shalt glorifie mee S. Lord wherefore did the graues open at thy death C. To signifie that Death by my death had now receiued his deaths wound and was ouercome S. Lord wherefore wouldst thou be buried C. That thy sinnes might neuer rise vp in Iudgement against thee S. Lord wherefore wouldest thou be buryed by two such honourable Senators as Nichodemus and Ioseph of Aâ—imathia C. That the truth of my death the cause of thy life might more euidently appeare vnto all S. Lord wherefore wast thou buryed in a new sepulchre wherein was neuer man laid before C. That it might appeare that I and not another arose that by mine owne power not by anothers vertue like him vvho reuiued at the touching of Elishaes bones S. Lord wherefore didst thou raise vp thy body againe C. That thou maist be assured that thy sins are discharged that thou art iustified S. Lord wherefore did so many bodies of thy Saints which slept arise at thy Resurrection C. To giue an assurance that all the Saints shall arise by the vertue of my Resurrection at the last day S. Lord what shall I render vnto thee for all these benefits C. Loue thy Creator and become a new creature The Soules Soliloquie rauished in contemplating the Passions of her Lord. WHat hadst thou done ô my sweete Sauiour and ayâ—-blessed Redeemer that thou wast thus betrayed of Iudas sold to the Iewes apprehended as a Malefactor and led bound as a Lambe to the slaughter What euill hadst thou committed that thou shouldest be thus openly arraigned accused falsly and vniustly condemned before Annas and Caiaphas the Iewish Priests at the Iudgement-Seate of Pilate the Romane President What was thine offence or to vvhom didst thou euer wrong that thou shouldest be thus pittifully scourged with whips crowned vvith thornes scoffed with flouts reuiled with words buffeted with fists and beaten with staues O Lord what didst thou deserue to haue thy blessed face spat vpon and couered as it were with shame to haue thy garments parted thy hands and feete nailed to the Crosse to be lifted vp vpon the cursed Tree to be crucified among Theeues and made to taste gall and vineger and in thy deadly extremitie to endure such a sea of Gods wrath that made thee to cry out as if thou hadst beene forsaken of God thy Father yea to haue thy innocent heart pierced with a cruell Speare and thy precious bloud to be spilt out before thy blessed Mothers eyes Sweet Sauiour how much vvast thou tormented to endure all this seeing I am so much amazed but to thinke vpon it I enquire for thine offence but I can finde none in thee No not so much as guile to haue beene found in thy Mouth Thine enemies are challenged and none of them dare rebuke thee of sinne thine accusers that are suborned agree not in their witnesse the Iudge that condemnes thee openly cleareth thine Innocencie his Wife sends him word that shee was warned in a dreame that thou wast a iust man and therefore should take heede of doing iniustice vnto thee The Centurion that executes thee confesseth thee of a truth to be both a iust man and the very Sonne of God The theefe that hanged with thee iustifieth thee that thou hast done nothing amisse What is the cause then O LORD of this thy cruell Ignominie Passion and Death I O Lord I am the cause of these thy sorrowes my sinnes wrought thy shame mine iniquities are the occasion of thy iniuries I haue committed the fault and thou art plagued for the offence I am guiltie and thou art arraigned I committed the sinne and thou sufferedst the death I haue done the crime and thou hangest on the Crosse. Oh the deepenesse of Gods loue Oh the the wonderfull disposition of heauenly grace Oh the vnmeasurable measure of diuine mercy The wicked transgresseth and the iust is punished the guilty is let scape and the innocent is arraigned the malefactor is acquitted and the harmelesse condemned what the euill man deserueth the good man suffereth the seruant doth the fault the Master endures the stroakes What shall I say Man sinneth and God dieth O Son of God! Who can sufficiently expresse thy loue or commend thy piety or extoll thy praise I was proud and thou art humbled I was disobedient and thou becammest obedient I did eat the forbidden fruit and thou didst hang on the cursed tree I played the glutton and thou diddest fast euill concupiscence drew me to eate the pleasant apple and perfect charity led thee to drinke of the bitter cup I assaied the sweetnesse of the fruit and thou diddest taste the bitternesse of the gall Foolish Eue smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled and dyed O my God heere I see thy goodnesse and my