GOD for yee knowe any Euidence will make faith though it vvant a seale and it will serue to make a right if it be subscribed without a seale but the seale without the Euidence auaileth nothing Euen so it is with the word of God though the Sacraments bee not annexed to the word yet the word will serue the turne it serueth vs to get Christ it serueth to ingender and beget faith in vs and maketh vs to growe vp in faith But the seale without the word can serue vs to no holievse therefore I say the seale must be annexed to the word preached to the couenant of mercy and grace Now it followeth in the definition Why the Sacrament should be ministred publiquely that this seale must bee ministred publiquely Wherefore say I publiquely To exclude all priuat administration of this Sacramēt For if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately it is not a Sacrament Why First reason Because the Apostle calleth this Sacrament a Communion If ye administer it to one yee lose the Communion therefore if yee administer it priuatly yee lose the Sacrament For this Sacrament is a Communion of the body and bloud of Christ therefore of necessity it must be by way of communication and so the action must be publiquely ministred Secondly this Sacrament must be publiquely ministred Second reason because Christ Iesus vvho is the thing signified in this Sacrament is no such thing as pertaineth but to one man only if this were so he might be priuatly giuen and ministred But seeing Christ which is the thing signified in the Sacrament is a common thing belonging to euery faithfull man and vvoman therefore hee ought to be commonly giuen to all in a common action in a societie and congregation of the faithfull Thirdly this Sacrament is a Thanksgiuing to God the Father for his benefits Now it appertaineth not to one or tvvo to thanke God onely but as we are all partakers of his temporall and spirituall benefits so we ought all of vs publiquely to giue him thanks for the same Therefore I say in the definition this seale ought to be publiquely and not priuatly ministred as the Papists doe in their priuat Masses This Seale must bee publiquely ministred according to Christ his institution Wherfore say I Christ his institution more then mans institution or Angels institution Why keepe I to Christ his institution Why this Seale must be ministred according to Chr. his institution Because man hath not power to institute or make a Sacrament because an Angel hath not power to make or institute a Sacrament For none hath power to make or institute a Sacrament but he that hath power to giue Christ vvho is the thing signified in the Sacrament None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onely But so it is that none hath power to giue Christ but either the Father or himselfe therefore none hath power to make or institute a Sacrament but either the Father or the Sonne onely God must make a Sacrament Secondly this Sacrament is a part of Gods seruice and worship but so it is that none hath power to appoint any part of his seruice or prescribe any part of his worship but onely God himselfe therefore none can make a Sacrament but God himselfe There is no Prince will be contented to be serued after another mans fantasie but he will prescribe his seruice according vnto his own pleasure how much more is it meet that God should appoint his owne seruice and worship Therefore there is neither man nor Angel hath power to institute any part of the seruice of GOD. The Sacraments are a part of his seruice therefore there is no Angel nor man hath power to institute a Sacrament The greatest stile that any man can haue in the ministery of the word and Sacraments is that stile which the Apostle giues them 1. Cor. 4.1 There we are called Stewards and Dispensers of the graces of God Ministers of those mysteries and holy things It followeth then that we are not Authors Creators and makers of them but onely Ministers and dispensers of the Sacraments So it is euident that no man nor creature hath power to make a Sacrament Then it must bee according to the institution of Christ his institution must be kept looke what he said what he did what hee commanded thee to doe all that must be said done and obeyed If thou leauest one iote of that vndone which he commaunded thee to doe thou peruertest the institution for there is nothing left in register of that institution but it is essentiall So in the celebration of Christs institution wee must take heede to whatsoeuer he said did or commaunded to bee done Thou must first say whatsoeuer hee said then do whatsoeuer he did For the Ministerie of the Sacrament must follow after the word First thou must say that which Christ commanded thee to say and thou must teach that which he commanded thee to teach and then minister the Sacrament Then to keepe this institution wee must beginne at the saying We call the word in the Sacrament the whole Institution and say whatsoeuer Christ commanded vs then after faythfully to doe all that which he commanded to be done Then I call the word the whole institution of Christ Iesus preached and proclaimed denounced distinctly cleerely and sensiblie to the people in such sort that if wee leaue anie kinde of circumstance or ceremonie of this institution vndone wee peruert the whole action It is agreed vpon Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament and condescended vnto betweene vs who celebrate this institution and all the sectes in the world who haue separated themselues from this institution That two things are necessarie and must concurre in the nature and constitution of a Sacrament To wit there must be a word and there must bee an element concurring There is not a sect that granteth not this That the word must concur with the element before there can be a Sacrament Though they easily admit this generall wherein wee agree well with them yet when it comes to the speciall that wee enter into particular in the handling and treating of the word how well soeuer wee agree in the generall yet in the particular wee are as farre asunder For when wee come to dispute and reason on these particulars First what wee meane by the word Secondly how this word ought to be intreated Thirdly what vertue this word hath Fourthly how farre the vertue of this word doth extend it selfe And last of all to whom the word ought to be directed and pronounced In all these particulars wee are as farre asunder as euer wee seemed to agree in the generall I leaue to meddle with any other sect What wee meane by the word in the Sacrament but will deale with the Papists onely because we haue most to do with them And first of all we are to vnderstand what
thou doost except it flow from faith it can profit nothing Thus farre briefly concerning the word Now it wil be demaunded What need is there that these Sacraments seales should be annexed to the word wherfore are they annexed seeing we get no more in the Sacrament then we get in the word and wee get as much in the very simple word as we get in the Sacraments Seeing theÌ„ we get no new thing in the SacrameÌ„t but the same thing which we get in the simple word wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung vnto the word It is tru certainly that we get no new thing in the Sacrament nor wee get no other thing in the Sacrament then we get in the word for what more wouldest thou craue then to get the Sonne of God if thou get him well Thy hart cannot wish nor imagine a greater gift then to haue the Sonne of God who is King of heauen and earth therefore I say VVhat new thing wouldest thou haue for if thou get him thou gettest all things with him thy hart cannot imagine a new thing besides him Wherefore then is the Sacrament appointed Answere 1 Not to get thee any new thing I say it is appointed to gette thee that same thing better By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple vvord then thou haddest it in the vvord The Sacrament is appointed that we may take better hold of Christ then we could in the simple vvord that we may possesse Christ in our harts and mindes more fully and largely then we did before in the simple vvord That Christ might haue a larger space to make residence in our narrow harts then he could haue by the hearing of the simple vvord and to possesse Christ more fully it is a better thing For suppose Christ be one thing in himselfe yet the better hold thou hast of him thou art the surer of his promise The Sacraments are appointed that I might haue him more fully in my soule that I might haue the boundes of it enlarged that he may make the better residence in me This no doubt is the cause wherefore these Seales are annexed to the euidence of the simple word They serue to this end also to seale vp and confirme the truth that is in the word They serue to confirme the truth contained in the vvord for as the office of the Seale hung to the Euidence is not to confirme any other truth then that which is in the Euidence and though ye belieued the Euidence before yet by the seales yee belieue it better euen so the Sacraments assure me of no other truth then is contained vvithin the vvord yet because it is a seale annexed vnto the vvord it perswades me the better of the same for the more the outvvard senses are wakened the more is the inward hart and minde perswaded to belieue Now the Sacrament wakeneth all the outward senses as the eye the hand and all the rest and the outward senses beeing mooued no question the spirit of GOD concurring there-with moues the hart the more The Sacraments are then annexed vnto the vvord to seale vp the truth contained in the word and to confirm it mâ—re and more in thy hart The word then is appointed to worke beliefe and the Sacrament is appointed to confirme you in this beliefe But except yee feele the truth of this inwardly in your harts except yee haue your harts as ready as your mouth thinke not that any thing will auaile you All the seales in the world wil not work except the spirit of God concur and seale the same truth in your harts which the Sacrament seales outwardly Except hee make cleere the sight of thy minde inwardly and worke a feeling in thy hart both word and Sacrament shall lose their fruite and effect which they should haue All the Scriptures are full of this the whole Scriptures of God are but a slaying letter to you except the spirit of God concurre to quicken inwardly Exhortation Therefore your whole indeuour should be to prease to feele Christ inwardly in your harts that finding him in your harts and seeing him in your minds both word and Sacraments may be effectuall If not your soules remaine dead ye are not translated from that death wherin ye were conceiued Therefore all the study of Christians should be when they see the Sacraments and heare the word to labor to finde and feele in their harts and mindes that which they heare and see and this I call to finde Christ quick in your ovvne soules This cannot be except yee sanctifie his lodging for if all the corners of thy soule remaine a dunghill Christ cannot dwell there and therefore except ye studie for continuall growth in sanctification seuer your selues from euery thing that seuers you from Christ it is not possible that hee can liue or dwell in you This is a great lesson and it is not possible to doe this except as I haue said a stronger come in possesse vs and make vs to renounce our selues Then the seales had not been annexed to the word except for our cause for there is no necessity on Gods part that God should either sweare or confirme by seales the thing that hee hath spoken for his word is as good as any oath or seale But the necessity commeth of vs there is such a great weaknesse in vs that vvhen hee hath sworne and set his seales vnto his vvord wee are as neere to belieue as if hee had neuer spoken a vvord So to helpe our beliefe our vveakenesse and inabilitie that is in vs for we are so vnable by nature that we can belieue nothing but that which is of our selues and the more wee leane vnto our selues the further we are from God I say to helpe this wonderfull weakenes whereby we are ready to mistrust God in euery word he hath annexed his Sacraments besides his Sacraments hee sweares the things that concerne most our saluation As in the Priesthood of Christ Psal 110.4 He will not speake onely but he sweares and that for our weakenes and infirmities but yet if he abstract the ministery of his spirit all these meanes will do no good Now the last thing is how the Sacrament is peruerted Faults w th peruert the Sacrament and how we are defrauded of the fruit and effect thereof Two sorts of faults peruert the Sacrament and defraude vs of the profit and vse thereof and these faults are either in the forme or in the person In forme if the essentiall forme be spoyled we gette nothing for when the Sacrament is spoyled of the essentiall forme it is not a Sacrament There is an essentiall forme in Baptisme and an essentiall form in the Lords Supper which if they be taken away ye lose the vse of the Sacrament The essentiall forme of Baptisme is I baptize thee in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost leaue out any of
by the outward feeling of the hands or taste of the mouth it is outwardly present Or if any thing be perceiued by the inward eye by the inward taste feeling of the soule this thing can not be outwardly present but it must bee spiritually inwardly present to the soul So I say euery thing is present as it is perceiued So that if you perceiue not a thing outwardly it is outwardly absent and if ye perceiue not a thing inwardly it is inwardly absent It is not distance of place that makes a thing absent nor propinquitie of place that makes a thing present But it is onely the perceiuing of any thing by any of thy senses that makes a thing present the not perceiuing that makes a thing absent I say though the thing it self were neuer so far distāt if thou perceiue it by thine outward sense it is present vnto thee As for example my body and the sunne are as farre distant in place as the heauen is from the earth and yet this distance stayeth not the sunnes presence from mee why Because I perceiue the sunne by mine eie and other senses I feele it and perceiue it by the heate by the light and by his brightnesse So if a thing were neuer so farre distant if wee haue senses to perceiue the same it is present to vs. Then the distance of place makes not a thing absent from thee if thou hast senses to perceiueit likewise the neerenesse of place makes not a thing present be it neuer so neere if thou hast not senses to perceiue it As for example if the sunne shine vpon thine eyes if thou bee blinde it is not present to thee because thou canst not perceiue it A sweete tune will neuer be present to a deafe eare though it be sung in the eare of that man because hee hath not a sense to perceiue it And a well told tale will neuer bee present to a foole because hee cannot vnderstand it nor hath no iudgement to perceiue it So it is not the neerenesse nor distance of place that maketh any thing present or absent but only the perceiuing or not perceiuing of it Now the word being made cleere How the bodie of Christ is present aske you how the bodie of Christ is present To giue our iudgement in a word as yee haue heard from time to time hee is present not to the outward senses but to the inward senses which is fayth wrought in the soule For this action of the Sacrament and of the Lords Supper is partly corporall and partly spirituall I call this action partly corporall not in respect onely that the obiects that is That bread and that wine are corporall but also in respect my mouth whereunto these things are offered the instrument whereby and the manner how these things are receiued are all corporal and naturall I call the same action againe partly spirituall not onely in respect of Christ Iesus who is the heauenly and spirituall thing of the Sacrament but also in respect of my soule whereunto Chr. is offered and giuen in respect the instrument whereby and the manner how hee is receiued are all spirituall for I get not Christ corporally but spiritually So in these respect I call this action partly corporall and partly spirituall Now confounde not these two sorts of actions The corporall and naturall signes with the spirituall thing signified thereby againe confound not the mouth of the bodie with the mouth of the soule Thirdly confound not the outwarde manner of receuing by the hand of the bodie with the spirituall manner of receiuing by the hand of the soule And so it shall bee exceeding cleere to see that each thing shall bee present to the owne instrument that is The bodie of Christ which is the spirituall thing signified shall be present to the spirituall mouth and hand and the bread and wine which are the corporall signes are present to the corporall mouth and hand Then how is any obiect present A corporall obiect is corporally present and an inward obiect is inwardly present Of what nature is the thing signified It is of an heauenly nature Then aske you how is he present He is spiritually and heauenly present to the soule and the mouth of the soule which is faith For it were a preposterous thing to make the thing signified present to thy belly or to the mouth or eye of thy body for if that were so it should not be spiritually present because euery thing is present as it agreeth in it owne nature Is it a bodily thing it is bodily present if it be a heauenly thing it is spiritually present So I thinke no man can doubt how the bodie of Christ is present hee is not carnally present but spiritually present to my soule and to faith in my soule Thus far concerning the manner of his presence Now the last part of our difference is this The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists wee haue to consider to whom the words ought to be directed pronounced For we the Papists differ in this last point we say that the words ought to be directed pronounced vnto the people to the faithfull communicants They on the contrary say that the words ought not to be directed nor pronounced to the people but to the elements not to be cleerly pronounced but whispered on the elements So that if they be spoken to the people or spoken openly their charme auailes not Now I say that as this holy action is peruerted by them in all the rest so they peruert it in this point also in speaking that to the dumbe elements which they should speak to the people of God For I shall proue it cleerely by three arguments taken out of the Scriptures that the words ought not to be spoken to the bread but to the people of God And first I say The promises of mercie and grace ought to be directed and pronounced to them in whom the Lord performs them makes them effectual But so it is That the promises of mercie and grace are performed and made effectuall not in bread and wine but in faythfull men women Therefore these promises should be directed to faythfull men women Now here is the promise of mercy grace This is my bodie which is broken for you and this promise is made to no other thing but to the faithfull and so to them onely it ought to bee directed Secondly wee haue to consider That this Sacrament seales vp a couenant of grace and mercie Now with whom will God make his couenant of mercy and grace will hee make a couenant with a peece of bread or any dumbe element There is no man will enter into couenant with his seruant much lesse will enter into couenant with a dumbe element So in respect this Sacrament seales vp a couenant this couenant of necessitie must bee made with a faithfull soule and in no wise with the
dumbe element and therefore these wordes cannot bee directed to the elements Thirdly looke to the end wherfore this Sacrament vvas appointed Is it not to lead vs to Christ Is it not to nourish my faith in Christ Is it not to nourish me in a constant perswasion of the Lords mercy in Christ Was this Sacrament appointed to make the elements Gods No for if ye marke Gods purpose in this institution yee shall finde that Christ hath not ordained this institution to nobilitate the Elements to fauour and respect the Elements which were Bread and Wine yesterday to be Gods to day Wee on the contrary say plainely that the institution of Christ respecteth not the elements to alter their nature Indeed it is appointed to alter vs to change vs and to make vs more and more spirituall and to sanctifie the elements to our vse But the speciall end is this To make vs holie and more more to growe vp in a sure faith in Christ and not to alter the Elements nor to make them gods And therefore by all these three Arguments it is euident that the words ought not to be directed to the Elements but to the people and faithfull Communicants Now to come to an end There is one thing Conclusion with an exhortatiō without the which wee cannot profit let vs discourse neuer so long vpon the right vnderstanding of the Sacrament Ye see now how all that is spoken concerning the Sacrament is grounded and dependeth vpon faith Let a man haue faith be it neuer so little hee shall get some hold of Christ and some insight in the vnderstanding of this Sacrament but wanting faith though a man endeuour himselfe to make the Sacraments neuer so sensible it is not possible that hee can gette any hold of Christ or any insight of him For without faith we cannot be Christians we can neither get a sight of God nor feele God in Christ without faith Faith is the onely thing that translates our soules out of that death and damnation vvherein vvee vvere conceiued and borne and planteth life in vs. So the vvhole studie and endeuour of a Christian should tend to this To craue that the Lord in his mercie vvould illuminate his minde vvith the eye of faith and that hee would kindle in his heart a loue of faith and vvorke in his hart a thirst and desire of the obiect of faith more and more to thirst and hunger for the foode of faith that nourishes vs to life eternall Without this faith hovv-soeuer the naturall man vnderstanding naturally would flatter himselfe surely there is no blessednesse but all his life is more then terrible misery For what-soeuer it be that flatters and pleaseth thee now be it a thought or motion of the minde or an action of the body that pleaseth thee now without faith the same very motion cogitation or action shall torment thee heereafter So vvithout faith it is not possible to please GOD and vvhatsoeuer pleaseth not GOD is done to torment thee Therefore craue mercie for whatsoeuer motion cogitation or action vvherein thou hast offended GOD or for the same God shall offend and torment thee And to eschevv the offence of God there is no meanes but by true faith therefore the studie of a Christian should be to grow in faith Now by hearing of the vvord thou gettest faith and by receiuing this Sacrament thou obtainest the increase of faith and hauing faith the receiuing of the Sacrament shall be fruitfull but vvithout faith thou eatest thineowne condemnation Then the whole study of a Christian is to get faith and this faith cannot be obtained with idlenesse but by earnest prayer therefore let euery one of vs fall downe and craue earnestly this faith and the increase of it whereby we may be worthy Receiuers of this blessed Sacrament and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory both now and euer Amen THE FOVRTH Sermon vpon the preparation to the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11.28 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. THough the doctrine of our triall and due examination well-beloued in Christ Iesus ought to goe before the doctrine and receiuing of the Sacrament yet notwithstanding seeing that preparation is alwaies at all times as well necessary for the hearing of the simple word as for the receiuing of the visible Sacrament for no man can heare the word of God fruitfully except in some measure he prepare his soule and prepare the eares of his hart how to hear therefore the doctrine of preparation and due examination must come in it ovvne place and be very necessary for cuery one of you The Apostle in the words vvhich we haue read deliuereth his counsaile and giueth his aduise and not onely giues his aduise but giues his admonition and commaund That we should not come to the Table of the Lord That we should not come to the hearing of the word rashly but that euery one of vs should come to this holy worke with reuerence that wee should prepare and sanctifie our selues in some measure And seeing we go vnto the King of heauens Table it becomes vs to put on our best array In a word hee deliuereth the whole doctrine and matter of this preparation when he saith Let euery man and let euery woman try and examine themselues As if he would say Let euery one of you try and examine your soules That is try the estate of your owne harts and condition of your owne consciences Marke and behold in vvhat estate you heart is with GOD and in what estate your conscience is with your neighbour He bids not your neighbour to try you hee bids not your companion to try your hart but he biddes your selfe in person to try your owne conscience hee biddes your selfe try your owne hart because none can be certaine of the estate of your hart or of the condition of your conscience but your selfe Now he excludes not others from the tryall of you neither for it is lawfull for the Pastor to try you but others cannot try you so narrowly as ye your selues may for no man can know so much of mee as I know of my selfe No man can be certaine of the estate of your hart and condition of your conscience yet you your selues may be certaine of it As for others men may iudge of your hart and conscience according to your works and effects and except your works effects bee very wicked and altogether vitious we are bound in conscience to iudge charitably of your harts and consciences Therefore there is none so meet to try the spirit of a man to try the hart or conscience of a man as is the man himselfe Now The heads to be intreated in this Sermons that this tryall may be the better made ye haue first to vnderstand what it is that ye