Lord. c. THE FIRST SERMON VPON THE PREPARATION TO THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.2 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. WElbeloued in Christ Iesus The Apostle in the words which we haue read deliuereth his counsell and giueth his aduice and not onely giues his aduice but giues his admonition and command That we should not come to the Table of the Lord that we should not come to the hearing of the word rashly but that euery one of vs should come to this holy worke with reuerence that we should prepare and sanctifie our selues in some measure And seeing we go vnto the King of heauens Table it becomes vs to put on our best array In a word he deliuereth the whole doctrine and matter of this preparation when he saith Let euery man and let euery wowan trie and examine themselues As if he would say Let euery one of you trie and examine your soules That is trie the estate of your owne hearts and condition of your owne consciences Marke and behold in what estate your heart is with God and in what estate your conscience is with your neighbour He biddeth not your neighbour to try you he biddeth not your companion to try your heart but he biddeth your selfe in person to trie your owne conscience he biddeth your selfe trie your owne heart because none can be certaine of the estate of your heart or of the condition of your conscience but your selfe Now he excludes not others from the triall of you neither for it is lawfull for the Pastor to trie you but others cannot trie you so narrowly as ye your selues may for no man can know so much of me as I knâ—â— of my selfe No man can be certaine of the estate of your heart and condition of your conscience and yet you your selues may be certaine of it As for others men may iudge of your heart and conscience according to your works and effects and except your workes and effects be very wicked and altogether vicious we are bound in conscience to iudge charitably of your hearts and consciences Therefore there is none so meete to trie the spirit of man to try the heart or conscience of man as is the man himselfe Now that this triall may be the better made ye haue first to vnderstand what it is that ye should trie what ye call a a conscience which the Apostles commands you to trie Next ye are to consider for what reasons causes ye should try your consciences Thirdly last of all ye are to know in what chiefe points ye should try and examine your consciences Then that we speake not vnto you of things vnknowne it is necessary for euery one of you seeing there is none of you that lacketh a conscience to vnderstand what a conscience is as neerely as God shall giue me grace I will bring you to the vnderstanding and knowledge of a conscience I call a conscience a certaine feeling in the heart resembling the iudgement of the liuing God following vpon a deed done by vs flowing from a knowledge in the minde accompanied with a certaine motion in the heart to wit feare or ioy trembling or reioycing Now we will examine the parts of this definition I call it first of all a certaine feeling in the heart for the Lord hath left such a stampe in the heart of euery man that he doth not that thing so secretly nor so quietly but he makes his owne heart to smite him and to strike him he makes him to feele in his owne heart whether he hath done well or ill The Lord hath placed this feeling in thy heart why Because cause the eyes of God looke not so much vpon the outward countenance and exterior behauiour as vpon the inward heart For he saith to Samuel in the first booke 16.7 The Lord beholds the heart So 1. Chron. 28.9 he saith to Salomon The Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all imaginations and thoughts Also Ieremie 11.20 The Lord tries the reines and the heart And the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.5 saith The Lord shall lighten things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest So in respect that the Lord will chiefly haue to do with the heart therefore in the heart he placeth this feeling which is the chiefe part of conscience I say next that this feeling resembleth the iudgement of God for this feeling was left and placed in our soule for this end and purpose that we might haue a domesticall and familiar iudgement within our selues to resemble and describe the secret and inuisible iudgement of the high God a particular iudgement to goe before that generall iudgement in that generall and great day where euery man shall be iustified or condemned according to the particular iudgement that is within his owne conscience In the meane time this conscience is left in vs to arrest vs in this life thereby as it were to ease the liuing God at that last iudgement For the bookes of our owne consciences in that last day shall be opened and euery man shall receiue according to the report of the decree that is within his owne conscience therefore I say that our conscience resembles the iudgement of God The third thing that I say is this It followeth vpon a deed done by vs our conscience nor our heart strikes vs not before the deed be done our heart strikes vs not before the euill deed be committed no it goeth not before the deed but the stroke of the conscience and feeling of the heart followeth immediatly vpon the deed in such sort that the deed is no sooner done by thee but thy conscience applies it to thy selfe and giues out the sentence against thy selfe therefore I say it is a feeling following vpon a deed done by vs. And next I say flowing from a knowledge in the minde for except the conscience haue information and except the heart know that the deede which is done is euill the heart nor the conscience can neuer count it to be euill therefore knowledge must go before the stroke of the conscience thy heart can neuer feele that to be euill which thy minde knoweth not to be euill So knowledge must euer go before feeling and according to the measure of thy knowledge according to the nature and qualitie of thy knowledge accordingly shall the testimonie and stroke of thy conscience be For a light knowledge a doubting and vncertaine knowledge makes a light and small stroke as on the other part a holy and solid knowledge drawne out of the word of God maketh a heauie stroke of the conscience So the conscience must answer to the knowledge If we haue no other knowledge but the knowledge which we haue by nature and by the light and sparks which are left in nature our conscience will answer no further but to that knowledge but if beside the light of nature we haue
Sacrament defraud vs of the profite vse thereof these faults are either in the forme or in the person In forme if the essentiall forme be spoyled we get nothing for when the Sacrament is spoyled of the essentiall forme it is not a Sacrament There is an essential forme in Baptisme an essentiall forme in the Lords Supper which if they be taken away ye lose the vse of the Sacrament The essentiall forme of Baptisme is I baptize thee in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Leaue out any of these three or do it in the name of any one of the three persons onely ye lose the essentiall forme of Baptisme In the Lords Supper if ye leaue out the least ceremonie ye lose the essentiall forme and so it is not a Sacrament I speake of the essentiall forme in respect of the Papists who keepe the essentiall forme in Baptisme though they haue brought in trifles of their owne and mixt with it yet in respect they keepe the substantiall forme it is not necessary that they who were baptized vnder them be rebaptized Indeede if the vertue of regeneration flowed from the person it were something but in respect Christ hath this to giue to whom and when he pleaseth the essentiall forme being kept it is not necessary that this Sacrament be reâ—terated Now what are the faults in the person that peruerts the Sacrament The fault may be either in the person of the giuer or in the person of the receiuer I speake not of those common faults which are common to all but of such faults as disable the person of the giuer to be a distributer of the Sacrament and taketh the office from him so when the person of the giuer is this way disabled no question it is not a Sacrament Then againe in the person of the Receiuer the fault may be if their children be not in the couenant but out of it they get not the Sacrament Indeed if the Parents afterward come to the couenant the children though they be gotten out of the couenant may be receiued Euen so in the Lords Supper if a man be laden with any burthen of sin without any purpose to repent he ought not to receiue it So then if ye come without a purpose to repent ye lose the vse of the Sacrament it is onely this purpose to repent that maketh me who receiue the Sacrament to get the fruite and effect thereof therefore euery one who goeth to the Sacrament must looke what purpose he hath in his heart Hast thou a purpose to murder to continue in adultery or to commit any other vile sinne that is in thy heart and art not resolued to repent In shewing thee to be without repentance thou shewest thy selfe to be without faith and consequently thou comest to thy condemnation and not to thy saluation take heed then what your purpose is for if with a dissolute life ye haue a dissolute purpose ye come vnto your euerlasting perdition I had thought to haue entred particularly into the handling of this Sacrament but because the time is past and some of you I doubt not are to communicate onely this Remember that ye addresse not your selues to that Table except ye finde your hearts in some sort prepared The first degree of preparation standeth in contrition in sorrowing for sinne in a feeling of your sinnes wherein ye haue offended to gracious a God If ye be able as that woman was by the teares of a contrite heart to wash the feete of Christ humbly to kisse his feete and â—o get hold of the foote of Christ though ye dare not presume so high as to get him whole ye are in a good case but if thou want all these and hast them not in some measure thou wantest all the degrees or preparation Therefore let none come to this Table except he haue these in some measure But where there is a displeasure for sinne a purpose to do better and an earnest sobbing and sighing to get the thing that thou wantest in that soule where God hath placed this desire of Christ it is the worke of Gods Spirit and Christ will enter there And therefore though that soule be farre from the thing that it should be at let him not refuse to go to the Lords Table but let him go with a profession of his owne infirmitie and weakenesse and with a desire of the thing that he wants Euery one of you that findeth himselfe this way disposed let him go in Gods name to the Lords Table and the Lord worke this in euery one of your hearts that this ministerie may be effectuall in euery one of you at this time and that in the righteous merits of Iesus Christ. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and for euer Amen THE FOVRTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER IN PARTICVLAR 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE ended the consideration of the Sacraments in generall in our last Exercise welbeloued in Christ Iesus now it remaines that we proceede to the consideration of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper in particular And that ye may the better attaine vnto the knowledge and consideration of the great varietie of matter that is contained in this Sacrament of the Lords Supper I shall endeuour as God shall giue me grace to set downe certaine things for the easier vnderstanding of it And first of all I will let you see what names are giuen vnto this Sacrament in the Bible I will shew you some names that are giuen to this Sacrament by the Ancients Next I will let you vnderstand for what chiefe ends and respects this Sacrament was instituted and appointed by Christ Iesus Thirdly I will come to the things that are contained in the Sacrament how these things are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued And last of all I will answer certaine obiections which may be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine and as God shall giue me grace I will refute them and so end this present Exercise Now we find sundry names giuen vnto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the booke of God and euery name carries a speciall reason with it We finde this Sacrament called the bodie and bloud of Christ. This name is giuen vnto it no doubt because it is a heauenly and spirituall nouriture it containes a nouriture of the soule that is able to nourish and traine vp the soule to a life spirituall to that life euerlasting for this cause it is called the bodie and bloud of Christ. It is called also the Supper of the Lord to put a difference betwixt it and a profane supper for this is the Lords Supper a holy supper not a profane or common
signified in both the Sacraments yet in diuerse respects he is the thing signified in Baptisme and he is the thing signified in the Lords Supper This Christ Iesus in his bloud chiefly is the thing signified in the Sacrament of Baptisme and why Because that by his bloud he washeth away the filth of our soules because that by the vertue of his bloud he quickneth vs in our soules with a heauenly life because that by the power of his bloud he ingrafteth and incorporateth vs in his owne body For that Sacrament is a testimonie of the remission of our sinnes that is of the cleanenesse of our consciences that our consciences by that bloud are washed inwardly It testifieth also our new birth that we are begotten spiritually to a heauenly life It testifieth also the ioyning of vs in the body of Christ. As it is a testimonie so it is a seale it not onely testifieth but sealeth it vp in our hearts and maketh vs in our hearts to feele the taste of that heauenly life begun in vs that we are translated from death in the which we were conceiued and ingrafted in the body of Christ. Marke then Christ in his bloud as he is the washing of our regeneration is the thing signified in Baptisme In this Sacrament of the Lords Supper againe this same Christ is the thing signified in another respect to wit in this respect that his body and bloud serue to nourish my soule to life euerlasting for this Sacrament is no other thing but the image of our spirituall nourishment God testifying how our soules are fed and nourished to that heauenly life by the image of a corporall nourishment So in diuerse respects the same thing that is Christ Iesus is signified in Baptisme and is signified in the Lords Supper In this Sacrament the fruites of Christs death whereof I spake the vertue of his sacrifice the vertue of his passion I call not these fruites and vertues onely the thing signified in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but rather I call the thing signified that substance and that person out of the which substance this vertue and these fruites do flow and proceede I grant and it is most certaine that by the lawful vse participiation of the Sacrament thou art partaker of all these fruites yet these fruites are not the first and chiefe thing whereof thou art partaker in this Sacrament but of force thou must get another thing first It is true that no man can be partaker of the substance of Christ but the same soule must be also partaker of the fruites that flow from his substance yet notwithstanding thou must discerne betwixt the substance the fruits that flow from the substance and thou must be partaker of the substance in the first roome then in the next place thou must be partaker of the fruites that flow from his substance To make this cleere in Baptisme the fruites of Baptisme are remission of our sinnes mortification the killing of sinne and the sealing vp of our adoption to life euerlasting The substance out of the which these fruits do flow is the bloud of Christ. Ye must here of force discerne between the bloud which is the substance and betweene remission of sinnes washing and regeneration which are the fruites that flow from this bloud so in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the fruits of that Sacrament are the growth of faith and the increase in holinesse The thing signified is the substance that is the body and bloud of Christ is the substance out of which this growth in faith and holinesse doth proceede Now see ye not this That you must discerne betwene â—he substance and the fruites and must place the substance in the first place So that the substance of Christ that is Christ himselfe is the thing signified in this Sacrament For your owne experience will make this plaine vnto you Before your stomacke be filled with any foode ye must eate the substance of the food first before you be filled with bread ye must eate the substance of the bread first before your drowth be quenched with any drinke ye must of necessity drinke the substance of the drinke first Euen so after this manner before the hunger of your soules be satisfied the thirst thereof quenched ye must eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud first and that by faith So consider the one by the other looke to what vse bread and wine serue to thy body to the same vse the body and bloud of Christ serue to thy soule and he that appointed the one to serue for thy body the same God appointed the other to serue for thy soule So looke how impossible it is for thee to be fed with that food that neuer cometh into thy mouth or to recouer health by those drugs which neuer were applyed it is as impossible for thee to be fed by the body of Christ and to get thy health by the bloud of Christ except thou first eate his body and drinke his bloud Then ye see that the thing signified in the Lords Supper is not the fruites so much as the body and bloud and Christ Iesus which is the fountaine and substance from which all these fruites do flow and proceed Then I say suppose Christ who is the thing signified remaine alwaies one and the same in both the Sacraments yet the signes whereby this one Christ is signified in the Sacraments are not one nor of an equall number For in Baptisme the thing that representeth Christ is Water In the Lords Supper the things that represent Christ are Bread Wine Water is appointed to represent Christ in Baptisme because it is meetest to represent our washing with the bloud of Christ for what is fitter to wash with then water So there is nothing meeter to wash the soule then the bloud of Christ. In this Sacrament he hath appointed Bread and Wine why Because there is nothing more meete to nourish the body then bread and wine so the Lord hath not chosen these signes without a reason As the signes in the Sacrament are not alwayes one so the same in both are not of one number For in Baptisme we haue but one element in this Sacrament we haue two elements Now what is the reason of this diuersity that the Lord in the one Sacrament hath appointed two signes and in the other but one signe I will shew you the reason He hath appointed onely one signe in Baptisme to wit Water because Water is sufficient enough for the whole If water had not beene sufficient to represent the thing signified he would haue appointed another signe but in respect that Water doth the turne and representeth fully the washing of our soules by the bloud of Christ what need then haue we of any signe Now in this Sacrament one signe will not suffice but there must be two And why Wine cannot be sufficient alone neither can Bread be sufficient alone for he
onely if this were so he might be priuatly giuen and ministred But seeing Christ which is the thing signified in the Sacrament is a common thing belonging to euery faithfull man and woman therefore he ought to be commonly giuen to all in a coÌ„mon action in a society congregation of the faithfull Thirdly this Sacrament is a Thansgiuing to God the Father for his benefites Now it appertaineth not to one or two to thanke God onely but as we are all partakers of his temporall and spirituall benefits so we ought all of vs publikely to giue him thankes for the same Therefore I say in the definition this seale ought to be publikely and not priuately ministred as the Papists do in their priuate Masses This Seale must be publikely ministred according to Christ his institution Wherefore say I Christ his institution more then mans institution or Angels institution Why keepe I to Christ his institution Because man hath not power to institute or make a Sacrament because an Angell hath not power to make or institute a Sacrament For none hath power to make or institute a Sacrament but he that hath power to giue Christ who is the thing signified in the Sacrament But so it is that none hath power to giue Christ but either the Father or himselfe therfore none hath power to make or institute a Sacrament but either the Father or the Sonne only God must make a Sacrament Secondly this Sacrament is a part of Gods seruice and worship but so it is that none hath power to appoynt any part of his seruice or prescribe any part of his worship but onely God himselfe therefore none can make a Sacrament but God himselfe There is no Prince wil be contented to be serued after another mans fantasie but he will prescribe his seruice according vnto his owne pleasure how much more is it meete that God should appoint his own seruice worship Therfore there is neither man nor Angell hath power to institute any part of the seruice of God The Sacraments are a part of his seruice therfore there is no Angel nor man hath power to institute a Sacrament The greatest stile that any man can haue in the ministerie of the word and Sacraments is that stile which the Apostle giues them 1. Cor. 4.1 There we are called Stewarâ—s and Dispensers of the graces of God Ministers of those mysteries and holy things It followeth then that we are not Authors Creators and makers of them but onely Ministers and Dispensers of the Sacraments So it is euident that no man nor creature hath power to make a Sacrament Then it must be according to the institution of Christ his institution must be kept looke what he said what he did what he commanded thee to do all that must be said done and obeyed If thou leauest one iot of that vndone which he commanded thee to do thou peruertest the institution for there is nothing left in register of that institution but it is essentiall So in the celebration of Christs institution we must take heede to whatsoeuer he said did or commanded to be done Thou must first say whatsoeuer he said and then do whatsoeuer he did For the Ministery of the Sacrament must follow after the word First thou must say that which Christ commanded thee to say and thou must teach that which he commanded thee to teach and then minister the Sacrament Then to keepe this institution we must begin at the saying and say whatsoeuer Christ commanded vs then after faithfully to do all that which he commanded to be done Then I call the word the whole institution of Christ Iesus preached and proclaimed denounced distinctly clearely and sensibly to the people in such sort that if we leaue any kind of circumstance or ceremonie of this institution vndone we peruert the whole action It is agreed vpon and condescended vnto betweene vs who celebrate this institution and all the sects in the world who haue separated themselues from this institution That two things are necessarie and must concurre in the nature and constitution of a Sacrament To wit there must be a word and there must be an element concurring There is not a sect that granteth not this That the word must concur with the element before there can be a Sacrament Though they easily admit this generall wherein we agree well with them yet when it cometh to the speciall and that we enter into particular in the handling and treating of the word how well soeuer we agree in the generall yet in the particular we are farre asunder For when we come to dispute and reason on these particulars First what we meane by the word Secondly how this word ought to be intreated Thirdly what vertue this word hath Fourthly how farre the vertue of this word doth extend it selfe And last of all to whom the word ought to be directed and pronounced In all these particulars we are as far asunder as euer we seemed to agree in the generall I leaue to meddle with any other sect but will deale with the Papists onely because we haue most to do with them And first of all we are to vnderstand what we meane by the word and what they meane by it We by the word as I haue said vnderstand the whole institution of Christ Iesus whatsoeuer he said or did or commanded to be done without adding or diminishing or alteration of the meaning or sense of the word This we meane by the word in the Sacrament Now what vnderstand the Papists by the word They preach not the institution of Christ nor take the whole institution as he left it But in place thereof they select and chuse out of his institution foure or fiue words and they make the whole vertue of the institution to consist in the foure or fiue words And it were nothing if they would content themselues with these words because they are the words of the institution But they adde to the words they take from the words and alter the meaning of the same words at their pleasure That ye may know this In their Masse which they call the Lords Supper I will let you see the substance of it I will deuide their Masse into substantiall and accidentall things To the substance of the Masse there are three things required There must of necessitie be a Priest that is to say such a one as takes vpon him the office of our Mediatour Christ Iesus to interceede betweene God and man Secondly to the substance of the Masse is required that the Priest offer the bodie and bloud of Christ. We come here to receiue the same things There the Priest offers them to God the Father Thirdly by this worke say they they obtaine all good things by this worke wrought they obtaine remission of sinnes as well to the dead as to the quicke but in speciall they obtaine remission of sinnes to the Priest who is the distributer to him
great profite as by hearing proaching Yea suppose they say they can reade better then he can preach No reade as much as they will their reading shall neuer bring forth faith for it is by hearing that faith cometh and where the ministerie is and they contemne the hearing they contemne faith for faith cometh onely by hearing ordinarily Thus farre for the circumstances Now the effect of the comfort is set downe in three points the first two points agree with the petition the third is further then came in his minde to seeke The health of bodie is the first it agreeth with the petition Length of daies is the second it agreeth also with the petition The third is further then he could haue looked for and more then he sought what is that A sure estate a prosperous estate and a glorious estate promised to him during all the rest of his daies This was more then he sought Now as to the order that the Prophet keepeth ere he come to the comfort he vseth a short preface The words are these The Lord calleth on him and he saith Go to Hezekiah thus saith the Lord God of thy father Dauid This preface differeth in two points from the preface that he vsed in the beginning of the chap. First there is here mention made of Dauid which is not in the former and so oft as euer ye find mention made of Dauid in the beginning of any preface so oft let the singular fauour and mercie of God come in your mind And when euer ye see Dauid placed in any preface let Christ come in your mind because Dauid was a type of Christ. This mention of Dauid placed here is to let the King see that the readinesse of his comfort flowed from the Messias to wit Iesus Christ from whom all true comfort flowed and without whom there is neither comfort nor consolation He calleth himselfe the God of Dauid because the principall promises of grace were made to Dauid and his house and specially that promise concerning the Messias in whom all the rest of the promises are yea and Amen fully accomplished in him This is the first point of difference the second point wherein they differ is this in this preface he calleth Dauid the Kings father as if he would say The man whom I loue so well I see him to be thy father and thee to be his child and his sonne not onely by nature but by graces I see thee to be his sonne by faith And therefore the whole promise of grace made to him and his seede must properly appertaine to thee where otherwise if thou hadst bene his sonne by carnall propagation onely these promises of grace had no more appertained to thy person then they did appertaine to the person of Achaz thy father But by reason thou art not onely his sonne by nature but also by grace therefore the whole promise of grace appertaines to thee for as the Apostle saith Rom. 9. It is not carnall generation that maketh vs sonnes of the promise for not all that are of Israel are Israel in deede They are not all the sonnes of God that are the sonnes of the flesh but onely the sonnes of the promise are the children of God that is they that through beliefe in the promise of mercie become the sonnes of mercie and are made the children of God Then this beliefe in the promises maketh vs not onely sonnes to God but sonnes to Dauid and Abraham for following the footsteps of Abraham in his faith by imitation of his faith we become his sonnes Thus far concerning the words of the preface Of this I marke two or three things and first by these words ye see the Prophet stayeth not nor bideth not but holdeth forth his course till he be commanded of the Lord to stand and stay he hath a speciall command for him ere he returne This teacheth all Officebearers that in Gods errand no mâ—n ought to enterprise any thing at his owne hand but to haue the Lords own aduice ere he proceed to his worke we haue his aduice when we haue the warrant of his word The second thing I marke as soone as he is commanded to go he stayeth not but so soone as God saith the word he obeyeth he maketh no doubting he aâ—keth no reasons at God he taketh it not to his aduisement he maketh no opposition but incontinently he obeyeth and surely this is true that if euer flesh and bloud had any reason to haue repined Isaiah had reason at this time And why In a moment and with one mouth he was commanded to recall that seuere sentence which he had pronounced and to pronounce the contrary which might haue ingendered a wonderfull suspition in the Kings heart in respect of the suddainnes If Isaiah had bene as short and as angrie as Ionas no question he would haue asked a reason at God For Ionas was not commanded to recall his sentence neither was he sent in such suddainnes to call it backe but he seeing the words of his threatning not to come to passe therefore he fretteth and fumeth against God where if he had bene commanded in such suddainnes to go and recall his sentence ye may easily coniecture what should haue bene his part This perturbation that was in Ionas letteth vs see that he was ignorant of the nature of the threatnings of God For if he had vnderstood that in all the threatnings of God there is a condition annexed he would not haue taken it so highly And if he had vnderstood that the minde of God was not to cast off a sinner he had not taken it so angerly But being ignorant of this he falleth into this fuming and fretting against God So I say there is two things here to be noted one thing to be eschued of the teachers in the person of Ionas another thing to be followed of them in the person of Isaiah The thing that is to be eschued is this Ionas standeth so precisely vpon his reputation that he is exceeding angry that God should change his iudgement in mercie Now I say this fault would be eschued of all and specially of office-bearers and I am sure there is no office-bearer which hath the feare of God in his heart who would not reioyce exceedingly and be glad to see all these threatnings which from time to time are pronounced against these bloudy men all those threatnings that are pronounced against the manifest oppressors and against these sacrilegious persons I am assured there is none but he would exceedingly reioyce to see these threatnings turned in mercy Againe I am assured there is not a spirituall office-bearer that hath the feare of God in his heart who would not exceedingly reioyce to see all the threatnings and admonitions directed from this place to Magistrates of all rankes inferiour superiour and supreme turned in mercy He is more then vnhappy that is so inclined to threatning that if he see the
city country are defiled with these vices procuring so farre as in them lieth an euill end to their owne soules It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of God and yet so many as let them loose to these vicâ—s must fall into his hands For it cannot be but the wrath of God from heauen must be powred vpon such vngodlinesse And there is none who hath powred forth his loue and taken himselfe to these vices but surely â—xcept he be wonderfully preuented he shal perish in his sinne And this is not one of the least iudgements of God For Iohn 8. it is counted one of the most terrible iudgements when the Lord threatneth the Pharisies that they shall perish in their sinne If the word which is now sounded might haue bene able to haue called men backe surely it hath bene clearely and continually sounded but when I looke to the effects it appeareth well that this word hath bene sounded to the hardning of the greatest part and to seale vp their iudgement against the day of the Lords wrath which day they haue blotted out of their minds and put out of their knowledge that they should not see it The Lord nourish this light by his Spirit in vs whereby we may see that there is a heauen and that there is a hell that seeing the danger we may prease to eschue it and seeing the felicitie we may haste vs to embrace it Would God it were so Thus far for the first part of the similitude He goeth forward and he saith He hath cut him off from his beame or from the throombs that go about the beame as ye call them As if he would say after this manner As the Weauer doth cut off the web from the throombs of his beame so the Lord hath taken resolute purpose to cut off my life from his beame In this changing of the persons he letteth vs see a great discretion and knowledge in himselfe he ascribeth the cutting off to God but he taketh the cause to himselfe he ascribeth the chastisement to God but he taketh the sinne which is the cause of the chastisement to himselfe and he acknowledged God to haue his beginning in this worke and himselfe to haue his hand in it also he acknowledgeth God to be a doer as in all works God hath his working And there is no worke so abhominable as it floweth from the instrument but as it floweth from God it is both holy and iust So this wise King taketh the cause of his chastisement from God to himselfe Happie is he that in time condemneth and iudgeth himselfe that he may eschue the condemnation of God Thus far concerning the first part of our diuision Now in the end of this verse and of the verse following the King setteth downe the great furie and rage of his sicknesse It was a pestilent feauer and so the raging furie behooued to be exceeding great He vttereth the vehemency of his disease in the words following and he speaketh as if he would say after this manner If God hold on as he beginneth by the same sicknesse ere night he will make an end of me And in the verse following he saith I propound to my selfe and I looked for it That like a deuouring Lion he should bruise my bones he should bruise them shortly yea ere night For I take all this to be spoken on one day The words indeed the terrible disease of the bodie excepted vttereth more For it is not possible that so good a King could haue spoken so of God except he had felt some other thing then any distresse in his bodie So in vttering of these voyces he letteth vs see that he had the paines of soule and trouble of conscience ioyned with the disease of his bodie and that he felt God to be as it were a consuming fire it is not possible that he could haue vttered such voices of God as to call him a deuouring Lion except he felt another kinde of feuer then any naturall feuer Ye see Dauid when he is in the like extremitie of bodie and soule he crieth Psalme 6. that his bones are vexed and do quake for feare Of all the diseases that can come vpon any person no question the disease of the soule and conscience is the greatest And of all the diseases and troubles that ouertake the conscience no question this is the greater when with the sight of sinne which is enough and more then enough for any to sustaine when with this sight there is a feeling of the wrath of God ioyned O! then this sicknesse is insupportable when with the sight of sinne is ioyned a touch and feeling of the wrath of God Mercifull God if the horror be not exceeding great and terrible so tâ—at it is a wonderfull matter that the soule can stand vpon any assurance of faith but it should incoÌ„tinently run to desperation Yet it is true that there is neuer a one of the chiefe seruants of God but he hath had experience of this either lesse or more and he hath bene touched with the feeling of that hell which the reprobate shall haue in a full measure The ends why the Lord suffereth his deare children to be in such extremities are these to let them see expresly what Christ hath suffered while as he suffered the full weight of his Fathers wrath inflamed against their sinnes And not onely against their sinnes but also against the sinnes of all the elect He casteth them I say into this extremitie to let them see what Christ hath suffered for them how far they are bound to Christ and how precious that redemption purchased by his bloud should be vnto vs. For it is not possible that any man can make much of that benefite which they know not to be a benefit so it is not possible for you to make much of heauen except you haue had some taste of hell And therefore it is that he sendeth his seruants to heauen euen by the gates of hell to let them see that there was no conniuence betweene the Father and the Sonne For it might haue bene thought as many of the wicked thinke that there had bene a conniuence betweene God the Father and his Sonne Christ And therefore I say he letteth them taste of these distractions and pangs of hell that they may say I see he hath felt hell in another sort that hath redeemed vs from hell And where that I cannot sustaine this which is tempered in a small measure it hath bene a great burden indeed which our Sauiour hath sustained whilst he sustained hell for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the whole elect O then this exercise is to let them see how far they are bound to God The dissolute life of the prophane multitude letteth vs see clearely that there is neuer a one of them that haue knowne the meaning of this article and this is a sealed letter to manie of you all Therefore it is that
THE WAY TO TRVE PEACE AND REST. DELIVERED AT EDINBOROVGH In XVI Sermons on the Lords Supper Hezechiahs Sicknesse and other select Scriptures By that reuerend faithfull Preacher of Gods word Mr. ROBERT BRVCE for the present Minister of the Word in Scotland Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara IOHN 10.27.28 My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them they follow me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand LONDON Printed by R. Field for Thomas Man and Ionas Man dwelling in Pater-noster row at the signe of the Talbot 1617. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL MAISTER ADRIAN MOORE Esquire c. And to the no lesse religious and vertuous Gentlewoman Mistresse MARIE MOORE his Wife Patrones of Piety all peace and happiness in both Worlds RIght Worshipfull It must not seeme strange vnto you that a new occasion hath made also a new change of stile since occasion daily sheweth so many changes in the world Amongst all which alterations I must beg of you still to continue your countenance vnto these few plaine homely Sermons In token that no change I hope so long as I liue shall keepe me from manifesting vnto the world as all occasions shall serue how much in dutie I am bound to your true vnfeined loue and vndeserued fauours to me the vnworthiest of all For which I can but wish you to be euer attended with those two faithfull companions of the Saints peace of conscience and ioy in the holie Ghost and at the last to haue a speedie hearing when your Spirits shall faile to transport them into Abrahams bosome there to enioy eternall and vnspeakeable rest for euer and euer Yours in all dutie much and euer bound I. H. TO THE READER GEntle Reader The Author of these Sermons not being present at their going to the presse againe to reuiew and correct them I doubted whether in these learned and curious dayes such homely lines as these might not be distastfull amongst such multitudes of learned ones euery where swarming in the presse so much the rather since their Author hath euer thought so meanly of himselfe that no worke of his could be worthie of the presse Notwithstanding since the importunitie of many did long since as it were wring and extort these few Sermons from him in the beginning of his ministerie before things could be so well ripely and methodically digested as possibly he could haue wished if now they were to do I haue made bold also once againe to send them vnto thy view chiefly to the hungrie Because as Salomon speaketh he who is full despiseth an honie combe but to the afflicted soule euery soure thing is sweete The first fiue on the Lords Supper were englished by a late Gentleman of worthie memorie M. S. Mitchell who was gathered to his fathers before he could see them at the presse the rest were perused and englished by another friend All the care and paines taken hath bene for Gods glorie and thy good If it please thee now therefore to vse Philips counsell to Nathaniel and see whether any good things come out of Nazareth it may be thou shalt not thinke thy paines and time lost which that thou mayest the sooner do I ceasse to trouble thee remaining Thine in the Lord Iesus I. H. The Contents and substance of the Sermons following SERMON I. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth that a man must make this triall in his conscience The Definition of conscience the causes why conscience was by God left in vs The way how to keepe a good conscience In what things we must chiefly examine our consciences how to trie our peace with God and loue with our neighbours of mans first miserie and recouerie and so how faith is wrought in the heart how it is nourished in vs. SERM. II. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of Preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth how a sincere faith is knowne that he who for Christ can renounce himselfe cannot be disappointed of his expectation That faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith That because it is ioyned with doubting it must be nourished That faith and doubting may lodge in one soule That a faith mingled and maistered with much doubting is yet a true faith That faith smothered yet is not extinguished A sure rest in the most dangerous tentations The definition of loue what our loue vnto God and our neighbour is SERM. III. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacraments in generall Sheweth the definition and diuerse acceptions of the word Sacrament what the signes in the Sacrament are why they are called signes what the thing signified in the Sacrament is The necessitie of the application thereof How the signe and the thing signified are ioyned together The Illustration of this Coniunction what considerations are needefull when the Signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued The other part of a Sacrament which is the word To what vses the Sacrament serueth vs more then the word Faults which peruert the Sacrament c. SERM. IIII. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Sheweth the diuerse Names both in the Scriptures and by the Ancients giuen vnto this Sacrament of the Lords Supper The ends why this Sacrament was instituted The things both outward and inward contained in this Sacrament That the things signified in both Sacraments are one but the signes are not one why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two What power and perpetuity the bread hath to be a signe How the Signes the thing signified are conioyned in the Sacrament How the Signe and the thing signified is receiued What inconueniences are cast in by the Papists against this spirituall receiuing of Christ in the Sacrament How the soule is said to eate the body and drink the blood of Christ. Faith is that which coupleth vs to Christ. A similitude explaining the same SERM. V. Out of the 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lord Supper Sheweth our vnion with Christ by vertue of communion of the same Spirit The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrament is called a seale Why a holy seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the Couenant Why the Sacrament should be administred publikely Why this seale must be ministred according to Christs institution That the word and element must concurre in the institution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in a Sacrament what the Papists vnderstand by the word in this action and our differences from them How the outward Elements are sanctified How the Papists sanctifie these Elements The refutatiō of Transubstantiatiō by diuerse arguments The reasons why the Papists cannot thinke Christs body present in the Sacrament vnlesse it be really and substantially present The
Diuers opinions concerning the presence of Christs body in the Sacrament How a thing is said to be absent and present How the body of Christ is present Our difference with the Papists to whom the words ought to be directed c. SERM. VI. Out of Isaiah 38. Intreating of Hezechiahs Sickenesse v. 1.2.3 Sheweth that the greatest are not exempt from great and sore trials That Hezechiahs disease was though not in the greatest extremity that which we by an emphasis call the Sickenesse Why God thus visiteth his children The time when the King fell into this disease What is our duty in the like case of distresse from the Prophets plaine dealing with the King That the Prophet as appeareth was not too rigorous in his denuntiation in adding affliction vpon affliction to the King The Kings excellent behauiour in this Sicknesse His gesture in the same expressing the signes of a good conscience His recourse in extremitie to the same great power which now did smite him seeme to be his enemy our lesson from thence SERM. VII On Isa. 38.4.5.6 Intreating of Hezechiahs Sicknesse sheweth The speedy issue and hearing of the Kings prayer our lessons from thence It is a mercy to be visited at home as this King was The author of the Kings comfort was God vsing the meanes of his minister and word Why mention is made of Dauid in this comfort the King receiued Why Dauid is called the Kings Father Our lessons from this preface That the Lord is neare the prayers of his children That as this King receiued more then he asked from God so for the most part do all the Saints SERM. VIII On Isaiah 38.7.8.9.10.11 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth why the King sought a signe how some refuse signes How the signe was shewed Why the Signe was wrought in the Diall Why in the bodie of the Sunne What profit is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer The Kings thankfulnesse for the benefit receiued A short summe of the Kings life Our lesson from thence The Kings song shewing first when he was troubled The diuersitie of the feare of death in the godly and wicked The way to eschue the feare of death The reasons why death seemes now so grieuous to the King A censure of these his reasons SERM. IX Out of Isaiah 38.12.13.14 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth the similitudes whereby the King amplified his present lamentation Why the Patriarks conuersed in tents Our vses thence The extremitie of the Kings disease Why God suffereth his children to fall into such extremities Our lessons thence By what meanes the King in this extremitie seeketh vnto God Why the King sought the prorogation of his dayes In what respect it is lawfull to seeke the prolonging of our dayes That faith and doubting may remaine in one soule If Christ in his agonie had contrarie voyces no maruell this King had also How this King teacheth vs to pray in extremitie SERM. X. On Isaiah 38.15.16 Intreating of Hezechiahs sicknesse Sheweth the Kings thankefulnesse in three things That a good conscience giueth thankes for euery thing receiued How the King expresseth the greatnesse of the mercy receiued What effects this mercy did breede in him How the sweetnesse of this mercy did make him burst forth in praise of the word How a man shall know if the Spirit of life be begun in him How the Spirit is saiâ— to be nourished in vs and how banished c. SERM. XI On Isaiah 38.16 to the end of the chapter Intreating of Hezechias sicknesse Sheweth how from the other effects of the word the King continueth to extoll the same The time when this King did thus fall sicke The manner of the Kings deliuery That sin is the onelie thing punished in the wicked and purged in the godly That remission of sinnes cureth all diseases That when God forgiueth sinnes he also forgetteth them That God onely forgiueth sinnes The cause and reasons why God did forgiue this King his sinnes Doctrine from thence why the Lord worketh by meanes and secondary causes SERM. XII Out of Psalme 76 From 1. to the 8. ver Intreating of the great deliuery in 88. from the Spanish tyranny Sheweth the purpose of the Prophet in this Psalme what is meant by the name of God That the true knowledge and praises of God accompany each other The profite which cometh to vs by thankesgiuing That it is a mercy to haue God neare vs and to dwell with vs. The place of this ouerthrow What that is which driueth God from any place How this victory was obtained How the Lord is said to rebuke Gods former dealing with his Church To what end the Lord appointeth enemies vnto his Church How of Gods great mercyes followeth admiration SERM. XIII On Psalme 76.8.9.10.11.12 Intreating of the former subiect Sheweth that God onely did this great worke The effects that this great work brought forth One lesson from thence The time of this great iudgment The times of Gods sitting and rising To what end God commonly riseth An obiection of the Church preuented Exhortation to thankefulnesse That we should vpon extraordinary mercyes chiefly stirre vp our selues to the same SERM. XIIII On Psalme 40. preached in a publike fast enioyned by authority The parts of this Psalme In the 1. part from Dauids experience diuerse obseruations How Hope differeth from Faith The life of hope Hope and mourning may stand together How to obtaine patience in trouble How to know when God heareth our prayer though he grant not instantly our sute How constant mourning in trouble vnto God argueth certaine deliuerance Why the Lord delayeth to helpe his seruants The end why our prayers are heard Two sorts of abusing the grace of God SERM. XV. Out of 2. Tim. 2.22 preached at the publike Repentance of the Earle Bothwell in the Church of Edinborough Sheweth the summe and meaning of the words what these things be which all yong men should flie What is meant by the lusts of youth Whence the restraint of sinne doth come By what meanes the Lord restraineth sinne in vs. What things yong men should seeke after The definition and sorts of Repentance In what respects wordly sorrow is called a blind terror What godly sorrow is A caution to be obserued in Repentance What the greatest sinne a a man can commit is The effects of godly sorrow The manner of Repentance Why some parts of Repentance haue the name of Mortification and Viuification That in the worke of Repentance the diuell stayeth nothing more then our sincere confession of Sinnes A caution to beware of Presumption That there be two sortes of Repentance c. SERM. XVI Out of 2. Tim. 2.13 In way of an Exhortation to a Prouinciall Assembly Sheweth at whose hands the Pastor ought chiefly to seeke approbation How to obtaine true approbation The weight of ministeriall function The groundworke of the ministery Whereupon it consisteth What it is to rule in the
a knowledge of God in his word and a knowledge of God by his holy Spirit working in our hearts our consciences will then go further and excuse or accuse vs according to the light that is in the word So that the conscience is not acquired or obtained at what time we are enlightened by the working of the holy Spirit hearing of the word of God but our conscience is borne with vs is naturall to vs and is left in the soule of euery man and woman and as there are some sparks of light left in nature so there is a conscience left in it and if there were no more that same light that is left in thy nature shall be enough to condemne thee So the conscience is not gotten or begun at the hearing of the word or at that time when we begin to reforme our selues by the assistance reneâ—ing of the holy Spirit but euery man by nature hath a conscience the Lord hath left it in our nature and except that this conscience be reformed according to the word of God that same naturall conscience shall be enough to condemne thee eternally therefore I say flowing from a knowledge of the minde Last of all I say accompanied with a certaine motion of the heart and we expresse this motion in feare or ioy trembling or reioycing In very great feare if the deede be exceeding heynous and the stroke of the conscience be very heauie then the conscience neuer taketh rest for guiltinesse will euer dread But if the deede be honest godly and commendable it maketh a glad heart and maketh the heart euen to burst out into ioy So to be short in this matter for I purpose not to make a common place of iâ— ye see that in euery conscience there must be two things First there must be a knowledge and next there must be a feeling whereby according to thy knowledge thou appliest vnto thine owne heart the deed done by thee So that as the word it selfe testifieth it ariseth of two parts of knowledge according whereunto it is called science and of feeling according whereunto the Con is added and it is called Conscience Then the word conscience signifieth knowledge with application This conscience the Lord hath appointed to serue in the soule of man for many vses to wit he hath appointed euery one of your consciences to be a keeper a wayter on a carefull attender vpon euery action done by you So that that action cannot be so secretly so quietly nor so closely conueyed but will thou nill thou thy conscience shall beare a testimonie of it thy consciencâ— shall be a faithfull obseruer of it and one day shall be a faithfull recorder of that action So the Lord hath appointed thy conscience to this office that it attends and waits vpon thee in all thy actions Likewise the Lord hath appointed thy conscience and placed it in thy soule to be an accuser of thee so that when thou dost any euill deed thou hast a domesticall accuser within thine owne soule to finde fault with it He hath also placed it in thy soule to be a true and stedfast witnesse against thee yea the testimonie of the conscience resembles not only a testimonie or witnesse but the conscience is as good as tenne thousand witnesses The conscience also is left in the soule to do the part of a Iudge against thee to giue out sentence against thee and to condemne thee and so it doth for our particular iudgement must go before the generall and vniuersall iudgement of the Lord at that great day And what more He hath left thy conscience within thee to put thine owne sentence in execution against thy selfe This is terrible he hath left it within thee to be a very to torture and tormentor to thy selfe and so to put thine owne sentence in execution vpon thy selfe Is not this a matter more then wonderfull that one and the selfe same conscience shall serue to so many vses in a soule as to be a continuall obseruer and marker of thy actions an accuser ten thousand witnesses a Iudge a Sergeant and Tormentor to execute thine owne sentence against thy selfe So that the Lord needeth not to seeke a Sergeant out of thine owne soule to arrest thee for thou shall haue all these within thy selfe to make a plaine declaration against thy selfe Take heede to this for there is neuer a word of this shall fall to the ground but either ye shall find it to your comfort or to your euerlasting woe And this secret and particular iudgement that euery one of you carries about you abideth so sure and so fast within you that do what ye can if ye would imploy your whole trauaile to blot it out thou shalt neuer get it scraped out of thy soule If ye were as malicious and were become as wicked as euer any incarnate diuell was vpon the earth yet shall ye neuer get this conscience altogether extinguished out of thy soule but will thou nill thou there shall as much remaine of it as shall make thee inexcusable in the great day of the generall iudgement I grant thou maist blot out all knowledge out of thy minde and make thy selfe become euen as a blind man I grant also that thou maist harden thy heart so that thou wilt blot out all feeling out of it so that thy conscience will not accuse thee nor find fault with thee but thou shalt haue a delight in doing euill without remorse but I deny that any degree of wickednesse in the earth shall bring thee to this point that thou maist do euill without feare but still the more that thou doest euill and the longer thou continuest in euill doing thy feare shall be the greatâ—r you in despite of the diuell and in despite of the malice of the heart of man thy feare shall remaine And though they would both conspire together they shall not be able to banish that feare but that gnawing of the conscience shall euer remaine to testifie that there is a day of iudgâ—ment I grant also that there shall be a vicissitude and that feare shall not alwaies remaine but shall be sometimes turned into securitie neither shall that securitie alwâ—ies abide but shall be turned againe into feare so that it is not possible to get this feare wholly extinct but the greatâ—r the securitie is the greater shall thy feare be when thou art wakened Thirdly I grant that this feare shall not be blind for from that time a man by euill doing hath banished knowledge out of the mind and feeling out of the heart what can remaine there but a blind feare When men haue put out all light and left nothing in their nature but darknesse there can nothing remaine but a blind feare So I grant that the feare is blinde for neither know they fâ—om whence that feare cometh what progresse it hath wherunto it tendeth where nor when it shall end therefore they that are this way misled
euerlasting But alas we are come to such a lothing disdaine or reiecting of heauenlie foode in this Country that where men in the beginning would haue gone some twentie miles some fortie miles to the hearing of this word they will scarcelie now come from their houses to the Church and remaine there but one houre to heare the word but rather abide at home Wel I say too much wealth withdrawes their hearts the abundance of this word ingenders such a loathsomnes that it is a rare thing to find out any that haue that thirst desire to heare the word as they were wont to haue in the beginning And for those that are in higher places they wil here it seldom or not at all for they cannot endure to heare the thing that accuseth them and conuicts them and therefore they auoyde it But they should not do so they should not shunne Christ nor abstaine from his word that accuseth them but they should heare the word and as the word accuseth them they should accuse themselues also that thereby they may come to a confessiō of their sin obtaine mercy for the same So when Christ accuseth thee thou shouldst not run from him but thou shouldest draw neere to him thou shouldest threaten kindnesse of him and as it were make a breach and forcible entry into his kingdome It is not the way when thy sinnes touch thee and when Christ accuseth thee to run from him no thou shouldest then turne to him thou shouldest confesse thy sinne cry Peccaui and seeke mercy and after that thou hast obtained mercy this word shall become as pleasant to thee thou shalt take as great delight to come to the hearing of it as euer thou delightedst to flie from it before But alas our lothsomnesse and disdaine is growne to such an height that truly I am moued to beleeue firmly that the Lord hath concluded that we shall not enter into his rest and that onely for the great contempt of his mercy and grace which is now so richly offred For why God can not deale otherwise with vs then he dealt with our forefathers the Israelites for the negligence of his word which was but then obscurely preached for then it was farre from the incarnation of Christ and the farther that it was from his incarnation the word was euer the more obscurely preached vnder darke types and shadowes Yet notwithstanding the Fathers that heard that word preached and beleeued it not they perished all in the Wildernesse except two as ye haue sometime heard out of this place And if they perished for the contempt of so darke a light much more must ye that are their children perish for the contempt of the Sun of righteousnes who is risen so plainly shineth so cleerly now in the preaching of the Gospel except the Lord in his mercie preuent you and except ye preuent his iudgements by earnest seeking and except ye seeke a feeling and seeke inward senses that ye may see and feele the grace that is offered craue againe that he will sanctifie your hearts by repentance that ye may repent you of your sins leade an honest a godly conuersation in all time to come that both body and soule may be saued in the great day of the Lord. The Lord worke this in your soules that ye may seeke mercie seeking mercie ye may obtaine mercy and in mercie ye may lay hold on Christ and that for his righteous merits To whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE PREPARATION TO THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.2 Let euery man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. IN the doctrine of our triall and due examination the Apostle as ye haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus gaue vs a speciall command that euery one of vs should try and examine narrowly our selues that is that euery man should condescend and enter into his owne conscience try and examine the estate of his own conscience in what estate he findes it with God and in what estate he findes it with his neighbour He enioynes this triall to our selues and commandeth that euery one of vs should take paines about the true examination of our consciences He enioynes this work to vs why Because no man knoweth so much of me as I do my selfe because no man can be sure of the estate of my conscience but I my selfe because no man can so diligently nor so profitably try my conscience as I my selfe Therefore chiefly it behooueth euery man and woman before they do enter in to the hearing of the Word before they giue their eare to the Word or their mouth to the Sacrament it behooueth them to trie and examine their owne consciences Not that the Apostle would seclude the triall of other men for as it is lawfull for me to try my selfe so no doubt it is lawfull for my Pastor to try me It is lawfull for other men that haue a care ouer me to try and examine me but no man can do this so profitably to me as I my selfe And though we had neuer so many tryers and examiners all is nothing if we trie not our selues So whether there be a second or a third tryer and examiner let our selues be one and the first And no doubt the Apostles minde was this to let vs see clearely that he that cometh to that Table and hath not that knowledge nor is not of that ability to try him-selfe is a profane commer cometh vncleanely and therefore must needs come to his owne destruction Let euery man therefore grow in knowledge grow in vnderstanding grow in the spirit that he may be the more able to try and examine his owne conscience To the end that ye may go forward and proceede in the worke of this triall with the better speed and with the better fruites in this examination we laid downe this order First of all I shewed what that is which we call a conscience and what is meant thereby Next I declared for what causes ye should put your consciences to this triall and narrow examination And thirdly so farre as time suffered I entred into the points wherein euery one of you should try and examine your owne consciences As for conscience that ye may call that definition to your memory I will resume it shortly We call a conscience a certaine feeling in the heart resembling the righteous iudgement of GOD following vpon a deed done by vs flowing from a knowledge in the mind A feeling accompanied with a motion in the heart a motion either of feare or ioy trembling or reioycing I leaue the opening vp of these parts to your memories and I pray God that they may be well sanctified I come next to the causes wherefore euery one of you should be carefull in trying examining your owne consciences The first cause is
despaire And though Dauid cry I cannot away with this consuming fire I cannot endure the fire of the Lords iealousie yet he despaireth not But the Lord casteth his seruants very low To what end To the end that they may feele in their hearts and consciences what Christ suffered for them on the Crosse in soule and body Yea we would thinke that there had bene plaine collusion betwixt the Father and the Sonne and that his suffering had bene no suffering except we felt in our soules in some measure the hell which he sustained in fullmeasure So to the end that we might clearely vnderstand the bitternesse of sinne that we might know how farre we are indebted to Christ who suffered such torments for our sinnes and that we may be the more able to thanke him to praise his holy Name he suffers his owne seruants to doubt but not to despaire he forgiues their doubtings he forgiues their stammerings and in his owne time he supports them and brings vs vnto the waters of life These doubtings as I haue often said may lodge in one soule with faith for doubting and faith are not directly opposite onely faith and despaire are opposite and therefore faith and despaire cannot lodge both in one soule For despaire ouerthroweth the pillars of hope and where there is no hope there can be no faith But as for doubting it may lodge it will lodge and hath lodged in the soules of the best seruants that euer God had Marke the speech of the Apostle We are alwaies in doubt saith he but we despaire not So doubting and faith may lodge both in one soule And from whence floweth this doubting We know that in the regenerate man there is a remnant of corruption for we haue not our heauen in this earth though we begin our heauen here yet we get it not fully here And if all corruption were taken away what should there want of a full heauen here So it is onely begun in this life and not perfected therefore there remaines in the soule a great corruption which is neuer idle but continually occupied This corruption is euer bringing forth the birth of sinne more or lesse euery sinne hurts the conscience a hurt conscience impaireth the perswasion so comes in the doubting For there is not a sinne that we commit but it banisheth light and casteth a mist ouer the eye of our faith whereby we doubt and stagger in our sight and were it not that the Lord in his mercie taketh vs vp giueth vs the gift of repentance and maketh vs euery day as oft as we sin to crie as oft for mercie and so to repaire the losse that we haue of faith to repaire the losse that we haue of the feeling of mercie we would wholly put out that same light But it pleaseth the Lord though we be euery day sinning to giue vs the gift of repentance and by repentance to repaire our faith to repaire the sense and feeling of mercie in vs and to put vs in that same state of perswasion wherein we were before Therefore if God begin not continue not end not with mercie in that very moment that he absâ—racts his mercie from vs we will decay So we must be diligent in calling for mercie we must be instant continually in seeking to haue a feeling of mercie Thus much for thâ— doubting Now howsoeuer it be sure and certaine that the faith of the best children of God is often subiect to doubting yet it is as sure and certaine that it is neuer wholly extinct albeit it were neuer so weake yet it shall neuer vtterly decay and perish out of the heart wherein it once maketh residence This comfort and consolation the Spirit of God hath set downe in his word to support the troubled heart That howsoeuer faiâ—h be weake yet a weake faith is faith and where that faith is there will euer be mercie Ye haue in Romanes 11.29 that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance But among all the gifts that are of this sort faith is one of the chiefest therefore it cannot be reuoked againe Ye haue in Iude 3. That faith was once giuen vnto the Saints Once giuen that is constantly giuen neuer to be changed nor vtterly taken from them The Lord will not repent him of this gift but the soule which he hath loued once he will loue perpetually It is true and certaine that the sparkles of faith which are kindled in the heart by the Spirit of God may be obscured and smothered for a long time they may be couered with the ashes of our owne corruption and with our owne ill deeds and wickednesse into which we daily fall It is true that the effects of a liuely faith will be interrupted and that thy lusts and affections will preuaile for a long time so that when thou lookest on thy selfe vpon the iudgements of God that hang ouer thy soule and bodie when thou lookest vpon thy dissolute life and on the anger of God against this dissolute life in the mind in the heart and conscience of him that hath so smothered and oppressed his faith it will oft times come to passe in his owne iudgement hauing his eyes fixed on himselfe onely that he will thinke himselfe to be a reprobate to be an outcast and neuer able to recouer mercie Where this corruption bursteth forth in this grosse manner after that the Lord hath called thee looke how soone the Lord beginneth to waken thee againe incontinent thou fixest thine eyâ—s vpon thine owne life and entrest into a deepe consideration as well of the weight of thy sinne as of the weight of the wrath of God which thou seest following thereupon and art loath to remit these cogitations to thinke vpon the deepenesse of the mercie of God Resting on these considerations it cannot but come to passe that in thine owne iudgement thou art an out-cast And yet God forbid it were so for though these sparks of the Spirit be couered by the corruption that is within thy soule yet these sparkles are not wholly put out And to let you see that they are not extinguished though they breake not forth in the outward effects that the world may know thee to be a faithfull man as heretofore yet these sparkles are not idle thou shalt find them not to be idle in thee As for confirmation of my argument that howsoeuer our bodies are let loose to all dissolution after our effectuall calling within vs in our soules that yet the sparkles are not idle ye see that though the fire be couered with the ashes yet it is a fire there is no man will say that the fire is put out though it be couered No more is faith put out of the soule though it be so couered that it neither giue heate nor light outwardly An example of this we haue clearely in the Prophet Dauid after his lamentation in that Psalme of Repentance Psal. 51.11 he prayeth
The reason wherefore I call them signes is this I call them not signes by that reason that men commonly call them signes because they signifie onely as the Brâ—â—d signifies the bodie of Christ the Wine signifies the bloud of Christ I call them not signes because they represent onely but I call them signes because they haue the body bloud of Christ conioyned with them Yea so truly is the bodie of Christ conioyned with that Bread and the bloud of Christ conioyned with that Wine that as soone as thou receiuest that Bread in thy mouth if thou be a faithfull man or woman so soone receiuest thou the bodie of Christ in thy soule and that by faith and as soone as thou receiuest that Wine in thy mouth so soone thou receiuest the bloud of Christ in thy soule and that by faith In respect of this exhibition chiefely that they are instruments to deliuer and exhibite the things that they signifie and not in respect onely of their representation are they called signes For if they did nothing but represent or signifie a thing absent then any picture or dead Image should be a Sacrament for there is no picture as the picture of the King but at the sight of the picture the King will come in your minde and it will signifie vnto you that that is the Kings picture So if the signe of the Sacrament did no further all pictures should be Sacraments but in respect that the Sacrament exhibites and deliuers the thing that it signifieth to the soule and heart so soone as the signe is deliuered to the mouth for this cause especially it is called a signe There is no picture of the King that will deliuer the King vnto you there is no other image that will exhibite the thing whereof it is the image therefore there is no image can be a Sacrament Then in respect the Lord hath appointed the Sacraments as hands to deliuer and exhibite the thing signified for this deliuery and exhibition chiefly they are called signes As the word of the Gospell is a mightie and potent instrument to our euerlasting saluation so the Sacrament is a potent instrument appointed by God to deliuer vs to Christ Iesus to our euerlasting saluation For this spirituall meate is dressed and giuen vp to vs in spirituall dishes that is in the ministerie of the word and in the ministerie of the Sacraments And suppose this ministerie be externall yet the Lord is said to deliuer spirituall and heauenly things by these external things Why Because he hath appointed them as instruments whereby he will deliuer his owne Sonne vnto vs. For this is certaine that none hath power to deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs except God and his holy Spirit and therefore to speake properly there is none can deliuer Christ but God by his owne Spirit he is deliuered by the ministerie of the holy Spirit it is the holy Spirit that seales him vp in our hearts confirmes vs more and more in him as the Apostle giueth him this stile 2. Cor. 1.22 To speake properly there is none hath power to deliuer Christ but God the Father or himselfe There is none hath power to deliuer the Mediator but his owne Spirit yet it hath pleased God to vse some instruments and meanes whereby he will deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs. The meanes are these the ministerie of the word and the ministerie of the Sacraments and in respect he vseth these as meanes to deliuer Christ they are said to deliuer him But here ye haue to distinguish betweene the principall efficient deliuerer the instrumentall efficient which is the word SacrameÌ„ts keeping this distinction both these are true God by his word God by his Spirit deliuereth Christ Iesus vnto you Then I say I call theÌ„ signes because God hath made theÌ„ potent instruments to deliuer the same thing which they signifie Now I go to the thing signified and I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament that which Irenaeus that old Writer calleth the heauenly and spirituall thing to wit whole Christ with his whole gifts benefites and graces applied and giuen to my soule Then I call not the thing signified by the signes of Bread and Wine the benefits of Christ the graces of Christ or the vertue that floweth out of Christ onely but I call the thing signified together with the benefits and vertues flowing from him the very substance of Christ himselfe from which this vertue doth flow The substance with the vertues gifts and graces that flow from the substance is the thing signified here As for the vertue and graces that flow from Christ it is not possible that thou canst be partaker of the vertue that floweth from his substance except thou be first partaker of the substance it selfe For how is it possible that I can be partaker of the iuyce that floweth out of any substance except I be partaker of the substance it selfe first Is it possible that my stomach can be refreshed with that meate the substance whereof neuer came into my mouth Is it possible my drought can be slackned with that drinke that neuer passed downe my throat Is it possible that I can sucke any vertue out of any thing except I get the substance first So it is impossible that I can get the iuyce and vertue that floweth out of Christ except I get the substance that is himselfe first So I call not the thing signified the grace and vertue that floweth from Christ onely nor Christ himselfe and his substance without his vertue and graces onely but ioyntly the substance with the graces whole Christ God and man without separation of his natures wiâ—hout distinguishing of his substance from his graces I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament for why if no more be signified by the Bread but the flesh and bodie of Christ onely and no more be signified by the Wine but the bloud of Christ onely thou canst not say that the body of Christ is Christ it is but a part of Christ thou canst not say that the blood of Christ is whole Christ it is but a part of him and a peece of thy Sauiour saued thee not a part of thy Sauiour wrought not the worke of thy saluation and so suppose thou get a peece of him in the Sacrament that part will do thee no good To the end therefore that this Sacrament may nourish thee to life euerlasting thou must get in it thy whole Sauiour whole Christ God and man with his whole graces and benefites without separation of his substance from his graces or of the one nature from the other And how get I him Not by my mouth It is a vaine thing to thinke that we will get God by our mouth but we get him by faith As he is a Spirit so I eate him by faith and beliefe in my soule not by the teeth of my mouth that is a vaine thing Be it that
supper a supper appointed for the increase of holinesse for the foode of the soule in holinesse to feede the soule vnto life euerlasting Not a supper appointed for the bellie for he had ended that supper that was appointed for the bellie or euer he began this Supper which was appointed for the soule A supper no doubt hauing respect to the circumstance of time by reason it was instituted in that very same time when they vsed to sup It is called also in the Bible The Table of the Lord. It is not called the Altar of the Lord but the Apostle calleth it a Table to sit at and not an Altar to stand at a Table to take and receiue at and not an Altar to offer at It is called also the Communion and participation of the bodie and bloud of Christ we haue these names giuen vnto it besides some others in the Scriptures of God The Ancients of the Latine and of the Greeke Churches gaue it sundrie names for sundry respects They called it a publike action this was a very generall name Sometimes they called it a thanksgiuing Sometimes they called it a banquet of loue and sometimes they gaue it one name sometimes another And at last in the declining estate of the Latin Church in the falling estate of the Romane Church this Sacrament began to be peruerted and with this decay there came in a peruerse name and they called it the Masse They trouble themselues much concerning the deriuation of this name sometime they seeke it from an Hebrew originall sometime from a Greeke and sometime from a Latine originall but it is plaine that the word is deriued from the Latine and it is a word which might haue bene tollerable when it was first instituted for no doubt the Sacrament at the first institution of this word was not then wholly peruerted but now in processe of time corruption hath preuailed so farre that it hath turned the Sacrament into a sacrifice and where we should take from the hand of God in Christ they make vs to giue This is plaine idolatrie and therefore whereas the word was tollerable before now it ought not to be tollerated any way it ought not to be suffered And certainly if we had eaten and drunke as oft the bodie and bloud of Christ in our soules as we haue eaten that bread and drunke that wine which are the signes of his bodie and bloud we would not haue suffered this word of the Masse much lesse the very action of it to be so rise in this Countrey But because we haue but played the counterfeits defrauded our soules of the bodie and bloud of Christ and tooke only the outward Sacrament therefore it is that our zeale decayeth therefore it is that our knowledge and light decayeth and for want of zeale loue and knowledge the word of the Masse is become customable vnto you not onely the word but the very action I will not runne out herein I onely tell you what cometh of the abuse of the hearing of the word what iudgements follow vpon the abuse of the receiuing of the Sacraments Now I come to the ends wherefore the Sacrament was appointed This Sacrament was instituted in the signes of Bread and Wine and was appointed chiefely for this end to represent our spirituall nouriture the full and perfect nouriture of our soules that as he who hath Bread Wine lacketh nothing for the full nourishment of his bodie so he or that soule which hath the participation of the bodie and bloud of Christ wanteth nothing for the full and perfect nourishment of the soule To represent this full and perfect nourishment the signes of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament were set downe and instituted The second end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted is this That we might testifie to the world and to the Princes of the world who are enemies to our profession that we might openly avow and testifie vnto them our Religion and our manner of worshipping in the which we avow and worship Christ and that we might also testifie our loue towards his members our brethren this is the second end wherefore it was instituted The third end wherefore it was instituted is this to serue for our speciall comfort and consolation to serue as a soueraigne medicine for all our spirituall diseases as we find our selues either readie to fall or prouoked to fall by the diuell the flesh or the world or after that we haue fallen and are put to flight by the diuell and would faine flie away from God God of his mercie and of his infinite pitie and bottomles compassion hath set vp this Sacrament as a signe on an high hill whereby it may be seene on euery side farre and neere to call all them againe that haue runne shamefully away and he clucks to them as a Henne doth to her chickens to gather them vnder the wings of his infinite mercie The fourth end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted is this that in this action we might thanke him for his benefits and render to him heartie thanks that he hath come downe so familiarly to vs bowed the heauens as it were and giuen vs the bodie and bloud of his owne Sonne that we might render vnto him heartie thanks and so sanctifie his benefits vnto vs for this thanksgiuing this Sacrament was also instituted Thus far concerning the ends briefely Now I come to the things contained in this Sacrament Ye see with your eyes there are corporall things visible things as the Bread and Wine There are againe hid from the eye of your bodie but present to the eye of your mind spirituall things heauenly and inward things both these are in the Sacrament The corporall visible and outward things are the things which are appointed to signifie the spirituall heauenly and inward things And why Nothing without a reason These corporall signes are appointed to signifie the spirituall things because we are corporall we are earthly bodies we haue our soule lodging within a carnall body in a tabernacle of clay a grosse tabernacle which cannot be wakened nor moued except by the things that are like to it selfe It cannot be induced to the consideration of heauenly things except by grosse temporall and corporall things If we had bene of the nature of the thing signified that as the thing signified is spirituall and heauenly so we had beene spirituall heauenly we had not needed a corporal thing so if the thing signified had bene as we are corporall earthly visible we had not needed a signe to leade vs to consider of it But because the thing signified is spirituall we are corporal therfore to bring vs vnto the sight of these spirituall things he vseth a corporall meanes an outward signe This is the reason wherfore these corporall signes are appointed to signifie the spirituall thing The spirituall thing in both the Sacraments is one and the selfe same Christ Iesus
that hath Bread onely and Wine onely hath not a perfect corporall nourishment therefore that they might represent and let vs see a perfect nourishment he hath giuen vs both Bread and Wine for the perfect corporall nourishment standeth in meate and drinke to represent the full and perfect nourishment of the soule Marke how full and perfect a nourishment he hath to his body that hath store of Bread and Wine so he that hath Christ lacketh nothing of a full and perfect nourishment for his soule Then you see the reason wherefore there are two signes appointed in this Sacrament and onely one signe in Baptisme There remaineth yet concerning these signes two thing to be enquired First what power hath that Bread in this Sacrament to be a signe more then the bread which is vsed in common houses from whence cometh that power Next if it haue a power how long endureth and remaineth that power with the bread For the first concerning the power which that bread hath more then any other bread I will tell you That Bread hath a power giuen vnto it by Christ by his institution by the which institution it is appointed to signifie his bodie to represent his body and to deliuer his bodie That Bread hath a power flowing from Christ and his institution which other common bread hath not so that if any of you would aske when the Minister in this action is breaking or distributing that Bread pouring out and distributing that Wine if you would I say aske what sort of creatures those are this is the answer They are holy things Ye must giue this name to the signes and seales of the body and bloud of Christ. That Bread of the Sacrament is a holy Bread and that Wine is an holy Wine Why Because the blessed institution of Christ hath seuered them from that vse whereunto they serued before and hath applyed them vnto an holy vse not to feede the bodie but to feede the soule Thus farre concerning the power of that Bread it hath a power flowing from Christ and his institution Now the second thing is how long this power continueth with that Bread how long that Bread hath this office In a word I say this power continueth with that Bread during the time of the action during the seruice of the Table Looke how long that action continueth and that the seruice of the Table lasteth so long it continueth holy Bread so long continueth the power with that Bread but looke how soone the action is ended so soone endeth the holinesse of it looke how soone the seruice of the Table is ended so soone that Bread becomes common bread againe and the holinesse of it ceasseth Then this power continueth not for euer but it continueth onely during the time of the action seruice of the Table Thus far concerning the Elements There is besides the Elements another sort of signes in the Sacrament there is not a ceremonie in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but is a signe and hath it owne spirituall signification with it as namely looking to the breaking of that Bread it representeth vnto thee the breaking of the bodie and bloud of Christ. Not that his bodie and bones were broken but that it was broken with dolour with anguish and distresse of heart with the weight of the indignation and furie of God that he sustained for our sinnes which he tooke vpon him Then the breaking is an essentiall ceremonie the pouring out of the wine also is an essentiall ceremonie For as ye see clearely that by the Wine is signified the bloud of Christ so by the pouring out of the Wine is signified that his bloud was seuered from his flesh and the seuering of those two maketh death for in bloud is the life and consequently it testifieth his death The pouring out of the Wine then telleth thee that he died for thee that his bloud was shed for thee so this is an essentiall ceremonie which must not be left out Likewise the distribution giuing and eating are essentiall ceremonies And what doth the eating testifie vnto thee The applying of the bodie bloud of Christ vnto thy soule So that there is none of these rites but haue their owne signification and there cannot one of them be left out but ye shall peruert the whole action Thus far concerning the signes Now what profit can ye make of all this discourse Learne this lesson and ye shall make profite by these things In respect that euery signe and ceremonie hath it owne spirituall signification so that there is not a ceremonie in this whole action that wanteth it owne spirituall signification consider this and thinke with your selues at that time especially when ye are at the Lords Table and in the sight of that action that looke what thou seest the Minister doing outwardly what euer it be Is he breaking that Bread is he dealing that Bread Thinke assuredly with thy selfe that Christ is as busie doing all these things spiritually vnto thy soule he is as busie giuing vnto thee his owne bodie with his owne hand he is as busie giuing to thee his owne bloud with the vertue and efficacie of it So in this action if thou be a faithfull Communicant looke what the mouth doth and how the mouth of the bodie is occupied outwardly so is the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith occupied inwardly As the mouth taketh that Bread and that Wine so the mouth of thy soule taketh the body and bloud of Christ and that by faith For by faith and a constant perswasion is the onely way to eate the bodie and drinke the bloud of Christ inwardly and doing this there cannot but follow a fruitfull eating Thus far for the consideration of the signes Now cometh in the matter wherein greatest difficultie standeth whereof I spake the last day as God gaue me the grace yet in the particular I must speake as well as in the generall but somewhat more shortly Then ye haue to vnderstand for the better information of your consciences for the better preparation of your soules ye haue to vnderstand how that Bread and that Wine which are signes are coupled with the body and bloud of Christ which are signified thereby What sort of coniunction is this and from whence this coniunction floweth I shall be briefe because I haue already in my last Lecture spoken of it at large Take heede for if ye giue not good attention it is not possible that ye can conceiue this coniunction Concerning this coniunction would you know how these two are coupled Then must you first marke the nature of the signes and the nature of the thing signified ye must obserue both their natures And why Because nothing can be coupled nor conioyned with other but so far as the nature of it will suffer if the nature of it will not suffer a coniunction they cannot be conioyned Or will the nature of it
mouth of the soule that is by a true faith Then bring not to the Lords Table one mouth onely for if ye bring the mouth of your body onely it auaileth nothing but bring with you also the mouth of your soule a constant perswasion in the death of Christ for that is auaileable Now concerning the manner how the signes are receiued and the manner how the thing signified is receiued ye may easily know that these corporall and naturall signes must be receiued after a corporall and naturall manner they must be taken with the hand or mouth of the body Againe a supernaturall thing must be receiued after a supernaturall maner And a spirituall thing must be receiued after a spirituall manner So as the signes are corporall and receiued after a corporall manner with the hand or the mouth of the body in like mannner the thing signified is spirituall and receiued after a spirituall manner with the hand and mouth of the soule which is true faith Thus ye haue briefly deliuered vnto you the whole preparation that is necessary for the vnderstanding of the Sacrament Now what doctrine gather I from this Of this last point where I say that Christ is the thing signified caÌ„not be perceiued but by faith cannot be receiued nor digested but by a faithfull soule what kinde of receiuing confirme I in this Sacrament I establish no kinde of receiuing of Christ but a spirituall receiuing he can not be perceiued nor receiued but by faith and faith is spirituall Therefore in this Sacrament I establish onely a spirituall taking of Christ and not a carnall or fleshly receiuing This is the ground Now let vs see what inconuenience can follow vppon this ground The Papists say that vpon this ground this inconuenience shall follow If there be no receiuing of Christ but a spirituall receiuing then say they your Sacrament is in vaine this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to no end And what is their reason If there be no way to receiue Christ say the Papists but by faith what neede you then a Sacrament Ye receiue Christ by faith in the word by the naked and simple preaching of the word ye get faith So the simple word may serue the turne What neede haue ye of a Sacrament if ye get not some new thing in the Sacrament which ye could not get in the word This is their argument whereof ye see their conclusion to be this We get no other new thing in the Sacrament then we do in the word if there be no receiuing but spirituall Ergo The Sacrament is superfluous We admit the Antecedent to be true we get no other thing nor no new thing in the Sacrament but the same thing which we got in the word I would haue thee deuise and imagine with thy selfe what new thing thou wouldst haue let the heart of man deuise imagine and wish he durst neuer haue thought to haue such a thing as the Sonne of God he durst neuer haue presumed to haue pierced the clowdes to haue ascended so high as to haue craued the Sonne of God in his flesh to be the food of his soule Hauing the Sonne of God thou hast him who is the heire of all things who is King of heauen and earth and in him thou hast all things What more then canst thou wish What better thing canst thou wish He is equall with the Father one in substance with the Father true God and true man what more canst thou wish Then I say we get no other thing in the Sacrament then we had in the word content thee with this But suppose it be so yet the Sacrament is not superfluous But wouldest thou vnderstand what new thing thou obtainest what other thing thou gettest I will tell thee Suppose thou get that same thing which thou hadst in the word yet thou gettest that same thing better What is that better Thou obtainest a greater and surer hold of that same thing in the Sacrament then thou hadst by the hearing of â—he word That same thing which thou possessedst by the hearing of the word thou doest possesse now more largely it hath larger bounds in thy soule by the receiuing of the Sacrament then otherwise it could haue by the hearing of the word onely Then wilt thou aske what new thing we get I say we get this new thing we get Christ better then â—â—fore we get the thing which we had more fully that is with a surer apprehension then we had it before we get â— greater hold of Christ now For by the Sacrament my faith is nourished the bounds of my soule are enlarged and so whereas I had but a little hold of Christ before as it were betweene my finger and my thumbe now I get him in my whole hand and still the more that my faith groweth the better hold I get of Christ Iesus So the Sacrament is very necessary and if it were no more but to get Christ better to get a faster apprehension of him by the Sacrament then we could haue before Now if it were true that the Sacrament is superfluous by the same reason it should follow also that the repetition of the Sacrament is superfluous For when ye come to the Sacrament the second time ye get no other thing then ye did the first time when ye come vnto the Sacrament the third time ye get no other thing then ye did the first time and yet no man will say that the third and the second comming is a superfluous thing And why Because by the second coming my faith is augmented I vnderstand better I grow in knowledge I grow in apprehension I grow in feeling and in getting the growth of all these as oft as I come there is no man will say that the oft coming to the Sacrament is superfluous and if it were euery day once So their first inconuenience auaileth not We get no new thing in the Sacrament Ergo the Sacrament is superfluous Thus far for the first Then there depends another thing on the same ground If Christ be not receiued but by faith then say we no wicked bodie can receiue him he that lacketh faith cannot receiue him He that lacketh faith may receiue that Sacrament of that Bread and Wine and may eate of that Bread and drinke of that Wine but he that wanteth faith may not eate and drinke of the body and bloud of Christ signified by that Bread and by that Wine So this is the ground No faithlesse people can receiue Christ nor eate the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament Against this ground they bring their Argument out of the same words of the Apostle which I haue read the worâ—â— are these He that eateth of this Bread vnworthily saith the Apostle and drinketh of this Cup vnworworthily is guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ. There is their ground So that their Argument will suffer this forme No man can be
He changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts and minds be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change we are called new creatures and except you be found new creatures ye are not in Christ. Now to come to the point This secret coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy Spirit by faith we lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though we be as farre distant as heauen and earth are the Spirit serueth vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the Spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word What maketh you to haue any right or title to Christ Nothing but the Spirit nothing but faith What should be your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to get faith that as Peter Acts 15.9 saith your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your minds your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and bringeth a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy heart and consent of thy will to do that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith auaileth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and minds and doing so ye do the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that he would nourish your soules inwardly with the bodie and bloud of Christ That he would increase faith in your hearts and minds and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortalitie Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Ancients of the Latine and East Churches we heard the chiefe ends wherefore and whereunto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted we heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued we heard also some obiections that might be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine we heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted we heard how the faithfull soule is said to eate Christs body and drinke Christs bloud We heard the manner how Christ is or can be receiued of vs. And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot be perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way and apprehension Neither the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can be perceiued but by the eye of faith can be receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of faith Now faith is a spirituall thing for faith is the gift of God powred downe into the hearts and minds of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mighty working and operation of the holy Spirit So the onely way to lay hold on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature being spirituall it followeth therefore that there is no way to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but a spirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures familiarly by all these termes describe the nature and efficacy of faith We are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drinke his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefly in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passion of Christ the bloud that he shed vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse the commandement which he gaue Do this in remembrance of me I say we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually First in this point in recording and remembring faithfully how he died for vs how his bloud was shed vpon the crosse This is the first point a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mighty power of the holy Spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euery one of you beleeue firmely that he died for me in particular That his bloud was shed on the crosse for a ful remission and redemption of me and my sins The chiefe and principall point of the eating of Christ his flesh drinking of his bloud standeth in beleeuing firmly that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that bloud of his was shed for the remission of my sinnes and except euery soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and be perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule can not eate the flesh nor drinke the bloud of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloud of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme belief and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular There were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I will not insist to repeate them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kinde of spirituall receiuing by faith they say If Christ his flesh nor his bloud be not perceiued nor receiued but by the Spirit by faith in the Spirit then say they ye receiue him but by an imagination if he be not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the Spirit and by faith then is he not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to thinke so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetenesse of hony but they that haue tasted of it so there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it
and tasted in their hearts what it is And if they had tasted and felt in their soules what faith brings with it alas they would not call that spirirituall Iewell and onely â—ewell of the soule an imagination They call it an imagination and the Apostle describing it Heb. 11.1 calleth it a substance and substantiall ground Marke how well these two agree An imagination and a substantiall ground They call it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the braine and fantasie of man He calleth it an euidence and demonstration in the same definition See how directly contrary the Apostle and they are in the nature of faith Vpon this they infer that as it is true in generall he can not be deliuered nor giuen but that same way that he is receiued and looke what way any thing is receiued the same way it is giuen and deliuered So as they say he being receiued by way of imagination he is also in their fantasie giuen and deliuered by way of imagination For if he be not giuen say they to thy hand to thy mouth nor to thy stomack corporally he cannot be giuen but by an imagination and fantasticall opinion The reason that moueth them to thinke that Christ cannot be theirs nor giuen to them truly in effect and really except he be giuen carnally is this That thing which is so far absent and distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be giuen vs nor to be ours But by our owne confession say they to vs Christ his body is as farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth Therefore Christ his body nor his flesh cannot be giuen vnto vs except by way of imagination and so not truly nor in effect This argument framed in this sort would at the first sight seeme to be of some force But let vs examine the proposition of it The proposition is this That thing which is so farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be deliuered to vs to be giuen to vs or any wayes to be ours Now whether is this proposition true or false I say this proposition is vntrue and the contrarie most true A thing may be giuen to vs and may become ours though the thing in person it selfe be as farre distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth And how proue I this What maketh any thing to be ours What maketh any of you esteeme a thing to be giuen vnto you Is it not a title Is it not a iust right to that thing If ye haue a iust right giuen vnto you by him who hath power to giue it and a sure title confirmed to you by him who hath the power though the thing that he giueth vnto you be not deliuered into your hands yet by the right and title which he granteth to you is not the thing yours There is no doubt of it for it is not the neernes of the thing to my body to my hand that maketh the thing mine for it may be in mine hand and yet not belong to me Neyther is it the distance nor absence of the thing that makes it not to be mine but it may be farre absent from me and yet be mine becaue the title is mine and because I haue gotten a right to it from him who hath the power to giue it So then this ground is true It is a sure title and a iust right that maketh a thing though it be far distant from vs to be ours But so it is that a liuelie and true faith in the bloud and death of Christ maketh vs to haue a sure title and a good right to the flesh and bloud of Christ and to his merites looke what he merited by his death shedding of his bloud vpon the crosse all that together with himselfe also appertaineth to me and that by a title and a right which I haue gotten to him of God which is faith And the surer that my title is the more sure am I of the thing that is giuen me by the title Now this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to confirme our title to seale vp our right which we haue to the bodie and bloud to the death and passion of Christ and so the bodie of Christ is said to be giuen to vs the bloud of Christ is said to be deliuered to vs when our title which we haue of him of his death of his bodie and bloud is confirmed in our harts For this Sacrament is instituted for the growth and increase of our faith for the increase of our holinesse and sanctification which faith the greater that it is in our hearts the more sure are we that Christ his death appertaineth to vs. I grant as I haue said that the flesh of Christ is not deliuered into my hndes his flesh is not put into my mouth nor entreth into my stomacke Yet God forbid that thou shouldst say He is not truly giuen although Christs flesh be not put into thy hand nor mouth of thy body and wherfore should it Hath he not appointed bread wine for the nourishment of the bodie may not that content you Are they not sufficieÌ„t to nourish you to this earthly temporall life Hath he not appointed Christ to be deliuered to the inward mouth of thy soule to be giuen into the hand of thy soule that thy soule may seede on him and be quickned with that life wherewith the Angels liue wherewith the Sonne of God and God himselfe liue So the flesh of Christ is not appointed to nourish thy bodie but to nourish thy soule in the hope yea in the growth of that immortall life and therefore I say though the flesh of Christ be not deliuered into the hand of thy body yet it is deliuered to that part that it should nourish the soule is that part that it should nourish therefore to the soule it is deliuered Yea that Bread and that Wine are no more really deliuered to the bodie and to the hand of the bodie then the flesh of Christ is deliuered to the soule and to the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith therefore craue no more a carnall deliuerie nor thinke not vpon a carnall receiuing Thou must not thinke that either God giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie or that thou by the mouth of thy bodie receiuest the flesh of Christ For ye must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of God our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ nor the flesh of Christ cannot be ioyned with our soules but by a spirituall band Not by a carnall band of bloud and alliance not by the touching of his flesh with our flesh but he is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band that is by the power and vertue of his holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 That by the meanes of his holy Spirit all we who are faithfull men
worketh that same operation in my soule which the carnall head doth in my bodie therefore he is called a spirituall head therefore he is called the head of his Church because he furnisheth her with spirituall motion and senses which is the life of the Church So to be short there is nothing in this coniunction carnall there is nothing grosse in it there is nothing that may be compassed by our naturall iudgement and vnderstanding And therefore whosoeuer would attaine to any small in-sight of this spirituall coniunction betweene Christ and vs of necessitie he must humble himselfe earnestly pray for the Spirit otherwise it is not possible to get any vnderstanding no not the least apprehension how the flesh of Christ and we are conioyned except we haue some light giuen vs by the Spirit that is except our hearts be wakened by the mighty working of the Spirit of Christ this shall remaine as a dead closed letter vnto vs. So ye are to craue that the Lord in his mercie would waken you illuminate your vnderstandings and make you to haue a spirituall light to discerne of these spirituall things Next ye must studie and be carefull to remoue all vaine cogitations earthly fantasies when ye come to heare so high a matter ye must cast off all filthie thoughts ill motions and care of the world and ye must shake off all things that clog your hearts Thirdly ye must come with a purpose to heare the word to giue diligent eare to the word with a sanctified heart to receiue it with a purpose to grow and increase in holinesse as well in bodie as in soule all the daies of your life And coming with this purpose no question the holie Spirit shall reueale those things to you which ye want And though this word passe and bring no commoditie for the present yet the holie Spirit hereafter shall reueale to thee the truth of that which thou hast now heard This then is the end of all Be present in your hearts and minds and let your soules be emptied of all the cares of the world that they may receiue that comfort which is offered in the hearing of the word Now I come to the defining of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I call this Sacrament An holy Seale annexed to the couenant of grace and mercie in Christ. A seale to be ministred publikely alwaies according to the holy institution of Christ Iesus that by the lawful ministery thereof the Sacramentall vnion betweene the signes and the thing signified may stand and this vnion standing Christ Iesuâ— who is the thing signified is as truly deliuered to the increase of our spirituall nourishment as the signes are giuen and deliuered to the body for our temporall nourishment Now let vs examine the words and parts of this definition First of all I call this Sacrament a Seale because this Sacrament serueth to the same vse to our soules that a common seale doth to a common Euidence As the seale which is annexed to the Euidence confirmes seales vp the truth contained in the Euidence so this Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ confirmeth and sealeth vp the truth of mercy and grace contained in the couenant of mercy and grace for this respect it is called a seale It is called An holy Seale Why Because it is taken from profane vse whereunto that bread serued before and that bread is applyed to an holy vse There is a power giuen to that bread to signifie the precious body of Christ Iesus to represent the nourishing and feeding of our soules And in respect it serueth now in the Sacrament to so holy an vse therfore I call it an holy seale This is not my word it is the Apostles Rom. 4.11 where he giueth the Sacrament the same name and calleth it a seale And further if the wisedome of Christ in his Apostle had bene followed and if men had not inuented new names of their owne for this Sacrament but had contented satisfied themselues with the names which God hath giuen by his Apostle that Christ himselfe hath giuen to this Sacrament I am assured none of these controuersies and debates which neuer will ceasse had fallen out but where men will go about to be wiser then God and go beyond God in deuising names which he neuer gaue vpon mens owne inuention such debates haue fallen out A lesson by the way that no flesh presume to be wiser then God but let them stoupe keepe the names which God hath giuen to this Sacrament Thirdly I say annexed to the Couenant annexed and hung to the Charter because it cannot be called a seale properly except it be hung to an Euidence What it is by nature the same it remaineth and no more if it be not annexed to some Euidence it is onely the hanging of it to the Euidence that maketh men account it a seale not being esteemed except it be hanged to the Euidence Euen so it is here if this Sacrament be not ministred and ioyned to the preached word to the preaching of the couenant of mercy and grace it cannot be a seale but what it is by nature it is no more As by nature it is but a common peece of bread so it is no more if it be not annexed to the preaching of the word and ministred therewith as Christ hath commanded Therfore I say the seale must be annexed and hanged to the Euidence to the preaching of the word for the confirming of the Euidence otherwise it is not a seale But it is not so with the Euidence which is the word of God for ye know any Euidence will make faith though it want a seale and it will serue to make a right if it be subscribed without a seale but the seale without the Euidence auaileth nothing Euen so it is with the word of God though the Sacraments be not annexed to the word yet the word will serue the turne it serueth vs to get Christ it serueth to ingender and beget faith in vs and maketh vs to grow vp in faith But the seale without the word can serue vs to no holy vse therefore I say the seale must be annexed to the word preached to the couenant of mercy and grace Now it followeth in the definition that this seale must be ministred publikely Wherefore say I publikly To exclude all priuate administration of this Sacrament For if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately it is not a Sacrament Why Because the Apostle calleth this Sacrament a Communion therefore if ye administer it priuately ye lose the Sacrament For this Sacrament is a Communion of the body and bloud of Christ therefore of necessity it must be by way of communication and so the action must be publikely ministred Secondly this Sacrament must be publikely ministred because Christ Iesus who is the thing signified in this Sacrament is no such thing as pertaineth to one man
whether God Angell or man Secondly whosoeuer he be that maketh them holy by what meanes and way he maketh them holy And by the consideration of these two we shall come to the consideration and right viewing of the sanctification of the Elements For the First we say that God is onely he that may make a thing which was common to be holy So we say that God by his will and ordinance declared and set downe in his word hath made the things that were common by his appoyntment to be holy As for the way and meanes whereby they are made holy it is the word of God the institution of Christ the wil of Christ declared in his institution that maketh them holy For the preaching and opening of the word institution of Christ le ts vs see that God hath made these things holy and not onely that he hath made them holy but letteth vs see an holy manner how they should be vsed in what place at what time with what heart and to what end So it is the will Christ declared in his institution whereby the things that were common before are now made holy There are two other things also which make the same elements holy and these two are vsed in this institution There is prayer and thanksgiuing which make the creatures of God holy to our vse whereas otherwise if we receiue the good creatures of God like dogs and thanke him not for them it is a sure token that they were neuer sanctified to our vse By prayer we obtaine grace and strength from God to vse the creatures and this whole action holily and lawfully as it should be And therefore not onely in this holy action should we begin with God with inuocation of his name but in all actions in the world we begin in the name of God So it is the will of God that prayer and thansgiuing conioyned with the elements do make them holy All these three contained in the action of the Lords Supper make the Seales holy For beside the will of God declared in the institution in the Lords Supper we vse inuocation and in this inuocation we vse thankesgiuing The elements are not made holy by the word of God onely but by the vse of prayer and thankesgiuing which three are the onely meanes whereby these things are sanctified Now to expresse and lay forth the sanctification of the Elements The Euangelists and the Apostle Paul vse indifferently the word To blesse and to giue thankes and commonly they put the one for the other For ye may see that Marke and Paule vse the word Blesse Mathew and Luke vse the word to giue thankes and all in one signification And Marke himselfe in the 14. of his Gospell 22. verse speaking of the same action of the Lords Supper vseth the the word to Blesse and in the 23. verse he vseth the word â—o Giue thankes and both in one signification to let you see that the Apostle Christ himselfe and the Euangelists vse the word to Blesse and to Giue thankes indifferently to signifie the sanctification and consecration of the elements Except ye take the one for the other it will be hard to gather any good meaning out of the Apostles wordes for I remember the Apostle 1. Corinthians 10.16 sayth The cup of blessing which we blesse what is that I take the word to signifie as I haue said which we blesse that is which we sanctifie and prepare by blessing So to blesse and to giue thankes in the Lords Supper signifie no other thing but to sanctifie otherwise if ye take the word in another signification ye shall fall into an error and why God is said to blesse and man is said to blesse God is said to blesse when he giueth good things vnto his creatures for Gods blessing is euer effectuall and therefore he is said to blesse when he giueth good thing Man againe is said to blesse either priuately or publikely when he craueth blessing at the hands of God for any man when he blesseth in the name and at the commandement of God any person or people Now if ye ascribe blessing in any of these two significations to the cuppe it is amisse for we vse neyther to craue a blessing to insensible elements nor yet to blesse them in the name of God and God vseth to giue good things to the sonnes of men and not to insensible creatures Therefore we must needes vse the word Blesse in the third signification The cuppe of blessing which we blesse that is which we sanctifie and prepare by blessing Thus farre we vnderstand for the sanctification of the elements Now let vs see how they sanctifie the elements and what is the forme of their consecration so farre as I vnderstand of it it consisteth in these fiue words Hoc est enim corpus meum It standeth in these fiue words and in the whispering of them for if you whisper them not ye lose the fashion of incantation for the thing which we call sanctifying they call whispering and the whispering of those fiue words they call the consecration of the elements And when the words are after this manner whispered they presuppose such a secret and monstrous vertue to be inclosed in the syllables that the vertue and power which floweth from the words is able to chase away wholly the substance of the bread so that the very bread and substance of it is altogether destroyed by this power Secondly that this power which floweth from these words is able to fetch and pull downe another substance to wit the flesh and bloud of Christ Iesus that sitteth at the right hand of his Father and is able to put it within the compasse of that bread This is a strange and a great vertue that not onely will ouerthrow that substance but put it within the compasse of that bread The same fiue words whispered in this manner haue such a monstrous operation say they that they are able both to chase away the one substance to pull downe another and to put it within the compasse of that bread We altogether denie that there is such a vertue in these words for as I haue said before we denie not that the word hath a vertue but denie that there is such a vertue inclosed in the words we denie the qualitie of the vertue or that it floweth from such a fountaine For we grant that the word hath a vertue there is neuer a word that God speaketh here but it hath a vertue ioyned with it but we denie that this vertue is inclosed in the syllables in the whispering or pronouncing of the words for if there were such a vertue and power inclosed in the syllables by the same reason it should follow that there were a vertue in the figure shape of the letters that make vp the words Now there is no man will thinke that there is any vertue in the figure or shape of the letters and there is as
nature that it may be clothed with a more glorious apparell as with incorruption power glorie spiritualitiâ— and immortalitie We see then that this glorification imports a change indeed but I beleeue no man will be so mad as to thinke this change to be made in the substance for if that were so the old substance behoued to decay and a new should arise but we heare no such thing in this discription And as little is the change made in the quantitie for we find no word either of augmentation or diminution of any substance which behoued to be if it were in the quantitie The most that we can perceiue this mutation consisteth in the qualities by the which the bodie casteth off the old coate of infirmitie and is clothed a new with the coate of glorie for Christ after he did arise he both went and came was seene and touched Of the things before deduced it cleaâ—ely followeth That in respect the glorie of the bodie of Christ hath wrought nothing in his nature and substance and consequently in his naturall dimensions neither yet in any other essentiall propertie that therefore the glorification of his bodie freeth it not from the rules of Nature For so long as that nature of a true bodie remaineth there are no supernaturall gifts whereby it may be glorified were they neuer so high so far as they may be gathered out of the Scriptures that may hurt either the nature or the naturall propertie of it For there is no gift nor qualitie that may hurt nature but that gift that is against nature But the supernaturall gift is neither vnnaturall neither yet against nature therefore it cannot hurt nor impaire nature And my reason is this Those gifts that decore and beautifie nature they cannot hurt nor impaire nature But all supernaturall gifts beautifie and decore nature Therefore they cannot take away either nature or yet the naturall propertie They leaue vs not so but out of this doctrine of Paule concerning the glorification of the bodie they draw an obiection to presse vs withall Paul granteth that a glorified bodie is a spirituall bodie but a spirituall bodie is an inuisible body Therefore a glorified bodie is inuisible and by consequence the bodie of Christ is inuisible Though â—he argument be not formall yet to be short I denie theiâ— assumption for if there were no more but that word bodâ—e that word might be an argument that the spirituall bodie is not inuisible But yet to open the matter more clearely according to the meaning of Saint Paul in that place Saint Paul in a word as it were in the 44. verse of that Chapter sheweth the change that shall be in the qualities of the bodie by the resurrection For he saith that our naturall bodies shall become spirituall bodies and then in the next verse immediatly following he expoundeth these two qualities for in the 45. verse That is called a naturall body saith he which is maintained and quickned by a liuing soule onely such as Adams was And againe that is said to be a spirituall bodie which together besides the soule is quickned with a farre more excellent vertue to wit with the Spirit of God which descendeth from Christ the second Adam vnto vs. Then according vnto this ground I answer with Augustine ad Constantium As the naturall bodie is not a soule but a bodie euen so the spirituall bodie is not said to be a soule but a bodie And by consequent it is not inuisible For the further explaining of this head I will giue them onely one knot to loose so end this point Then I reason If therefore Christs body is naturally and really in the Lords Supper because that it is glorified It followeth consequâ—ntly that when it was not glorified it could not be really present But it was not glorified when this supper was first instituted Therefore it was not really present in the bread at Christs first Supper If his bodie was not really present in the bread at the first Supper it cannot be naturally present now For whatsoeuer they vse now in the administration of their Supper or of their Masse call it as you will according to their owne confession they vse it according to the ordinance forme and manner that Christ Iesus himselfe vsed in his first Supper For they say plainly in their disputation at Poyssie and in all the rest of their works That Christ Iesus first of all obserued that forme which they vse in their Masse and left it to his Apostles and to their successours that they should do the like And so by their owne words they haue intangled themselues and crucified their Masse what can they answere to this They will not stand dumbe I am sure for maintenance of their religion they must say some thing Thus they say That though the body of Christ which was locally present with the rest of his disciples was not glorified yet the body which he exhibited in the bread was glorified They might as wel haue held their peace and say nothing For marke the words of the text as they are written Luke 22.19 where it is said And he tooke the bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue to them saying This is my body which is giuen for you and Saint Paul 1. Cor. 11.24 hath these words Take eate this is my body which is broken for you This relatiue which is relatiue to the body which was exhibited in the bread for according to their owne confession those words are pronounced vpon the bread and directed vnto it But that same body was giuen and broken vnto vs that is to say crucified and broken with anguish and dolors Then I reason after this sort To be crucified and broken with anguish and dolors can no wayes agree and accord with a glorified bodie But the body that Christ exhibited in the bread is said of the Euangelists to be crucified and broken for vs Ergo that body was not glorified Now last of all they are not yet content but say Christ can make the bread his body and therefore his body is really present That Christ can make the bread his body we grant for Christ being God can do whatsoeuer he wil onely let them shew That Christ will make of reall bread his reall flesh and then this controuersie will end Christ indeede makes the bread his body not really but sacramentally For Christ hath not a bodie made of bread his bodie was made once of the pure substance of his blessed Mother Another body then this or oftner made then once hath he â—one wherefore all doctrine that teacheth Christs body to be made of bread is impious and hereticall The Papists doctrine of reall presence teacheth that Christs body in the Sacrament is made of bread by changing the bread into his body through consecration wherefore we may bodly and truly conclude That their doctrine of reall presence is both wicked and hereticall Now to conclude this head
I beseech them seeing that reason failes them that they fight not against God for maintenance of a lie how old soeuer it be for the diuell is old enough and yet he could neuer change his nature But let them rather glorifie God in confessing these speeches to be Sacramentall Then what is the reason and ground wherefore the Papists pull downe the substance of the body of Christ and the bloud of Christ and make the very substance to be corporally really and substantially in the Sacrament The reason is this Because they cannot see by their naturall iudgement nor can vnderstand by their naturall wit the truth of this to wit how Christs flesh and bloud caâ— be present in the Sacrament except he be present to their corporall mouth and stomacke If they had the light to informe them that Christ might be present in the Sacrament and not to the hand to the mouth or stomack they would neuer think of such a monstrous presence as they imagine to be there But being destitute of the spirituall light they follow their naturall reason and make a naturall and carnall presence So that ye haue this lesson to nore from hence There is no man that hath not the spirit of God to vnderstand this word This is my body but out of question he will do as the Papists do that is he will vmderstand it carnally And so they misknowing the right meaning of it it is no marueile though and we differ in this matter For will you aske of a Papist first if the true body of Christ be there or if the true flesh and bloud of Christ be there he will say it is there will you aske him wherein he will say in and vnder the accidents of the bread and wine vnder the hew and roundnesse of the bread will you aske him againe by what instrument it is receiued He will tell you by the mouth and stomacke of the body So this is their grosse vnderstanding of the body and bloud of Christ. Will you aske of the Vbiqueter if the true body of Christ be present he will say it is will you aske if it be in with or vnder the bread he will answere It is in the bread contentiuè that is the bread containes it will you aske him to what instrument it is offered he will answere that the bodie of Christ is offered to the mouth of our bodie and that the bloud of Christ is offered to the mouth of our body as the Papists do Will you know of vs how Christ Iesus his true body bloud is present We wil say that they are spiritually present really present that is present in the Lords Supper and not in the bread we will not say that his true flesh is present to the hand or to the mouth of our bodies but we say it is spiritually present that is present vnto thy spirit and faythfull soule yea euen as present inwardly vnto thy soule as the bread and wine are present vnto thy body outwardly Will you aske then if the body and bloud of Christ Iesus be present in the Lords Supper We answer in a word They are present but not in the bread and wine nor in the accidents nor substance of bread and wine And we make Christ to be present in this Sacrament because he is present to my soule to my spirit fayth Also we make him present in the Lords Supper because I haue him in his promise This is my body which promise is present to my faith and the nature of faith is to make things that are absent in themselues yet present And therefore seâ—ing he is both present by faith in his promise and present by the vertue of his holy Spirit who can say but that he is present in this Sacrament But yet the word would be explained what we meane by the word present how a thing is said to be present and absent And knowing this ye shall finde all the mater easie I say things are said to be present as they are perceiued by any outward or inward sense and as they are perceiued by any of the senses so are they present and the further they be perceiued the further present and by what sense any thing is perceiued to that sense it is present As if it be outwardly perceiued by an outward sense that thing is outwardly present As for exaÌ„ple if it be perceiued by the outward sight of the eye by the outward hearing of the eare by the outward feeling of the hands or taste of the mouth it is outwardly present Or if any thing be perceiued by the inward eye by the inward taste and feeling of the soule this thing cannot be outwardly present but it must be spiritually and inwardly present to the soule So I say euery thing is present as it is perceiued So that if you perceiue not a thing outwardlie it is outwardly absent and if ye perceiue not a thing inwardly it is inwardly absent It is not distance of place that maketh a thing absent nor propinquity of place that makes a thing present but it is onelie the perceiuing of any thing by any of thy senses that makes a thing present and the not perceiuing that makes a thing absent I say though the thing it selfe were neuer so farre distant if thou perceiue it by thine outward sense it is present vnto thee As for example my bodie and the Sunne are as farre distant in place as the heauen is from the earth yet this distance stayeth not the Sunnes presence from me why because I perceiue the Sunne by mine eye and other senses I feele it and perceiue it by the heate by the light and by his brightnesse So if a thing were neuer so farre distant if we haue senses to perceiue the same it is present to vs. Then the distance of place makes not a thing absent from thee if thou hast senses to perceiue it likewise the neerenes of place makes not a thing present be it neuer so neere if thou hast not senses to perceiue it As for example if the Sunne shine vpon thine eyes if thou be blinde it is not present to thee because thou canst not perceiue it A sweete tune will neuer be present to a deafe eare though it be sung in the eare of that man because he hath not a sense to perceiue it and a well told tale will neuer be present to a foole because he cannot vnderstand it nor hath no iudgement to perceiue it So it is not the nearenesse nor distance of place that maketh any thing present or absent but onely the perceiuing or not perceiuing of it Now the word being made cleare aske you how the bodie of Christ is present To giue our iudgement in a word as ye haue heard from time to time he is present not to the outward senses but to the inward senses which is faith wrought in the soule For this action of the Sacrament and
of the Lords Supper is partly corporall and partly spiritual I call this action partly corporall not in respect onely that the obiects that is that bread and wine are corporall but also in respect my mouth whereunto these things are offered the instrument whereby and the manner how these things are receiued are all corporall and naturall I â—all the same action againe partly spirituall not onely in respect of Christ Iesus who is the heauenly and spirituall thing of the Sacrament but also in respect of my soule wherunto Christ is offered and giuen in respect the instrument whereby and the manner how he is receiued are all spirituall for I get not Christ corporally but spiritually So in these respects I call this action partly corporall and partly spirituall Now confound not these two sorts of actions the corporall and naturall signes with the spirituall thing signified thereby againe confound not the mouth of the body with the mouth of the soule Thirdly confound not the outward manner of receiuing by the hand of the bodie with the spirituall manner of receiuing by the hand of the soule And so it shall be exceeding cleare to see that each thing shall be present to the owne instrument that is the bodie of Christ which is the spirituall thing signified shall be present to the spirituall mouth and hand and the bread and wine which are the corporall signes are present to the corporall mouth and hand Then how is any obiect present A corporall obiect is corporally present and an inward obiect is inwardly present Of what nature is the thing signified It is of an heauenly natuâ—e Then aske you how he is present He iâ— spiritually and heauenly present to the soule and the mouth of the soule which is faith For it were a preposterous thing to make the thing signified present to thy bellie or to the mouth or eye of thy bodie for if that were so it should not be spiritually present because euery thing is present as it agreeth in it owne nature Is it a bodily thing it is bodily present and if it bâ— a heauenly thing it is spiritually present So I thinke no man can doubt how the bodie of Christ is present he is not â—arnally present but spiritually present to my soule and to faith in my soule Thus far concerning the manner of his presence Now the last part of our difference is this we haue to consider to whom the words ought to be directed and pronounced For we and the Papists differ in this last point we say that the words ought to be directed and pronounced vnto the people to the faithfull communicants They on the contrary say that the words ought not to be directed nor pronounced to the people but to the elements and not to be clearely pronounced but whispered on the elements So that if they be spoken to the people or spoken openly their charme auaileth not Now I say that as this holy action is peruerted by them in all the rest so they peruert it in this point also in speaking that to the dumbe elements which they should speake to the people of God For I shall proue it clearely by three arguments taken out of the Scriptures that the words ought not to be spoken to the bread but to the people of God And first I say the promises of mercie and grace ought to be directed and pronounced to them in whom the Lord performeth them and maketh them effectuall But so it is that the promises of mercie and grace are performed and made effectuall not in bread and wine but in faithfull men and women Therefore these promises should be directed to faithfull men and women Now here is the promise of mercie and graces This is my bodie which is broken for you and this promise is made to no other thing but to the faithfull and so to them onely it ought to be directed Secondly we haue to consider that this Sacrament seales vp a couenant of grace and mercie Now with whom will God make his couenant of mercie and grace will he make a couenant with a peece of bread or any dumbe element There is no man will enter into couenant with his seruant much lesse wil enter inter couenaÌ„t with a dumbe element So in respect this Sacrament seales vp a couenant this couenant of necessity must be made with a faithfull soule and in no wise with the dumbe element and therefore these words cannot be directed to the elements Thirdly looke to the end wherefore this Sacrament was appointed Is it not to leade vs to Christ Is it not to nourish my faith in Christ Is it not to nourish me in a constant perswasion of the Lords mercy in Christ Was this Sacrament appointed to make the elements Gods No for if ye marke Gods purpose in this institution ye shal find that Christ hath not ordained this institution to nobilitate the elements to fauour respect the elements which were Bread and Wine yesterday to be Gods to day We on the contrary say plainly that the institution of Christ respecteth not the elements to alter their nature Indeed it is appointed to alter vs to change vs and to make vs more and more spirituall and to sanctifie the elements to our vse But the speciall end is this to make vs holy and more and more â—o grow vp in a sure faith in Christ not to alter the elements nor to make them gods And therefore by all these three Arguments it is euident that the words ought nor to be directed to the elements but to the people and faithfull communicants Now to come to an end There is one thing without the which we cannot profit let vs discourse neuer so long vpon the right vnderstanding of the Sacrament Ye see now how all that is spoken concerning the Sacrament is grounded and dependeth vpon faith Let a man haue faith be it neuer so little he shall get some hold of Christ and some insight in the vnderstanding of this Sacrament but wanting faith though a man endeuour himselfe to make the Sacraments neuer so sensible it is not possible that he can get any hold of Christ or any insight of him For without faith we cannot be Christians we can neither get a sight of God nor feele God in Christ without faith Faith is the onely thing that translateth our soules out of that death and damnation wherein we were conceiued and borne and planteth life in vs. So the whole studie and endeuour of a Christian should tend to this To craue that the Lord in his mercie would illuminate his mind with the eye of faith and that he would kindle in his heart a loue of faith and worke in his heart a thirst and desire of the obiect of faith and more and more to thirst and hunger for the foode of faith that nourisheth vs to life eternall Without this faith how-soeuer the naturall man vnderstanding naturally would flatter himselfe surely there
is no blessednesse but all his life is more then terrible miserie For whatsoeuer it be that flatters and pleaseth thee now be it a thought or motion of the mind or an action of the bodie that pleaseth thee now without faith the same very motion cogitation or action shall torment thee hereafter So without faith it is not possible to please God and whatsoeuer pleaseth not God is done to torment thee Therefore craue mercie for whatsoeuer motion cogitation or action wherein thou hast offended God or for the same God shall offend and torment thee And to eschue the offence of God there is no meanes but by true faith therefore the studie of a Christian should be to grow in faith Now by hearing of the word thou gettest faith and by receiuing this Sacrament thou obtainest the increase of faith and hauing faith the receiuing of the Sacrament shall be fruitfull but without faith thou eatest thine owne condemnation Then the whole studie of a Christian is to get faith and this faith cannot be obtained with idlenesse but by earnest prayer therefore let euery one of vs fall downe and craue earnestly this faith and the increase of it whereby we may be worthie receiuers of this blessed Sacrament and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE SIXTH SERMON VPON THE 38. CHAP. OF the Prophecie of ISAIAH preached in the presence of the Kings Maiestie ISAIAH 38. 1 About that time was Hezekiah sicke vnto the death and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos came vnto him and said vnto him Thus saith the Lord Put thine house in an order for thou shalt die and not liue 2 And Hezekiah turned his face vnto the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3 And said I beseech thee Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore IN these words which I haue presently read welbeloued in Christ Iesus the heauie disease whereinto this godly King fell is at length described and the manner of his behauiour vnder this disease is well set downe It pleased the Lord to exercise this godly King with this heauie tentation amongst many moe And suppose it be true that diseases are common to all flesh yet the manner how to behaue our selues vnder diseases is not common Therefore let all flesh take heede to the seuerall parts of this historie that they may learne so to behaue themselues in the day of their miserie that taking vp this Kings behauiour they may in the end obtaine his comfort In the beginning of this Chapter the King is brought in lying vnder an heauie disease the kinde and manner of this disease is concealed although it may be gathered from the 21 verse of the Chap. and therefore I note it here Secondly the time when he fell into this disease is also noted Thirdly the greatnesse and weight of this disease is likewise noted And last of all the manner of the Kings behauiour vnder so terrible a disease is at length set downe To returne to the first The kinde of the disease as may be gathered out of that verse was a pestilentious byle for the name which is giuen to the byle is the same name which is giuen to the botch of Egypt that same name which is expressed Exod. 9.9 a matterie kinde of byle breaking out into many heads for so the nature of the word signifieth The most dangerous and deadly kinde of plague that was in the daies of that king In deed since as the world hath growne in wickednesse so it hath brought foorth more dangerous kinds of botches then before the experience whereof this Towne hath had For as man is ingenious to inuent new sinnes to prouoke God to wrath the Lord being both iust and prudent on the other part deuiseth new plagues to punish these new sinnes of men for the store-house of the Lords iudgements can neuer be emptied But surely it is a wonderfull matter that he should haue visited so godly a King with so terrible a both in respect that this plague proceedeth commonly from his hote rage and wrath For from his wrath it takes these names ofttimes as when it is called the finger of the Lord his feare by night his flying arrow by day and the deuouring plague Now I say the matter is wonderfull that he louing this King so well should so extremely haue plagued him in the sight of the whole world What should this teach vs This visitation of the King teacheth vs two necessarie lessons First it teacheth vs not to measure the fauor and hatred of God by any externall thing on the earth For if we looke to the visitation of God vpon his children if we looke to the nature of the plague and affliction either in quantitie or qualitie if we looke to the long continuance diuturnity of the plague in the iudgement of man and in the iudgement of him that is afflicted sometime it shall come to passe that he shall thinke himselfe in a worse case then any of the reprobate But howsoeuer it be so esteemed in the heart and iudgement of man yet it is farre otherwise in the iudgement of God For there lieth hid one thing in the heart of God concerning vs that are his children and an other thing concerning the Reprobate in such sort that suppose affliction be common to vs and them yet the cause from whence the affliction proceedeth is not common not the end whereunto it tendeth For as to vs our affliction sloweth from the fauour loue and mercy of God in Christ Iesus and tendeth to our great profite and commodity to wit that we being corrected here should not perish hereafter with the wicked world But as for the affliction of the reprobate it floweth from the hote wrath and indignation of God vpon them he as a righteous iudge beginning their punishment here which shall last for euer So affliction that is vnto them a part of his iustice vnto vs is a mercifull correction The Prophet Isaiah in his 27. chap. expresseth this matter so liuely that I thinke there is no part of Scripture in the which there is greater comfort In the 4. and 7. verses of that chapter he saith to the Church I am not saith he in furie I am not in rage suppose I strike thee yea suppose I beate thee saith he I strike not thee as I strike them that strike thee I slay not thee as I them that slay thee for in correcting thee I purge thee from thine iniquity in striking thee I remoue thy sins from thee but I do not so with the rest Then the first lesson that ye haue to learne here is this Measure not the fauour of God by any externall thing in the earth whether it be prosperity or aduersitie The
second thing that ye haue to learne here is this ye see Kings may haue the Plague There is no Prince in the earth exempted from the iudgement of God when he pleaseth to apply them Thus farre for the name of the disease The second thing that is noted here is the time when the King fell into this disease there is no certaine time set downe here but the time specified is relatiue to the last history It is relatiue to that time when the King of Ashur took armes against him which was the 13. yere of his reigne So it was the 14. yeare of his reigne that he fell into thâ—s disease for this godly King reigned 29. yeares 15. of them were giuen him after his disease In the 14. yeare of his reigne the warres beganne and this time is relatiue to that history so it must be in the 14. of his reigne that he fell into that disease whether the disease was after the siege or during the same the iudgement of the learned differs although in 2. Chron. 32. chap. it appeareth that he fell into this disease after the siege and time of his deliuery For we reade in that history that the King in the meane time of this siege was building vp the ruinous walles was stopping the conduites of the waters was sending messengers to Isaiah and was resorting to the Temple These were all arguments of a wholesome and well disposed King and there is no argument of infirmity here So it appeareth that it was after the siege that he fell into this disease Now take heede where my note riseth he is scarsly freed from the fearefull warres when he falleth into a terrible plague We see then that the estate of the godliest and best Princes is to be subiect to continuall tentation griefe and vexation so that the issue of one trouble is the beginning of another So it pleaseth the Lord to exercise them And to what end I pray you To the end that this life with the pleasures and glorie of it may become bitter to their taste and so they may be moued to seeke for a better And this lesson appertaineth to all Christians for if thou be a Christian thou must looke for trouble of necessity thou must take vp thy daily crosse and follow Christ. As for the fed carcasses of this world the Lord in his righteous iudgement hath appointed them for slaughter But if thou be one of them whom he hath not appointed for slaughter thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise either in soule or in body in familie or fame one way or other thou must be subiect to a continuall exercise For there is no way to pierce the clouds but by a continuall tribulation And seeing it is so it becommeth vs not to haue our hearts here gruntling vpon this earth but it becometh vs to haue our hearts hoissed and our minds lifted vp to the heauens where our Maister reigneth in glorie and to vse the things of this world as they may best further vs to the next world or otherwise terrible is the iudgement and incommoditie that the things of this world shall bring vpon vs. Thus farre concerning the time As to the greatnesse of the disease I find it noted in the verses which I haue read by sundrie things First the Prophet sheweth the greatnesse of the disease whereas he saith he was sicke euen to the death Secondly the greatnes of his disease is aggrauated while as the Prophet getteth command in the name of the Lord to assure him of death And thirdly the byle it selfe which broke out was deadly and sheweth also the weight of the disease Now in this extremitie the Prophet visiteth him and in the name of the Lord enioyneth him two things first to take order with his house next to prepare him for death and to pull his heart the more from all present things and all earthly comfort assureth him of death shortly and for his further assurance he doubleth the word saying Thou shalt die and not liue It is so hard a thing to haue the hearts of Kings pulled from their wealth and from their glorie The Prophet in visiting of the King learneth vs a point of dutie towards our diseased brethren a point wherunto we are bound by nature by charitie and by all sorts of lawes but chiefly we who haue the care of soules and represent Esay in our office at this time chiefly we are bound to visite our brethren for at such times the Diuell is most busie the bodies of men are abstracted from the hearing of the preached word and old sinnes begin to reuiue and returne to their memories and therefore at that time there is great need of comfort We are also informed here by the Prophet how to propound our comfort lest we spend our time in idle and vnprofitable talke as worldly men do To wit first of all that we bid the patient take order with his house that is make his testament and lay aside the worldly part that so his heart may be readie to go when the Lord calleth on his soule The most part of the world are so negligent in this point of dutie that there are very few that haue their heart free when the Lord knocketh but they are compelled to leaue their heart behind them where their treasure is or where they loue best and that because they set themselues here as in a permanent Citie And in their life time they will not so much as once thinke of death but dreame to themselues length of dayes and which I wonder most of there is not a man about them that will do so much as once to put them in mind of death yea not when the Lord beginneth to strike but some say it will trouble him and make him heauie others come in and say they would do it but they cannot for teares and sorrow The Doctor saith Nature is strong enough be of good comfort So that if the Pastor leaue this point of dutie there is not a friend almost that beginneth to admonish a man vntill his outward senses begin to leaue him Now as it becometh the Pastor to propound this so it becometh the Patient to obey it for this command is not giuen by man but by God For Esay giueth it in the Name of God and it is not onely giuen to Kings but it reacheth to all masters of families whosoeuer for the Lord hath willed them to haue a care of their families not onely in their life time but in their death also that by this meanes all occasion of quarrels and debates might be cut off after their death The Patriarches the godly Kings they haue left their example registred concerning this point so that I will not insist at this present further in it Now the worldly part being set aside and the conscience put at rest the soule is prepared to heare of death and so the Prophet cometh in the
must redound backe to him that gaue it Therefore the nearer the soule is conioyned with God it praiseth him so much the more Now after the death of the bodie the soules of the faithfull are more straightly coupled with God therefore after death they praise him the more Where Christ hath dwelt once in this life suppose the bodies die and be resolued in powder by reason of sinne yet the soule liueth by reason of righteousnesse Yea suppose the body be dissolued yet that Spirit of life that dwelt in the soule raiseth thy soule to heauen euen as the Spirit of life that dwelt in Christ Iesus raised his bodie from the graue And as the Spirit of life is the onely cause that made vs to praise him in our bodies so that same Spirit maketh vs to praise him out of these bodies by reason suppose we be absent in bodie yet are present in our soule with the Lord. For the words Rom. 8 are these If Christ dwell in you suppose the body be dead by reason of sinne yet the Spirit is aliue for righteousnesse sake The meaning of the words is suppose they that are departed leaue off to praise the Lord in their bodies and in the earth which he calleth the land of the liuing yet they leaue not off at all Now of this I shall marke one or two things Take vp the end wherefore the Lord deliuereth any person citie or country from any trouble within or without the chiefe end of his deliuerie is this That that person citie or countrey may serue as an instrument to preach his benefits to sound his praise and to render vnto him heartie thanks for it Are our sinnes forgiuen vs to this end is there any countrey or any citie set at libertie to this end that we should prouoke God to anger by heauier sinnes againe Is this the end wherefore he forgiueth sinnes Is this the end wherefore he bestoweth his benefits that we should vse them as weapons to fight against himselfe Is not this rather the high way to kindle him to greater seueritie and to sharpen his furie against our selues Yea and what exception I pray you can we vse in his greatest seueritie seeing we haue prouoked it our selues I speake it to this end there is not a person in particular nor any in generall but of naturall knowledge they will say There was neuer a greater benefit bestowed on a countrey then in releeuing vs of the feare of that barbarous Nation he must either confesse this or he is an asse This benefit if it were rightly measured and considered reade ouer the Scriptures conferre benefit with benefit miracle with miracle all circumstances being well considered ye shall finde that since the children of Israel came through the red Sea there hath not bene a greater To what end deliuered he vs is it that we should prouoke him with greater sinnes Looke since the feare of these strangers past what sinne is there but this countrey hath defiled her selfe with it See ye not slaughter in greater measure oppression murther without any mercie see ye not all law and equitie trampled vnder foote And briefly see ye not this confusion risen to such a height that euery Lord in his owne bounds is a King what sort of birth I pray you shall this confusion bring foorth At the last it must bring foorth one of these two of necessitie and take heeed ye may chance to see it except the Lord preuent it Either the supreme magistrate and inferiour magistrates must concurre in one voyce to put an end to this confusion or the confusion out of doubt shall put an end to him I am assured one of these two must follow for the weight of his wrath which hangeth ouer this land is insupportable the earth is not able to beare this birth of our iniquitie and if there were no other punishment as I haue often said the earth shall be compelled to spue foorth the inhabitants ere God want meanes to punish As this is true in the countrey in generall so it is as true in this Citie in particular for it neuer came yet for the most part in your hearts to thanke God aright for your deliuerie Therefore the Lord is beginning to let you see that he can raise strangers men who haue the hearts of strangers among our selues he hath meanes enough in the middest of our owne bowels to punish this countrey suppose he seeke not strangers But indeed in this late brag of our neighbour Lord he desireth you to go backe to the consideration of the greatnesse of the last benefit And if ye acknowledge it rightly and be thankfull for it there is no domesticke force ye neede to regard For as to the force that can proceede any way from that man ye know it And surely it would appeare to me that that man hath sold himselfe to iniquitie and the end will declare it except the Lord preuent him with his vndeserued grace which I desire most heartily Although in the meane time suppose there be peace promised yet stand ye on your guards and let it not come to passe by your misbehauiour and backwardnâ—sse that the glory of God and the libertie of this Citie be impaired in any wise but stand on your guardes that as this Citie hath bene a terrour to euill men before-time so it may terrifie him also For no question where God and a good quarrell concurre that side shall haue the vpper hand This onely by the way For it becometh me of my dutie to maintaine the good cause and to instruct you in this point of your dutie The second thing that I marke ye see the glorie of God is euer conioyned with the life of his owne so that we cannot aduance Gods gloâ—ie but we shall further our owne saluation and we cannot neglect the one but we shall neglect the other Seeing thâ—n that these two are necessarily conioyned for Gods sake let euery one remember to set forward the glorie of God in his life so farre as he may according to his estate and calling This life is so miserable in it selfe and there is none that seeth the confusion of this countrey to grow so fast that can looke for any redresse of these things in his own time So here beneath is no comfort all runneth on to such a desolation and miserable confusion that of all liues of the earth our liues were most miserable if we had not a sight of a better For all ioy to be looked for here beneath is taken away Well I leaue this second part and come to the last The third part of this song is in this 20. verse which is the conclusion of the whole song In this conclusion the King testifieth that he will not onely praise God for the present for the benefit which he hath receiued but he maketh a solemne promise that so long as he liueth he will neuer forget this benefit all the dayes of his life
the word haue I to do this what warrant haue I of his mouth for thus doing And finding a warrant of Gods word and of his Spirit going together thou art sure But where the conscience giueth a testimony without the warrant of the word it is a deceiuing testimony without the warrant of the word it is a deceiuing testimony Therefore conioyne these two Try narrowly in your doings if the word and the Spirit go together And if these two be ioyned they shall stand as two witnesses with thee The greatest impediment that stayeth men from the conioyning of these two in their doings is the affection they haue to their own person the affection and loue they haue to themselues hindreth this trill For we see that such is the superiority and dominion which that affection hath that it carrieth reason whither it pleaseth and it is so strong that it suffereth not the grace of God to enter into vs but moueth man to giue obedience to the wickednes of her lust of appetite and to say Ere I will want the seruice of my lust pleasure of mine appetites I wil make subiect rather the word to mine appetite then subdue my appetite to the word so to want my pleasure Iudge ye what conscience this is They make the word to serue their appetites and neuer suffer the word to mortifie their appetites And of this what cometh to passe By this kind of dealing it cometh to passe that at last they lose their conscience so that it can neither accuse nor excuse because they are cast asleepe ly in this dead sleepe till they be wakened with a terrible wakening by God the righteous iudge from heauen Take heede for this is the truth And at that wakening he shall make the terrours of these same sinnes which if they had followed counsel they might haue eschued terrribly to ouerwhelme them Now the conscience is at quietnesse and rest and holdeth thee in security But alas it is a festered security The inward heart is full of filth which filthinesse shall bring such terrours in the end with it that it shall multiply thy torments and so oppresse thee except in time thou search out the bottome of thy conscience Therefore be not deceiued as ye are come into this world to serue glorifie him so euery one in your owne rankes and callings be vpright Ye deale vprightly in you calling when ye haue the warrant of the word for the warrant of the word is not changeable it cometh not vnder alteration But once haue the warrant and haue it full So whosoeuer obtaineth the warrant of the word in this world that blessed mouth shall be a warrant to them in a greater place Then take heede to this terrible iudgement looke in time that out of time it ouertâ—ke thee not with a terrible wakening Now to come to the ninth verse In this verse he noteth the time when this great iudgement was wrought vpon the enemies and he sayth it was wrought when God arose it was not done when God sate for the whole time when he sate his enemies were spending their time in raging murder oppression blood as now ye may see the great men in this country raging who are his enemies Then all the time that God sate his enemies were aloft And this long sitting of God what did it whereas it should haue drawn them to repentance it confirmed them in their pride increased their malice Well God ariseth at the last and when he ariseth he striketh them with a terrible iudgement He bringeth in God here after the manner of earthly Iudges after the custome of our Iudges For first they sit downe they try seeke out and aduise and after aduisement they resolue and after aduisement and resolution they rise vp giuen iudgement and pronounce the sentence Euen so the Prophet bringeth in God after the same manner sitting and after sitting arising and pronouncing the sentence Then the Lord ye see hath his time of sitting his time of rising The time of his sitting I call the time of his patience the time of his long suffering the time of his benignity whereby he allureth yea if it were possible his very enemies to turne vnto him And I call the time of his sitting the time of his delay of the execution of his iudgement I call the time of his rising the time of his execution the time of his hote wrath and the time of the declaration of his righteous iudgement vpon flesh The Lord hath both these times and they who abuse the time of his sitting shall not be able to escape the time of his rising Senacherib abused the patience and long suffering of Gods sitting but he escaped not his rising as he did beare him witnesse All doctrine should be applied to our present estate all mens consciences are asleepe and except they be now wakened in time terrible shall that wakening be which they shall haue when the terrours thereof shall oppresse them Therefore it is good that this matter of terror were presented in time to waken the conscience For by the way the biting conscience is not the worst of all sort of consciences but the biting conscience is in the second ranke for the conscience that biteth thee and accuseth thee sendeth thee to seeke remedy And the more that it hasteth thee the sooner thou purchasest remission of thy sinnes and peace in the body and blood of Christ Iesus So of all consciences the biting conscience is not the worst but is in the second ranke it sendeth thee to seeke remedy Onely of this beware that thou furnish not matter to her biting by increasing of further corruption but euer cast out sin wherby God is offended and this biting nourished and in the end thou shalt finde a true pacification and a taste of the right peace that floweth from Christ Iesus which peace passeth all vnderstanding To come to the particular The Lord is not risen as yet in this country albeit he hath sitten long And why hath he sitten but to see if his enemies will repent And hath this taken effect No for he hath not greater enemies in any part then the great men in this countrey where his word is so clearely preached So that the greater the knowledge is the greater is the contempt and the greater the contempt is the heauier must the iudgement be that abideth them Now in all this time of the Lords sitting what are they doing They are burning and scalding slaying and murthering and vsing all kinde of oppression and raging so as if there were not a King in Israel Well the Lord sitteth not to this end that they should abuse his patience he sitteth not that they should be confirmed in their cruelty that they should lose their knowledge or thinke that either there were not God or God were become like themselues Alwayes I say this is not the end wherefore he sitteth but he sitteth onely to this
the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proud nor such as turne aside to lies 5 O Lord my God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward vs I would declare and speake of them but they are moe then I am able to expresse 6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire for mine eares hast thou prepared burnt offering and sinne offering hast thou not required 7 Thou said I Loe I am come for in the rolle of the booke it is written of me 8 I desired to do thy good wil O my God yea thy law is within mine heart 9 I haue declared thy righteousnesse in the great Congregation Loe I will not refraine my lips O Lord thou knowest 10 I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart but I haue declared thy truth and thy saluation I haue not concealed thy mercie and thy truth from the great Congregation 11 Withdraw not thy tender mercie from me O Lord let thy mercie and thy truth alway preserue me 12 For innumerable troubles haue compassed me my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp yea they are moe in number then the haires of mine head therefore mine heart hath failed me 13 Let it please thee O Lord to deliuer me make haste O Lord to helpe me 14 Let them be confounded and put to shame together that seeke my soule to destroy it let them be driuen backward and put to rebuke that desire mine hurt 15 Let them be destroyed for a reward of their shame which say vnto me Aha aha 16 Let all them that seeke thee reioyce and be glad in thee and let them that loue thy saluation say alway The Lord be praised 17 Though I be poore and needy the Lord thinketh on me thou art mine helper and my deliuerer my God make no tarying THis Psalme for the most part tendeth to praise and thankesgiuing For the Author of it Dauid partly praiseth God from his owne late experience and partly from the publike experience of the whole Church Therefore for this his experience he offereth his seruice to God protesting to be thankefull to him as he had bene thankfull in times past And in the end of the Psalme he retireth himselfe to prayer and commendeth his estate to the protection of God that as he had deliuered him in time past so he would continue the same in mercy to him in time to come This I take to be the summe of this Psalme Touching the parts of it we haue three in the first wherof we haue the praise and commendation of the mercy and kindnesse of God whereby it commeth to passe that he reiecteth not them that depend vpon him In the second for this experience that he hath found he offereth his seruice to God as he had proclaimed his iustice mercy in time past so he protesteth that he is ready to do the same in time to come In the third as I spake before he retireth to prayer he commendeth his estate to God that as it had pleased him to preserue him in time past so it would please him to preserue him in time to come Following the literall meaning this is the effect of the Psalme If you take it otherwise there is a notable prophecy concerning the office of Christ Iesus concerning the abolishing of the old couenant and establishing of the new and concerning the sacrifice of our high Priest the Priest of the new Testament Christ Iesus Then to returne to the first part therein we haue a singular experience set downe Indeed if the circumstances were well considered his experience is more then singular for by the last Psalme the estate and care wherein he was at this time may be easily gathered He was pursued by the treason of his owne sonne Absalon he was pursued by the skornes and Iests of his owne seruants In this great extremity he bursteth out into prayer beggeth of God that he would withdraw his hand from him for a space and why He was consumed with his owne iniquity he desireth that at the last he would incline his eares to his prayers and keepe no longer silence at his teares in respect he knew he was but a soiourner and a pilgrime in the earth as the rest of his fathers were he sayth Withdraw thine heauie hand O Lord and let the mercy that I looked for appeare to me Now in this Psalme he letteth vs see what issue and end his long wayting obteined to wit a most blessed and happy end For in this Psalme we see that the Lord at last inclined his eare vnto him and shewed in experience that though he answereth him not at first yet he was not deafe but accomplished his desire in drawing him out of his misery in the which he lay which misery he describeth by two proper similitudes The first similitude is taken from the pit The second is taken from the myre of clay At the last the Lord drew him out of this horrible pit and placed him vpon the shore he opposeth the rocke vnto the pit and the faire way to the myrie clay and placed him vpon a plaine and faire way and directed his iourney So his long expectation obtayned a most happy issue In this his experience there are three things that offer themselues to be considered First what was this that he susteyned in this long wayting what was it that made him to continue without despaire Secondly what was Dauids exercise all the time of this long wayting Thirdly what issue end this long wayting obtayned As for the wayting there was no other thing that susteined him but that same which we Christians call a Christian hope or a Christian expectation which hope is the worke of the holy Spirit wrought in vs by the power therof whereby it cometh to passe that we with great patience abide the performance of the Lords promises In this hope there are two things inclosed There is first the absence of the thing hoped for yet notwithstanding a certaine expectation of the same This hope of ours is different from our faith though it rise and spring thereof in two speciall points For the nature of faith taketh hold on the promise for nothing can be beleeued but the promise promises are propounded to be beleeued and commandements to be obeyed The nature of faith then taketh hold of the promise The nature of hope looketh not so much to the promise as to the thing promised The nature of hope is to looke continually vntil it possesse the thing that is promised The nature of faith maketh the thing which is absent in it selfe and in very deede to be present as if it were extant and subsisting before thy senses and therefore faith is called the ground substance of things absent for faith maketh them as sure by the promise as if the thing promised were in my hand It maketh me
as sure of the promise as if the debt were already payed Hope againe maketh not the thing promised present but looketh on still vntill it be present and wayteth on continually vntill it possesse it and when it is obtained then faith and hope ceasse For what neede we saith the Apostle to hope for the thing we see or haue in our hand Now looke how sure our faith is as sure of necessity must our hope be A sure promise maketh a sure faith a slacke promise will neuer make a constant faith The promise of God is onely sure therefore the hope and faith that is grounded on God is onely sure This sure Hope liueth in this world by way of patience for impatiencie cutteth the pillars of hope Impatiency carieth vs to despaire and to lay violent hands on our selues So hope liueth by patience and patience by hope Now the matter of patience is trouble vpon trouble Affliction engendreth patience saith the Apostle Rom. 5. For a bed of ease is not a matter of patience a prosperous course is not a matter to assay our hope so trouble vpon trouble is the matter exercise of patience long putting off delay of things hoped for is the exercise of true patience Now of this deduction I gather one proposition That is a sure constant Christian hope which being exercised by trouble vpon trouble by long processe and delay of time yet remaineth constant Who euer is indued with such an hope he may wait on still he hath a sure and constant hope But so is this hope whereof we speake the hope of the gaine Therefore he had a Christian and sure hope For his troubles ye heard them the other day he was pursued by the treason of his sonne backbited by his seruants yet he abideth patiently Indeed sometime he bursteth forth through impatience but in an instant he took vp himselfe to testifie his long putting off and delay he sayth here In waiting I waited Then I say ye haue it prooued that Dauid had a sure firme and constant hope The surer that an anchor is and the more deepe it is fixed it will be the worse to plucke vp Let the storme rage as it pleaseth continue as it wil the anchor that is deeply fixed wil hardly be plukt vp The anchor of our soule sayth the Apostle is Hope Therfore the more sure deeply it is fixed it wil be the worse to pull vp Our whole study diligence care should be to see when in what place we should cast this anchor of hope Cast we our anchor on any man the storme shall not rise so soone but it shall vnloose Cast we it vpon any creature it can be no surer then the creature it selfe Therfore when the storme cometh it will rise vp In summe cast we it any where below vnder the cloudes it must vnloose in time of storme Then this anchor differs from other anchors it must enter within the veile and reach in in Sanctasanctorum It must take hold on Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father Thâ—re is no sure ground for our anchor except it enter within the veile And if we obtaine accesse that we enter within the veile there is no storme nor continuance of storme blow as it pleaseth that wil raise it vp consequently cause vs to make shipwraâ—ke of our soules â—he Lord of his mercy grant vnto euery one of vs vnderstanding that we may cast the Anchor of our hope aright As for the second thing concerning the exercise wherein he was exercised enduring his wayting on he noteth in the end of the veâ—se that he was imployed in crying and in the last Psalme he was busied in praying sighing and sobbing enduring the time of his long wayting This was his exercise And if this exercise had not coÌ„tinued it had not bene possible that his patience should haue continued By this exercise he entertaineth patience and by patience he entertaineth hope For as to this sighing and mourning it is no waies contrary to the nature of hope no more then ioy is for this mourning and sighing riseth of the long delay and absence of the thing hoped for as on the other part the ioy riseth of the approching and drawing neere in our expectations of the thing hoped for So this sighing crying and praying was his exercise and they are the onely meanes to purchase strength to stand and continue in hope As touching the third thing ye heare what end issue this long waiting of his tooke to wit a prosperous and a happy end The Lord enclined his eare to him and not onely enclined he his eare but granted him his hearts desire Vppon this ground I marke one or two things and so I shall go forward The first thing I would haue you to learne is this learne of Dauid your kinde of exercise in extremity of troubles Learne of Dauid the right meanes whereby ye may entertaine patience in greatest calamity The meanes that he setteth downe here are crying sighing lamenting and praying vnto God and in other parts of the Psalme he addeth also many other meanes though these be speciall And if thou wouldest do well in these great agonies thou shalt call to memory the examples of the seruants of God who haue passed the like straites If thou do well thou shalt call to memory the testimonies of the fauour of God shewed to thy selfe if thou hast felt any in thy life past If thou do wel thou shalt call to memory that the decree of the Lords election is vnchangeable call to memory that his power is omnipotent call to memory the singular workes of the Lord toward his Elect. Let this be thine exercise in trouble If this way thou be directed thou mayst be assured thou shalt obteyne that issue end that Dauid did Thus for the first lesson The second thing I marke here is this I see here that the Lord though he put off and delay the effect of his prayer and granteth not his desire at the first yet he heareth him I shall giue you a certaine argument whereby thou mayst know that the Lord heareth although he delay the effect of thy prayers Continuest thou in prayer hast thou this strength giuen thee to perseuer in suiting any thing Thou mayst be assured he heareth for this is an argument that he heareth thee for naturally our impatiency carieth vs to desperation Our lust is so great specially in spirituall troubles that we cannot continue in suiting When thou therefore continuest in suiting thou mayest be sure that this strength is furnished of God and cometh from heauen If thou haue strength he letteth thee see that he heareth thy prayer though he delay the effect and force thereof yet pray continually This doctrine is so necessary for the troubled conscience that I thinke it is the meetest bridle in the Scripture to restraine our impatiencie It is the meetest bit to hold vs in continuall
of God at the last he shall neuer come out So in time let euery one beware to abuse the grace of God this way but beg a liberty and a renewing of the Spirit that that which is pleasing to him may be also pleasing to vs and that which is displeasing to him may be displeasing to vs. The last thing that I marke is this whereof cometh this willingnesse and free offering of our selues to the seruice of God Dauid noteth it in a word It proceedeth not of externall worshipping but of the boring of the eare except the Lord had prepared the eare of his heart it was not possible for him to haue brought with him a mind or a will to serue God Then this willingnesse is wrought by the Spirit of God and not onely this willingnesse but the doing and execution of his will is wrought by the Spirit of God For by nature we are hard hearted and more vnfit then brute beasts to do the Lords will And therfore whosoeuer would be partaker of the grace of the new Testament let him looke into himselfe how farre his will is reformed For the more we submit our will â—o the will of God the more we are partakers of the grace of the new Testament So long as we make the will of man a rule to our will we testifie that we haue not tasted of the grace of the new Testament Onely then are we partakers of the grace of the new Testament when the Spirit of grace boweth our will and maketh it to obey in some part the will of God For I meane not that our whole will can obey the will of God It is not possible so long as we are here that we can runne one way if the affections could runne one way and bend themselues wholly to God in a maner we should possesse life eternall in this life But so long as we are here we are compassed with two wils from the which proceedeth â—wo sorts of motions affections and cogitations In this battel the regenerate man continueth to the end I require not a perfection of the will or a perfection of the heart but I desire a delight in the law and in the loue of God a will to loue and a preasing more and more to subdue our will to the loue of God Where this resisting is the battell is and where a battell continueth there is a true Christian who at the last shall get the victorie Resist thy wicked will resist the motions thereof resist the cogitations thereof and sorrow for the actions thereof if thou resist the motions and cogitations thereof thou art in good estate It is onely the consenting to the actions and performance thereof that maketh thee guiltie before God Suppose thou hast euill cogitations motions yet if so be thou resist them thou art not guiltie before God But if tâ—ou consent and performe the appetites of sinne the action will bring guiltinesse and guiltines will banish light and light being banished God is banished The obedience of sinne banisheth a good will and placeth in stead thereof an euill will so the perfection of a Christian in this life standeth in resisting To trie night and day that thou consent not to the actions of thy wicked will O then it is a matter of great consequence to subdue tame that great idoll of euill will We may speake of it as we please and say that we are able to do it but of all the works of the earth it is the greatest for such is the stubbornnesse of our will that it will do nothing but what it liketh it selfe Well the perfection of a Christian standeth in striuing we must either striue or we shall not be crowned Therefore let euery one beg of God that he would worke by his Spirit in this life that he may resist the motions and cogitations of his heart that he would arme him against the enticements thereof that resisting here we may be crowned hereafter In the last part of the Psal. he returneth to prayer and as he had found the mercifull deliuerie of God in time past so he desireth that the Lord would continue the same mercie toward him in time to come and vndertake his protection against the troubles that were to ensue as well as he had done against the troubles past In this part he letteth vs see this lesson which if it were well learned might stand vs in great stead the whole course of our life to wit That the whole life of man in this earth as Iob saith is a continuall tentation and the end of one miserie is but an entrie to a greater so that our whole exercise should be to praise God for fauours past and to pray to God for times to come that in praysing and prayer our life being continually spent we might hold Christ Iesus who in life and death is exceeding aduantage To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise world without end So be it THE FIFTEENTH SERMON VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE SECOND Epistle to Timothie beginning at the 22. verse preached the ninth of Nouember 1589. at the which time â—he Eaâ—le Bothwell made his publike repentance in the Church of Edinborough 22 Flee also from the lusts of youth and follow after righteousnesse faith loue and peace with them that call on the Lord with pure heart 23. And put away foolish and vnlearned questions knowing that they ingender strife 24 But the seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the euill men patiently 25 Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the truth 26 And that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will IN these two Epistles which the Apostle directeth vnto his Disciple Timothie he taketh a very great care to informe Timothie that he may behaue himselfe accordingly in all his proceedings that he might behaue himselfe as well in his owne person as in his office towards others beside In his owne person in respect he was a yong man yong in yeares although though no other way yong neither yong in knowledge nor in manners but somewhat yong in yeares In respect of his youth and of the imperfections that accompanie youth In respect of the continuall follie whereunto youth is drawne he biddeth him first remember that he take heede to his youth that he be not caried with those vices with those affections and lusts that vse violently to carry yong men away As towards others he willeth him to haue a discretion foresight of their estate to discerne the persons with whom he hath to do And first of all that he consider whether these persons be friends or aduersaries whether they be of one familie with himselfe in the familie of faith or otherwise strangers as
is so wicked and corrupt that it cannot hold it selfe within bounds nor containe it selfe in any mediocrity But as when we finde the fire of Gods wrath in any mesure kindled for sinne we would looke backe to desperation So if the conscience be acquainted long with the ioy with the taste of his mercy and of his peace the diuell in this world deceiueth vs and draweth vs to presumption Therefore as before being cast downe with the consideration of thine owne sinnes so eschue desperation thou withdrawest thy consideration to the mercy of God So now to esâ—hue presumption thou must cast backe thy thoughts to the consideration of thy selfe of thine owne sinnes and iniquities and looke what thou wast before thou wast called to repentance This is the way to hold thee low and humble and to distinguish grace from nature As to the sorts of repentance Of true repentance there are two sorts an ordinary repentance wherein euery Christian is bound to walke all the dayes of his life and an extraordinary and a speciall repentance The ordinary repentance is this when any man after he is called to the participation of grace falleth into some speciall sinne the rising from that sin I call a special repentance as Dauids rising In this ordinary repentance we are commanded all to walke the speciall repentance should waken them that are fallen into one speciall viâ—e or other From the extraordinary we should beseech the Lord to preserue vs. Alwayes if we fall the Lord waken vs. Now ye haue heard the parts of repentance according to the order and diuision which I haue layd There is nothing farther to be spoken of this head except onely this We ought to praise and thanke God for the victory that we haue gotten ouer our selues through him We haue to consider and see how farre we are bound vnto him that he should haue had such a speciall regard vnto vs vile finners that he hath poured out streames heapes and conduits of his mercy among vs which he hath denied to others who in the iudgement of the world were in a better ease then we The consideration of this no doubt will raise a thankefulnesse in vs and moue vs to consider how farre we are bound to so gracious a God As for the gift it selfe seeing it is not in vs we ought euer to be instant in seeking of it Therefore I recommend this repentance to be sought of euery one of you And ere we go further let vs pray for it both to out selues and others Then remember the things that haue bene spoken What is the chiefe thing that yong men should flie to wit the lusts of the flesh what is the chiefe thing that they should follow and strictly pursue the gift of repentance Therefore from your hearts seeke this gift And ere we go forward to the rest of our action let vs pray for it and pray that this matter may haue a good issue and succeede well that for the righteous merits of Christ. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer The Sermon being ended the Minister directeth his speach to the Auditory assembled for the time in effect as followeth IT is not vnknowne to you all welbeloued in Christ Iesus how many means and sundry wayes the Lord hath to waken a sleeping conscience to bring men to the confession of their sinnes and to make them to seeke grace and mercy at his hands And as he lacketh no store of instruments and meanes so it hath pleased him of his mercy to the saluation of his soule who is penitent and to your good example who heare to worke this motion in the heart of this noble man in such sort that he is content from his hart vpon his knees to acknowledge and confesse those sinnes whereby he hath offended the maiesty of God and giuen euill example to the meanest and poorest of you And to let you vnderstand that this confession is willing and from his heart It is true and none of you can pretend ignorance of it that by the liberty of the Actes of our Church and custome receiued it had bene lawfull for him according to the order in his owne Church to haue made satisfaction yet such is the willingnesse of his owne heart that for the better satisfaction of you that are indwellers in this City he is content in this chiefe part and Church of the country and in that same place where he last shed innocent blood to repaire the same and in the presence of you all to seeke mercy at the God of heauen The Lord hath put this motion in his heart and that not suddenly not of late but he informed our brother Iames Gibson along time before his Maiesties departure out of this country and desired him to come and shew vnto vs that he was willing to make satisfactition to the Church not onely for his murther and bloodshed but for taking the name of God in vaine and for euery thing wherein he hath abused himselfe and for all his offensiue rash speeches generally for euery thing wherin he hath offended the least of you Which if we had vnderstood we had made more hastle to require the practise of it sooner Alwaies we haue euery one of vs to thanke God that he hath so moued his heart and to beseech of the Lord that it may be from his hatt that he may declare the effects of it in all time to come Therefore my Lord ye haue no further ado but fall on your knees craue of God mercy and pardon for your sinnes whereby ye haue offended him The Lord of his mercy grant it you THE WORDS WHICH THE EARLE Bothuell c. vttered being vppon his knees I would God that I could make such a Repentance as my heart desireth and I desire you all to pray for it The Lord of his mercy grant it to him and to vs all Amen THE SIXTEENTH SERMON VPON 2. TIMOTHIE 2.15 IN WAY OF EXHORTAtion to the Prouinciall assemblie of the Presbyteries of Louthiane holden at Edinborough the 16. of September 1589. 2. TIMOTHIE 2.15 Studie to shew thy selfe approoued vnto God a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed deuiding the word of truth aright IT is not vnknown vnto you Brethren that in Timothy we haue the true patterne of a Profitable Pastor set down how he should behaue himselfe in all things what he should do what he should leaue vndone what he should follow what he should flie In euery thing he is forewarned but chiefly among many of one thing that he study not to please men that he hunt not for their praise and commendation For why Experience from time to time hath taught that these men haue not onely endangered their owne estate but hazarded also the whole estate of the Church As namely there were two in his owne time in the dayes of Timothy who to get a name
himselfe is neuer disappointed of his expectation Exhortation Faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith Our faith must be coÌ„tinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting Doubting faith may lodge in one soule 1 Cor. 4. A doubting and weake faith is faith and shall neuer decay The spaâ—kles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle Similitudes shewing that the sparkles of faith though they be couered are not extinguished A sure retreat to repose on in highest tentations A lesson Of loue which is the secoÌ„d point of our triall How the word loue is taken in the Scripture The definition of loue Of our loue toward God Of loue towards our neighbour Conclusion with an exhortation The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament Ephes. 3.9 Ephes. 5.32 The heads to be entreated of in this Sermon 1. The signes in the SacrameÌ„t Why they are called signes 2. What is the thing signified in the Sacrament Question Answer The thing signified must be applyed How the signe the thing signified are ioyned together This coniunction is made cleare by the coniunction betwixt the word and the thing signified thereby How the signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued Considerations thereof The signe the thing signified are offered in two actions by two instruments and after two manners Of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word Anâ—wer 1. By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple word 2. They serue to confirme the truth contained in the word Exhortation Faults whiâ—h peruert the Sacrament Conclusion with an exhortation Of the Supper of the Lord in particular Heads to be intreated of First head generall Of the names giuen vnto this SacrameÌ„t both in the Bible and by the Ancients Second head generall Of the ends why this Sacrament was instituted Third head generall Of the things contained in this SacrameÌ„t outward and inward wherin sundry heads are intreated The thing signified in both the Sacraments is one the signs are not one Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two Two questions What power the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament And how long that power endureth 1. Answer That bread hath that power from Christs institution 2. Answer That power continues during the seruice of the Table An obseruation How the signes the thing signified are coÌ„ioyned in the Sacrament How the signe and the thâ—ng signified iâ— receiued What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament Inconueniences cast in by the Papisâ—s against the spirituall â—eceiuing of Christ in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is supeâ—fluous Refutation of the first Inconuenience Second incoÌ„uenience Refutation of the second inconuenience obiected wherein are sundrie reasons giuen why the wicked are counted guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Exhortation Third inconuenience Refutation of the third inconuenience How the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ. Obseruation Faith is that which couples vs and Christ. Similitude taken from the Sunne Conclusion with an exhortation How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ. Our vnion with Christ by one and the same Spirit Exhortation The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrâ—ment is called a Seale Why it is called an holy Seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the couenant Why the Sacrament should be ministred publikely First reason Second reasoÌ„ Why this seale must be ministred according to Christ his institution None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onâ—ly We call the word in the Sacrament the whole institution Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in the Sacrament What the Papists vnderstand by the word in the SacrameÌ„t The third head in controuersie How the elements are sanctified The word of blessing and thankâ—giuing vsed indifferently expressed by the other How the Papists sanctifie the outward Elements Refutation of the doctrine transubstantiation by three sorts of arguments The first sort of argument Second sort of argument Third sort of argument Other arguments vnto the same effect Their last râ—fuge The reason that moues the Papists to thinke thâ—t Christs body cannot be present in the Sacrament except it be really carnally and substaÌ„tially present Obseruation The diuerse opinions coÌ„cerning the presence of the body of Christ in the Saâ—rament How a thing is said to be present and absent How the bodie of Christ is present The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists Conclusion with an exhortation Heads to be intreated in this Sermon First lesson Second lessoÌ„ The time when the King fell into this disease Obseruation Doctrine The Prophet visiteth the King and inioyneth two things to him The dutie of the Pastor toward his diseased brethren The first omission that appeareth to be in this denunciation The second omission The third omission The King behauiour in this disease The Kings behâ—uiour makes vs certaine of his faith and repentance The Kings gesture in his disease The words of his prayer Dan. 6.23 1. Cor. 4. A wonderfull thing to haue recourâ—e vnto the same God who smiteth â—esson Recapitulation Diâ—isâ—on First lesson 2. Lesson 3. Lesson Doctrine The circumstance of peace Third circumstance The comfort that the King receiued Why mention of Dauid is here made Why Dauid is called Hezechias Father What maketh vs the sonnes of God 1. Lesson 2. Lesson A fault to be eschued in Ionas person Application to the King A vertue to be followed in Esaiahs person Doctrine Application The points of the comfort that the King receiued Obseruation Application Obseruation Exhortation to the Kings Maiestie Recapitulation The heads of doctrine to be intreated of The cause why he sought a signe How the wicked seeke signes Some refuse signes when they are offered How the signe was shewed Why the signe was wrought in the diall Why it was wrought in the body of the Sunne What profite is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer in procuring this signe Why the Lord willeth vs to pray Application The Kingâ— thankfulnes for the beneâ—ite receiued The parts of the Kings Song A short sum of the Kings life A Christians chiefe exercise The first part of the song The diuersity of seeking death in the wicked and godly The way to eschue the feare of death Application The reason why deaâ—h was grieuouâ— to him Application The second reaâ—on why death was grieuous to the King How God was said to be seene of old Application The third reaâ—on why death was grieuous to this King Applicatâ—on What is worthy of praise or reprofe in these reasons Conclusion with an exhortation Recapitulation The heads to be treated of in this SermoÌ„ The manner of the transportation of the
kings life shewed in two similitudes 1. Similitude Doctrine to be gathered of the first similitude Why the Patriarkes dwelled in tents The second similitude Application His words beside the diseaâ—e of the bodie vtter the disease of his soule Why the Lord suffereth his children to fall into the disease of the soule Application By what waieâ— Hezechiah sought God Why the K. sought the prorogation of his dayes In what respect it is lawfull to seeke the prorogation of dayes First lesson Whether faith and doubting may be in a soule or not What the Apostle comprehendeth vnder doubting Doctrine The contrary voices that Christ vsed in his trouble The King teacheth vs how to pray in extremity Note Repetition Diuision Three things that the King granteth in his thanksgiuing Sacrifice of thanksgiuing haue succeeded to corporall sacrâ—fices of the law In thanksgiuing three things are to be marked A good conscience thanketh God euer for his benefits The King sheweth the greatnesse of the benefit receiued Deut. 32. Exed 32. Isa. 48. Isa. 43. An effect which issued out of the benefit The sweetnes of the benefite maketh him to burst forth into the praise of the word first in generall next in particular Math 4. How a man shall know if the Spirit of life be begun in him How the Spirit is said to be nourished in vs how he is said to be banished 1. Cor. 15. Recapitulation Application Diuision Application The manner how the King was deliuered Sin is the only thing that is punished in the wicked purged in the godly Lesson Remission of sinnes cureth all diseases When God forgiueth he also forgetteth God onely forgiueth sinner The cause that moued God to forgiue him his sinnes The reasonâ— wherfore the Lord forgaue him his sinneâ— They that are dead in their body leaue not off the execise of praise in â—heir soule 1. Obseruation 2. Obseruation Why the Lord worketh by means and second causes First end Second end Third end The purpose of the Prophet in this psalme Exhortation to be thankfull The diuision of the Psalme A mercy that God is neare vnto his people What is meant by the name of God in this place The true knowledge of God and the true praise of God accompany others mutually Application The profite thâ—t redoundeth to vs of giuing thanks A Prayer Verse 2. A mercie for God to lodge with his people Application A Prayer Diuision Application What is it that dislodges God What is meant by the moâ—ntâ—ines of prey Lesson Verse 5.6 How this victory was obtained How the Lord is said to rebuke Gods formall dealing with his Church What are the ends wherefore the Lord appointed enemies to his Church First end 2. end 3. end Verse 7. The end of his mercy is admiration Conclusion Recapitulation Diuision Verse 8. God onely did this great worke The effects of this great worke Vse Verse 9. The time of this great iudgement The time of Gods sitting He answered to an obiection of the Church Answer Exhortation to thankfulnesse Hope How hope differeth from faith The life of Hope Doctrine Hope and mourning may stand together How to know when God heareth our prayer though he granteth not instantly our suite Notâ— Constant mourning in trouble assures certaine deliuerance Note Lesson Lesson Why the Lord delayeth to helpe his Seruants He that belieueth shall not make hast A mysticall meaning The Prophet and Apostle reconciled Lesson The end why our prayers are heard Lesson Two sorts of abusing the grace of God Note Euil thoughtâ— make vs not guiltie if resisted Lesson The heads to be intreated of in this Sermon What is the chiefe thing that young men should flee What is meant by the lusts of youth Whereof cometh the restraint of sinne Why the Lord restraineth impiety Note Note An exhortation to the Lord Bothwell Whaâ— things yong men should chielfly seeke after Heads to be intreated of repentance Definition of repentance Two sorts of repentance In what respects the worldly sorrow is called blind terror What is the godly and right sorow A caution to be obserued in this part of repentance What is the greatest sinne a man may commit The effects of this godly dolor Why this part of repentance is called mortification Note A feeling and hope of mercie goâ—th before conuersion Why this part of repentance is called viuification There nothing that the diuel staieth more nor our confessioÌ„ A caution to be obserued in this part of repentance Two sorts of repentance Conclusion M. Patrik Adamson late Bishop of S. Andrewes The heads to be intreated of What it is to rule in the Lord.