father and Christ our blessed Sauiour haue so deerly loued done so much for yea we must stir vp our hearts to beare a louing and kind affection as to all the people of God so specially to them that we do communicate withall Lastly when after we haue receiued wee giue some-what according to our ability for the relief of the poore and ioyne with the whole congregation in prayer and singing of Psalmes then must wee stir vp our selues to do all this with feeling and ioy and thankfulnes of hart as vnto God that o 2 Co. 9.7 loueth a cheeerfull giuer and p Iohn 4 23 24 is a spirit will accept of no seruice but that which is done in spirit and truth so offering vnto him the sacrifice not q He. 13.16 of almes only and r Hos 14.3 of the calues of our lips ſ Ro. 12.1 but of our owne bodies and soules in thanksgiuing for this inestimable benefit of our redemptiō for his fatherly care by ordaining this Sacrament to apply it vnto vs and to confirme our faith in the same Q. What is the cause why in all the parts almost of that inward disposition that is required of vs in this holy action Ioy and cheerfulnes required in communicating at the Lords table you make mention of ioy Can we not rightly celebrate this heauenly banquet without inward ioy and gladnesse of heart A. No verily for as in the t 2 Chr. 30 21 26 celebration of the Passeouer and u Deut. 12 12. 16.15 Neh. 8 10 1 Sam. 1.7 of all those solemne feasts that were kept vnder the Law the people of God were commanded to reioyce and to stir vp thēselues therevnto by all good meanes * Psa 27.6 126.2.3 92.1.4 because no man can indeede be rightly thankefull vnto God for that blessing wherin hee doth not reioyce so in this Sacrament especially wherein x 1 Cor. 11 24 25 we are to celebrate with thanksgiuing the memory of a benefit that is incomparably greater then euer the Church receiued vnder the Law this ioy and gladnes of heart is necessarily required at our hand What things to be performed by vs after we haue receiued Q. You haue shewed how we must prepare our selues before wee come to the Lords table and also what disposition of body and mind is required of vs at that time when this holy action is in hand tell mee now what must wee doe after wee haue receiued to confirme and increase the comfort and fruit of it in our selues A. First so soone as we are come home from the publike assembly wee ought in secret to consider and bethinke our selues seriously what wee haue done and how wee haue sped what ioy comfort we haue felt in this Sacramēt what increase of faith resolution to lead a holy life wee haue receiued thereby because we may bee sure that no man hath receiued this Sacrament worthily nor fedde vpon Christ in it y Ioh. 6.55 whose flesh is meat indeed and whose bloud is drinke indeed z Mar. 5.28 30. 6.56 whom none euer touched with a true faith but they receiued vertue from him that hath receiued no refreshing nor strength by it Secondly if we can finde no such comfort and fruit that wee haue receiued by it then must wee examine diligently whether wee may not iustly charge our selues to be the cause therof because wee came not vnto it with that preparation of heart as hath been described And if we finde the cause wholly in our selues then a Lam. 3 39 40 1 cor 11.31 must we presently humble our soules before God in feruent prayer vnfained repentance for this our grieuous sinne that so iudging our selues for it wee may not be iudged of the Lord. Thirdly if vpon diligent examination of our harts we can finde that this our want of comfort fruit which wee are vnfainedly grieued for ariseth not thus from our owne sinne but that we brought with vs vnto the Sacrament in truth sincerity though in much weakenesse that preparation of heart that hath been described then haue wee no iust cause to b 2 Chro. 30.18.19 be dismaied in our selues but after that wee haue humbled our soules before God in prayer for the sanctifying and remouing of this his correction which for our triall other causes best knowne to himselfe he seeth good to exercise vs by we may comfort our selues in this that such c Esa 63 13 hardnesse and senselessnesse of heart which we thus feele and bewaile in our selues may bee in them that are in the state of grace and our conscience bearing witnes with vs that wee came rightly prepared vnto the Sacrament wee haue vndoubtedly receiued comfort fruit by it d Ps 97.11 which we shal also feele hereafter though we do not for the present Fourthly if vpon this examination of our owne hearts wee can finde that wee haue sped well at this feast and that the Lord hath so welcommed and entertained vs at it that wee are come from it well refreshed and strengthened in our faith and loue and in our resolution to lead a holy life then must wee presently in heartie prayer giue thankes vnto God for this his vnspeakeable gift e 1 Chro. 29.18 and craue of him the continuance and pefecting of his owne worke which hee hath wrought in vs. Lastly the benefit wee haue receiued by this Sacrament and comfort in the sense of Gods loue and fauour to vs in Christ as it must prouoke vs to come oft to this bāquet so must it make vs careful f Ps 116 14 18 Eccl. 5.3.4 to performe our vowes we haue now made vnto God in the presence of all his people by laboring to express the g Ezr. 10 11 Psa 50.23 Psa 106 2 3 truth of our thankefulnes both in taking heed that we returne not again as the dog to his vomit vnto any of our sins which wee haue professed repentance of as also in indeuouring to honour God by a holy obedience to his will in our whole conuersation all the dayes of our life Soli Deo gloria
of this bread and the drinking of this wine as you ought to do you shall spiritually eat and drink my Body Bloud That is the merits of my Passion shall by meanes therof be so effectually applied vnto you that thereby as it were by daily food you shall liue euerlastingly So that that which you eat and drinke in this Sacrament is not onely bread and wine but after a sort my Body and bloud which was sacrificed for you Is not then this Sacrament a mystery to bee trembled at Is it not a brutish sin without any preparation to rush vpon the same If wee did but eat and drinke ordinarily for bodily necessitie or pleasure it were brutish to runne vnto the same as a horse to the maunger or a swine to the trough not lifting our hearts at the least to God in thankfulnesse for them How much more brutish is it to eat this bread and drinke this wine without due reuerence and regard of so high and heauenly a mystery It were an indignitie offered to the great worke of our Redemption but occasionally to thinke or speake thereof without reuerence But to be irreuerently affected then when by such a special ordinance it is so effectually represented applyed vnto vs must needs be a dreadfull and damnable sinne For the further confirmation whereof let vs consider some speciall instructions from the particulars in regard of the speciall analogy betweene the signes and the things signified 1 In that our Sauiour represents his Body in this Sacrament by bread he teacheth vs thereby that his Body is to the soule of man as bread is to the body Bread is the very staffe of a mans bodily life the most generall food of poore and rich that which of all other food can least bee spared that which in hunger men first and principally desire that the scarcitie whereof makes famine that which if it be plentifully vsuall makes all other necessaries of this life plentifull that which we daily feed vpon that which men generally take greatest paines for Hence our Sauiour in the Lords Praier teaching to craue all the needfull cōforts in this life comprehends all vnder daily bread And therefore by like proportion his Body in that manner that it is heere meant and propounded is the very staffe and stay of a Christian life That without which neither poore nor rich high nor low shall liue eternally That which without all other meanes can feed nourish a man to euerlasting life and which of all other meanes cannot be spared That which uery true christian soule first and principally hungreth after That the want whereof only famisheth and starues the soule That which they will take the greatest paines and toyle to get and which without the greatest paine and trauel cannot be gotten That which they will desire to feed vpon euery day and euery meale rellishing nothing else without it 2 In that the bread is broken to signifie his Body broken for vs it teacheth vs that it is not simply the Body of Christ by which we are to be fed but his Body broken that is That which Christ did suffered for vs especially vpon the Crosse For to speake properly his Body was not broken It is not therefore properly Christ glorified in heauen or Christ simply God or God and man which is the bread that a Christian soule humbled for sinne can digest or relish but Christ crucified Christ hanging vpon the Crosse It is Christs death that is indeed the life of a Christian It is Christ and his Crosse both together that is the bread of life yea not the Crosse only but the Thornes also wherewith he was crowned the whippes wherewith hee was scourged the nailes with which he was fastned the vineger and gall which he tasted yea and Iudas who betraied him Pilate that condemned him and the Scribes Pharisees that prosecuted against him and all the people which cried crucifie him Christ considered with al these is that spirituall bread that is typed by the materiall And without these hee cannot bee the bread of life to a sinfull soule So that if there be any Transubstantiation in this Sacrament either the bread is turned into all these or all these into the bread 3 The vse of wine is well knowne it doth not onely as water quench the thirst but also exceedingly comfort the heart and refresh the spirits Seeing then it is the pleasure of our Sauiour in this Sacrament to make wine the type of his bloud It teacheth vs what effects Christs bloud and the shedding thereof shall haue in the soules of all true Christians and worthy Communicants Their spirituall thirst after righteousnesse and saluation shall be quenched In the midst of all the horrors and terrors of death and hell they shal by meanes thereof bee solaced and comforted This bloud streaming from the sides of Christ shall in the midst of their sorrowes griefes and troubles and vexations bee as a cup of the excellentest wine to cheere them reuiue their spirits and to inflame their zeale This wine hath that efficasie and force in it that it will turne all the bitter potions that Gods children vse to drinke into wine The Apostles of our Sauior when they were drinking deepely of the whippe this wine mingled with that bitter potion turned it also into wine insomuch as they reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer that which they did for Christs sake That Religion therefore which lockes from the people the wine in this Sacrament doth therein also as much as lies in it keep from them also that wine which is typed and shaddowed thereby euen the precious bloud of Iesus Christ the onely wine that can refresh and comfort the soule of an afflicted sinner which is enough to argue the same to be Antichristian if there were nothing else And the more Antichristian the more it maintaineth that the wine in this Sacrament is the very reall bloud of Christ What is this but to teach that the true bloud of Christ belongs not to them that if they wil be saued they must bee saued by some other meanes or onely by gazing vpon and adoring the painted bloud of some painted or carued Crucifix 4 This consecrated bread and wine must also by the precept of our Sauiour bee eaten and drunken thereby we are taught That those onely shal liue eternally by the vertue of Christs Body and Bloud which feed vpon the same as mens bodies feed vpon bread and wine For as bread and wine if they be onely looked vpon not taken and receiued into the stomacke can-feed nourish or refresh the body of man or preserue life in the same No more shall the Body bloud of Christ comfort and refresh the soule of a sinner or be a means of spirituall and euerlasting life vnto him except they bee receiued spiritually applied to the soule as bread and wine are to the body when they are eaten and drunken
Those therfore who are the redeemed of Christ must be knit and vnited to Christ and one with him as the bread that nourisheth and the wine that refresheth the body is turned into our flesh and made one with it This Sacrament then which sealeth so great a mystery as this is cannot be profaned without great indignity to the mystery it selfe 5 In that Christ saith that that which they take and eat it is his Body and that which they drinke it is his bloud he teacheth vs. That this Sacrament doth not onely as in a Table picture represent what Christ hath suffered for sinners but which is a thousand times more it is by the dinance of Christ to the worthy Receiuer a blessed instrument by meanes whereof Christ Iesus and his merits are applied and made effectuall to their soules So that such is the vnion of the thing signified and the signe that in and throgh the eating of this bread and drinking this wine the soule of the worthy Receiuer doth spiritually and by faith eat the Body and drinke the bloud of Iesus Christ and alwaies findeth such strength comfort and life therein as the body findes ordinarily in the eating of bread and drinking of wine So that this bread and this wine are not onely naked signes of Christ Body and bloud as the garland and Iuybush are of wine which onely shew that there is wine there to bee bought but doe not exhibite it But the Body of Christ is in such a manner in this sacramentall bread and the bloud in this wine that in the eating of the one the worthy Receiuer eats the other in drinking the one drinkes the other Can there then a greater mystery be deuised by man in and about which hee ought to bee reuerently conuersant religiously and holily affected And is it not a brutish sinne to behaue our selues vnworthily in such an action Let vs not heere passe by but once againe enter into consideration of that execrable Religion of the Church of Rome which keepeth such a Cup filled with such wine without any colour in the world from the people They say that the bloud of Christ is in the body of Christ and therefore the people in receiuing the one receiue therein the other But this is an Antichristian foppery how can those be together that Christ hath so directly put asunder the one in a loafe the other in a Cup How can the bloud be in a body broken and pierced How can that bloud be in the body which is shed out of the body What bloud of Christ can comfort a Christian soule but that which was shed or what bloud is offered in this Sacrament but that which was shed and though it were in the body as it is receiued in this Sacrament yet it being Christs wil his bloud should not only be eaten but drunken what a sacriligious lewdnes is this where Christ especially and by name requires the drinking of his bloud that they should deny the people that and make them take vp with the eating of it onely And how doth it appeare that the bloud as it is eaten is any part of the Sacrament and if not what benefit comes to the Receiuer thereby in that regard iust nothing It is the drinking and not the eating of Christs bloud in this Sacrament that must refresh the soule of the Communicant without this drinking therof the soule can no more be refreshed with the bloud of Christ in this Sacrament then the bodily thirst can bee quenched by that water that is in bread And a man in eating the Body of Christ broken crucified pierced with a speare and sacrificed so as it is exhibited to a Christian in this Sacrament can no more be said in thereby to drinke the bloud of Christ then the Iewes that did eat the flesh of sheepe and oxen offered in sacrifice after that the bloud was separated and the parcels were rosted and broyled could bee said then and therein to drink the bloud of sheep oxen And they might as well proue that wine was in the bread before the consecration as that the bloud of Christ is in the body after the consecration CHAP. VIII Of the end and vse of this Sacrament in respect of the Communicant HItherto of the parts of this Sacrament The maine and most generall Ends and vses follow Which are two The 1. Respecting our selues especially 2. Others also That which respecteth our selues is That wee receiue this Sacrament to solemnize thereby a speciall memoriall of Christ and of our Redemption by him This doe saith our Sauiour in remembrance of me One End then why this Sacrament is to bee vsed and the vse to bee continued in the Church of Christ is That in and by the due receiuing thereof wee might the more feelingly and effectually remember what our Sauiour hath done and suffered for vs. When our speciall friends vpon their departure from vs doe bestow vpon vs any token of remembrance they do it not onely for that speciall good that comes to vs by the ordinary vse of the thing it selfe but also that thereby so often as wee looke vpon the same or vse it we should moreouer make this vse of it to call to minde thereby the many loues and fauours they haue shewed vnto vs. And this is written in our nature that when any occasion is but offered vnto vs of remembring a deare friend departed from vs to be more then ordinarily affected therewith Hence superstitious persons so heartily vpon any occasion of remembrance pray the Lord to haue mercy on their soules that are departed this life whom they loue and haue been bound vnto but when they behold any speciall memoriall and token of their loue then they are often for the time transported rauished with extraordinary affection which they will shew euen to the token of remembrance it self doing a kinde of honour vnto it Seeing therefore this Sacrament that is not only left vnto vs by the greatest friend that euer we had but left of purpose to bee a speciall remembrance and pledge of the greatest loue that euer was shewed to mortall creatures and which hath the very effects and fruits of loue written vpon it yea ingrauen in it yea in some sort contained in it Is it not incredible that any that loue beleeue in Iesus Christ should lightly regard vnworthily abuse this Sacrament But heere by the way wee may obserue how strangely forgetfull euen the faithfull are of the vnspeakeable loue of Christ that they should stand in need of such a Remembrance For vnto them is this Sacrament giuen as a helpe therevnto Is it possible that a man should be forgetfull of such a Master as hath with a great price redeemed him frō the Gallies Yea who for to redeeme him hath made himselfe a slaue yea who was content to purchase his seruants freedome with his owne death Is it possible such a seruant should need any speciall
picture of a Prince is worthily iudged to bee offered to the Prince himselfe Yea forasmuch as in this Sacrament the very Body and bloud of Christ and all the benefits depending therevpon are spiritually offered vnto the Receiuer as lands are offered conuaied to men by the sealing and deliuering of Deeds and Indentures he that shall vnworthily behaue himselfe in the receiuing of this Sacrament shall therein as much despise the Body bloud of Christ as hee may bee said to despise the gift of lands which cōtemneth the writings Seales and Indentures whereby they vse to bee conuaied secured and confirmed Hence from this consequent we may note 1 That Christ receiues damnable indignitie and contumely sometimes not from Iewes and Infidels onely but often from Christians such as looke to be saued by his bloud-shedding that when they are performing speciall worship seruice vnto him For what greater wrong can there be then to be guiltie of that bloud which was shed to redeeme vs which was the sinne of this Church and is the sinne of all such Persons as are vnworthy receiuers of this Sacrament 2 The bare conformitie vnto the outward exercises of Religion whether Word Prayer or Sacraments is not enough to make vs good Christians but we may be the worse Christians for this Romans 2.28 1 Cor. 10 1-7 Many ignorant and seduced soules thinke they are Christians good enough if their foreheads haue been sprinkled with the water of Baptisme if somtimes they heare the Word and receiue the outward elements of this Sacrament But they may doe all these in such a manner that by doing of them they may crucifie Christ and trample his bloud vnder their feet It were better for vs neuer to receiue this Sacrament then in and by the very act thereof to pull vpon our heads the guilt of Christs body and bloud 3 Note the different and contrary effect of this Sacrament in the receiuers thereof It is the sauour of death vnto death to some to othersome the sauour of life vnto life The worthy Receiuer is fed and refreshed and nourished by the Body and bloud of Christ receiued therein Contrarily the vnworthy Receiuer is polluted defiled thereby the oftner he receiues it the more hee receiues therein the bane poyson of his owne soule Those therefore which in such a manner receiue the Body and bloud of Christ and looke for Grace thereby are therin as fond as if they that whipt Christ and nailed him on the Crosse and by meanes thereof had their faces hands and garments besprinkled with his bloud should thinke by that meanes to be purged freed from their sinnes Or as if hee who pierced christs side with a Speare should haue held a cup at the wound and filled it and drunke it off and haue fancied by that meanes to drinke the bloud of Christ to the health and eternall saluation of his owne soule And thus much of the first Part of Preparation Wherein wee haue been plainely taught by the Apostle what a dangerous sinne it is to abuse this holy Sacrament God grant that the consideration hereof may deepely affects vs that wee may with feare trembling take heed what hands wee lay vpon so holy Mysteries Amen A Preparation to THE RECEIuing of the Sacrament of CHRISTS Body and Bloud The second Part. Directing weake Christians how they may worthily receiue the same By W. BRADSHAVV LONDON Printed by Iohn Beale 1617. The means to preuēt the former sin cōsists in certaine duties Propoūded 1. The triall of our selues whereof the Triall it selfe In generall Cha. 1. In speciall 1. Of our faith by the Groūd Ch. 3. Subiect Chap. 4. 2. Of our Repētance C. 5. The Persons that are make it Ch. 7. 2. The continuance of the Tria Chap. 8. Vrged By the speciall curse that follow the neglect of the former duti Chap. 9. By the signes of that curse in t Church of Corinth Chap. 10. The ground of this second Part. 1 COR. 11 28-33 28. LEt a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eat of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. 29. For hee that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he discerneth not the Lords Body 30. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe 31. For if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged 32. But when we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord because wee should not be condemned with the world A Preparation TO THE RECEIuing of Christs Body and Bloud The second Part. Shewing how to preuent the dangerous sinne of profaning this Sacrament CHAP. I. Of the method of this second Part. THe Apostle by whose line wee drawe the doctrine of Preparation hauing set forth the odiousnesse of that sinne whereby the holy Sacrament is abused doth afterwards in the wordes following prescribe a special remedy how that sinne may be preuented In the due conscionable practise wherof doth our second Part of Preparation consist The meanes and remedy aforesaid consists in certaine speciall and necessary duties to be performed by euery Christian that will to his comfort partake of this Sacrament The duties the Apostle 1. Propounds 2. Vrgeth The duties propounded are two First That a man try search examine himselfe before hee presume to receiue Secondly That hee giue not ouer triall and examination of himselfe till hee haue found that which he seekes for In the first duty wee are to consider the triall it selfe First generally Secondly more specially And then the Persons that are to make this Triall CHAP. II. Of the triall of our selues in generall THe triall and examination of our selues in general here required is a diligent search and inquisition to bee made within our soules and consciences whether we bee such kind of persons as may be assured that the Lord will bid welcome to this Table And this triall is not to be sleight cursory but most strict and accurate such as gold Smiths vse when not onely by touch but by fier hammer they try whether their Gold and Siluer be pure or no. For such a manner of triall the Apostles word signifieth The Lord cannot bid any welcome to his Table but such as he is actually reconciled vnto and whose persons are acceptable and wel pleasing vnto him They who are such persons haue certaine speciall gifts and graces bestowed vpon them from which they may conclude infallibly that God doth loue and fauor them which for distinction sake from other common gifts are called Sauing Graces Herein then wee must labour to search out in our selues these Graces and to try whether they bee in vs or no. But before we come to particulars hence we may note in generall 1 That Gods speciall sauing graces may bee in vs and yet not alwayes apparant vnto vs but may sometimes lie hidden in the soule vntill by some speciall search they be discouered else such trials as these shold be