Christ to our soules to nourish them to eternall life After we haue fed our bodies with bread and drinke we are hungry and â—hirsty again but Christ the liuing bread that came from heauen so feedeth our soules that they hunger and thirst no more Sampson could not see the hony dropping Iud. 14 9. but he must needes be licking so we cannot behold Christ inuiting vs to so heauenly a banquet but we long to be feeding and when we haue fed and disgested this spirituall foode we neuer hunger any more because our soule are still full as the Prophet Dauid saith my cup is ful and in the strength Psal 24 5. of this foode we are able to continue longer then Eliah did And when he had giuen thanks Christ did first giue thankes that 's the first action in this sacrament hee woulde not breake the bread nor giue it to his disciples till hee had sanctified it To teach vs what we must doe before we feede our selues He is ill woorthy of the creatures of God that will venture to vse them with greater liberty then the Sonne of God did In the twentie six of Mathew we find him not sitting downe til he had first saied grace nor râ—â—â—ng againe till hee had sung a Psalme Vnthankful people that notwithstanding this example of Christ in this place will yet forget God that feedes them deserue to die with meate in their mouthes like the Israelites â—â— 11 20 with quailes in their nostrilles Christ in giuing thankes calles vppon vs for gratitude and thanksgiuing in all matters whatsoeuer for what haue we that we haue not receiued for our food our health our liberty our peace All the creatures of God giue prayse to God that made them and shall ingratitude rest onely in men That which Christ here hath taught the children of God in all ages haue learned of him and practised The Prophet Dauid in the hundred and third Psalme calles vpon his soule and al that is within him to prayse the Lord. The very birds doo not feede themselues in the morning till first they haue chyrped and sung out prayses vnto God that made them Plâ—â—ie recordeth that there is not so fierce oâ— cruel a nature in the world but it is allured and wonne by benefites and stories do make report of strange examples in this kind as of lions and dogges towards their benefactors only an obstinate is he among all the sauage creatures that are whom neither benefits can moue nor curteâ—â—es can mollifie nor promises can allure nor gifts can gaine to the gratefull seruice of his Lord. We haue nothing from our selues but our sinnes all else comes from God yet we forget God that giues vs all things the bread to feed vs the earth to beare vs the light to comfort vs our cloathes to couer vs yea more than can be most his owne son to die for vs and yet our hearts will not call vppon our mouthes to acknowledge the author of all this So ingraâ—efull are we like those nine leapers ten were cleansed and but one returned Luc. 17. 17 to giue thankes So is it with vs scarce one of ten haue learned to be thankful Nature hath stampt in the very beasts of the earth a kind of gratitude Esay proueth it to reproue men for that they shew themselues so vnlike beasts Esay 1 The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his maisters cribbe yet Israel knoweth not me Among these lepers aboue cited we find one better than nine and they were men one man better then many men but here wee finde beasts better then men If we will not learne of Dauid nor yet of Christ Dauids Lord learne of an oxe and an asse to be thankfull He brake it The breaking of the bread may not passe without his note It betokeneth the participation of his body as bread cannot be giuen nor diuided vnlesse it bee broken so the flesh of Christ cannot equally bee communicated nor imparted to the faithfull receiuers vnlesse first it be broke As we cannot eate whole loaues vntill they be cut into peeces and morselles that so wee may the better chew them and digest them so that other bread in the sacrament must be broken and diuided also because it cannot otherwise be redeemed Besides the breaking hath in it this mysterie it signifieth the breaking of Christes bodie viz. the torments and tortures and bitter paines that he indured for vs both in his bodie and soule As our eie then beholdes the breaking of the bread in the sacrament so let our spirituall eie the eie of the soule looke vppon Christ and his passion looke vpon him reuiled scorned spitted at whipped araigned crowned with thorne by false euidence conuicted and condemned and sentenced and executed betweene two theeues his handes and feete nailed through gaule and vinegar giuen him to drinke his most precious side goared and pearced through with a speare All this must bee seriously thought vppon with all other occurrences of his death and passion when thou seest the bread broken And gaue it After hee had broken it he giues it for now it was made fit for them and they were as capable to receiue it and as he gaue it so hee gaue not it alone but hee gaue comfort with it euen himselfe with it 2. Kin. 2. 13 as Elisha receiued at one time both Eliah his cloake and his spirit too Take eate this is my body As if he should haue said I haue alreadie fed your bodyes with materiall foode loe now receiue better meat food for your soules which shall feede them vp to eternall life Because Christ came to fulfill the lawe therefore he first ate the Passeouer with his Disciples and so finished that abrogated it in steede whereof he preseutly for the coÌ„fort of his Church ordained this sacrament of his bodie and bloud which should for euer bee vsed a speciall marke of the true Church being arightly administred In this sacrament we receiue Christ Iesus God and man we eate his bodie and wee drinke his blod so we beleene and teach but by his body we meane not that body which was at the table when this sacrament was instituted not that body which was crucified for vs vpon the Crosse not that bodie that was incarnate of the virgine Mary But by his body wee meane the force and fellowship and power of his bodie with all his goodnes and righteousnes This doctrine is as true as Christ is Christ and the Scripture is Scripture Howsoeuer the Papistes maintaine the contrarie by their doctrine of transubstantiation which is an execrable doctrine and a detestable heresie They hold that the bread and wine in the Sacrament is turned after the words spoken by the minister into the very flesh of Christ and the wine into his bloud A grosse and most absurd opinion that we should rent with our teeth the very flesh oâ— Christ our Sauiour This is euen to cruciâ—â—â— Christ againe like the
but the forbidden fruit and so he swallowed the bait that proued to be his bane As the Prophets children cried death is in 2. kin 4 40. the poâ— so Adam might haue cried death is in the apple The belly hath no eares and therefore is apt to receiue no instruction And this was the first hooke that euer Satan baited to intrappe vs in the belly He well knew mans daintines and therefore he applied himselfe to his humor and so we were neuer ware of the hooke he had so subtily couched it till it was in our throates The belly will tempt vs to incredulitie and distrustfulnesse as it tempted that Prince on whose shoulder the King leaned 2. King 7. who though he had heard it proclaimed by the Prophet Elisha that there shuld be plenty of vittels that a measure of flower should be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel by the next morrow yet he was faithles said it could not come to passe though the Lord should make windowes in heaueÌ„ but it came to passe and as a iust punishment of his incredulity he was â—oden to death in the gate and he saw it but might not taste of it Let this Prince be a president of terror to all vnbeleuing wretches that will distrust the diuine prouidence Why should we distrust God since we know that he careth for sparrowes and how much better are we than many sparowes Iob. 39 3. Yea he feedeth the rauens that cry vnto him and himself chargeth vs not to be carefull for our bodies what raiment we shall put on nor for our bellies what meate we shall prouide for after all these things do the Mat. 6 25. Gentiles seeke He that spake vnto Paul saying my grace 2. cor 12 9 is sufficient for thee saith the same vnto vs and to all the godly my gace is sufficient for you And therefore why are ye carefull O ye of little faith The belly made the Israelites distrust God in the wildernes when they murmured and wished themselues among the flesh pots in Aegypt for there say they wee ate Num. 14. bread our bellies full but now we must die with famine they would not rely vpon God longer than he fed them with bread from heauen or gaue them water out of the hard rocke God requireth that his children do waite his leisure for he staieth and restrayneth his blessings from vs for a season because our faith and our pacience may be sounded It is no maruaile if their faith stand sure who liue at ease and are not humbled with any crosse of affliction that haue all their heart can desire that haue long life like Methusalah great store of wealth like Salomon honor like Haman lands and possessions like the rich yong man in the Gospel These were neuer driuen to the desart but let God lay his hand vpon theÌ„ take from them all that euer they haue returning them to the world as naked as Iob let him take away first their children after that their goods then touch them in their bodies with sicknesse and it will appeare whether they haue faith or not and that constancy that was in Iob who after al his losses yea his own wife standing at his elbow tempting him to curse God yet could say shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not euill Iob. 2. 10 I rather suppose that a great sort beeing tempted with the losse of goods or any such like triall would rather shrinke away from God like Demas or like the accusers that ranne from Christ or like the young rich man that went away sorrowfull when hee heard that he must part with his goods if he Mat. 19 22 wold inherite life Hee loued his riches better then Iob did his and therefore hee mist that which Iob found viz. a better Paradise then Adam lost O let vs be warie and circumspect when we shall at anie time be thus tempted that we shake not the profession of our faith as 2. Tim. 4 10. Demas did when he imbraced the present world nor let vs yeelde to Satan though he driue vs to the desart Hee hath driuen Christ thither afore vs and he in getting the victorie ouer Satan in this his temptation hath promised to giue vs the victorie likewise when we shal be in like maner tempted We are not better then the Apostles and Disciples of Christ they haue been led into the desart Ducti fuerunt in desertum sed non deserti Looke the eleuenth to the Hebrues they Hebru 11 were stoned hewen asunder tempted slaine with the sword they wandred vp and down in sheep-skins goatskins being destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in wildernesses in mountaines and dens All this did they indure in patience knowing that they should finde in heauen a better and a more induring substance Faith must sustain vs as it sustained them for the iust shall liue by faith and this fayth Rom. 1 17 shall neuer fayle till the heauens bee no more For he that said vnto Peter I haue prayed Luk. 22 23 for thee that thy faith faile not saith the same vnto vs also and to all the faithfull I haue prayed that your faiths faile not And when he had fasted fortie dayes and forty nights c Here is set downe the miraculous abstinence in fasting fortie dayes without meate which is not therefore pende to the end we should imitate the same for our indeuour would faile in the attempting of it for who is able to fast forty daies without receiuing any nourishmeÌ„t but it is rather set down for our comfort the strengthning of our faith which is the end and scope of al his other miracles Howsoeuer our aduersaries the Papists haue in a superstitious coÌ„ceitednes supposed that our fast of fortie daies in the lent time vsually holden hath his warraÌ„t from this fast of Christ in the desart But they are vtterly deceiued and this opinion of theirs hath not any shadowe of truth or probabilitie Christ rather in this sheweth the harmonie and consent betweene the newe and old testament as Moses the seruant of God receiuing the lawe on mount Sinai did fast fortie daies without meate so would Christ fast so many daies bringing to vs the newe law viz. the Gospel This fast then of fortie daies which wee celebrate hath not his ground from hence but it is a meere ordinance of man and if it be not obserued as it ought in his true vse viz. being taken onely for a ciuill ordinance profitable to the coÌ„mon-wealth for preseruing and increasing of that which otherwise would be extraordinarily consumed it will carry with it matter rather of foolish superstition then of any sincere deuout religion Further if it had been expedient for vs to haue imitated this fast of fortie daies Christ would haue in his Gospel commaunded it but we finde no such commandement nor can any probable collection
bodily foode 3. good ends of fasting This fasting serues to three good ends viz. to represse and keepe vnder the flesh so mortifying our euill affections Secondly that we may giue our selues more seriously to praiers to thanksgiuing Thirdly as an externall testimonie of our inward humiliation both before God and men as is expedient He was at last an hungrie then came to him the tempter Marke how Satan watcheth his oportunity when Christ began to be hungry then the diuell began to tempt as while men slept the enuious man came and Mat. 13. 25 sowed tares Satan shewes him selfe like Satan and fittes himselfe to the time and place making them sutable to his purpose Oportunity and place mette together hungry necessity and serpentine pollicy kissed each other and all conspired together against Christ As Abigail said of Nabal as his name is 1. Sa. 25. 25 so is he for Nabal is his name and folly is with him so may I say of the diuell that as his name is so is he for diuel is his name and deceitfulnes is with him He is a subtile pollititian and a cunning artificer for he hath bin learning his pollicies euer since he discarded himselfe from heauen he practised first against Eue when she walked alone and stragled from her Gen. 3 husband after that he tempted Cain when Geâ— â— 8 he had gotten him to the field marke how he plies his pollicies to the time He spied Eue alone and Cain in the field He tempted Nymrod to build Babel Lot Genes 11 to commit incest Dauid to number the people Nabu-cadnezzar to commit idolatry He tempted Christ the Son of God with Mat. 4. 2. 5 8. three sundry teÌ„ptations in this cha who then must looke to goe free neuer any liuing could scape without Satans sifting For it is true that S. Peter hath written he goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Athanasius recordeth of a certaine holy Efrems vision man in his time that saw in a vision the whole world reuealed vnto him and he saw it all hanging full of nets and diuells sitting by to watch the same There is no way to scape this fowler but by watching him as he watcheth vs so we shall deceiue the deceiuer and if he catch vs in his net we shall be able to get out againe God will giue vs strength to breake his Iud. 16. 12. nettes as Sampson brake the coardes He was at length an hungry When the forty dayes were full compleate and ended and Christ now waxed hungry then the Iob. 1. 14 16. 18. tempter besturd him selfe and began to broâ—ch his temptations first one then another and after that another like the messengers that came to Iob euery message being heauier then other and so were Satans temptations the latter stronger than the former till he had spent all his dartes and none preuailed no more than those vnhappie newes could quaile Iobs courage or daunte his faith Noah was no sooner drunke but Satan Gen 9. 22. was ware of it and caused his owne sonne to discouer his fathers nakednesse When Moses had staid now in the mount Exod. 32. forty dayes the diuel the meane while tempted the Israelites to make them a goulden calfe Satan thought no time fitter to ouerthrow the house ouer the heades of Iobs children Iob. 1. 19. then when he spied them feasting together and in this place well weighing the opportunity knowing that Christ was hungry he temptes him to distrust God If thou be the sonne of God command these stones to be made bread The diuell in this place shewes himselfe worse than himselfe for in the fourth of Luke he confesseth Christ to be the very sonne of God and here he seemes to doubt saying if thou be the son of God he doubted and yet he knew it well enough he that vrged Peter to deny Christ thought to preuaile with Christ also to make him deny Gene. 20. 2 himselfe as Abraham denied his wife Here Satan in seeking to snare Châ—ist is snared himselfe like Haman who made a Ester 7. 10 gibbet for Mordocay the righteous Iew and was hanged thereon himselfe As Achitophels counsell turned to folly so Satans pollicie was indeede but simplicitie 2. Sam. 17 and it proued his fatall ouerthrow like Saul his owne swoord sheathed it selfe in his maisters side Satan would neuer appeare like Satan but being a diuell he would be taken for an angell the rather to deceiue and therfore we â—uc 10. 18. reade that he fell to the earth like lightning but in this place he bewrayes himselfe to be a diuell in doubting of Christ whether hee were the Sonne of God or not For in the fourth of Iohns general Epistle the spirit of God dismasketh the diuell and takes froÌ„ him his visar in that he saith Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ is the spirit of Antichrist Hee in Iob calles himselfe the compasser Iob 2. 2. of the earth and here he compasseth the desart thinking to compasse Christ in the desart but he that compasseth others sometimes compasseth himselfe and so dooth Satan here the bird hath spied the fouler the net is broken and Christ is deliuered Satan when he combated with Eue preuailed and with Cain he preuailed and hee conquered Nimrod also that mighty hunter but heere hee is ouermatched and Christ conquereth him and putteth him to the woorse as Dauid ouercame Goliah 1. Samu. 17 Command saith he that these stones be made bread As if he should say thou seest hâ— we hunger hath pinched thee here is no bread to be had nor any prouisioÌ„ of meat to be expected for thou art in the desart sequestred from the society of men How wilt thou do wilt thou looke that God the father should extraordinarily feede thee from heauen nay if God were careful of thee he would haue releeued thee before this Thou hast nowe remained full fortie daies so many nights and yet hee ministreth not to thy necessitie how is he carefull of thee that sustaineth not this thy long hunger Liue now by thy faith if thou canst thou mightest do well if thou couldst feede vpon stones for here is no bread not somuch as a crum With this strong temptation doth hee assault Christ and not onely Christ himselfe but eueâ— all his members and this temptation was no small corrasiue without doubt vnto our sauiour for he was not Stipes but hoâ—o verus licet integer peceati But what is Christs answere Man shall not liue bread onely As if he should say wilt thou haue me relie so vpon bread that I should haue care on nothing else but to feede my bellie I tell thee Satan man shall not liue by bread onely Little did Satan expect so full and resolute an answere from so emptie a stomacke Iohn 4.
32 But as Christ told his disciples I haue other meate that ye wot not of so here he telleth the tempter hee hath other bread that he was not aware of euen the word of God which filleth both bellie and bowels so that we neuer hunger more like the rowle that Ezech. 3. 3 Ezechiel tooke from the Angell and did eate it and it was in his mouth sweeter then hony The same must be our refuge like little Zoar to flie vnto when Satan assaulteth vs let vs runne to the woord let vs answer him with Scriptum est like Christ The woord of God must sustaine vs by faith as it doth all the godly Our God is God all-sufficient and will neuer faile vs if we rest vpon his prouidence he that saide to Abraham I am the great rewarde sayth Gen. 15. 1. the same vnto vs also if we haue the like faith that Abraham had But this faith must cal vpon thy patience to abide quietly the lords good leysure hold out yet a little longer and he that shall come wil come and will not tarrie and at his comming hee will reward thee for thy patience seuen fold into thy bosome If thou call vpon God this day and hee heareth thee not call againe to morrow and the third day day after day till he heare thee like the Israelites when they fought against their brethren the Beniamites though it go hard with thee for many daies and manie yeares yet be sure that ere long the yeare of Iubilee will come and set all the children of God at libertie Our Sauiour in this place had now continued fortie daies without meate and yet hee fasteth and the diuell tempteth and his belly aketh his stomacke hungreth and Christ is still the same both before his fast and in his fasting and after his fasting the same to day and yesterday and the same for euer Let Christ teach vs patience to indure al crosses and temptations Make Patience thy Porter and thou shalt be strong inough to carrie all burthens This patience is like the hearty spies that Num. 13 retourning from Canaan toulde their brethren t is nothing to ouercome them so being armed with patience when thou bucklest with affliction or pouertie hunger or any crosse soeuer thou canst say it is nothing to ouercome them So the Godly haue taken courage to themselues and in the very brunt of their toubles they haue learned to triumph with Paul in this we are more than conquerers Daniel waiteth six daies in the lions den and at length came Abacucke that neuer before knew Babilon with an haruest dinner vnto him So whether after six daies or after xl days sooner or later God will succor thee only be pacient thinke it not long for though it be an old saying it is a true saying mans extremitie is Gods oportunitie Christ suffered his Disciples to be almost vnder-water and their shippe to be couered with waues before he rescued them from the Mat. 8. 23 24 seas rage til then the history noteth he slept but when they cried out master saue vs or we perish he awaked and rebuked the winds and al troubles and dangers fled before him like a troope of woolues afore the shepheard Helpe is neuer better welcome then when we are most pinched with extremities as musique after mourning hath the sweeter melody and best pleaseth the eare It is like Dauids warbling harpe to cure Saul his frenzie Dauid as it seemes made a Kalender of the Lordes goodnes towardes his where he saith I haue bin yong and now am old yet neuer saw I the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread Dauid doth not deny but he saw the godly and their children hungry and wanting and in misery but he neuer saw yong nor old that they were quite forsaken and cast off in their misery as we see he suffered his own sonne to want and to be hunger-bitten in this desart forty daies together But at length and all in good time before he should faint the Angells came and ministred to his necessite â—ona 1. 17. Ionah must not forthwith be deliuered he must be three daies in the belly of the whalefish and theâ—â—â—ust Ionah be cast to the shoare Lazarus must begin to stincke hauing layen foure daies already in the graue and Ioh. 11. 39 then must Lazarus be raised vp When Christ shall haue abstained forty daies then is it time for the Angells to come Whatsoeuer extremitie then God shall lay vpon vs be it â—euer so sharpe and vehement if in it thou lose thy goods thy children thy liberty thy health lose not pacience too and that shall helpe thee right soone to recouer all againe I say and Gods sacred truth auoucheth it to be true rather then Eliah shall starue a rauen shal feede him rather then Ionah shall drowne a fish shall saue him rather then Peter shall sinke Christ his hand shall stay him rather then Lazarus shal die vnpitied the dogs more mercifull then their maister shall take compassion Man shall not liue by bread onely Christ seeth nothing but stones and that which cannot be eaten and therefore he turneth his mind from the externall obiects to the word of God and with that comforts himselfe and foyles the diuel which word euery christian must flie vnto when any temptation assaulteth vs thencâ—â—â— out of Dauids Scripture let vs fetch that stone that may confound Goliah thence let vs learne to answere Satan when he temptes vs to distrustfulnes if all the world were full of bread if it were as plentiful as stones yet know Satan that man shall not liue by bread onely but by euery word proceeding out of the mouth of God One thing is necessary which is the word of God and whosoeuer shall feede his hungry soule therewith shall receiue full and perfect nourishment and shall be able to continue longer in the strength thereof than Moses in the Mount This is beetter then Manna that was giuen the Israelites in the wildernes for they are dead but this is the liuing bread that 10. 6. came from heauen and this feedes vs vp to eternall life This word is Christ his sword and it hath two edges to cut both waies and with this sword doth he incounter with Satan and conquer him These words are borowed from the eight of Deuter onomie where the Lord speaketh thus to the Israelites the Lord God hath humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and hath giuen thee Manna to eate neuer knowne to thy fathers to the end he might teach thee that man liueth not by bread only but by euery word proceeding out of the mouth of God As if he should haue said because he permitted thee to hunger and yet suffered thee not to perish thou mightst hence easily haue learned that it is God only who sustaineth thee with his word without bread That this doctrine is true besides the infallible testimonies of the woord your owne experience
can witnesse for if we liued by bread onely it were necessary that we should be continually and at all times filled there with but it is indeede the woord that feedes vs and the blessing of God lapt vp in the word that giues vs strength makes vs able to receiue the good creatures of God I meane bread and drinke and such necessary foode who also maketh our meate so receiued to be nutritiue to our bodies When we are healthie and strong and able to receiue our daily sustenance why then we must acknowledge that this strength proceedes from God If contrarily we be sicke and weake and can neither receiue our foode nor disgest it after we haue taken it then we must know that God hath taken our strength from vs so that we are no longer capable of it and he hath also taken the gifte of nutrition from thy meate that it shall not feede thee and so thou art vnfit for thy meate and thy meate for thee Therefore still acknowledge this reply of Christ in this place man shall not liue by bread only but by euery word proceeding out of the mouth of the Lord. Bread flesh and other prouision would seeme but slender instruments to worke our health and to nourish in vs that life which God hath giuen vs. Because they are common things we make no mysterie of them yet haue they matter of wonder and astonishment if we weigh them aright We could not liue nor be increased by such weake meanes if God had not giuen them a speciall blessing to strengthen our bodies This together with that which already hath bin spoken proclaimes vnto vs that man liueth not by bread onely and for this cause do we vse to sanctifie our meates afore we receiue them and after which we call the saying of grace wherein we pray God by those his good gifts our bodies may receiue strength and withal to teach vs that bread without the woord cannot feede vs for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer To draw towards an end we learne two things by these words of Christ he that hath faith shall taste of two things When he wantes sustenance and is hungry he shal be so strengthned with the word of God as if he had stuft himselfe with the abundance of all delicates The second is this whosoeuer hath a stedfast confidence in god shal not be left so destitute but that God will vndoubtedly supply all necessaries vnto him as if he be pinched with extremitie of hunger rather than he shall perish in his etremitie God will giue him bread at length though he must raine bread from heauen as he did for the Israelites when they liued in the desart being a place where no foode could be gotten Let euery Christian man promise himself vndoubtedly these two thinges for he cannot be deceiued of his hope eyther he shall haue sufficient to eat or his hunger shal be so tolerable vnto him that he may wel indure it without fainting for Gods word shall sustaine him If thou be naked and haue nothing to couer thee rather than thou shalt perish so God will conuert the leaues falling from the trees into coates and clokes for his children he can as well do this as cause the Israelites Deut. 8. 4. garments to continue fresh vpon them the space of fortie yeares togither Their clothes waxed not old nor did their feet swel the space of fourty yeares It is spoken and I do partly beleeue it that there are not so manie sheaues of corne as there be people in the worlde and it were not possible I speak after the maner of men that there should be bread enough to suffice so many were it not so that God doth dayly blesse and increase the corne in the graine and the meale in the dowe and the bread vpon the table yea and in the mouth too when we eat it as was done by our Sanior Christ and S. Iohn recordes it in the sixteenth Chapter Besides we see poore men and their children in as good liking and as wel to see to though they fare hardly and scant as the rich and their children who glut themselues with abundance Dan. 1. 15 Daniel and his felows fed vpon pulse and yet they looked as ruddy and well coloured as they that fed at the Kings trencher Thus you haue seene Satan tempting but not preuailing fighting but yet foyld and so rendring to Christ both field and victorie Iohn 16 once the world combated with Christ and he ouercame the world and triumphed saying I haue ouercome the world here the diuell the worlds partner stands as chalenger and came furnished with many dartes to incounter with Christ and Christ vanquisheth him too so now he may make a second triumph and say as before I ouercame the world so now I haue ouercome the diuell that redde dragon that with his taile drew down the third part of the starres of heauen Christ snared him in his owne snares and with his owne swoorde cutte off his head as Dauid strook off the head of Goliah Christ entered into this battaile with Satan and ouercame him and all for vs by the word he became victor to shewe what munition we must vse if we will looke to ouercome as he did 1. Sam. 17 4◠Dauid vsed neither swoord nor speare nor armor but a sling and stone onely This is the sling that must confound our spirituall Philistin euen the word we shall find our selues better garded and fenced with this single furniture than Dauid was with Saules armour God graunt we may so carry our selues so passe as strangers through the desart of this desolate world that hauing fought like good souldiers vnder the banner of Christ in this spiritual Combat with sin satan hauing finished our faith in much pacience we may be translated to that promised land in the generation to come which I trust in Christ doth approach apace to him with the father and holy ghost bee rendred all honour and power and maiesty with thanksgiuing now and euer Amen The Sea-mans Carde And when they were entred into the shippe his Disciples followed him and behold there arose a great tempest in the Sea so that the shippe was couered with waues but he was asleepe then his Disciples came and awoke him saying Maister saue vs we perish and he sayd vnto them why are ye feareful O ye of little faith and he arose and rebuked the windes and the sea so there followed a great calme Mat. 8. 13 c. CHrist beeing wonderfull in his natiuitie wonderfull in his ascension and wonderfull in his transfiguration is wonderfull here by his miracles In this Chapter are laid downe foure feuerall miracles 1 The healing of a lèprous man 2 The healing of a woman troubled with a feuer 3 The healing of the Cēturians seruant 4 The strange appeasing of the wind as in my text and therefore this may be called Scriptura
the new testament wherin we are washed with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to signifie that we are receiued to grace by the vertue of Christs death that by bloud wee are clensed from our sinnes and are regenerate by his spirit and therin are bound to testifie a newnesse of life after our new birth This baptisine conteineth three things The signe water the ceremonie the sprinkling of the water and the things themselues viz. the sprinkling of Christs blood and the imputation of his righteousnes This other of the Supper of the Lord representeth likewise Christ crucified and assureth vs that by his death we are freelie saued from the malediction of the lawe assuring our selues that as our mouthes receiue the bread and wine so our soules receyue Christ and his righteousnes These Sacraments are as conduits to conueigh Gods graces vnto vs the one is to purge our soules from sinne the other is to feede vs after we be purged The first is a bath made of Christ his owne blood to wash and bathe our wounds therein thesecond is amost comfortable and rich garment to couer our soules after they bee washed In the first Christ hath substituted in his place his spouse the Church to pronounce in his name remission of sinnes In the second he hath left himselfe and his owne flesh and blood sacramentally to be a precious food to cherish her withall I purpose onely at this time to shewe you the comfort and edification that we receiue by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For my text doth leade me thereunto In the night that he was betrayed Heere is set downe the verie Institution of this Sacrament with circumstances thereunto belonging The Lord Iesus There is the author of it In the night There is the time He tooke bread There is the signe He gaue thanks That is the first action in the sacrament Hee brake it There is the ceremonie Hee gaue it There is the vse of it Saying Take eate this is my body There is the fruit of it Do it in remembrance of mee There is the charge of it When Christ died the law ended and the Gospel reuiued after his death circumcision was abolished and the Pascal lamb no more vsed for that the law and ceremonies thereof were now to haue an end In steed wherof he instituted these two sacraments Baptisme for circumcision and for the Pascall lambe his last Supper so called for that it was instituted in the night that hee was betrayed Much neede not bee spoken concerning the Author of this institution onely wee are here called vppon for a most dutifull reuerence in the celebration thereof since it is heere noted by the Apostle to proceed immediatly from Christ If it had pleased God to haue vsed the ministery of an angel or of maÌ„â—in the deliuering forth of this sacrament we had notwithstanding beene pressed to a carefull obseruation thereof But to the end he might stamp in this holy mysterie a greater impression of excellencie in regard of the singular comfort lapt vp in the same therefore hee hath conueyed it vnto vs imediatly from himselfe It ought therefore to be more highly reckoned euen for his sake that was the authour of it For if the woord spoken by Angells was Heb. 2. 2. stedfast and euery transgression receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which first was preached by the Lord himselfe and was afterwardes confirmed by them that heard him The people of Israel did not omit to obserue the Passeouer throughout their generations because Moses the seruaunt of God had so commanded them Much more carefull ought we to be in the retaining of this Sacrament since not Moses but Christ himselfe hath coÌ„manded vs to obserue the same for euer throughout our generations For this man is counted more worthy of glorie than Moses inasmuch as he is more excellent then the Angells being the brightnes of the glorie and the ingraued forme of Heb. 1. 3. his person as we reade in the author to the Hebrewes In the night that he was betrayd at his betraying he ordained this sacrament comfort was reuealed vnto vs when christ was discoÌ„forted When he was in greatest heauines he prepared for vs a solemne feast euen a more sumptuous banquet then that of Ahaâ—uerus for whoso eateth of this bread shall liue for euer A better and more nourishing meate is here presented vnto vs than Sampson found in the dead lion Iudas and the scribes were this night deuising how to betray Christ how to destroy him that should haue saued them But Christ was deuising how to finish the worke of our redemption and to fulfill his fathers will Iudas was deuising how to take away his masters life but Christ was deuising how to giue them life who were dead in the life of grace Iudas as he was wont to carry the bagge so Ioh. 12. 6. he thought to mend the bagge as Gehezi thought to inrich himselfe with Naamans 2. Kin. 5. 22. gold He sold Christ in that night for mony but Christ bought vs with a deerer price than sâ—luer or gold for it cost him his heart bloud all this amplifieth the greatnesse of the loue wherewith he loued vs. In the night when he was betrayed It was a bitter night an heauy night vnto Christ as the history of his Passion declareth a night of sorrow and anguish a night of perplexity and feare a night wherein all the sorowes of death gate hold vpon him What a night was it to see his owne disciples forsake him how grieuously was he troubled in Gethsemaneh himselfe testified â—is exceeding sorow when he said my soule â—s heauy vnto the death Looke the twenty sixt of Mathew twise he repeateth his passionate prayer O lette this cuppe passe from me What a terror was it vnto him to see his owne Disciple Iudas come and betray him with a kisse a great multitude following him with swords and staues to take him And when they had takeÌ„ him what iniury did they not vnto him how was he mocked spitted at and beaten with fists Such a bitter night was it vnto Christ but it was to vs a night more comfortable than the day of our birth a night brighter than the brightest day â—a night more comfortable vnto vs then that night of deliuerance was to Exod. 12. the Israelites when they went out of Aegypt from Pharaoh and from the Aegyptians for in this night was the mystery of our redemption begun He tooke breade Now we are come to the institution As there is no substance with out his shadow so there is no Sacrament without his signe And the signe in this Sacrament is the bread and wine God in these familiar matters shrowdetâ— instruction of greater mysterie We are best acquainted with the vse oâ— bread and we well know what strength our bodies receiue by it the same and more is