and in his glorious Ascension rightly and religiously and on these and such benefits spiritually feeding by beleeuing are nourished with the benefits of his bodie and bloud effectually Q. What must we consider and beleeue in Christ his Incarnation A. A Christian must consider the cause of Christ his Incarnation to proceede from Gods loue for mans restauration or restoring againe into the fauour of God for the benefite of all that truely beleeue And must constantly be perswaded that beleeuing in the Sonne of God by this his faith he shall liue eternally and shall neuer perish Q. What must a Christian man consider and beleeue of Christ his Passion A. A Christian must consider that Christ in his passion did suffer all things requisite for remission of the sinnes of all faithfull beleeuers And must beleeue that Christ redeemed his by his passion from all manner of sinne both concerning Adams sinfull transgression and also concerning his daily sinfull corruption and vaine conuersation Q. What must a Christian consider and beleeue in Christ his powerfull Resurrection A. A Christian must consider that as Christ Iesus dyed for the saluation of the faithfull he namely a Christian must fully be perswaded that thereby he is effectually risen and shall thereby eternally both in bodie soule be saued Q. Nowe concerning Christ his glorious Ascension shew me what must bee a Christians consideration faithfull beleife and full perswasion A. First a Christian must consider Christ Iesus being heyre of all things and hauing shewed all power in heauen and earth to be giuen vnto him and hauing led Captiuitie captiue is ascended into heauen to take reall and royall possession of heauen in his holy humane soule and bodie And secondly a Christian must beleeue that where Christ is euery beleeuer shall be and also bee fully perswaded that from the right hand of God where Christ nowe sitteth in glory Celestiall Iesus Christ shall come to Iudgement and after a ioyfull sentence sounded all that beleeue in Christ shall ascend with him to receiue the fulnesse of ioy and peace perpetuall Q. You haue shewed me what consideration and examination is fit before and at the feeding in the Lords supper Expresse vnto me now what becommeth a Communicant to consider of after hee hath receiued the bodie and bloud of Christ A. That which a Christian must consider after hee hath receiued the Supper of the Lord is a right spirituall disgestion of that spirituall foode Q. What meane you by a spirituall disgestion A. First I meane a feeling of Gods fauour Motion in Christ when the will is so bent by force of the loue of God in sending his owne Sonne that those which beleeue in Christ should not perish That he will with the Prophet say I will loue the Lord which hath deliuered my soule from a second death Mine eyes from wayling in the lake of eternall death and my feete from finall falling into the endlesse damnation of them which taste the torments of a second death Q. What is the second opperation of spirituall disgestion A. The second is a diuine apprehension of Inclination Gods spirit moouing the minde to an holy inclination by desiring and louing of that which may most here on earth please Gods Maiestie And aboue all things earthly to bend and set our affections on thinges heauenly and to say I desire to bee with my Sauiour of whose sweets sauour I haue in this banquet tasted by faith Q. What further feeling of diuine fauors is in spirituall disgestion of these holy misteries A. The third opperation of holy disgestion Hope of fruition is a liuely hope of full and firme fruition of these heauenly thinges that by holy defires a true Christian member hath set his affection vppon and by this liuely hope he is fully assured that when Christ which is our life shall appeare in glory hée shall by his bodie full of glory so powerfully rayse our mortall bodies from death that both body and soule of the faithfull shall receiue life immortall and glory eternall Q. Are there any farther comforts to bee found or felt by spirituall disgestion A. The celestiall comforts that the faithfull doe finde in disgesting these diuine graces daintie dishes and purified wine of Christ his bodie and bloud are vnaccountable I will conclude with a fourth disgestion and although set last yet is it not the least for thereof this banquet hath of the disgestion and opperation a true right title and denomination Q. What name hath this feast by opperation of the same A. This feast by famous Fathers of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church was named by a word that signifieth a feast of thankesgiuing in the gréeke tongue Q. What is signified by that denomination A. Thereby is expressed a fourth spirituall and holy disgestion when the feeling of Gods grace filleth the soule with such fulnesse of true gratuitie that as with Marrow and fatnesse of meate the bones and bodie are filled so with prayse and heartie thankesgiuing the minde and mouth of the faithfull are filled and thereby forced to prayse God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost by feeding on that spirituall sustentation and drinking of the cup of saluation in remembrance of Christ This grace of thankesgiuing is giuen to all the faithfull Q. You doe meane by the faithfull all the members of the true Church which are entertained into the loue of God by effectuall Baptisme and freed with the Sonne of God spiritually in the Lords supper here on earth Tell me what are their triumphs in Heauen A. I confesse my powers are vnable to apprehend the least part but this the Scriptures testifieth with faithfull Abraham Isacke and Iacob euery faithfull member of the Church militant shall rest and with the triumphant Church triumphantly raigne in heauenly tranquilitie in eternall felicitie and in vnspeakeable glory shine as the starres in heauen And sing with the Angels of heauen that holy and heauenly song of triumph Aleluiah all honour glorie and prayse be to God world without ende Amen ⸫ FINIS A Prayer to be sayd at the end of this third part O Lord our God and gratious Creator which of thy loue before the worlde or man was created diddest in thy sacred secret decree appoynt and ordaine out of mankinde a holy Church and chosen Congregation eternally to be saued in Iesus Christ and with him and by him to be made Co-heires in thine euerlasting kingdome The testimonie of which thine eternall loue being left by thy deare Sonne to his members generally he vouchsafed in Sacraments as perpetuall pledges to ordaine and institute publikely of which holy ordinance we bee nowe made partakers we humblie beseech thy blessed Maiestie to grant vs participation of all those sauing graces and promised blessinges which appertaine to faithfull receiuers by spirituall receiuing those holy pledges so that by our faithfull feeding on him thy deare Sonne we may feele the fruites of his In carnation the benefits of his bitter Passion the power of his glorious Resurrection and receiue by faith assurance of the Celestiall possession that hee hath obtained by his Ascension And after this life is ended with him we may enjoy celestiall triumph and triumphantly with his victorious Church in heart triumph when sinne and Sathan are conquered we may euerlastingly with the Crowne of eternall life bee Crowned by and through Christ our Captaine and blessed Conquerour Amen ⸫ FINIS Printed at London by Thomas Dawson dwelling neere the three Cranes in the Vine-tree and are there to be solde 1617.
obediēce of one namely of Christ from all that be members of Christ and ordayned to saluation Q. Are not all men as well as some partakers of that benefite by the perfect obedience of Christ A. None haue this benefite by Christ but the regenerate onely Q. What meane you by regeneration A. Regeneration is a sauing grace in Baptisme pertaining to the regenerate onely for it is not sufficient for children to be dipped into the water but to bee also buryed with Christ in Baptisme and to be borne anew by the power of the holy Ghost Q. How doth this appeare in the regenerate A. As many as spiritually receiue the son of God by faith to be their Sauiour they receiue priueledge and power to bee the sonnes of God which is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and father of all the faithfull Q. Shew me this priuiledge of them which beleeue and how they be borne anew and made the sonnes of God A. They are not begotten of flesh bloud nor conceiued of the will of the flesh nor borne of the will of man but of God Q. How commeth it to passe that in the regenerate the blemish of sin doth remaine being borne of God A. God doth suffer some sinne to be found and in the best to remaine but neuer suffereth it to raigne it remaineth for their good and Gods glory Q. Can the remaining of sinne in the children of God turne to their good and Gods glory A. It can and doth appeare for many purposes to be so by the word of God Q. Shew me some and such proofes as you finde to be approued A. First the faithfull finde that feeling sinne and finding their owne corruption therby God worketh in the faithfull a true humiliation Secondly when the faithfull finde they haue strong combates with corruption In such strong conflicts the faithfull flye more feruently to seeke succour of God by feruent prayer and earnest inuocation Thirdly the faithfull finding the power of Gods spirit to support their weakenesse and to preserue them safely in all perils are prouoked to praise God daily for their safetie and preseruation Fourthly God often times appoynteth that the best and most perfectest shall haue strongest battaile with corruption That when the victorie is gained as victors and valiant Souldiers of Christ a greater waight of glory may be prouided and with more glorious Crownes of immortall glory shall such be crowned and glorified Q. Doe you conclude then that all the elect shal be glorified which liue on earth to Gods glory and such as most glorifie God before men shall receiue greatest glorie in heauen A. It must be so concluded as it is by testimonie of Christ himselfe conclnded to the comfort and incouragement of all godly faithfull members of his true Church which according as they couenant in Baptisme be faithfull vnto death Q. What is the dutie of Christians which are partakers of the Sacrament of Baptisme A. Those things ought to be in Christians baptised which were found to bee in Abraham both when he was Circumcised and after he had receiued Circumcision Q. What was found in Abraham before Circumcision A. First Abrahams obedience appeared by obeying the voyce of God when God called him from parents and patrimonie from kindred and countrey Secondly Abrahams constant beleife did appeare in beleeuing and by faith depending on Gods promises The third grace found in him before Circumsion was his willing minde both to receiue the couenants made by Gods Maiestie and to make couenants of dutifull seruice vnto God againe Q. How can Children in infancie Baptised take any couenants from God or make any couenants to God A. Although Infants Baptised cannot themselues yet their suerties do enter into couenants for them and it is their duties when they come to knowledge to performe those couenants And as they hope to haue God to be their Father by Christ so to keepe Christian couenants Q. What are those couenants you meane A. I meane a Christian is first bound to imbrace the Christian faith with all his whole heart Secondly to loue God with his whole heart Thirdly to endeuour to serue and please God in true holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life and fourthly to expresse such obedience in this life as his couenants hee made in Baptisme bind him to performe Q. You doe approue that euen very Infants receiuing Baptisme are bound by couenants to performe holy duties Shew me now the dutie of Elders of Parents and of Masters which are Christians and by faith hope to be saued A. As Abraham father of the faithfull after Circumcision when he had entered into couenant with God according to that couenant himselfe his seede and his seruants by his instructions did walke according to that holy and heauenly vocation in beleeuing Gods promises liuing vertuously to the vttermost of his power obeyed Gods Commaundements So in like manner by vertue of their couenant in Baptisme all Christians are bound to performe such duties of obedience Q. What doth Abrahams faith and obedience teach vs A. As Abraham walked so faithfull Christians must walke and endeuour to follow his steppes in faith and obedience and become such faithfull Fathers as may approue them not onely to shewe a dutie of Parents in bringing their Children to the holy Sacrament of Baptisme see them Baptised but also after Baptisme parents must and are bound to see their Children seruants instructed educated from their infancie to liue holily religiously whereby Gods name who hath called them may bee glorified in them their Children and familie Q. I doe vnderstand what you meane by the Church of Christ and likewise the benefites of Baptisme and dutie of Christians in Baptisme which hope to bee saued shew mee nowe a reason why the faithfull freed from eternall death doe die a bodily death A. The benefits of bodily death are many to the faithfull and death of body bringeth aduantage to Christes members both in bodie and soule Q. What benefites bringeth bodily death to the faithfull A. First by bodily death all rebellious affections in the flesh are vtterly killed and all sinfull affections vtterly quenched Secondly as the dead bodie is buryed so all carnall affections are perfectly mortified And euery part by perfect mortification made more fit to receiue glory in the day of the resurrection Q. Are both the laying into graue and rifing from graue benefits to the faithfull A. The graue hath euer beene a chamber of safetie to the faithfull But now sithence the blessed bodie of Christ was layd into the graue it is made the bedde of sweete spycerie to the godly Q. If the very graue bee beneficiall shew me what benefits doth rising from graue bring to the buryed bodies of Christians A. The bodies of Christians which are buryed in Seas or Land are sowne in corruption in dishonour in weakenesse in estate mortall they rise in incoruption in honour in power and in immortall
estate neuer to perish neuer to dye a second death as the wicked doe Q. What benefits finde the faithfull after death in the estate of Immortalitie and after this mortall life A. The death of euery faithfull member of Christ washed in Baptisme with his precious bloud is precious in Gods sight and as the sight of God shall bring all celestiall ioy so the presence of God where is all fulnesse of Ioy perpetuall peaee shall fulfill the faithfull so full of that felicitie tranquilitie and heauenly glory which is vnspeakeable for excellencie perpetuitie whether good Lord bring vs all Amen A Prayer at the end of this second part to bee vsed BLessed Lord God as we praise thy Maiestie for thy mercy in instructing vs so we humblie pray thee that wee being instructed in the true knowledg of thy elected Church and sanctified Congregation and hauing learned that as a pledge of thy loue thou hast left the Sacrament of Baptisme by effectuall operation to represent the washing away of our sins and sealing assurance of saluation to our soules by the precious bloud of thy deare Sonne to our eternall safetie Free vs good Lord we beseech thee from all originall corruption By thy holy spirit make perfect our Regeneration by our new birth grant that our old euils of Adam in vs naturally may more and more be mortified the fruits of holinesse in vs may more be increased to thy glory and our good And good father we pray thee by the example of faithfull Abraham which hath by thy word beene taught vs so instruct vs thy seruants that we and our seede may faithfully keepe our promised Couenants made to thee in Baptisme both in obeying thy holy commandements our selues and also instructing our children seruants in the same obedience so that we and our familie may daily endeuour to please and serue thy Maiestie in holy obedience And gratious Lord seeing we feele sinne to haue in our flesh a permanency giue vs such power ouer our sinne that in vs it may neuer haue soueraignitie And grant vs such grace that both bodily death and the graue may bring benefits to vs and to all true beleeuers And in the day of the Resurrection our bodies rising to immortalitie may bee ioyned to our soules to enioy in thy glorious kingdome euerlasting glory through Iesus Christ our Lord and glorious Redeemer Amen ⸫ A Prayer before the Sacrament of the LORDS Supper BLessed holy and heauenly Father without whom there is no felicitie no sanctitie nor at the banket of thy deare son with thy Saints no societie We beseech thee good Lord sanctifie vs poore sinners that both our bodies and soules may from all former impuritie bee purged and with the wedding garment of true Christianitie and charitie bee clothed For our farther preparation peirce our harts with an earnest sorrow for our sinnes that by such penitency we may bee purged from our grieuous offences Moreouer we beseech thee plant in our harts that faith in thy promises that by beleeuing thy Sonne to be the bread of life hee may sustaine our soules to eternall life And we with a liuely faith beleeuing and receiuing those banquetting Dishes and purified Wines may through faith be freed from eternall death And finally grant wee beseech thee to vs such faith and perfect perswasion that in vs this spirituall foode may haue spirituall opperation and wee thereby nourished may in grace be more increased From death eternall by faith freed And by our constant faith euerlasting life may be granted in thy glorious kingdome to liue and raigne with thee and thy deare Sonne through the same thy blessed Sonne our onely Sauiour and Redeemer Amen ⸫ Here followeth the third part of the Cristall of Christianitie wherein the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is discussed very plainely and very familiarly Question PRoceede now to the Sacrament of the LORDS SVPPER and both shew me the outwarde signes of the Sacrament and what inward sauing grates be thereby presented to the Church A. The signes in the Lords Supper are bread and wine signifying by bread his blessed body broken for vs and by wine his precious bloud powred out for remission of our sinnes Q. How doth bread signifie his bodie and represent the blessings of his bodie to vs A. As the word for bread in the true signification doth signifie all kinde of sustentation and nourishment for our bodies so doth the giuing vs his bodie signifie spiritually all sustentation for soule and bodie He is our wisedome he is our sanctification he is our iustification he is our redemption he is our saluation The giuing of Christ from God to mankind is with him giuing all good things to mankind for this life and the life to come for hee is the true bread that came downe from heauen to sustaine vs by his grace on earth vntill wee attaine glory with him in heauen Q. How doth Wine represent his bloud powred out for vs A. Christ calleth himselfe the true Vine and his grapes are spirituall graces and as he is full of grace so his grapes are full of spirituall power and when his head was with thornes rased his hands and his feete with nailes boared his sides and heart pierced the purified Wine of his peirced heart was powred out to comfort our hearts wherewith hee doth commaund his Prophet to comfort his people at the heart namely with pardon of their sinnes which comfort of remission of sinnes doth approue his bloud to haue the propertie of Wine which is comfortable Q. You call it a banquet and a Supper of Christ shew mee for whom this feast is made and especially prouided A. It is made principally to his true church which before I expressed to bee the true beleeuers and none but the true beleeuers are effectually partakers of this spirituall banquet Q. Doe not all that communicate at the Lords table by the signe of bread receiue the sauing graces represented by the bread A. As wicked Iudas receiued the bread of Christ but not Christ the true bread so as many as bee Communicants hauing such or the like corruption can neuer receiue the body of Christ and his benefites presented by the bread consecrated by the Word although they receiue bread and wine at the Sacrament with others Q. How doth the bread that is consecrated differ from other bread which is vsuall for the nourishment of our bodies A. As Waxe before it hath impression of a Seals is bare Waxe and after it is more it is a Seale So the vsuall water in Baptisme and Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper by the word are made sacraments and seaies of assurance from Christ to assure his true Church and euery member thereof of his sauing graces conteined in the Sacraments Q. What may bee the difference of men which communicate all at one Communion A. As the daunger or perill of the one is great because they receiue it vnworthily not considering the Lords bodie