as if he had offended no creature he addresseth him to God and craueth pardon and mercy for his sinnes of him onely So this is the true repentance where men and women although they haue offended the creatures yet they run to God onely to seeke remission And indeed this is the right way for why it is onely God that can forgiue them their sinnes although they haue offended men women there is no man nor woman that is able to purge theâ—r conscience to take away the guiltinesse of sinne in their conscience It is onely God who by the vertue of the bloud of his Son doth purge the conscience Therefore they addresse them to God onely Properly also it is him whom they haue offended for as for men and women they may escape their eies but it is not possible that they can escape the all-seeing eye of God who seeth the sins of the heart as well as the sins of the body Therefore in respect of his all-seeing eye it becometh them specially to haue recourse to him to addresse them to him onely This is called the godly sorrow In this part ye haue onely this to beware of for the diuell is euer ready at thine hand and this caution is not onely necessarie for an hard wilfull heart but if men and women through the weightinesse of their sinnes conceiue ouerdeep sorrow in their hearts in this case they would be helped For I say at that time the diuel is present and so soone as he perceiueth thee beaten downe with the consideration of thine owne sins that thou art as it were presently in the pit of hell then he is busie to make thee to doubt to make thee to despaire and to make thee to thinke that thy sinnes are so many so vglie and so great that the Lord wil neuer forgiue them and casteth in this or that stay before thee to terrifie thee that thou come not to seeke grace at the throne of grace Therfore men should in this point take heed to themselues they should remit their cogitation not hold it euer fixed vpon the consideration of the vglinesse of their sinnes and weightinesse of their iniquities but thou oughtst to remit these cogitations sometime to take thee to the consideration of the mercy of God to hoise it vp to the consideration of the great goodnes of God to the infinite store of mercy which he hath promised to penitent sinners in Christ Iesus So when thou art cast downe and the diuell would draw thee to desperation withdraw rather thine heart to the coÌ„sideration of the riches of the mercie of God And whatsoeuer thou thinke of thy selfe and the more abiect so thou end in humilitie and not in desperation it is the better thinke nothing of God but more then excellent and of his mercy as a thing that passeth all his works an infinite thing that cannot be compassed For of all sinnes that can be committed I esteeme this the greatest when a man in his heart will match the greatnesse of his iniquitie with the infinite weight of the mercie of God when the diuell by his suggestion maketh thee to beleeue that thy sins are greater then the mercy of God and his mercy although it be infinit lesse then thy sinnes Of all sinnes I thinke this the greatest for in this thou spoilest God of his maiestie of his infinite power thou makest him not a God For if he were not infinite in all things he were not a God So I say in true dolor to preuent this thing men must not sticke perpetually vpon the consideration of their sins but sometime it is necessary that they withdraw their cogitation This sorow where it is appeareth in the effects For if the effects of it appeare not in thy life thy repentance is not true Where this godly dolor is first it bringeth forth in that person a hatred of that which God hateth it maketh that person to agree with God in that he hateth the thing which God hateth and loueth the thing which he loueth It worketh then first an hatred of sinne which God hateth This hatred of sinne bringeth forth a turning from sinne For I could neuer turne from it if I hated it not This turning from the sinne bringeth forth a flight that is a further turning continuance in departing This flight from sinne bringeth forth a care and studie how to please God and this studie bringeth a more earnest care how to hold fast that hold of him which thou hast gotten to retaine his fauour which thou hast felt All these effects flow froÌ„ the right sorrow dolor This part of repentance is called mortification or as the Ancients call it Contrition It is called mortification because by the power of the Spirit which worketh this dolor sinne is mortified It slayeth the lusts and affections that are in me it taketh away the strength and power of sinne within me in respect of the which slaughter it is called mortification For Christ not onely ouercame sin and death hell by vertue of his death perfectly in his owne person but he spoyled sin and death of his power and caried such a rich honourable triumph ouer them all that sin hath lost his power and death hath lost his sting So that whosoeuer can get hold of Christ and his power by the vertue therof sinne shall die in him and his affections shall be dayly by litle litle slaine In respect of the which effects this part of repentance is called mortification Of this godly sorrow springeth the other part of repentance whereby we turne our harts to God apply the mercie of God to our selues And this part is called by the Prophets conuersion by the Apostle himselfe Rom. 2. Circumcision of the heart And Christ speaking of repentance he speaketh of it vnder the name of conuersion as the chiefe part of repentance speaking to the men of Galilee Luk. 13. Except also ye repent ye shall all perish also that is except ye turne also This conuersion whereby our hearts are turned vnto God floweth from this godly sorrow But take heed this turning is not the first effect it is not wrought in an instant of time It is not possible that the conscience that is onely terrified with the sight of the owne sinnes can turne vnto God It is a great matter to the heart that feeleth the wrath of God in so great measure to wrastle out against desperation much more to turne vnto him It is a greater matter to the soule that is vnder the feare of hell and euerlasting death to turne vnto him But so long as I find him a fire burning me vp as stubble no question I must flie from him So long as the present torment remaineth in mine heart it is not possible that I can turne to him Therefore there goeth before this turning a feeling of mercie a feeling of his peace a feeling of his
He changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts and minds be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change we are called new creatures and except you be found new creatures ye are not in Christ. Now to come to the point This secret coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy Spirit by faith we lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though we be as farre distant as heauen and earth are the Spirit serueth vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the Spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word What maketh you to haue any right or title to Christ Nothing but the Spirit nothing but faith What should be your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to get faith that as Peter Acts 15.9 saith your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your minds your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and bringeth a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy heart and consent of thy will to do that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith auaileth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and minds and doing so ye do the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that he would nourish your soules inwardly with the bodie and bloud of Christ That he would increase faith in your hearts and minds and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortalitie Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Ancients of the Latine and East Churches we heard the chiefe ends wherefore and whereunto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted we heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued we heard also some obiections that might be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine we heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted we heard how the faithfull soule is said to eate Christs body and drinke Christs bloud We heard the manner how Christ is or can be receiued of vs. And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot be perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way and apprehension Neither the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can be perceiued but by the eye of faith can be receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of faith Now faith is a spirituall thing for faith is the gift of God powred downe into the hearts and minds of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mighty working and operation of the holy Spirit So the onely way to lay hold on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature being spirituall it followeth therefore that there is no way to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but a spirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures familiarly by all these termes describe the nature and efficacy of faith We are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drinke his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefly in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passion of Christ the bloud that he shed vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse the commandement which he gaue Do this in remembrance of me I say we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually First in this point in recording and remembring faithfully how he died for vs how his bloud was shed vpon the crosse This is the first point a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mighty power of the holy Spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euery one of you beleeue firmely that he died for me in particular That his bloud was shed on the crosse for a ful remission and redemption of me and my sins The chiefe and principall point of the eating of Christ his flesh drinking of his bloud standeth in beleeuing firmly that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that bloud of his was shed for the remission of my sinnes and except euery soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and be perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule can not eate the flesh nor drinke the bloud of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloud of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme belief and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular There were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I will not insist to repeate them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kinde of spirituall receiuing by faith they say If Christ his flesh nor his bloud be not perceiued nor receiued but by the Spirit by faith in the Spirit then say they ye receiue him but by an imagination if he be not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the Spirit and by faith then is he not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to thinke so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetenesse of hony but they that haue tasted of it so there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it
it is that Dauid in his 51 Psalme cryeth out and sayth Against thee against thee onely I haue sinned Now seeing it is he onely that forgiueth sinnes let vs seeke remission at God and no other The last thing that I marke is the cause that moued God to forgiue him his sinnes he saith because he loueth his person and for this loue that he did beare vnto him he neither suffered the bitternesse to remaine in his soule nor his body to see the graue It is confessed by the King that there was nothing in himselfe worthy of this loue Therefore he is not loued for his owne cause of necessity then he must be loued for that mans cause that took away his sinne Now reade ouer the Scriptures what man is that who hath taken away our sinnes taken on him our debt discharged him honestly and honourably of it euen he that is God and man also Christ Iesus and therefore in these same words quietly he acknowledgeth his sins to be remoued for the loue which God did beare to him in Christ Iesus who was in his loynes as yet according to the flesh I say there was no man able to beare and discharge this burden saue this man which is God also able because he was God and as he was able so he discharged this burden in his owne time And Christ is iustly the onely Mediator betwixt God and Man And therefore whom the Lord loueth he loueth in him and to whom the Lord sheweth mercie it is for his cause onelie For why he perfectly satisfied for the whole businesse which may be easily seene in these three points For fiâ—st he deliuered vs from these sinnes which we call actuall sinnes And how by his perfect satisfaction whereby he satisfied fully in suffering hell in his soule and death in his body and that on the crosse And so freed vs from these actuall sinnes and the punishment thereof So that in this point he is a perfect Mediatour Secondly he deliuered vs from the puddle and rotten roote from the which they proccede For ye see Christ Iesus was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin and that by the mighty power of his holy Spirit So that our nature in him was fully sanctified by that same power And this perfect purity of our nature in his person couereth our impurity for he was not conceiued in sin and corruption as we are but by the power of the holy Spirit who perfectlie sanctified our nature in him euen in the moment of his conception So he being throughly purged his purity couereth our impurity Now in the third point also he is a perfect Mediatour for he not onely satisfied for our sinnes but he accomplished the whole law for vs yea and more then the law required for the second Table requireth onely that we should loue our neighbour as our selfe But Christ did more then this for none loueth his neighbour so that willingly he will die for him So Christ in dying for vs sheweth that he loueth vs more then the law required And so he not onely accomplished the law for vs but did more then the law required Now this perfect righteousnesse of his cometh in betweene vs and his Father and couereth our rebellion and disobedience or else we could not be free from condemnation in this point also All these to wit perfect puritie perfect satisfaction and perfect righteousnesse are to be found in Christ perfectly And therefore onely mercie and remission of sinne is to be sought for in him and he that hath not Christ to be his intercessor that man shall neuer taste of mercie Now let vs go to the application what manner of intercession can Christ make for that man that blasphemeth his Father It is not possible that the Son can interceede where the Father is blasphemed wilfully and willingly Yea of all iudgements this is a most terrible iudgment where the spirit of blasphemie hath such power that he maketh a man to vtter such voyces against his maker Thus farre concerning these words Now in the next two verses he giueth two reasons wherfore the Lord forgaue him his sins and deliuered him from the death of his bodie and he sheweth in that 18 and 19 verses that the Lord in this worke had his owne entrie and speciall respect to his owne glorie which glorie he saw would be aduanced more by the lengthening of his dayes then otherise by the shortning thereof Secondly that the benefit of his deliuerie would be a matter of praise to al generations to the end of the world For it is said The fathers shal instruct their children and so fathers and children in their extremities they shall runne to God for the like mercie Now for these two ends that God might be praysed of the King in his owne person and of his posteritie and of all the posterities thereafter the Lord bestoweth this benefit vpon the King and giueth him health I take vp the reasons in these two verses the 18. and 19. And the first reason is taken vp in the 18 and beginning of the 19. for there he saith The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee As if he would say dead men and buried cannot praise thee as we do in these bodies of ours in the land of the liuing liuing in thy Church here Dead men that rest in their graues cannot looke for the accomplishment of thy promises And if I were dead and my bodie in the graue I could not looke for the accomplishment of thy promise in giuing me a sonne It is onely the liuing the liuing that is able to praise thee There he doubleth the word to let you see that they must be endued with a double life that praise the Lord aright They must not onely be endued with the life of the bodie but also they must liue in their soule Now the King saith I being restored to this double life both in body and soule I shall praise thee For none can praise thee worthily as I do this day but they that are aliue as I am This is the first reason Now to examine the words he meaneth not that they who are dead and buried leaue off this exercise onely he meaneth that they who are dead and buried will not praise God in their bodies will not praise him as we do here on earth And therefore we must not thinke that they leaue off this exercise Yea by the contrarie we must beleeue that the soules of the Saints departed are more busie in this exercise then when they were aliue and how prooue I this The nearer the soule is vnto God the greater plâ—asure and delight it taketh in him but after it is departed out of this life it is so much the nearer coupled with God Therefore it taketh the greater pleasure and delight in him Now the greater pleasure it taketh in God the greater praise it must giue to him for pleasure cannot come into the heart but it
Diuers opinions concerning the presence of Christs body in the Sacrament How a thing is said to be absent and present How the body of Christ is present Our difference with the Papists to whom the words ought to be directed c. SERM. VI. Out of Isaiah 38. Intreating of Hezechiahs Sickenesse v. 1.2.3 Sheweth that the greatest are not exempt from great and sore trials That Hezechiahs disease was though not in the greatest extremity that which we by an emphasis call the Sickenesse Why God thus visiteth his children The time when the King fell into this disease What is our duty in the like case of distresse from the Prophets plaine dealing with the King That the Prophet as appeareth was not too rigorous in his denuntiation in adding affliction vpon affliction to the King The Kings excellent behauiour in this Sicknesse His gesture in the same expressing the signes of a good conscience His recourse in extremitie to the same great power which now did smite him seeme to be his enemy our lesson from thence SERM. VII On Isa. 38.4.5.6 Intreating of Hezechiahs Sicknesse sheweth The speedy issue and hearing of the Kings prayer our lessons from thence It is a mercy to be visited at home as this King was The author of the Kings comfort was God vsing the meanes of his minister and word Why mention is made of Dauid in this comfort the King receiued Why Dauid is called the Kings Father Our lessons from this preface That the Lord is neare the prayers of his children That as this King receiued more then he asked from God so for the most part do all the Saints SERM. VIII On Isaiah 38.7.8.9.10.11 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth why the King sought a signe how some refuse signes How the signe was shewed Why the Signe was wrought in the Diall Why in the bodie of the Sunne What profit is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer The Kings thankfulnesse for the benefit receiued A short summe of the Kings life Our lesson from thence The Kings song shewing first when he was troubled The diuersitie of the feare of death in the godly and wicked The way to eschue the feare of death The reasons why death seemes now so grieuous to the King A censure of these his reasons SERM. IX Out of Isaiah 38.12.13.14 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth the similitudes whereby the King amplified his present lamentation Why the Patriarks conuersed in tents Our vses thence The extremitie of the Kings disease Why God suffereth his children to fall into such extremities Our lessons thence By what meanes the King in this extremitie seeketh vnto God Why the King sought the prorogation of his dayes In what respect it is lawfull to seeke the prolonging of our dayes That faith and doubting may remaine in one soule If Christ in his agonie had contrarie voyces no maruell this King had also How this King teacheth vs to pray in extremitie SERM. X. On Isaiah 38.15.16 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth the Kings thankefulnesse in three things That a good conscience giueth thankes for euery thing receiued How the King expresseth the greatnesse of the mercy receiued What effects this mercy did breede in him How the sweetnesse of this mercy did make him burst forth in praise of the word How a man shall know if the Spirit of life be begun in him How the Spirit is saiâ— to be nourished in vs and how banished c. SERM. XI On Isaiah 38.16 to the end of the chapter Intreating of Hezechias sicknesse Sheweth how from the other effects of the word the King continueth to extoll the same The time when this King did thus fall sicke The manner of the Kings deliuery That sin is the onelie thing punished in the wicked and purged in the godly That remission of sinnes cureth all diseases That when God forgiueth sinnes he also forgetteth them That God onely forgiueth sinnes The cause and reasons why God did forgiue this King his sinnes Doctrine from thence why the Lord worketh by meanes and secondary causes SERM. XII Out of Psalme 76 From 1. to the 8. ver Intreating of the great deliuery in 88. from the Spanish tyranny Sheweth the purpose of the Prophet in this Psalme what is meant by the name of God That the true knowledge and praises of God accompany each other The profite which cometh to vs by thankesgiuing That it is a mercy to haue God neare vs and to dwell with vs. The place of this ouerthrow What that is which driueth God from any place How this victory was obtained How the Lord is said to rebuke Gods former dealing with his Church To what end the Lord appointeth enemies vnto his Church How of Gods great mercyes followeth admiration SERM. XIII On Psalme 76.8.9.10.11.12 Intreating of the former subiect Sheweth that God onely did this great worke The effects that this great work brought forth One lesson from thence The time of this great iudgment The times of Gods sitting and rising To what end God commonly riseth An obiection of the Church preuented Exhortation to thankefulnesse That we should vpon extraordinary mercyes chiefly stirre vp our selues to the same SERM. XIIII On Psalme 40. preached in a publike fast enioyned by authority The parts of this Psalme In the 1. part from Dauids experience diuerse obseruations How Hope differeth from Faith The life of hope Hope and mourning may stand together How to obtaine patience in trouble How to know when God heareth our prayer though he grant not instantly our sute How constant mourning in trouble vnto God argueth certaine deliuerance Why the Lord delayeth to helpe his seruants The end why our prayers are heard Two sorts of abusing the grace of God SERM. XV. Out of 2. Tim. 2.22 preached at the publike Repentance of the Earle Bothwell in the Church of Edinborough Sheweth the summe and meaning of the words what these things be which all yong men should flie What is meant by the lusts of youth Whence the restraint of sinne doth come By what meanes the Lord restraineth sinne in vs. What things yong men should seeke after The definition and sorts of Repentance In what respects wordly sorrow is called a blind terror What godly sorrow is A caution to be obserued in Repentance What the greatest sinne a a man can commit is The effects of godly sorrow The manner of Repentance Why some parts of Repentance haue the name of Mortification and Viuification That in the worke of Repentance the diuell stayeth nothing more then our sincere confession of Sinnes A caution to beware of Presumption That there be two sortes of Repentance c. SERM. XVI Out of 2. Tim. 2.13 In way of an Exhortation to a Prouinciall Assembly Sheweth at whose hands the Pastor ought chiefly to seeke approbation How to obtaine true approbation The weight of ministeriall function The groundworke of the ministery Whereupon it consisteth What it is to rule in the
and tasted in their hearts what it is And if they had tasted and felt in their soules what faith brings with it alas they would not call that spirirituall Iewell and onely â—ewell of the soule an imagination They call it an imagination and the Apostle describing it Heb. 11.1 calleth it a substance and substantiall ground Marke how well these two agree An imagination and a substantiall ground They call it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the braine and fantasie of man He calleth it an euidence and demonstration in the same definition See how directly contrary the Apostle and they are in the nature of faith Vpon this they infer that as it is true in generall he can not be deliuered nor giuen but that same way that he is receiued and looke what way any thing is receiued the same way it is giuen and deliuered So as they say he being receiued by way of imagination he is also in their fantasie giuen and deliuered by way of imagination For if he be not giuen say they to thy hand to thy mouth nor to thy stomack corporally he cannot be giuen but by an imagination and fantasticall opinion The reason that moueth them to thinke that Christ cannot be theirs nor giuen to them truly in effect and really except he be giuen carnally is this That thing which is so far absent and distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be giuen vs nor to be ours But by our owne confession say they to vs Christ his body is as farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth Therefore Christ his body nor his flesh cannot be giuen vnto vs except by way of imagination and so not truly nor in effect This argument framed in this sort would at the first sight seeme to be of some force But let vs examine the proposition of it The proposition is this That thing which is so farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be deliuered to vs to be giuen to vs or any wayes to be ours Now whether is this proposition true or false I say this proposition is vntrue and the contrarie most true A thing may be giuen to vs and may become ours though the thing in person it selfe be as farre distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth And how proue I this What maketh any thing to be ours What maketh any of you esteeme a thing to be giuen vnto you Is it not a title Is it not a iust right to that thing If ye haue a iust right giuen vnto you by him who hath power to giue it and a sure title confirmed to you by him who hath the power though the thing that he giueth vnto you be not deliuered into your hands yet by the right and title which he granteth to you is not the thing yours There is no doubt of it for it is not the neernes of the thing to my body to my hand that maketh the thing mine for it may be in mine hand and yet not belong to me Neyther is it the distance nor absence of the thing that makes it not to be mine but it may be farre absent from me and yet be mine becaue the title is mine and because I haue gotten a right to it from him who hath the power to giue it So then this ground is true It is a sure title and a iust right that maketh a thing though it be far distant from vs to be ours But so it is that a liuelie and true faith in the bloud and death of Christ maketh vs to haue a sure title and a good right to the flesh and bloud of Christ and to his merites looke what he merited by his death shedding of his bloud vpon the crosse all that together with himselfe also appertaineth to me and that by a title and a right which I haue gotten to him of God which is faith And the surer that my title is the more sure am I of the thing that is giuen me by the title Now this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to confirme our title to seale vp our right which we haue to the bodie and bloud to the death and passion of Christ and so the bodie of Christ is said to be giuen to vs the bloud of Christ is said to be deliuered to vs when our title which we haue of him of his death of his bodie and bloud is confirmed in our harts For this Sacrament is instituted for the growth and increase of our faith for the increase of our holinesse and sanctification which faith the greater that it is in our hearts the more sure are we that Christ his death appertaineth to vs. I grant as I haue said that the flesh of Christ is not deliuered into my hndes his flesh is not put into my mouth nor entreth into my stomacke Yet God forbid that thou shouldst say He is not truly giuen although Christs flesh be not put into thy hand nor mouth of thy body and wherfore should it Hath he not appointed bread wine for the nourishment of the bodie may not that content you Are they not sufficieÌ„t to nourish you to this earthly temporall life Hath he not appointed Christ to be deliuered to the inward mouth of thy soule to be giuen into the hand of thy soule that thy soule may seede on him and be quickned with that life wherewith the Angels liue wherewith the Sonne of God and God himselfe liue So the flesh of Christ is not appointed to nourish thy bodie but to nourish thy soule in the hope yea in the growth of that immortall life and therefore I say though the flesh of Christ be not deliuered into the hand of thy body yet it is deliuered to that part that it should nourish the soule is that part that it should nourish therefore to the soule it is deliuered Yea that Bread and that Wine are no more really deliuered to the bodie and to the hand of the bodie then the flesh of Christ is deliuered to the soule and to the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith therefore craue no more a carnall deliuerie nor thinke not vpon a carnall receiuing Thou must not thinke that either God giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie or that thou by the mouth of thy bodie receiuest the flesh of Christ For ye must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of God our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ nor the flesh of Christ cannot be ioyned with our soules but by a spirituall band Not by a carnall band of bloud and alliance not by the touching of his flesh with our flesh but he is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band that is by the power and vertue of his holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 That by the meanes of his holy Spirit all we who are faithfull men
and women are baptized into one bodie of Christ. That is we are conioyned and fastened with one Christ by the meanes saith he of one Spirit not by a carnall band or any grosse coniunction but onely by the band of the holy Spirit That same holy Spirit that is in him is in euery one of vs in some measure and in respect one Spirit is in him and in vs therefore we are accounted all to be one bodie and to be members of one spirituall and mysticall bodie And in the same verse the Apostle saith We are all made to drinke into one and the selfe same Spirit that is we are made to drinke of the bloud of Christ. And this bloud is no other thing but the quickning vertue and power that floweth from Christ and from the merits of his death we are made all to drinke of that bloud when we drinke of the liuely power and vertue that floweth out of that bloud So there is not a band that can couple my soule with the flesh of Christ but onely a spirituall band and a spirituall vnion And therefore it is that the Apostle 1. Cor. 6.17 saith He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit And Iohn saith That which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit So it is onely by the participation of the holy Spirit that we are conioyned with the flesh and bloud of Christ Iesus That carnall band whether it be the band of bloud which runneth through one race or the carnall touching of flesh with flesh that carnall band I say was neuer esteemed of by Christ. In the time that he was conuersant here vpon earth he respected nothing that band for as he witnessed himselfe by his owne words he neuer had that carnall band in any kind of reuerence or estimation in respect of the spirituall band But as for the spirituall band whereby we are coupled with him by one Spirit he euer esteemed of this band in the time that he was conuersant on earth in a word he hath left the praise and commendations of the same To let you see how lightly he esteemed of the carnall band of bloud and alliance which we esteeme so much ye may see in the eight of Luke 20.21 for there they coming to him say Master thy Mother and thy brethren stand without and would see thee ye shall heare his answer vnto them how little he esteemed of that carnall band in the 21. verse in a manner denying that band he saith My Mother and my brethren are those which heare the word of God and do it As if he would haue said It is not that carnall band that I esteeme it is not that carnall coniunction that I reuerence it is the spirituall coniunction by the participation of his holy Spirit whereby we are mooued to heare the word of God to giue reuerence to it and obey it This carnall band was neuer profiâ—able as that in the 8 of Luke doth plainly testifie for if the touching of Christs flâ—sh had bene profitable the multitude whereof mention is made in that Chapter that thrusted and preased him had bene the better by their carnall touching But so it is that there was neuer any of them the better by their carnall touching therefore the carnall touching profiteth nothing Saith not Christ himselfe Iohn 6.63 to draw them from that sinister confidence they had in the flesh onely My flesh profiteth nothing It is the Spirit that quickneth To touch him by the holie Spirit and by faith in thy soule this touching by faith hath euer bene profitable and we haue a plaine example of it in the same Chapter Euen so the poore woman that had long bene diseased with a bloudie issue the space of twelue yeares and had wasted and consumed the greatest part of her substance in seeking remedie she found no helpe by the naturall and bodily Physition at the last by vertue of the holie Spirit working faith in her heart she vnderstands and conceiues that she is able to recouer the health of her bodie and the health of her soule from Christ Iesus who came to saue both bodie and soule And vpon this perswasion which she had in her heart that Christ could cure both bodie and soule she came vnto him and as the Text saith she preased through the multitude to come to him and when she was come it is not said that she touched his flesh with her hand in case the Papists would ascribe the vertue which came out of him to her carnall touching but it is said that she touched onely the hemme of his garment with her hand and with faith which is the hand of the soule she touched her Sauiour God and man And to let you vnderstand that she touched him by faith he saith to her at the last Go thy way thy faith hath saued thee She touched him not so soone by faith but incontinent there came a power out of him which power and vertue she felt by the effect of it in her soule and our Sauiour felt it when it went from him The effect whereby she felt it was the health of her soule and the effect whereby he felt it was the going from him And so soone as he felt it go from him he saith Who is it that hath touched me Peter who was euer most suddaine answereth and saith Thou art thronged and thrusted by the multitude yet thou askest who hath touched thee Our Sauiour answers againe It is not that touching that I speake of it is another kind of touching There is one hath touched me who hath drawne a vertue and power out of me the multitude taketh no vertue from me The poore woman thinking she had done amisse and perceiuing she could not be hid came trembling and said I haue done it He answered her at the last and said Depart in peace thy faith hath saued thee Thy faith hath drawne out a vertue and power from me that hath made both thy soule and thy bodie whole So that this touching of Christ hath euer bene profitable is shall be profitable like as the touching of Christ with the corporall hand hath neuer bene is not nor euer shall be profitable And why Christ is not appointed to be a carnall head to be set vpon the necks of our bodies that he may do the office of a carnall head thereunto to furnish naturall motions and senses to our bodies No the Scriptures call not Christ a naturall head but the Scriptures call him a spirituall head to be set vpon the necke of our soules that is to be conioyned with our soules that out of him into our soules may distill holy motions heauenly senses and that there may flow out of him to vs a spirituall and heauenly life Then the Scriptures call him a spirituall head as they call vs a spirituall bodie and as the life which we get from him is spirituall so all our coniunction with him is spirituall And in respect he
second place with the denunciation of death Indeed Esay in his denunciation appeareth to be very strict but how strict soeuer he was he hath his warrant We haue not the like warrant therefore we ought not to vse the like strictnesse toward the Patient Alwaies generally we ought to exhort him to vnbuâ—den his conscience to disburden his soule and to make 〈…〉 whensoeuer it shall please the Lord to call 〈…〉 the chiefe points of our visitation standeâ—h 〈…〉 two first to bid the Patient lay aside the 〈…〉 and next to prepare for the heauenly part Yet ere I leaue the denunciation theâ—e â—ppeareth in the denunciation three faults to concuâ—â—â— First it seemeth that the Prophet in his denunciation 〈◊〉 ouer rigorous against so godly a King and handlâ—â—â—he King ouer extremely in this heauie disease for he cuâ—â— from him at the first all hope of this present life He doth farre otherwise then our Doctors of medicine for if they see any certaine signe of death they will not shew it to the Patient himselfe but to some of his friends he on the contrarie denounceth death to himselfe constantly affirming that he shall die Now this appeareth to be very hard But I answer if this denunciation had bene vsed against an Ethnick or a licentious liuer indeed it had bene an hard denunciation For as to an Ethnick who hath his hope onely in the earth it is not possible that he can make his hope to mount aboue the earth so that he thinketh when he is gone all is gone to him Secondly this denunciation would appeare hard and extreame to them that liue according to the flesh for ô how bitter is death saith Salomon to them that liue according to the flesh And I pray you what is the cause that death is so bitter vnto them Because in the agonie of death they feele another thing then this violent separation of the soule from the bodie for beside this they feele a conscience of iniquitie gnawing them they feele also the heauie wrath of God kindled against their sinne and iniquitie and the sense of this wrath striketh such a horrour in their soules that at the very memorie of death they tremble Therefore I say to such kind of persons as those this would haue bene a hard kind of threatning But vnto Christians and namely to such a godly King as this was it was no hard language For as to vs that we Christians we must not looke on death as she is in her owne nature But we must looke vpon her as she is made to vs by the benefite and mercie in Christ Iesus And looking on death this way is not death spoiled of her sting is she not sanctified to vs in the death of Christ and is she not made to vs an entrie to euerlasting felicitie is she not a returning from our banishment and passing to our euerlasting heauen So looking on death not in the owne nature but as she is made to vs in Christ at the voice of death we ought to lift vp our eyes and be glad that the redemption of our soule is so neare when the separation shal be made the Lord shall call on vs we ought to reioyce seeing he hath made death to vs a further step to ioy and a meanes of a stricter coniunction But it is not possible that words can make men prepare them for death The readiest way to eschue the horror of death is to thinke vpon death and yet notwithstanding of all the great spectacles that we see dayly we are neuer an haire moued Alwaies the readiest way as I haue said is to take vp such a life presently as may best agree with that life which we aspire vnto Thou must take vp a new course thou must conforme thy life here with the life to come that an harmonie being betwixt the two liues death may be to thee an entry to that euerlasting ioy Thou must bid all thy foule affections good night for thou and they cannot come both to heauen Thou must bid sinne whereunto thou art a slaue and an ordinarie seruant farewell for except thou be this way altered thou must not thinke that death shall be to thee a passage to heauen Then learne ye that would haue death pleasant so to rule and square this life that it may agree in some measure with the life to come The second omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this â—t seemeth to be superfluous for why the kind of plague assured him of his death the Physicions assured him the weakenesse of his owne nature assured him that he should die So the denunciation seemeth to be superfluous but it is not superfluous in deed if we shal examine our owne nature how loath all men are to die for we know by experience that there are some who wil scarcely take death to them euen at the last gaspe and what loue we haue to this life it is knowne to all men Therefore the Prophet so strictly denounced death that by this strict denunciation the King may be moued to lift his hope aboue nature and all naturall meanes and of God onely to seeke support where nature had denyed him And so the denunciation is not superfluous it is the ready way to make him runne vnto the right way Now the last omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this The Lord seemeth by his Prophet to dissemble for is not this an high dissimulation to say that he shall die and yet notwithstanding to meane the contrary So there appeareth a great dissimulation on Gods part denounced by his Prophet that he should die instantly and yet he was of minde that he should liue fifteene yeares after this To answer vnto this this generall must be layed downe for a ground that Vnto all the threatnings and promises of God there is a condition annexed which condition is either secretly inclosed in the promise or threatning or else it is openly expressed That this is true see Ezechiel the 18.1 and Dan 4.27 this condition hath place Then this being the nature of the threatnings of God this terrible denunciation how terrible soeuer it appeare yet it hath a condition in it to wit Except he repent except he seeke me and make his recourse to me by prayer For out of question the Lord was of minde to punish Niniâ—e except they had preuented him by repentance So I say all the promises and threatnings of God haue a condition annexed which is either openly expressed or couertly to be vnderstood And therefore the denunciation hath a secret condition and this condition made the King to liue for suppose it be simply propounded yet it is not to bring him to despaire but onely to make him the more instant to sâ—eke grace health at the hands of the liuing God Now haue I touched the greatnesse the time and the kind of the disease Let vs make our profite thereof for it is necessary that this doctrine