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
and often times such for vnworthy receiuing doe receiue punishment and sometimes such doe eate and drinke their owne damnation as the Apostle testifieth So the benefit of them that receiue it worthily is great for by faith they feeding spiritually doe eate the spirituall foode which neuer perisheth by vertue whereof they are preserued from perishing and sustained vnto eternall life Q. What meaneth the Apostle by eating and drinking their owne damnation in the Lords supper A. The Apostle doth signifie that euen this banquet receiued by the wicked persons carelesse and without consideration of their owne impietie without faith repentance or charitie trampling vnder foote that precious bloud Euen for such contempt hée meaneth such wicked persons shall finde the receiuing thereof to testifie their condemnation more fully Q. What doth he meane that he saith some of you are sicke some are weake and some are falne asleepe A. He admonisheth them which were and vs that are now reputed faithfull professors that for lack of that worthinesse which is required of them and vs which come not fully or fitly prepared such were and are punished with such sicknesses and punishments as might make them better to consider their owne crimes and vnaduised receiuing Christ his blessed bodie and so condenme their owne selues And by such punishment also God moueth them to flie to him for mercy in this world that they may not with the wicked of this world perish in the world to come for want of Christian duties Q. What duties are of Christians required which come to this Sacrament of Christ that they may be reputed worthy receiuers thereof A. There is required principally of them a three-folde consideration or examination which worthily and effectually bee partakers of Christ Q. Shew me those principall considerations and examinations A. As it is not fit for a seruant or a subiect to come to the Table of a temporall King vncleanly or vncomely so it is much more vnfit and further offence to come to the table of the eternall king Christ Iesus with any kind of vncleannesse as might giue offence to his mightie Maiestie Q. Shew mee first what cleannesse is required of Christians comming to his presence to be pertakers of this precious banquet A. The people were commaunded when they came to heare the Law promulgated on Sina Certaine dayes to wash and sanctifie themselus before they came to heare the Law When the Lord would haue his people talke with his Maiestie he commanded them to wash them and make them cleane from all their wirkednesse Before King Dauid came to Gods Altar he washed his handes in innocencie And Christ Iesus did both wash and wipe the very féete of the Apostles when he would make them fit for this feast Q. What learne we by all these washings A. First when we come to heare the Law or Gospell preached all wickednesse and vngodlinesse must be washed by earnest sorrow for former sinnes committed and our selues sanctified by beliefe that pardon for sinne and increase of grace may by Christ be granted Secondly when we come to the maiesty of the glorious God by inuocation or prayer we must with the Publican see and bee sorrowfull for our owne miserie and not with a proud but a pure zeale of soule hope to be purged pardoned and by Christ iustified Thirdly we must not presume to come to the Temple nor to the Altar nor Table of this great King vntill heart and hand bodie and soule and euery part be found by proofe to be pure and cleane Fourthly by Christ we are taught that except we be washed by him be pronounced cleane by his mouth none are fit for this feast and that is the cause that the Apostle sayth some eate drinke their olone damnation because that euery man doth not examine himselfe to find his testimony of his washing through Christ Iesus Lord of the feast before hee come to the Lordes feast and blessed Sacrament of his bodie and bloud Q. As you haue shewed me what cleanlines is fit for Christian Communicants so shew me what comelinesse is required at the table and Supper of the Lord A. As at a festiuall Table of a King comely and desent garments are required so at the feast and table of the Lord euery Christian must haue a comely and Christian garment such as may please God through Christ Q. What garment is fit for a Christian to come to the Lords table in A. There belongeth first a Christian care of casting away the garment of the old corrupt Adam And secondly an indeuour to put on Christ Iesus Q. Shew me what the casting away of the olde Adam doth signifie A. First it signifieth the casting away the corruptions that we are clothed with naturally by Adams transqression and the Apostle nameth them to be principally these following namely lying and slandring in any sort Secondly stealing and all kinde of false dealing vncomely vngodly and especially all filthie and prophane talking Thirdly all bitternesse wrath wrathfull or euill speaking one to another séeing we are all members of one bodie Fourthly and finally to banish and cast from vs all thoughts words workes that eyther are euill or tend to euill purposes Q. Let me now vnderstand what the putting on Christ Iesus meaneth A. First we must vnderstand the remoouing from the minde inwardly all euils is the worke of the holy Ghost which afterward doth cloth and garnish the godly with the forme and shape of God in true holines and righteousnesse by Christ Q. Shew me the signes of the holinesse and righteousnesse by Christ Iesus bestowed on vs A. As we are clothed by Christ with sanctification of Gods spirit and iustification before God so it doth often appeare before men and is expressed in speaking the truth without dissimulation In honest dealing and godly care in our vocation iustly to labour and liue To speake that which may be instruction for others and consolation to those that heare our wordes Christians must be courteous one to another mercifull one to another louing one to another and by loue which they seeing in God towardes them one to forgiue another as God for Christ his sake forgiueth them and in the true garment of vnion clothed comming to the Communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ shall be accepted as ghests worthie of Gods graces by Christ at the table presented You haue shewed mee from the first consideration what comelinesse and cleannesse becommeth Christians to haue when they come to be partakers of the Lords supper Shew mée nowe the manner of eating and drinking of the Lords bodie and bloud Q. What must a Christian man consider in the worthie eating the bodie of Christ Iesus and drinking his precious bloud spiritually A. As all that worke the worke of GOD must beleeue in him whom God hath sent so all that will eate the bodie of Christ and drinke his bloud worthily must beleeue in his Incarnation in his Passion in his Resurrection
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.
bound to render all honor and glory world without end Amen ⸫ A Prayer briefly to be repeated at the end of this first part GRatious holy and heauenly Father which of thy loue hast of clay created vs to thine owne Image by thy deare son redeemed vs from bondage and by the holy Ghost doest sanctifie and preserue vs in holinesse to serue thee Grant vs wee beseech thee that as by thy holy word we are taught the duties of Christianitie so we may without hypocrisie sincerely serue thee in such sort as may tend most to the setting forth of thy glory in our pilgrimage of this life present And may also most directly guide vs to the attaining the eternall felicitie prouided for vs all thine elect in thy celestiall Paradize in the life to come And powerfull Lord wee pray thee by the rule of thy Law so religiously gouerne our hearts that we neyther stray after our owne Imaginations nor deceiue our selues by any vaine ostentations and bring vs by imbracing the doctrines of thy holy Scriptures to account and esteeme them the holy and cleare Cristall wherein thy loue is reueiled and thy law for direction of our liues plainely described To true obedience of which thy law good Father so incline forme and frame our hearts wee beseech thee that vnfainedly aboue all things we may loue thy holy Maiestie and by proceeding in the rules wee practise by an holy christian charity we may performe our loue one to another with pure hearts vnfainedly And finally by a true and vnfained faith obtaine the promises of grace to serue thee in true holinesse and righteousnesse of life and after this true sanctification and grace present we may raigne with thee in euerlasting glory world without end through Iesus Christ our blessed Sauiour and Redeemer Amen ⸫ Here followeth the second part of the Cristall of Christianitie wherein the Sacrament of Baptisme is discussed very plainely and very familiarly Question TO that end that all Christians may vnderstande what the true Church of Christ is shew me whom and what you do call the true Church of Christe here on earth Answere The name of Church by signification signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calling And all Christian people that professe the faith of Christ are named by the name of the Church visible generally Q. Who are more effectually and truely called the Church A. They truely in this world are called the true and inuisible Church of Christ whom God elected to saluation before the beginning of the world And which in receiuing Christ by faith doe beleeue in Christ alone to be saued eternally Q. What is the condition and estate of them which be true members of the church and doe beleeue in Christ effectually A. Although it doth not to men alwayes so appeare yet it is apparant that the true members of the Church are replenished with true happinesse holinesse and endued with diuine and sauing graces Q. How are they which are members of Christ his true Church made happie A. The true Church and euery member are blessed made happie by Christ which taketh away the curse and wrath of God due for sinne from them and bestoweth his righteousnesse on them Q. How are Christ his members made holy A. Through his holy spirit which sanctifieth all the elect in Christ with true holinesse Q. How are they replenished here on earth with heauenly graces A. As the Sunne-beames are made pertakers of the Sunnes glory and brightnesse So the true Chruch is replenished and euery part made pertakers of such heauenly vertues and diuine graces wherby God our heauenly Father is glorifyed by his grace giuen to the members of the Church in this life present Q. Doe you conclude then that all Christians which truely beleeue in the Sonne of God which are sanctified by the spirite of God and through his grace expresse in this life the glory of God are effectually called into the true Church and they are rightly called the true Church of Christ A. This is my conclusion that all faithfull people elected before the foundation of the world in Christ gathered throughout the world vniuersally which are iustified sanctified and ordained to be glorified are the true Church of Christ of whom Christ is the Lord and head and are therefore called the true Christian Church rightly Q. What assurance hath the Church here on earth of Christes loue A. Christ hath appoynted the preaching of Gods blessed Word and the holy Sacraments as testimonies thereof Q. How many Sacraments hath Christs ordayned in his Church necessary for the saluation of his Church A. Christ hath ordayned and in his church instituted the Sacrament of Baptisme to receiue and entertaine them which are his members into the fauour of God by his loue Q. What other Sacrament was by Christ instituted A. The holy feast and banquet of his most blessed body and bloud to feede them and sustaine them by and with full assurance of his loue Q. What meane you by this word Sacraments A. Sacraments are outward signes that doe represent all those spirituall inwarde sauing graces which the faithfull receiue from God through Iesus Christ Q. What is the outward signe in Baptisme A. Water wherein the Childe is dipped or sprinkled with and it doth represent the two properties of Water which doth both clense and comfort Q. How doth the propertie of clensing agrée with the inward graces represented in Baptisme A. The propertie of clensing representeth the clensing of our sinnes by the precious and pure bloud of Christ which was shed on the Crosse for our sinnes Q. How doth Water in Baptisme represent comfort to vs A. As Baptisme is instituted in stead of Circumcision which was a seale of righteousnesse by faith so the faithfull are sealed and comforted by faith in Christ to bee saued Q. Doth Baptisme both signifie clensing from sinne and sealing vnto righteousnes A. Our clensing from sinne euen from the infection of the Leprosie which came by Adams disobedience And the essentiall righteousnesse which commeth by Christ is represented by Baptisme Q. What is the cause you compare originall sinne to the infectious disease of the Leprosie A. The word doth declare originall sinne Gezar or Gazar to be full of euill to flow with euill and to ouerflow all men naturally with corruption tending to damnation Q. Doth that daungerous disease bring daunger of damnation naturally on all men A. In one significant word the Apostle doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew that the infection doth so infect all mans affections and partes with disobedience that the will of the naturall man will not obey the will of God for the which rebellion the wrath of God commeth ouer all the children of disobedience to condemnation Q. How are the faithfull freed from this infectious sin of Leprosie proceeding from Adams disobedience A. As it came by disobedience of one vpon all men to condemnation So it is taken away by the perfect