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A13192
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Godly meditations vpon the most holy sacrament of the Lordes Supper With manie thinges apperteininge to the highe reuerenee [sic] of soe greate a mysterie. In the end. De Eucharistiæ controuersia, admonitio breuis.
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Sutton, Christopher, 1565?-1629.
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1601
(1601)
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STC 23491; ESTC S117947
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70,901
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378
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loue and deuotion after his departure from them 5 In the 14. and 16. of Exodus God gaue the people of Israell for the time of theire abode in the wildernesse Manna from heauen which manna they gathered vntill they came vnto the lande of promise in like manner soe longe as wee remaine in the wildernesse of this worlde wee are gatheringe this our heauenly mana but when wee come vnto that promised Chanaan then neede wee gather Manna no more 6 Christ our Sauiour when the time drewe neere that hee should bee betrayed and deliuered vp vnto death hee communeth with his disciples after this manner Luk 22.15 I haue earnestly desired to eate this passeouer with you before I suffer In consecrating the elementes of breade and wine his praiers went vp to heauen his benefites remaine with his church heere on earth the visible signes which hee tooke and gaue declare two thinges the one that hee would the morrow followinge make himselfe an oblation for the redemption of many vpon the aulter of the Crosse the other that hee would become vnto the faithfull by this meanes a diuine sustinance for their soules And thus hee prouideth for himselfe an aulter for his a table in both Gods is the glorie and mans the benefitte The first Meditation of this Blessed Institution COnsider howe God created the world for man and man onelye to worshipe his Creator A most excellent parte of which worshippe is the holy Sacrament 2 Consider how the Lord Iesus forseeinge the good of his church and the affliction of his Apostles to followe after his passion decreede to leaue vnto them the holy Eucharist that they might receiue helpe and strength by vertue thereof 3 Consider how hee now departing from this life vnto the Father did institute this beloued Sacrament that hee might leaue vnto vs a liuelye remembrance of his passion 4 Consider how this remembrance is had by a spirituall repast that as nurrishmentes and the bodie nurrished become one soe Christ and the faithfull receiuers And what more heauenly then to become one with the sonne of God 5 Consider Christ in his passion as a Testator his inheritance giuen is heauen his legaces are his graces the executor is the holy Ghost his testament or will promises of life laied downe in his worde the seales are the two Sacraments confirming these promises The fruite of this Meditation The fruite of this Meditation is this that euerie one dispose himselfe with all deuotion to this holy misterie that hee leaue all earthly cogitations beneath as Abraham in the 22. of Genesis did his seruantes when hee went vp to the mount to doe sacrifice vnto God A Spirituall Soloquie or meditation of the Soule O Omnipotent euerlastinge God make mee I beeseech thee 〈◊〉 in the performance of this soe high a parte of thy most holy worship I come Lorde as the sicke to the Phisition of life as an offender to the fountaine of mercie as the blinde to the light of the eternall sunne as the poore and needie to the Lorde of heauen and earth therefore O Lorde cure my infermitie pardon my offences lighten my blindnes enrich my pouertie graunte that I may reuereÌ„ce this heauenly manna with such reuerence and humanitie with such contrition and deuotion with such puritie and faith with such a purpose and intent as is expedient for my saluation and graunt that at last I may beehoulde perpetuallye thy beloued sonne with face reueiled whome now I receiue in the way by faith onely who liueth and raigneth with thee for euer and euer Amen Of the loue of Christ shewed in ordaining this most holy Sacrament of his last Supâ—per FOr that this Sacrament is a Sacrament of loue and lefte vnto vs as the loue of our beloued Sauiour it is conuenient that to put a way the suspition of ingratitude it be receiued and handled with loue cheefely seeinge wee can requite in no other thing the loue declared in ordayning this Sacrament soe full of loue then by loue of which loue God would that wee should dispose and soe change it into what wee see most pleasing to him whervpon as Christ while hee giueth himselfe to vs for meat giueth vs a token of his highest loue with his grace with soe many merites of his preachings labores fastings praiers soe wee when wee giue to God our loue doâ— giue him all thinges which wee haue most precious hence it commeth that God doth more esteeme and that more worthyly too of this one loue theÌ„ of all other thinges in the world neither doth hee require anye other thinge of vs. When els wher saith Prouerb 23.26 My Sonne giue mee thy hearte that is to say the loue which is thine When Christ our Sauiour humbled himselfe to bee Baptized of Iohn the Baptist Math 3.14 it made Iohn more humble himselfe to Christ his loue shoulde wounde our heartes and make vs loue him who is loue it selfe and this loue of his is manifest vnto vs by instituting this holy Sacrament When Nathan the Prophet would shew Kinge Dauid in the 2 of Samuell 12.3 what loue the poore man bare to that sheepe which he nourished in his bosome hee gaue him saith hee of his owne morsels to eate and of his owne cup to drink Christ to shew his loue towardes vs hath giuen vs of his owne breade and of his owne cup nay hee hath giuen his owne bodie as breade his owne bloude as wine for the nurrishment of our soules Dauid wondred at the exceeding loue of God 1. Samuell 1.18 saying who am I O Lord God that thou hast brought mee to this Lorde what is earth and ashes that thou hast exalted man to this dignitie God did highly honour Iosua in that hee made the sunne to stay vntill hee had the victorie but what honour had it bin had hee brought it downe from heauen this hath hee done for vs by the sonne of righteousnesse who exiled himselfe 33. yeares from the throne of glorie became the sonne of maÌ„ that wee might bee made the sonnes of God The Second Meditation COnsider how in this holy misterie thou art bounde to loue the guifte with the giuer If when the people woulde haue made Christ a Kinge Iohn 6.15 hee had then sought to requite theire fauour it had not bin soe much but when they gaue him gale to eate and viniger to drinke then to leaue this testimony of fauour and loue it was loue without example had hee bestowed this foe greate guift on the Saintes or Angells it had not bin so wonderfull but bestowing it on poore sinners it was most admirable 2 Consider how great care our Sauior hath shewed toâ—wards vs in instituting this saâ—crameÌ„t seeing nothing could be giuen more excelleÌ„t more deere When hee loued his which were in the world hee loued them vnto the end Io 13 1. 3 Consider that Saint Chrysostome saith our Lorde instituted this diuine Sacrament that we might be made one with him for
vnto vs which is proper to them that loue ardentlâ— heere Sampsous ridle is solued de comedeÌ„te exiâ—uit cibus de forti egressa est dulcedo out of the strong come sweetnes what is stronger then the Lion what sweeter then hony Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Iuda hony the sweetnes of the holy Eucharist The fourth Meditation of the wonderfull thinges of this Sacrament LEt vs beehoulde with the eies of our faith one of the greatest workes oâ— God vnder heauen and for this inestimable misterie laud and praise his holy name 2 Let vs with thankfull hartes wonder at the loue of God who after hee receiued vs into his familie there placed vs not as seruantes but as sonnes and that he might shew the part of a carefull father doth prouide a meane to nourish vs and not conteÌ„t with that would haue his owne sonne to institute that meane by the spirituall participation of himselfe 3 Consider the diuine wisedome of the sonne of God who respecting our weaknesse hath conuaied vnto vs his bodie and blood after a diuine spiritual manner vnder the forms of bread and wine 4 Consider how by this misticall Communion occasion is giuen to exercise our faith and to prepare our soules which liue by grace as our bodies doe by foode 5 Consider the high and worthy effect of this heauenly foode which is not so much changed into the substance of the eater as it doth rather chang vs to a diuine essence the meate being diuine doth make vs also diuine O the omnipotent wisdome and power loue of God The Fruite The fruite of this meditation is to lift vp our selues aboue our selues and blesse God for this wonderfull benefit without curious searching and needlesse questioning after the manner how but to giue God thankes and bee ashamed rather at our selues that neither the wonderfullnes of his power nor the greatnes of his benefites can make vs no more to loue him then wee doe The spirituall Soloquie O my soule thou art happie which hast prepared for thee so wonderfull and so high a repast as there can bee found none either in heauen or earth more for in it is coÌ„tained that which the Apostle in the 1 3. to the Hebr. calleth the brightnes of the glory of God but hidden that he might heap on thee the more benefits thou knowst Moyses descending from the mount Sinah on which hee had talked with God the children of Israell could not talke with him for the brightnes of his face wherefore as the Scripture saieth he put a couering before his face Exodus 34.16 that all might speake with him in like sort our heauenly Moyses hath done who not content with thy deliuerance from the hard seruitude oâ— Egipt and spirituall Pharoe but that thou shouldest not bee terrified with the greate brightnes of his glorie after an ineffable manner doth come vnto thee and commune with thee Iacob said surely God was in this place I was not aware of it Gen. 28 16. O wonderfull loue how farre hast thou gon with my Lord Iust cause hast thou O my soule to reioice and in reioicinge to admire the goodnes of thy blessed Saviour cease to measure the greatnesse of this worke by the weaknes of thine owne vnderstanding say rather with the Prophet Psalme 111 Memoriam facit mirabilium suorum The mercifull Lord hath made a memoriall of his wonders he hath giuen meate to them that feare him When the sonne of God clothed himselfe with our nature it was a worke verie admirable for therein he assumed humane nature mortall and passible but when the faithfull receiue the holy Eucharist man doth participate a diuine nature immortal heauenly Hence was it said of God Psal. 86.9 Tu es magnus faciens mirabilia Lord thou art great and doing wonderfull things The manifold effectes and fruites of this holy Sacrament WEe may remember which we cannot forget that as man consisteth of soule and bodie so doth he also leade a twofold life the one temporall readie to fall into a thousand dangers and casualties The other spirituall subiect to as many and more The life of the body consisteth of the vnion of the Soule with the body The life of the soule consisteth of another vnion with grace in Christ. Both these as they haue their defects and casualties so haue they also their remedies and sustentations For the life naturall God hath ordained naturall sustenance for the life supernaturall supernaturall nourishment which is this most holy Sacrament But that which at all times is most to bee lamented is whereas the spirituall life is farre more excellent then the temporall notwithstanding is more regarded and preferred For what thing doth not a sicke body doe to recouer his health hee neglecteth all charges and griefes he esteemeth nothing of the bitternesse of Medecines he contemneth the sharpnesse of paines the most experienced Phisitions the best preseruatiues are sought for and all for bodily health which endureth for a little time And are wee so carefull for the health of our Soule would to God we were then would we repaire with more deuotion vnto this most holy Sacrament where our spirituall life is preserued and strengthened Three things there are sayth one necessarie for the life of man the mother which brings him forth the meate which sustaineth him and the Phisition that cures him when hee is sicke The same three are necessarie for the life spirituall The mother is Baptisme the meate is the holy Eucharist the Phisition to cure is repentance Now then as the body without meats cannot endure labours and liue no more can the Soule without this spirituall repast sustaine the labours of this Pilgrimage the assaults of her enemies and liue The ayre being corrupted when we goe forth of doores wee fortefie vs with some preseruatiue This world is corrupted our preseruatiue against temptations is this holy Eucharist Men entring a way possessed by the enemie arme themselues with weapons get them good companie seeing we haue in all the way of our life many enemies visible and inuisible shall we not arme our selues take vnto vs Christ our Captaine Of the most principall effects of this Sacrament THe first is as wee may so speak to Deifie that is to make man diuine or like vnto God himselfe heere in the state of grace and hereafter in the state of glory and for this cause it is instituted in forme of nourishments For as nourishments and the body nourished become one so Christ and the faythfull receiuers Other meates receiue life of the body this giueth life to the Soule 2 A second effect is that with Christ are giuen vs all his merites and rewards which hee hath purchased here the hiue is giuen vs with the honey 3 The third effect of this Sacrament is that hereby a continuall and constant remembrance of Christ Iesus our Sauiour is continued whereby we shew his death vntill he come and therefore he sayth