commaunds vs to communicate And so hee encounters with two sorts of men wherof the One eats of this Bread and Tries not and those offend against the first part The Other trie themselues but doe not eat of this Bread and these faile against the second The first enioyneth a Preparation the second a Participation In the first wee may consider two things 1. Persons Examining 1. Euery man Examined himselfe 2. Parts Maner of examination Matter 1. The person that is to Examine is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Erasmus and Beza render Quisque Boet. Leitur euery Man This dutie then is layd vpon euery one bee hee subiect or soueraigne Priest or of the people Which obseruation ouer-turneth the Implicite Faith of the Romish Church For euery Lay-man and woman ought to turne Confessor and Examiner and to be endued with sufficient knowledge for this heauenly Businesse He must looke not onely through the Spectacles of the Priest but also see with his owne Eyes and bee able to Trie himselfe 2. The person that Euery man is bound to try and examine is Himselfe that is his owne person not the persons of other men for a man to set vp his Consistory in the Conscences of others is Pharisaical pride and presumption We must not bee busie Bishops in other mens Diocesses but 1 Pet. 4. 15. 1 Thes 4. 11. meddle with our owne businesse We must not break our neighbours head with the Pharisee God I thank thee I am not like other men c. nor like this Publican but smite our own brests with the Publican and say O God be mercifull to mee a sinner Saint Augustine complained of men in his time that they were Curiosi ad cognoscendum vitaÌ„ alienam desidiosi ad corrigendam suam and Reuerend Hooker sayeth of men in our Time That their Vertue is nothing else but gladly to heare the reproofe of others vices And herein they are not vnfitly resembled to Taylors and Barbers whereof the one doth Measure and the other doth Trim all others except themselues But our Sauiour Christ would not haue vs to trouble our selues about the Mote in our Brothers Eye but rather to Math. 7. pull out the beame that is in our owne eye And Saint Paul in this place chargeth vs not to prie into the liues of others but to trie and examine our owne selues Leauing therefore the persons Examining and Examined we come to the Parts of Examination and they are Two One concerning the Manner and the other concerning the Matter of our Examination The Manner of our Examination consisteth in these two Namely that it be made first Vprightly secondly Necessarily First it is required that in examining our consciences wee deale vprightly faithfully and sincerely with God For so much is implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Examine which commands a diligent and narrow search and an earnest and exact enquiry such as Lapidaries and Gold-smiths vse to finde out True Mettall from Counterfeit The fraudulencie of mans heart is vnsearchable by any on earth saue by the Spirit and Conscience of a mans owne selfe Wee our selues â—or 2. 11. therefore are to call our selues to examination before our owne Consciences which wil either accuse vs or excuse vs Rom 2. 15. in the things that wee haue done If our Heart or Conscience doe condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things but if our heart condemne vs not then 1 Iohn 3. 21. 22. haue we boldnesse towards God We are therefore to examine our selues with a sincere Conscience not seeking to dissemble or excuse any maner of sinne bee it neuer so deare vnto vs Least in so doing we doe rather prouoke the Lord to anger then appease his wrath One saith that Conscientia est scientia cum scientiâ Scientia nostra cum Scientiâ Dei congruens a Knowledge in vs agreeing with another Knowledge which is in God In which regard some haue compared the Conscience to a Tally Bakers and Brewers such Tradesmen as vse to deliuer their commodities to their Customers vpon Tale are wont to cleaue a sticke in Two and to giue to their Customers the one side of it keeping the other to themselues and euer as they deliuer out their wares they make a certaine number of Markes and Nickes vpon both parts of their Tallies to keepe euen reckonings So that if either goe about to deceiue other they neede but to drawe out Their side of the Tally and That will soone discouer the Truth Euery action which we doe be it good or badd is markt and nickt vpon the Tally of our Conscience and Gods Science if wee haue laboured to deface or scrape out any thing that hath beene marked on our side of the Tally God needes but to drawe out that which is markt on his side and That will soone conuince vs of falsehood For God is greater then our heart And therefore it standes vs in hand to deale Truely and vprightly with him Secondly examination must be made not onely Vprightly but also Necessarily and This wee may gather out of the word Therefore Whosoeuer shall eate this Bread and drinke this Cup of the Lord vnworthily shal be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Therefore let a man examine c. Triall of our selues then is necessary both in respect of the dutie enioyned and of the Danger if wee neglect that dutie In respect of our dutie For Christ in his first Institution vsed a commaunding Tearme Doe This. Doe this in remembrance of Mee So that it is Luke 22. 19. not in our choyce to Doe it or not to doe it If any be not fit he must endeuour to make him selfe fit and the way to make him fit is Examination Let a man therefore examine himselfe c. Secondly Triall is necessary in regard of the Danger if we receiue the Lords Body vnworthily 1. The danger is in respect of the sinne verse 27. Hee is guiltie of the Body and Blood of the Lord. 2. The punishment for sinne Which punishment is twofold Generall verse 29. Hee eateth and drinketh his owne damnation Particular verse 30. For this cause many are weake and sicke and die From the Manner of our examination Id. Ibid. we proceed to the Matters concerning which euery Communicant must bee Tryed and they are summarily Two viz. Repentance and Faith These two are like Hippocrates his Twinnes they go together hand in hand For there is no True repentance without a liuely faith nor a liuely faith without true Repentance Wee attaine to Repentance by the sight and knowledge of our Sinnes Our sinnes are discouered and made knowen vnto vs by the Law of God Euery sinne is as a spot or staine vpon the Soule and the Law of God is a Looking-glasse of the Soule which sheweth euery spot and wrinckle It is behoouefull Iam. 1. 21. then for euery one to set this Glasse before him
Curse to saue me from the curse and make mee blessed that he suffered shame to saue mee from shame and crowne mee with glorie c. And there at the Communion Table am I so to collect and gather vp my stragling thoughts that shutting out of my minde all other cogitations I am so to settle my selfe as if None were there present but God the Father and God the Sonne and I my selfe God the Father who is the person offended I who am the offendor and Christ who hangs on the Crosse as my Pawne and Suretie to pay my Debt suffering all that which is due vnto mee And if I aske the reason why God gaue his Sonne to doe and suffer all this for my sake or why the Son of God would suffer it I shall finde none but the great infinite loue to me who deserued no loue at all but rather all hatred and vengeance from them It was in God his incomprehensible loue that caused him to giue his Sonne to mee and for mee God so loued the Iohn 3. 16. world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne c. This loue of Gods is a Sic without any Sicut beyond all comparison nothing that euer was or shall bee may stand in comparison with it God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne It is as much saith Saint Augustine as if some mightie Monarch who had but one only Sonne should haue in his Kingdome a miserable poore Subiect fallen into a desperate disease that were not curable by any meanes in the world but by washing himselfe in a Bath made of the bloud of the young Prince And the King should so farr tender the health of that poore Snake that hauing but one Sonne and him the Hope of his posteritie and Heire of his Kingdome hee should cause all his veynes to bee opened and all his bloud euen to the very last drop to be emptied out of his Sons body to the losse of his life and all this to saue the life of a meane fellow of no parts or deserts at all Such saith Saint Augustine was the loue of our heauenly Father towards mee the meanest of his subiects hee gaue the life and blood of his onely deare Sonne to cure and heale mee a miserable wretch that otherwise had neuer been cured A fine and elegant Comparison it is but yet it commeth short of Gods loue For the life of a Prince though it bee of a very high price in so much that the people say to Dauid Thou art worth ten thousand of 〈…〉 vs yet the life of the Sonne of God is more worth then the liues of a thousand millions of Princes Besides the poorest man nay the poorest gnat in regard of the greatest Prince on the earth is not so meane poore as the greatest Prince that euer was is in comparison of Gods onely begotten Sonne So that no loue may bee compared to this loue of God in giuing his Sonne for mee except it be the loue of the Son who gaue himselfe for me and to me God so loued mee that in respect of mee hee seemed not to loue his Sonne the Sonne so loued mee that in respect of mee he seemed not to loue himselfe but gaue away his owne life to saue my life His death to me is the death of mine High Priest by it I am restored to my forfeited inheritance in the heauenly Canaan Numb 35. 28. His life and blood to me is the life and blood of the Pelican in the wildernesse who diggeth her owne breast and sheddeth Psal 102. her blood vpon her yong that are stung with Serpents to restore them to their health though it bee with losse both of her blood life His blood is to mee not onely the blood of Remission of sinnes in forgiuing but in giuing vnto me that which I could neuer haue purchased it is Sanguis Testamenti the Blood of the Testament whereby Christ as in his Will and Testament doeth giue and bequeath vnto me a Legacie or Heauen His blood is the blood of Gods owne Son the Heire of all things in heauen and earth I doe eate his flesh and drinke his blood and by that am made hauing the Blood royall within me one of the blood royall and Sonne and Heire of God and ioynt-heire with Iesus Christ Beneficium postulat officium Euery benefit doth challenge a dutie at mine hands And what shall I render to the Lord for all these his benefits Surely saith Dauid I will take the Cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord that is Psal 116. giue him thanks praise saying O my God thou art good and true O my soule thou art blessed and happy And for this cause this Sacrament of the Communion is called Eucharistia because it is a Praise and Thankesgiuing to God for the vnspeakeable benefites which we receiue at his hands in and by the Sacrament But wee must not giue him thanks praise with the mouth only but to shew that our hearts are truly thankfull vnto him we must study and endeauour to render loue for loue for that is all that hee requires at our hands Loue. It is recorded by Xenophon Lib. 13. Poet. Cyr. that that potent and puissant King of the Persians Cyrus hauing taken Tygranes King of the Armenians captiue in war and led him and his Queen prisoners to his owne Court did vpon a day bid them to his own Table and in a sport and merriment asked of Tygranes How much he would bestow to ransom his Queen He presently made answer If I had that kingdome which thou hast wonne from mee by the Sword I would willingly part with that to redeeme her and if that were not enough I would spend my life and powre out my blood for her Cyrus being strangely taken with the consideration of such excessiue measure of coniugal loue yearned in compassion toward them and restored them not onely to their libertie but also to their kingdome When Tygranes was at home in his own Court hee thus bespake his wife the Queene Lady what doe you thinke of King Cyrus Is not he a most vnmatchable Heroicall King Is not hee onely worthy to weare the stile and title of a King The wise Ladie presently made answer Sir I wot not what you say neither can I remember what King Cyrus did say or doe whereby I might take notice of his wisedome and prudence for all the while that I with your selfe remained a captiue in Persia I neuer cast mine eyes vpon any one but vpon him that was resolued to set mee at liberty with the losse and expense of his owne blood Behold here a Lesson taught you frō this vertuous Queene She acknowledged her selfe to be indebted to her husband Tygranes for that he was purposed to spend his owne blood for her ransome that for the vehemency of loue and affection towards him shee could not endure to look vpon
any other in all the Court of Persia no not vpon King Cyrus himselfe How much then dear Christians are you indebted to your King and Spouse seeing that he hath not only purposed to redeeme ransome you with his owne dearest blood but hath powred it foorth indeed euen vnto the last drop hauing for your sake suffered so much shame so many sorrowes so many torments to free ransome you from a most cruell thraldome not of the Persian but of Sathan restored you to the free possession and iust right of a Celestiall kingdom Can you then look vpon any can you find in your hearts to bestow one thought vpon any in the whole court of this world saue onely vpon your crucified Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Cast all your thoughts all your looks all your loue vpon him Videte palpate gustate videte behold him feele him tast and consider him recognize his loue to you and returne him loue againe for if any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema Maran-atha 1. Cor. 16. 22. Now this our Loue cannot better be expressed then by a ioyful acknowledgement of those wonderfull benefits which wee receiue from Christ when we do worthily Commnicate and a dutifull obedience to his commandements Iohn 14. ver 15. 21. 24. The later hereof is in part touched before therefore I will in a word or two touch vpon the former which is the spiritual and corporal ioy wherwith we should bee filled at the time of our Receiuing For the time of Receiuing is not a time of moody and melancholy passion but a time of mirth and ioy in the Lord. It is Sacrum conuiuium At a banket A Holy Banquet men ought to bee very merry Our dutie then it is to Reioyce only we are to take heed that we do not reioice in sin which is against the Lord but Reioyce in the Lord. Reioyce in the Lord Philip. 4. 4. alwaies and againe I say Reioyce The Holy ghost by the Apostle doth not only permit and giue leaue to vs to make merry and reioyce but doth also exhort vs vnto it And not only to reioyce but to reioyce againe He would haue our hearts rauished with a double ioy One for the Soule and another for the Body but both in the Lord. So that not only our Soules should be ioyfull in the Lord reioyce in his saluation but also our very Bones should say Lord who is like vnto thee So that the bones which Psal 51. 8. God hath broken may reioyce Psal 35. 9. 10. And certainly we haue great reason to reioyce in God for his goodnesse to vs. For at the Communion by the hands of his Minister he doth passe vnto you vnder Seale his owne body and bloud nay his Whole-selfe and whatsoeuer benefit he wrought for mans saluation as the Remission and pardon of all your sinnes the Redemption and deliuerance of all your soules and bodies from eternall punishment in Hell Perfect Friendship and Reconciliation with God and an vndoubted right and title to the kingdom of Heauen with all the ioyes and blessednesse thereof 1 You would reioyce and be glad at the heart if being indebted but a matter of twenty or an hundred thousand pounds and not knowing which way to pay it or any farthing of it you could find one so kind and bountifull as would pay it all for you and not aske one farthing backe but only your true Loue and hearty Thankfulnesse Beloued wee are all in debt Our sinnes are Debts to God Math. 18. 24. and they are of so high a nature that all the thousands and millions in the world are not able to satisfie God for one of them and euery one of vs are in for millions of thousands Christ comes and brings a Quietus est discharging vs freely of euery one of those debts and passeth it vnder seale in the Sacrament and haue we not farre greater cause to reioyce for this then for the other For his blood is the 1 Cor. 11. 25. bloud of Remission of sinnes 2. If any of you had offended the Law in any heinous manner and for that being legally adiudged to death had the Halter about his neck vpon the Gallowes being ready to be turned off the Ladder would it not glad his heart to see one come from the King with his Pardon vnder Seale procured by the Prince to acquit him from death Verily all of vs besides the actual breaches of Gods Law committed by our selues were non prius nati quà m damnati as Saint Bernard saith No sooner borne then condemned vnder the Sentence of death The halter was about our necks and we ready to bee turned off the Ladder there was but a puffe of ayre a small blast of breath in our nostrils betwixt vs and Hell-fire betwixt our temporary life and endles tormenting death The Minister comes to vs at the Sacrament with a Pardon from the King of Heauen procured by the death of the Prince of our Saluation Iesus Christ sealed with his precious bloud and haue not we iuster cause thinke you to reioyce for our deliuerance from Hell then the Malefactor hath for his deliuerance from Tyburne 3 If our Soueraigne Lord the King were iustly fallen into hatred and enmity against any of vs and should bend himselfe and the strength of all his Subiects to bee reuenged on Him for his rebellions what a pitifull taking would that party be in how glad would he be of any that would procure and could assure him of the Kings fauour and perfect reconciliation vnto him And were not all of vs by Nature Filij irae Ephes 2. 3. and by daily multiplication of rebellions against God professed enemies to God and God enemy to vs Our Sauiour by his death wrought our Peace and attonement our perfect reconciliation with God When we were enemies wee were reconciled Rom. 5. 10. to God by the death of his Sonne And to assure our soules of this our peace and reconciliation with God Christ by his Minister in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood doth passe it vnder Seale to euery particular worthy Communicant 4. If being not borne to any foot of land his Maiestie should bestow vpon any of you a whole Shire to be yours for euer I know that person would thinke himselfe an happie man But behold the King of Heauen doeth assure euery worthy Communicant not of a Shire but of a most spacious ample and glorious Kingdome to bee possessed and enioyed not for the Euer of Time in this life but for the Euer and Euer of eternitie And haue wee not good cause to bee merry and ioyfull then God is True and faithfull of his word and promise and wee knowe that Hee by the Sacrament doth make euery true penitent Beleeuer as sure of his eternall Kingdome as any Prince if hee suruiue can bee sure to inherite his Fathers Crowne For by it wee are all made Heires of God and Ioynt-heires with Rom. 8. 17. Heb. 1. 2. Iesus Christ who is the Heire of all the world So that as I said wee haue all iust cause of mirth and ioy and would to God we could all bee so truely merry and ioyfull as wee should bee both in Body and in Soule that not onely our Soules may bee ioyfull in the Lord and reioyce in his saluation Psal 35. 9. 10. but that all our Bones may say Lord who is like vnto thee Let vs therefore whensoeuer we receiue this Sacrament bee merry a Gods Name Let vs leape reioyce and exult for our Redemption and Saluation wrought by Christ but let vs not reioyce in Surfetting and Drunkennesse nor in Chambering and wantonnesse nor in painted Pride haughtinesse For this is not to reioyce in the Lord but against the Lord this is not to bee merry in Gods Name but in the Deuils name And for all these benefites whereby both our Bodies and Soules may thus iustly be rauished with Ioy the Lord our God exacteth no great matter at our hands but that which wee may pay without any Trouble or Dammage to our selues and that is as I sayd before our Loue to God for his owne sake Loue to our Neighbours for Gods sake wee are to wish euery of them all good and to performe it vnto them to the vttermost of our power helping them in their necessities and forgiuing them the wrongs they haue done vs Euen as God for Christ his sake forgaue vs. For they are all flesh of Christ Ephes 5. his flesh and bone of Christ his bone and whatsoeuer wee doe to any of these because they are the mysticall members of Iesus Christ whether it bee good or bad Math. 25. 45. Christ accounts as done to himselfe FINIS