all such notable things as either he did see or heare each day that passed But whatsoeuer he did heare or see he did so pen it that a man might see in that booke the signes of his smitten heart For if hee did heare or see any good in any man by that he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe and added a short prayer crauing mercy and grace to amend If hee did heare or see any plague or misery hee noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Domine miserere mei Lord haue mercy vpon me He vsed in the same booke to note such euill thoughts as did rise in him as of enuying the good of other men thoughts of vnthankfulnesse of not confidering God in his workes of hardnes of heart when he did see other moued and affected And thus he made to himselfe and of himselfe a booke of daily practises of repentance Besides this they which familiarly kept company with him might see how he vsed to fall often into a sudden and deepe meditation in which hee would sit with fixed countenance and spirit moued yet speaking nothing a good space And sometimes in this silent sitting plēty of tears should trickle downe his cheeks Sometime he would sit in it and come out of it with a smiling countenance Oftentimes haue I sate at dinner and supper with him in the house of that godly harbourer of many Preachers and seruants of the Lord Iesus I meane M. Elsyng when either by occasion of talke had or of some view of Gods benefits present or some inward cogitation and thought of his owne he hath fallen into these deepe cogitations and afterward he would tell me of them that I did perceiue that somtimes his teares trickled out of his eyes as well for ioy as for sorrow Neither was hee onely such a practiser of repentance in himselfe but a continuall prouoker of others thereunto not onely in publike preaching but also in priuate conference and company for in all companies where he came hee would freely reproue any sin and misbehauiour which appeared in any person especially swearers filthy talkers and popish praters and this hee did with such a diuine grace and christian maiestie that euer he stopped the mouthes of the gaine-sayers for be spake with power and yet so sweetly that they might see their euill to be euill and vnderstand that it was good indeede to the which hee laboured to draw them in God To be short as his life was such was his death for at his death as the History witnesseth when the flames of fire did fly about his eares in Smithfield his last speech publikely noted heard was this Repent England Thus was our Bradford a Preacher and an example of that repentance which he preached As Ionas preached to Niniue and yet doth hee preach repentance and surely England hath now much more cause to repent then it had when Bradford liued for all states and sorts of persons in England are now more corrupt then they were then Let therefore now Bradfords Sermon his life his death moue thee O England to repent I wish and warne that as in Niniue so in England all from the highest to the lowest doe vnfainedly repent The Court the Church the Citie the Countrey Princes Prelates and people let all and euery one repent and depart from that euill which he hath in hand and turne wholly to the Lord. And I do humbly beseech thy Maiesty O glorious Lord Iesus to worke now by thy Spirit in our hearts the same sound repentance which thy holinesse did first preach to men when thou saydest Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand This worke in vs O gracious God our Sauiour AMEN A FRVITFVL Sermon of Repentance made by the constant Martyr of Christ Mr. Iohn Bradford 1553. MAT. 4.17 Amend your liues for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand THe life we haue at this present is the gifte of God in whom we liue moue and are and therefore hee is called IEHOVA For the which life as wée should he thankfull so may we not in any wise vse it after our corrupt fantasies but to the end for which it is giuen and lent vs that is to the setting forth of Gods praise and glory by repentance conuersion and obedience to his good will and holy lawes whereunto his long suffering doth as it were euen draw vs if our hearts by impenitency were no hardened And therefore our life in the Scripture is called a walking for that as the body daily draweth more and more néere his end that is the earth euen so our soule draweth daily more and more néere vnto death that is saluation or damnation heauen or hell Of which thing in that we are most carelesse and very fooles for we alas are the same to day we were yesterday and not better or nearer to God but rather nearer to hell Sathan and perdition being couetous idle carnal secure negligent proud c. I think my labour cannot be better bestowed then with the Baptist Christ Iesus and his Apostles to harpe on this string which of al other is most necessary and that in these dayes most specially What string is that saith one Forsooth brother the string of repentance the which Christ our Sauiour did vse first in his Minestery and as his Minister at this present I will vse vnto you all Mat. 4.17 Repent for the Kingdome of heauen is at hand This sentence thus pronounced and preached by our Sauiour Iesus Christ as it doth command vs to repent so to the doing of the same it sheweth vs a sufficient cause to stirre vs vp thereunto namely for that The kingdome of Heauen which is a kingdome of all ioy peace riches power and pleasure is at hand to all such as doe so that is as do repent So that the meaning hereof is as though our Sauiour might thus speake presently Syrs for that I see you all walking the wrong way euen to Sathan and vnto hell fire by following the kingdome of Sathan which now is coloured vnder the vaine pleasures of this life and foolishnesse of the flesh most subtilly to your vtter vndoing and destruction behold and marke well what I say vnto you The Kingdome of Heauen that is an other manner of ioy and felicitie honour and riches power and pleasure then you now perceiue of enioy is euen at hand and at your backes and if you will turne againe that is Repent you you shall most truly and pleasantly feele see and inherite Turne againe therefore I say that is Repent for this ioy I speake of euen The Kingdome of Heauen is at hand Here we may note first the corruption of our nature in that to this commandement Repent you he addeth a cause For the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand For by reason of the corruption sturdines of our nature God vnto all his commandements commonly either addeth some promise to prouoke vs to
Was there any loue like to this loue God indeede hath commanded his charitie and loue to vs herein that when wee were very enemies vnto him he would giue his owne Sonne for vs. That wee being men might become as you would say Gods God would become man That we being mortall might become immortall the immortall God would become mortall man That we earthly weretches might be Citizens of Heauen the Lord of Heauen would become as a man would say earthly That we being accursed might be blessed God would be accursed That we by our father Adam being broght out of Paradise into the puddle of al pain might be redeemed and brought into Paradise againe God would be our Father and an Adam thereunto That wée hauing nothing might haue al things God hauing al things would haue nothing That we being vassailes and slaues to all euen to Sathan the Fiend might be Lords of all and of Sathan the Lord of all would become a vassaile and a slaue to vs all and in danger of Sathan Oh loue incomprehensible Who can otherwise thinke now but if the gracious good Lord disdained not to giue his owne Sonne his owne hearts ioy for vs his very enemies before wée thought to begge any such thing at his hands yea before we were who I say can thinke otherwise but that with him hee will giue vs all good things If when we hated him and fled away from him hee sent his Son to séek vs who can thinke otherwise then that now we louing him and lamenting because wee loue him no more but that he wil foreuer loue vs Hee that giueth the more to his enemies will not he giue the lesse to his friends God hath giuen his owne Sonne then which nothing is greater euen to vs his enemies and wée now being become his friends wil ne deny vs faith and pardon of our sins which though they be great yet in comparison they are nothing at all Christ Iesus would giue his owne selfe for vs when we willed if not and will he now deny vs faith if wee will it This will is his earnest that he hath giuen vs truly to looke indeed for the thing willed And looke thou for it in deed for as he hath giuen thée to will so will he giue thee to doe Iesus Christ gaue his life for our euils and by his death hee deliuered vs. O then in that hee liueth now and cannot dye will hee forsake vs his heart bloud was not too deare for vs when we asked it not what can then be now too deare for vs asking it Is he a changeling Is he mutable as man is Can he repent him of his gifts Did he not foresée our falls Payd not he therefore the price Because hee sawe wee should fall sore therefore would he suffer sore Yea if his suffering had not béene enough he would yet once more come againe God the Father I am sure if the death of his Sonne incarnate would not serue would himselfe and the holy Ghost also become incarnate and dye for vs. This death of Christ therefore look on as the very pledge of Gods loue towards thee whosoeuer thou art how déep soeuer thou hast sinned Sée Gods hands are nayled they cannot strike thee his féete also hée cannot run from thée his armes are wide open to embrace thee his head hangs downe to kisse thée his very heart is open so that therin look nay euen spy and thou shalt sée nothing therein but loue loue loue loue to thee hide thee therefore lay thy head there with the Euangelist This is the clift of the Rock wherin Helias stood This is for all aking heads a pillow of downe Anoint thy head with this oyle let this oyntment enbalme thy head and wash thy face Tarry thou on this firme Rocke and I le warrant thee Say with Paul What can separate me from the loue of God Can death can pouertie can sicknesse hunger or any misery perswade thee now that God loueth thee not Nay nothing can separate thee from the loue wherwith God hath loued thee in CHRIST IESVS whom he loueth he loueth to the end So that now where abundance of sin hath bin in thee the more is the aboundance of grace But to what end Certainly that as sinne hath reigned to death as thou seest to the killing of Gods Son so now Grace must reigne to Life to the honouring of Gods Son who is now aliue and cannot dye any more So that they which by faith feele this cannot any more dye to God but to sin whereto they are dead and buried with CHRIST As Christ therefore liueth so doe they and that to God to righteousnesse and holinesse The life which they liue is In fide Filij Dei In the faith of the Sonne of God Whereby you see that now I am slipt into that which I made the third part of penance namely newnesse of life which I could not so haue done if that it were a part of it selfe indeed as it is an effect or fruit of the second part that is of faith or trust in Gods mercy For he that beléeueth that is is certainely perswaded sin to be such a thing that is the cause of all miserie and of it selfe so greatly angreth God that in heauen nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath saue alonely the death and precious bloud-shedding of the Sonne of God in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the Father hee I say that is perswaded thus of his sin the same cannot but in heart abhorre and quake to doe or say yea to thinke any thing willingly which Gods Lawe teacheth him to be sinne Againe he that beleeueth that is is certainly perswaded Gods loue to be so much towards him that where through sinne he was lost and made a fire brand of hell the eternall Father of mercy which is the omni sufficient God and néedeth nothing to vs or of any thing that we can do to deliuer vs out of hell and to bring vs into heauen did send euen his owne most deer Sonne out of his bosome out of heauen into hell as a man would say to bring vs as I sayd from thence into his own bosome and mercy we being his very enemies hee I say that is thus perswaded of Gods loue toward him and of the price of his redemption by the deare bloud of the Lamb immaculate IESVS CHRIST the same man cannot but loue God again and of loue doe that and heartily desire to doe better the which might please God Thinke you that such a one knowing these things by faith wil willingly insist wallow in his wilfull lusts pleasures and fantasies Will such a one as knoweth by faith Christ Iesus to haue giuen his bloud to wash him from his sins play the Sow to nuzle in his puddle of filthy sin and vice againe Nay rather then hee will bee defiled againe by his wilfull sinning he will wash often the feet of his affections watching
our sin let vs secondly get vs Gods Law as a glasse to look in and that not only literally outwardly or partly but also spiritually inwardly and throughly Let vs consider the heart and so shall wee see the foule spots wee are stayned withall at least inwardly whereby we the rather may be moued to hearty sorrow and sighing For as S. Austine sayth it is a glasse which feareth no body but euen looke what a one thou art so it painteth thee out In the Lawe wee see it is a foule spot not to loue the Lord our God with all I say our heart soule power might and strength and that continually In the Law it is a foule spot not onely to make to our selues any grauen Image or fimilitude to bowe thereto c. but also not to frame our selues wholly after the Image wherto we are made not to bowe to it or worship it In the Law we see that it is a foule spot not onely to take Gods name in vaine but also not earnestly heartily and euen continually to call vpon his name onely to giue thankes vnto him onely to beléeue to publish and liue in his holy word In Gods Law we see it is a foule spot to our soules not onely to be an open prophaner of the Sabboth day but also not to rest from our owne words and workes that the Lord might both speak and work in vs and by vs not to heare his holy word not to communicate his Sacraments not to giue occasion to others to holinesse by our example in godly workes and reuerent esteeming of the Ministery of his Word In Gods Lawe wee see it a foule spot to our soules not onely to bee an open disobeyer of our Parents Magistrates Masters and such as bee in any authority ouer vs but also not to honour such euen in our hearts not to giue thankes to God for them not to pray for them to ayde to helpe or reliue them to beare with their infirmities c. In Gods Law wee sée it is a foule spot in our soules not onely to bee a manqueller in hatred malice proud lookes brags back-biting railing or bodily slaughter but also not to loue our neighbours yea our enemies euen in our hearts and to declare the same in all our gestures words and works In Gods law wee sée sée it a foule spot to our soules not onely to bee a whoremōger in lusting in our harts in wanton looking in vncleane and wanton talking in actuall doing vnhonestly with our neighbours wife daughter seruant c. But also not to be chaste sober temperate in heart lookes tongue apparell déeds and to helpe others thereunto accordingly c. In God Law wee see it is a foule spot to our soules not onely in heart to couet in looke or word to flatter lye colour c. in deed to take away any thing which pertaineth to another but also in heart countenance word and deede not to keepe saue and defend that which pertaineth to thy neighbour as thou wouldest thine owne In Gods Law we may see it a foule spot not onely to lye and beare false witnes against any man but also not to haue as great a care ouer thy neighbours name as ouer thine owne Sinne in Gods Law it is we may see and a foule spot not onely to consent to euill lust or carnall desires but euen the very natural or carnal lusts and desires themselues for so I may call them nature it selfe being now so corrupted are sinne and selfe-loue and many such like By reason wherof I thinke there is none that looketh well therein but though he be blamelesse to the world faire to the shew yet certainly inwardly his face is foule arrayed and so shameful saucy mangy pocky and scabbed that hee cannot but be sorry at the contemplation thereof and that so much more by how much hee continueth to looke in this glasse accordingly And thus much concerning the second meane to the stirring vp of sorrow for our sinne that next vnto praier we should looke in Gods low spiritually The which looking if we vse with prayer as I sayd let vs not doubt but at the length Gods Spirit wil work as now to such as beleeue for to the vnbeleeuers all is in vaine their eyes are stark blind they can sée nothing to such as beleeue I say I trust something is done euen already But if neither by prayer nor by diligent looking into Gods lawe spiritually as yet thy hard vnbeleeuing heart feeleth no sorrow nor lamenting for thy sinne Thirdly look vpon the tagge tyed to Gods Law for to mans law there is a tag tyed that is a penalty and that no small one but such a one as cannot but make vs to cast our currish tailes between our legges if wee beleeue it for all is in vaine if wee be faithlesse not to beleeue before we feele This tagge is Gods Malediction or curse Maledictus omnis sayth it qui non permanet in omnibus quae seripta sunt io libro legis vt faciat eam Loe accursed saith he is all no exception all sayth God which continueth not in all things for hee that is guilty of one is guilty of the whole sayth S. Iames in all things therefore saith the holy Ghost which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them He sayth not to heare them to talke of them to dispute of them but to do them Who is hee now that doth these Rara Auis few such Byrds yea none at all For all are gone out of the way though not outwardly by word or deed yet inwardly at the least by default and wanting of that which is required so that a child of one nights age is not pure but by reason of birth sinne in danger of Gods Malediction then much more wee which alasse haue drunken in iniquity as it were water as Iob sayth But yet we quake not Tell me now good brother why do you so lightly consider Gods curse that for your sinnes past you are so carelesse as though you had made a couenant with death and damnation as the wicked did in Esays time what is Gods curse At the Popes curse with booke bell and canlde O! how trembled we which heard it although the same was not directed vnto vs but vnto others For this Gods curse which is incomparable more fell and importable and is directed to vs yea hanging ouer vs all by reason of our sinnes alas how carelesse are wee O faithlesse hard hearts O Iezabels ghests rocked and layd asleepe in her bed O wicked wretches which being come into the depth of sinne doe contemne the same O sorrowlesse sinners and shamelesse shrinking harlots Is not the anger of a King death and is the anger of the King of all kings a matter to be so lightly regarded as we do regard it which for our finnes are so wretchlesse that wee slugge and sleepe it out As ware melteth away at the heate of the
Fatherly care for his Commons Nurcely solicitude for Religion c. Nay so many things are to be spoken in commendation of Gods exceeding graces in this Child that as Salust writeth of Carthage I had rather speake nothing then too little in that too much is too little This gift God gaue vnto vs English men before all nations vnder the Sunne and that of his exceeding loue towards vs. But alas alas for our vnthankfulnes sake for our sins sake for our carnality and prophane liuing Gods anger hath touched not only the body bâ—â— also the mind of our King by a long sicknesse and at length hath taken him away by death death cruell death fearefull death O if Gods iudgement be begun on him which as he was the chiefest so I thinke the holiest and godlyest in the Realme of England alas what will it be on vs whose sinnes haue ouergrowen so our heads that they are climed vp to heauen I pray you my good brethren know that Gods anger towards vs for our sins cannot but be great yea too fell in that we sée it was so great that our good King could not beare it What befell Iewry after the death of Iosias Lord saue England and giue vs repentance my heart will not suffer me to tarry longer herein I hope this will cause some repentance If therefore the prayer for Gods feare the looking in Gods glasse and the tag thereto will not burst open the blockish heart yet hope I that the repetition of these examples especially of our late King and this troublesom time will moue some teares out of thine heart if thou wilt pray for Gods Spirit accordingly For who art thou thinke alwaies with thy selfe that God should spare thée more then them whose examples thou hast heard What friends hast thou Were not of these Kings Prophets Apostles learned and come of holy Stockes I deceiue my selfe thinke thou with thy selfe if I beléeue that God being the same God that he was will spare me whose wickednesse is no lesse but much more then some of theirs Hee hateth sinne now as much as euer hee did The longer he spareth the greater vengeance will fall the deeper he draweth his Bow the sorer will his shaft pierce But if yet thy heart be so hardened that all this will not moue thee then surely art thou in a very euill estate and remedy now I know none What sayd I none Know I none Yes there is one which is suresby as they say to serue if any thing will serue You looke to know what this is Forsooth the Passion and Death of IESVS CHRIST You know the cause why CHRIST became man and suffered as hee suffered was the sinnes of his people that hee might saue them from the same Consider the greatnesse of the sore I meane sin by the greatnesse of the Chyrurgion and the salue Who was the Chyrurgion no Angel no Saint no Archangel no power no creature in heauen nor in earth but onely he by whom all things were made all things are ruled also euen Gods own Deareling and only beloued Son becomming man Oh what a great thing is this that could not be done by the Angels Archangels Potentates Powers or all the creatures of God without his owne Sonne who of necessity must come downe from heauen to take our nature become man Here haue ye the Shyrurgion great was the cure that this mighty Lord tooke in hand Now what was the salue Certainly of an inestimable valew and of many compositions I cannot recite al but rather must leaue it to your hearty consiberations Thirty-three yeares was he curing our sore Hee sought it earnestly by fasting watching praying c. The same night that he was betrayed I read how busie he was about a plaister in the Garden when he lying flat on the ground praying with teares and that of bloud not a few but so many as did flow downe on the ground againe crying on this sort Father sayth he if it bee possible let this Cup depart from me That is If it be possible that else the sinnes of mankind can be taken away grant that it may be so Thou heardest Moses crying for the Idolaters Thou heardest Lot for the Zoarites Samuel Dauid and many other for the Israelites And deere Father I onely am thine owne Sonne as thou hast sayd in whom thou art well pleased wilt thou not heare me I haue by the space of thirty-three yeares done alwaies thy Will I haue so humbled my selfe that I would become an abiect amongst men to obey thee Therfore deere Father if it be possible grant my request saue mankind now without any further labour salues or plasters But yet sayth he not as I will but as thou wilt But Syr what heard he Though he sweat bloud and water in making his plaister for our sore of sinne yet it framed not Twice he cryed without comfort yea though to comfort him God sent an Angell wee know that yet this plaister was not allowed for sufficient vntill hereunto Christ Iesus was betrayed forsaken of all his Disciples forsworne of his dearely beloued bound like a Thiefe belyed on buffeted whipped scourged crowned with thorns crucified racked nailed hanged vp betweene two theeues cursed and railed vpon mocked in misery and had giuen vp the ghoâ—t then bowed downe the head of Christ that is God the Father which is the head of Christ then allowed he the plaister to bee sufficient and good for the healing of our sore which is sinne Now would God abide our breath because the stinke that is damnation or guiltinesse was taken away by the sweet sauor of the breath of this LAMBE thus offered once for all So that here dearely beloued we as in a glasse may see to the brusing of our blockish hard hearts Gods great iudgement and anger against sin Gen. 6. Gen. 19. The Lord of lords the King of kings the brightnesse of Gods glory the Son of God the Deareling of his Father in whom he is well pleased hangeth between two theeues crying for thes me and for vs all My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Oh hard hearts that we haue who delight in sin Look on this see the very hart of Christ pierced with a speare wherein thou maist see reade Gods anger for sin Woe to thy hard heart that pierced it And thus much for the first part of Repentance I meane for the meanes of working contrition First vse prayer then looke on Gods Lawe thirdly Gen. 19. see his curse fourthly set examples of his anger before thee and last of all set before thee the precious death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ From this and prayer cease not til thou feele some hearty sorrow for thy sinne The which when thou feelest then labour for the other part that is faith on this sort As first in Contrition I willed thee not to trust to thy free will for the attaining of it so doe I will thee
Againe Titus 3. For we our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enny full of hate and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and loue of God our Sauiour to manward appeared not by the deeds of righteousnesse which wee wrought but of his mercy hee saued vs by the fountaine of the new birth and with the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shedde on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our sauior that we once iustified by his grace shuld be heires of eternal life through hope This is a true saying But I wil make an end for I am too tedious Dearely beloued repent your sins that is bee sorrie for that which is past beleeue in Gods mercy for pardon how deepely soeuer you haue sinned and both purpose and earnestperuse a new life bringing forth worthy and true fruites of Repentance As you haue giuen ouer your members from sin to sin to serue the diuel your tongues to sweare to lye to flatter to scold to iest to scoffe to beastly talk to vaine iangling to boasting c. Your hands to picking groping idlenesse fighting c. Your féete to skipping going to euil to dancing c. Your eares to heare fables lyes vanities and euill things c. So now giue ouer your members to godlines your tongues to speak your eares to heare your eyes to sée your mouthes to taste your hands to work your féet to go about such things as may make to Gods glory sobriety of life and loue to your brethren and that daily more more diligently for in a stay to stand you cannot eyther better or worse you are to day then you were yesterday But better I trust you be and will be if you mark my Theame that is Repent you The which thing that you wold as before I haue humbly besought you euen so now yet once more I do again beseech you and that for the mercies of God in Iesus Christ our Lord Repent you repent you for the kingdome of heauen that is a kingdome full of all riches pleasures mirth beauty swéetnesse and eternall felicity is athand The eye hath not séene the like the eare hath not heard the like the heart of man cannot conceiue the treasures pleasures of this kingdome which is now at hand to such as repent that is to such as are sorry for their sinnes beléeue Gods mercy through Christ and earnestly purpose to leade a new life The God of mercy through Christ his Sonne grant vs his holy Spirit and worke in our hearts this sorrow faith and new life which through his grace I haue spoken of both now and for euer Amen AN Other Sermon made also by the sayd Master IOHN BRADFORD vpon the Lords SVPPER 1. Cor. 10.16 The Cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ THere are two Sacraments in CHRISTS Church the one of imitatiō that is wherwith we be enrolled as it were in the houshold family of God which Sacrament we call Baptism the other wherwith we be conserued fed kept and nourished to continue in the same family which is called the Lords Supper or the body bloud of our Sauior Iesus Christ broken for our sins and shed for our transgressions Of the former Sacrament that is of Baptisme to speake now I am not purposed because occasion and time serue not so thereto Babtism is in place of Circumcision Christian mens children ought to be baptized Of the second therefore will I speake something by Gods grace if that first you remember this that Baptisme in Christs Church now since Christs death is come in place of Circumcision which was in the same Church afore Christs comming Whereby we may sée that Christian Parents seeme to be no lesse bound to offer their Infants and Babes to be baptized that they may be taken and accounted of vs as members of Christs mysticall body wherunto they are receiued and sealed Gal. 4. then were the Hebewes their children to be taken as pertayning to the couenant and league with God wherwith they were inrolled alonely the circumstance of of the eight day not necessarie to be obserued being now abrogated But to come againe Of the Lords Supper I am purposed presently to to speake through the helpe of God because we are assembled in Christ I hope to celebrate the same Now that the things which I shall speake may be better obserued and caried away of you I will tell you how and in what sort I will speake of it Thrée things would I haue marked as the principals and scopes whereto I will referre all that I shall at this tyme speake thereof They be these Who what wharfore That is to make it more plain Who did institute this thing which we are about to celebrate this is the first The second is What the thing is whch is instituted And the last is Wherefore and to what end it was instituted whereby we shall be taught how to vse it Who did institute this Sacrament For the first Who did institute this Sacrament and Supper You all doe know that things are more estéemed sometime for the dignitie and authority of the person sometime for the wisedome of the person sometime for the power and magnificence of the person sometime for the tender loue kindnes of the person If néed were I could by examples set forth euery one of these but I hope it is not necessary Now then how can the thing which we be about to celebrate but be esteemed of euery one highly in that the author of it doth want no dignity no authority no wisdome no power no magnificence no holinesse no tender loue kindnesse but hath all dignity authoritie wisedome power magnificence c. and all that can be absolutely wished He is God eternall coequall and substantiall with the Father and with the holy Ghost the Image of the substance of God the wisedome of the Father the brightnesse of his glory by whom all things were made are ruled and gouerned Hee is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords He is the Messias of the world our most deare and louing Brother Sauiour Mediatour Aduocate Intercessour Husband Priest So that the thing which commeth from him cannot but bee esteemed loued and embraced if dignity authority wisdome power glory goodnesse and mercy like vs. Yea if any thing that can bee wished like vs then cannot this which our Lord did institute but like vs and that so much the more by how much it is one of the last things which he did institute and conmaund God open our eies to see these things accordingly so shall wee come with more reuerence to this Table of the Lord which thing hee grant for his mercies sake Amen And thus much for the first who did