Philosophers called justly man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little world me thinks they had much better said if they had called him the great world for what is in heaven or earth in comparison of him for whom they were created they shall pass as S. Peter tels us 2 Pet. 3.10 but man that noble creature shall remain for ever it is true that the consideration of the Universe gives us a sublime conception of our Creatour but if we consider within our selves we shall see that we are the subject of all the marvellous effects of his providence for in man his admirable power goodness and wisdom did most gloriously appear as the Royall Prophet tels us in the 8. Psalm saying being ravished in admiration thou hast crowned him with glory and honour But man in the estate of his integrity considering himself so glorious pride appeared and sollicited him to sit upon the throne of his master and this glorious creature being overcome by that monstrous sollicitation in his desire to be like unto God did become the most odious of all the creatures and which is the highest of all miseries he became the slave of the Prince of darkness so that of himself he could not return into the favour of his God if God had not sent his blessed Son our onely Redeemer into the world to appease his anger by the satisfaction he gave to his divine justice for our sins which is such a favour unto repenting sinners that they must never be without a sacrifice of thanks-giving Moreover by another effect of his divine goodness God presents unto us the great benefit of our redemption by the continual preaching of the Gospel and confirms and seals it by the administration of the holy Sacraments and especially that of the Lords Supper which is a Sacrament of his death and passion as S. Paul speaks 1 Cor. 11.26 saying as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come which Sacrament is mentioned in our Text for the Evangelist speaking of its institution after the celebration of the Passover saith as they the Apostles were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it broke it and gave it to his disciples saying Take and eat this is my body which words I have chosen to entertain you with by the special assistance of the blessed Spirit and for a clear intelligence of them we shall consider three things in our Text. First the Subject of the proposition this Secondly the Attribute My body Thirdly the copula is which joyneth the Subject with the Attribute This is my body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this which is a demonstrative pronoun is taken in this place not adectively but substantively and for its explanation you must observe that this doth not signifie an uncertain individuum or a substance indefinitely as Aquinas will have it for if it were so this should demonstrate another substance as well as that of the body of Christ neither doth this signifie or demonstrate the predicate the body of Christ as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this should be the same with it as Scotus speaks for if it were so the proposition should be identical should signifie nothing else but this body of Christ is the body of Christ which is absurd nor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this to be understood of that which had been bread as if some body speaking of that which Moses held with his hand which had been a rod should say this is a serpent or that which was water at the marriage in Cana is wine for if it were so there should have been a sensible conversion of the bread into the body of Christ as there was in the changing of the rod into a serpent and of the water into wine nor is that Pronoun this taken adverbially for hic here as those of the Church of Rome will confess with us for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is referred to the bread which Christ took broke and gave to his disciples and so demonstrates not a common but sacramental bread where the substance and quality remaining the common use is onely changed into a sacred one as S. Austin doth teach us And it matters not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread is of the masculine gender for by the rule of the Grammar when the substantive is understood and not expressed the adjective must be the neuter gender by way of a substantive in those things that are without life and so we may say hoc est terra this thing is earth that is used somtimes in the Scripture as those that understand Greek may see in 1 Pet. 2.19 where the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this is grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being neuter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feminine but it is so clear that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this demonstrates the bread which our blessed Saviour broke and gave his disciples that the grand Apostle S. Paul cals it so 1 Cor. 10.16 the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and in cha 11. after he had told the Corinthians that he had delivered them that which he had received from the Lord that is the manner of the administration of the Sacrament saith 26 27 28. as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup c. but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and if we call antiquity to witness Tertullian will tell us in his Book against the Jews Nos audiamus panem quem fregit Dominus esse corpus Salvatoris Let us hear that the bread which Christ broke is the body of our Saviour which you must understand sacramentally so S. Jerome ad Hebidiam moreover in the same sense Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 57. saith that our Lord taking bread confessed it to be his body and Theodoret. dial 10. cap. 8. teacheth us that in the exhibition of the mysteries Christ called bread his body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Councils also shew us the verity of our assertion for the 37. Canon of the Code of the Canons of the Councils of Africa tels us that in holy places where Divine Service is celebrated nothing more is offered but the body and bloud of Christ hoc est panis vinum aquâ mixtum that is bread and wine mingled with water so the Council in Trullo at Constantinople with the Council of Neocaesarea which forbids certain Priests to give the bread and cup coram Episcopo before a Bishop And I wonder to hear those of the Church of Rome cavil so much at that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this when they amongst themselves are not agreed upon it for they dispute among themselves about the consecration of the bread which Christ gave his disciples some say with the Greeks as those of the
of a sensitive life which makes us subject to hunger thirst sorrow and death to redeem those who by their sins were made a sinfull flesh was it not enough for our blessed Saviour to accomplish the law for the elected sinners dye for their sins and rise for their assurance yea we must truly say that it is enough to make us confess the insinite love of our God towards us and exclaim every one of us as the grand Apostle S. Paul Rom. 8. with a great affection towards him who loved us I am perswaded that neither death nor lise nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor beight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nevertheless our blessed Redeemer knowing that since the fall of Adam in which we have been all corrupted our nature is so weak with its faculties that we cannot well remember those things which concern our salvation hath shewed us another effect of his sacred love he gave us his Word that we may have continually before our eyes Jesus Christ and him crucisied and left us the holy Sacraments and specially that of the Lords Supper to seal unto our souls the great mystery of our redemption that we might remember what Christ did for us upon the Cross for as Christ himself saith S. Luk. 23.19 this doin remembrance of me and S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.26 as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he comes remember then dear brethren that great and sublime mystery of our redemption that in the reception of the holy Sacraments your souls may be sealed with the sacred seal of the holy Ghost for your eternal salvation But before you come to the sacred banquet of our Lord where his body and bloud is served for our celestial meat and spiritual drink prepare your selves examine your life and consider your inward and outward actions to abhor the sins and corruptions of them that coming with a strong resolution to leave sin and embrace that noble daughter of heaven vertue you may worthily participate of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Jesus Christ for as S Paul saith 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself not his neighbour as many pretended Saints do and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Remember that you go unto that sacred banquet with reverence and in the consideration of your sins go with humility for Christ takes a singular pleasure to dwell in the house of an humble Christian if he comes unto Zacheus his house Zacheus must come down first as you read S. Luk. 19.5 Zacheus make haste and come down for to day I must abide at thy house and so S. Jam. 4.6 saith that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace unto the humble Let us come by faith for it is the sacred mouth and spiritual hand with which we apprehend the body and bloud of Jesus Christ as by faith we have a sacred union with our blessed Saviour let us not be Capernaical but Apostolical prepare not your teeth beleeve and thou hast eaten it saith S. Austin do you not say how shall I send my hands and arms to heaven send your faith Moreover remember that you come with a sincere and not hypocritical repentance that you may not be like unto Judas who kissed his Master to betray him for you know that it is by that noble but sorrowfull vertue repentance that we must come unto that sacred banquet of the lamb slain for our sins for we do not come unto that sacred banquet as innocent unto the goodness of our God but as repenting sinners unto his grace but brethren you must be void of envy hatred and malice lest you should take the holy Sacrament to your own condemnation you know that it is a Sacrament of our union nor onely with Christ but also amongst our selves for as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 10 We who are many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread do ye not absent your selves from that sacred banquet lest you entertain communion with the god of this world and conserve in your selves hatred and malice to your own destruction indeed the more you absent your selves from the Sacrament the more will the devil keep you from it so that at last ye will despise the holy Sacrament and procure to your selves a kinde of hardness to sin But further give me leave to beseech you to look upon the meat and drink of that blessed and sacred banquet Christ himself whose body and bloud is precious meat and drink Christ the heavenly bread from whom we draw the spiritual water of wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption for as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctisication and redemption Consider those that serve at that mystical Table the holy Angels they serve but they eat not the meat of that sacred Table is not for them it is onely for repenting sinners which things if you seriously look upon I am sure that you will endeavour with the grace of our God to prepare your selves for a worthy reception of the Lords Supper that you may be partakers not onely of the external signes and Sacramental bread but also of Christ the thing signified by them the heavenly bread who will preserve you from eternal death and bring you into the glorious kingdom of his Father to enjoy after the sacred banquet of grace the glorious banquet of glory Amen TO THE Right Worshipfull Right Vertuous and truly Religious my much Honoured Friend WILLIAM ADAMS Esq Felicity and Peace Sir THE Merit and high Repute of your Civility is as a Voice that is heard not onely in all the places where you have been but in many others also which were not honoured by your Presence Fama volat and indeed wheresoever I come I hear great Commendations of your Worship The world saith and that with Justice that your Piety and Modesty is incomparable and an Example to the Nobility that lives far and near that Temple of Honour where you have your Noble Habitation But Sir give me leave to say that your Learning is not obscure and though you be young in years yet you are old in Prudence Nay I must confess that your Worship is indued with such rare and eminent Qualities that there be few among Persons of Eminency who do enjoy them It is not then without Designe that I am sollicitous to present the Spiritual Kingdom of our Saviour against the Monarchical Reign of our Chiliastes to your most piercing sight for having its Review and Approbation by so clear a Judgement I shall not fear what Eye it may be exposed to for its Censure I hope Sir that you will receive this Sermon although not worthy of your Acceptance the which indeed I dare
and ambition did alienate our first Parents from God so pride and ambition makes a division between the Church and her children for you shall often see the children of the Church to be so ambitious that they will esteem themselves above their mother and indeed there is no schismatick much more an heretick but is ambitious and so the Shoolmen speak when they say that a Schismatick is one who retaining the fundamental points of Religion rends impudently the Church by reason of some Rights and Ceremonies which his ambition approves not of but me thinks that the next daughter of hell is envy which seems sad by reason of the union which she fears in this Kingdom for envy loves nothing but division because that vice and immoderate affection of our soul will never permit us to like what is done by those that we do not like or to consent unto these things which we had no hand to in their Institution for in the injunction of such things we are perswaded by that fatal passion that our advantage is hindred or diminished but behold there is another which is covered with a very black garment where you can discern nothing and that is ignorance which cannot inform us of the nature of those things which are imposed upon us by our Superiours for Ignorance makes us esteem the circumstances and garments of Religion to be of as high a nature as the body and substance thereof and by that means we cannot agree nor receive the circumstantial things which our Superiours impose upon us for the good order of the Christian Church but further give me leave to let another monstrous daughter of hell appear with the others that we may eschew the fatal effects thereof in the knowledge of her nature and that is obstinacy which is not content to cause division but will countenance it for obstinacy as every one knows will always have us to defend that which we once have maintained and blame that which we once have declaimed against although we know not any reason for it and so the obstinate men will remain in their errours and entertain division Now if you consider the causes of our divisions without partiality you will confess with me that Pride Envy Ignorance and Obstinacy were those monsters which would not permit as now will not yet suffer the fomenters of division to adhere to those things which their Superiours imposed upon them for otherwise I do verily beleeve that they had not embroyled this Nation with such a cruel war neither had they upon their pretended occasions so violently persecuted the Church for these things which many who agree in the substance of Religion with their mother the Church contended about are harmless and cannot offend moderate and prudent men for not any of the authours of the division of this Kingdom I hope will blame the moderation of the first Reformers of the Church of England who seriously examined the Church of Rome in its Doctrine Discipline and Worship to reject the Errours and Heresies of the Doctrine the Tyranny and oppression of the Discipline and the Superstitions of the Worship and retain that which the Church of Rome had from the Christian Primitive Church nay more then that they took a way the abuse of things indifferent in their nature and reduced them to a lawfull use But for all that some contentious like those that were in Corinth of whom the Apostle speaks when he saith I hear that there be divisions among you would not be satisfied they blamed many things that could be easily passed by as now many of their imitatours do for the white colour of the garments of the Church of England offend their sight they say that these garments are superstitiously used in the Church of Rome as if in the Church of Rome the Clergy regular secular did not use garments of several other colours as well as white nay more then that those that know the Church of Rome as I have reason to know it having lived among them in their communion 23 or 24 years are not ignorant that she makes use of all sorts of colours so that if we would not use any of those she makes use of we should go all naked so we should prove very fit to be among the Adamites but as S. Jerome saith very well against Pelagius what enmity is it against God if the Bishop Priest and Deacon do go in white vestments when they are to officiate Moreover they will not admit the singing of the Creed nor many pious Songs when other Protestants beyond the Sea whom the contentious approve of sing the Lords Prayer in their temple as the Dutch Churches and those of Hesson or the ten Commandments with that which we call the Song of Simeon as our French Reformed Churches and others do and if they tell me that the Church of England cannot produce any passage of Scripture for the singing of the Creed c. I answer that it is not necessary for circumstantial things and that our Protestants beyond the sea whom the causers of division in this Kingdom do approve of cannot bring any passage of Scripture to prove the singing of the Lords Prayer and the ten Commandments But their contentious humour goes yet further for they will not have the people answer in the celebration of the Divine Service and they are offended at the repetitions which the Church of England makes use of but For the first I say that it is good according to the custome of the Church of England to joyn our selves with the Pastours in the Church as you did this day in the celebration of the Divine Service for it is nothing else but a sacred conceâ—t in imitation of that which the sacred Angels make use of in heaven in their praising of the Lord as you may see in Isa 6. and the Church of England is not the onely Church amongst the Reformed which makes use of answers in the celebration of the Divine Service for the Reformed Churches of Hungaria Transilvania and Lithuania as I am credibly informed make use of some answers in their Divine Service but I need not to pleade in that manner for if in that the Church of England should be alone among the Protestant Churches I would hold it lawfull because it is not against Scripture but rather conformable to it when the blessed spirits and sacred Angels cry or answer one to another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts Concerning the repetitions of the Church let me tell you that they are as so many productions of a sacred and vehement affection like unto that of David Lord have mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me and that of the Angels Holy Holy Holy indeed if the Church of England should make use of her repetitions by number as the Church of Rome doth so that by the repeating of so many times such a prayer she should think to merit something before God as the relaxation
England had taken her Liturgy out of the Mass-book it would not follow that the Liturgy should not be good except they shew me that all which is in the Mass is false and erroneous which cannot be for if it were so the Creed and the Lords Prayer which is said with the Mass should not be good nay should be erroneous but let me tell you that it is a false aspersion and calumny which the contentious of this Nation put upon the Liturgy of the Church of England when they say that it is drawn from the Mass for in the Mass they shall not finde the manner of the confession and absolution of our sins as it is inserted in the Liturgy of the Church of England they shall not finde in the Mass the Te Deum or song of S. Ambrose the Benedicite or Song of the three Children as they are to be found in the English Liturgy they shall not finde in the Mass many prayers that are to be found in the Liturgy of the Church of England nor the Litany which she makes use of they shall not finde in the Mass the ten Commandments nor the Commination or threatning made unto those who persevere in their iniquities nor many other things which are piously and truly set down in the English Liturgy but they shall finde in the Mass the superstitious invocation of creatures of Angels men and women the prayers for the souls of those who as the Church of Rome saith are in Purgatory grounded upon the merits of the Saints or on some bones which they call Reliques and above all they shall finde in the Mass a new sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered unto God the Father for the living and the dead but you shall not finde these things in the Liturgy of the Church of England for the Church of England condemneth all these Superstitions and abominations in 22. and 31. of her Articles Moreover the Liturgy of the Church of England is not onely different from the Mass in its matter and form but also in the manner of its celebration and use of it for the Mass is onely celebrated in the morning and after 12 of the clock there is no Mass private nor soleninal to be said in a Cathedral Roman Church 20. or 30. Masses are sometimes celebrated at the same time in the several Chappels thereof and one Mass being said a Priest cometh in the place of the other that hath finished his Mass to celebrate his having afore confessed some of his sins to another Priest and so sometimes about an hundred Masses will be celebrated in a morning in the same Cathedral In the Mass the Priest begins with a great signe of the Cross upon his forehead his stomack and his shoulders and then joyning his hands afore his breast he saith Introibo ad altare Dei c. and after the ending of the Introite after the Consiteor to God to the Virgin Mary to Michael the Archangel to John the Baptist to the Apostles Peter and Paul and to all the Saints the Priest goes up to the Altar to perform the Mass speaking sometime in secret sometime with a low voice and sometime with a loud one except it be a solemn Mass where the voice is higher for the most part and the Priest that celebrates it doth many things that are not observed in the private Mass and speaks to the Incense and blesses it in that manner saying be blessed Incense through him in whose honour thou shalt be burned and that in Latine as the rest of the Mass sometimes the Priest turneth himself and shews his face to the people to say Orate fratres Pray ye brethren or Ite missa est go ye this is the leave or dismission at that part of the Mass called the Offertory the young man or childe who answereth to the Priest and serves him in a private Mass or the sub-deacon which serveth the Priest with a Deacon in a solemn Mass goes up to the corner of the Altar where he takes two little bottles in one of which there is wine and the other water he gives them to the Priest that came to him who takes them to pour into the Chalice or cup wine and water after that the Priest draws himself to the middle of the Altar right against an Image of Christ upon the Cross or of some Saint where he makes the Signe of the Cross with the Chalice which he after puts upon the Altar and covers with the cloth called the Corporass then the Priest comes again to him that serveth at the Mass to wash his hands saying when the young man pours water upon his fingers Lovabo manus meas inter innocentes c. I will wash my hands among the innocents c. in the canon of the Mass before the consecration of the Host the Priest makes many signes of the Cross and after the consecration many more that the assaults of the devil may not prevail against it as Innocent the third Pope teaches lib. 2. de Myster Missae cap. 58. towards the ending of the Mass the Priest stretches out to the young man or other that serves him the empty Chalice who pours wine into it where with the Priest washeth his mouth because it is the wine of Purification a little after he washeth his singers wipes them and drinks that washing and then kissing the Altar he bows and inclines his head towards the Cross and turning himself to the people he finisheth the Mass saying Benedicat vos c. except it be a Mass for the dead where the Priest saith in lieu of it Requiescant in pace let them rest in peace As for the Vestments which they use in the Mass they are also different from those of the Church of England they make use of no Surplice in the Mass for when the Priest dresses himself first he puts the Amice which covers the Priests head in the form of a hood after the Amice the Priest puts the Albe which is like a white shirt about the borders whereof there is some light work with green or red silk upon the Albe the Girdle is put which is white and adorned with two tossels of the same colour the Stole comes after which is for the most part very glorious and hangs on the right and on the left hand of the Priest who after the Stole puts the Maniple in the fashion of a napkin upon the left arm and for the last Vestment he takes the Chasuble which is a most rich Vestment that covers all the others that are upon him except the Amice which especially is seen when a Friar celebrates the Mass besides these Vestments when a Bishop of the Church of Rome saith a Mass he hath Sandals which they call Apostolick shoes he hath the Episcopal breeches the Tunique and the Dalmatique he hath also the Episcopal Gloves the Rings and the Cross c. which are as many enigmatical ornaments and of an abstruse intelligence which we
world from thence came the Scythians Tartarians and other Barbarians from thence came the Hunnians Vandals and Goths and therefore it is not without reason that those people are said to be as the sand of the sea in the latter end of the 8. ver of our chapt for they have supplied the world with almost an infinite number of people which caused some Learned men to say that the North was the shop of all Nations from thence come also Turks who by violence took away the Saracenical Empire as for Gog you know that it is the proper name of one of Joels sons of the posterity of Reuben 1 Chron. 5.4 who inhabited Eastward and filled the Little Asia with his posterity which was called Gog. But these Nations which came from Gog and Magog having degenerated from their ancestours became cruel enemies unto the people of God as you see by Ezech. 38. and from thence the Scripture speaks of Gog and Magog to represent the open and secret enemies of the Christian Church as you see by the 8. ver of our Chapter with a part of the 9. ver which shews us that those Nations Gog and Magog compassed about the Camp of the Saints to sight them then we cannot but understand the Turks by Magog and the Pontificial Tyranny with the cruelty of the Sectaries by Gog as for Magog from Miggag revealed and discovered it becomes well the Turks for they are manifest enemies of Jesus Christ and open persecutours of his poor members they publickly esteem Mahomet that grand Impostour the son of the Prince of darkness before our Lord and Saviour who is the Son of God and prefer their Alcoran full of Gentilism Judaism and Arianism compiled by men of impiety before the sacred Scripture inspired by the holy Ghost the essential piety as for Gog let me tell you that it becomes well the tyranny of the Church of Rome with the cruelty of the Sectaries for Gog from Gag is the same as covered and hidden which is very fit for them for they cover and hide their tyranny and cruelty under the cloak of Religion professing one Jesus Christ and him crucified when they crucifie and hand the true members of our Saviour in all their wicked designes they pretend the good of the Church when they rend and defile it and so by a damnable hypocrisie cover all their profanations and wickednesses as you have in this Realm beheld with your eyes where the Jesuites with the Sectaries erected a black Tribunal for a most pious and Christian King and his faithfull Subjects under a pretext of a good Conscience And indeed as Gog did degenerate from his Predecessour Jacob and his father Joel who with humility and reverence adored the Almighty God of Israel and followed his orders so did the Church of Rome with the Sectaries degenerate from their Ancestours who acknowledged with all humility and obedience the Church of God and its orders or if you will as Gog did imitate Reuben who defiled his fathers bed so the Church of Rome with the Sectaries imitate Satan who defileth the Church of God with Schismes and heresies which makes you clearly see that the devil is loosed out of his prison and that the thousand years are expired and finished they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years not that I will say that the Saints do not now reign with Christ for I know that they do reign with him when they are his regenerated Subjects but that now they reign not with Christ with such progress as they did before the expiration of the thousand years of Satans binding for we seldom now see a true conversion or a sincere repentance of our sins but rather often obstination appears in our errours we will not change them because we defended our sins openly and so by our ambition we destroy the Church of our blessed Saviour there is no fear of God amongst us nor sincere love one to another nor charity towards our poor afflicted brethren as there was in the time of Satans binding we are as hard as Pharaoh as cruel as Cain and as profane as Esau it seems that all the Christian vertues are vanished amongst men and that all vices have took their places to give way unto the prince of darkness who is now loosed out of his prison for they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Perhaps you will tell me if the thousand years are now sinished or as you said expired at the formal manifestation of the Antichristian Jurisdiction how can it be said that Satan is loosed out for a little while or season as it is spoken in the 3. ver To that I answer and say that this may very well be said in regard of Satans eternal binding which followeth after his loosing out of his prison for a while indeed if you consider the thousand years binding of Satan I confess that his loosing out will seem a great while but if you look upon Satans eternal binding his loosing out is but a little season which makes me wonder at the Millenaries opinion who expect now a visible and earthly reign for in the expectation of such a reign they loose the spiritual kingdom of our Saviour and in their pretended happiness they may finde a true unhappiness But I will stay no longer upon that imaginary kingdom for the kingdom that I proposed unto you is a true and spiritual kingdom the kingdom of our Saviour which is of grace without which it is impossible to obtain the kingdom of glory for you know that we must first reign here in grace before we can reign hereafter in glory then let me tell you that the Saints who now reign with Christ in glory lived and reigned before with him in grace by many years for as you read in my Text and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years Conclusion and Application But let us conclude with application to learn from our Text that the Saints who are actual members of our Saviour live with him in this world the life of grace the onely life of Gods children who are not born of the flesh but of the Spirit Joh. 3.6 not of corruptible but incorruptible seed the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever 1. Pet. 1.23 not of the prince of darkness but of the Father of lights for as we read and they lived and reigned with Christ indeed there is none but those that are light in the Lord that possess it for this spiritual life changes our darkness into light and our vices into shining vertues and makes us like unto the Sun of righteousness by the gracious brightness which the life of grace procures unto us which is a life that the Scripture cals the life of Christ because the life of grace looks on Christ as on its sacred object and its meritorious cause and by excellency the life of God not as if God were not the authour of the natural life of the
meat so have our souls their growing unto a perfect man in our Saviour and receive their strength against all temptations by the spiritual meat But if the spiritual meat hath some resemblance with the corporal meat give me leave to tell you that there is something in the spiritual meat which is not to be found in the corporal for the corporal meat must be given to those that enjoy a corporal life otherwise it cannot help all our dead bodies but the spiritual meat which is the nourishment of our souls that proceeds from God when it is given to those that are spiritually dead restores them unto a celestial and spiritual life moreover the corporal meat can for a time keep our natural and temporal life but it cannot preserve us from death but the incorruptible meat of the Word of God and above all the living bread which cometh down from heaven gives an everlasting life to our souls and preserves them from eternal death And further you must observe that after this life all corporall nourishments shall cease but never the spiritual nourishment of our souls for the blessed of 〈◊〉 God the Father shall ever sit at the table of their master to eat with him of the sacred bread of God and drink the new wine of the kingdom of heaven with him that saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to sinish his work where by these words you may easily see that in this place the word meat is taken in a spiritual sence but For the better explication of this meat let us observe that the spiritual meat hath some properties and effects that presuppose some imperfections in our souls when the spiritual meat is an aliment and medicine for them which cannot agree with our blessed Saviour nay more then that those qualities ought not to be ascribed or adapted unto him who is all perfect Christ our Redeemer who is a lamb without blemish and without spot and you will confess that Christ who gives life to the world needs not its entertainment nor restoration of any strength but behold there is something in the spiritual meat which will very well agree with our blessed Saviour delectation and pleasure for you must know that as the material and corporal meat when it is present and taken by a man of a good appetite doth recreate and generate pleasure and delectation and if it be absent causeth a great desire so doth the spiritual meat for when it is present and taken by our souls that seek after it it recreates them and gives the souls a great but spiritual pleasure and delectation And after this manner the eating and drinking is taken often in the Scripture for the possession and enjoying of very acceptable and pleasant things for the celestial and spiritual pleasures which we in this life and after it shall enjoy in the Lord as you may see Psal 19.10 where the Psalmist speaking of Gods Commandments celebrates them as more to be desired then gold and sweeter then honey and in many other places of the same book as Psa 42.3 Psa 63.1 5. the royal Prophet expresseth his most fervent desires for God by hunger and thirst and his greater pleasures by the fulness of marrow and fatness saying My soul thirsteth for God for the living God and then with delectation My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips moreover Christ speaking unto his Disciples of the sacred pleasures which we shall enjoy in the possession of the spiritual blessings in the Celestial Jerusalem saith Luke 22.30 I appoint unto you a kingdom that ye may eat and drink at my table In this sence Christ calls his Fathers will and work his meat saying My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work because it was all his pleasure all his delight and all his desire as if Christ should say unto his Disciples who presented him meat that he might eat of I am not touched now with an appetite to corporal meat even after my weariness which forces me to rest my self on Jacobs well as I am desirous to accomplish Gods work and the will of him that sent me and indeed the care of that great and sublime work makes me forget to eat any thing for the refection of my body where you must observe that there are two things which make men forget to eat and drink a great sadness and a great pleasure for you know that sometimes a great sadness will so feed an afflicted man that he will forget himself and leave his meat and drink as it doth appear by our royal but afflicted Prophet Psa 102.4 saying My heart is smitten and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread and Psa 42.3 he saith My tears have been my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God But if sadness makes us forget our meat and drink much more doth pleasure on which a proverb is framed where it is said he takes there so much pleasure that he loseth his meat and drink and you know that to be true for oftentimes a profound meditation on some agreeable things or a pleasant exercise will make us forget the time of our refection as it appears in our blessed Saviour who saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work for Christ refuseth the meat which his Disciples presented him because all his pleasure and his delight was in the salvation of men and conversion of those who were to come to meet him as you may see in the 40. verse of our Chapter he would not then feed upon his Disciples corporal meat but upon the conversion of men his spiritual meat and delicious banquet I know that our Saviour did eat many times to shew the truth of his humane nature and make the Jews and others know that he was a true man but he did leave his meat when necessity of mens salvation did require it to manifest himself the Saviour of the world indeed he used the corporal meat with the common but the salvation of men was his proper meat for you know that amongst all the provisions which God gives us for our nourishment some there are which we taste of with greater pleasure then others as you may see in Isaac whose singular meat was venison Gen. 27.3 and so every one saith speaking of the meat which he singularly loves this is my meat as Christ in this place speaking of the meat which he loved above all saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Indeed being question of mens salvation he had a singular reason to say that it was his meat because no angels nor men could deliver us from the hands of the prince of darkness none but God manifested in the flesh for Christ alone God manifested in
the flesh is the onely King who did eat at the table of mens redemption Christ is he alone who hath troden the wine-press Isa 63.3 I have troden saith our Saviour speaking of that he was certainly to perform the winepress alone and of the people there was none with me Christ is he alone who hath been consecrated by afflictions for our salvation Heb. 5.9 For Christ being consecrated through sufferings became the authour of eternal salvation unto all those that obey him and there is no other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved but this of Jesus Christ who saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Conclusion and Application Now brethren to conclude let us consider the great work of our Redemption which our Lord and Saviour performed from the birth of his sacred person to his death upon the Cross where he saith It is finished that we may abstain from sin and run after righteousness let us look upon the divine wisedom that found a way to punish our sins and with all save men by it nay more then that a way where the Physician took Physick for his Patient to cure him of all his spiritual diseases that we may never cease to praise the Lord our God whom we adore ler us admire here the tender affection of our dear Saviour who being offended as well as his Father notwithstanding the reconciliation of men with their God and him through his bloud that we may exclaim with the Apostle that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ Moreover let us consider in the work of our Redemption the union of heaven and earth which our sins had broke and you shall see that the sacred angels descend from heaven to protect help and comfort us against our enemies and eminent dangers which beset us in this corrupted world being now ministring spirits for them who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1.14 But to admire yet more the great benefits of the incomparable work of our Redemption consider seriously what we were by our sins before the decretal resolution of God to save men by Christ examine what we are now by nature the slaves of the Prince of darkness the sons of this corrupted world and the children of death and eternal damnation our condition was as it is by nature worse then Lots in Sodom then Israels in Egypt then Sampsons among the Philistins then the Jews in Babylon and the Prophets and Apostles in the obscure prisons for we were under the power of the god of this wotld bound with chains of obscurity and tyed fast to the infernal pillory for our eternal shame if Christ had not come to destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Moreover let us learn here that although Christ is alone in this great work of our Redemption yet in the general enterprise of doing the will of God every one according to his condition is sent from him to do his will Kings and Princes have their work from God to do for as S. Paul saith Rom. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Princes are the Ministers of God for good they must kiss the eternal Son of God the Lord of lords and King of kings they must lay down at his feet their Sceptre and Diadem that their kingdoms may continue longer under them nay more then that they must administer all things for his glory all the kings of the world being under Christ the King of kings which the great Monarch of England most piously acknowledgeth by the Church when she saith that his Majesty is next and immediately under God and his Christ in his Dominions supreme Governour The subordinate Magistrates have also their work from God to perform they ought to do all things according to equity and minister justice without partiality and weigh with deliberation the considerable matters which they have in hand lest too much rashness in the execution of them should embroyl them and the people with ruine and confusion or some other fatal accidents All the Spiritual Guides and Ecclesiastical Superiours have a work from God to do which must be their meat they must consider that all things ought to be done decently and in order in the Church of God and that they must not do things to please their fancies or the common sort of people but our God and Christ our Redeemer who did seek onely the glory of his Father that sent him the nurses of piety and learning ought to apply their understandings for the work that they have to perform that they may finde some means to advance and promote the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and keep the Church of God from schism licentiousness and heresie all the Ministers have a work from God which they must accomplish for we are embassadours for Christ who hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 which is a work of a sublime excellence where we feed our selves with divine meat when we give others the sincere milk of the word of God But further you know that all Christians have a work from God to do for they are sent from him to seek after the meat of obedience unto the word of God that they may live soberly and religiously before him and by a Christian conversation inflame the hearts of others to the glory of his holy Name Lastly all men and women have their work from God to accomplish in their vocation and family as well the greatest and richest as the least and poorest of all as well the Nobility as others their inferiours for to all the intelligent but mortal creatures the time is precious and given for a pious exercise it must not be employed about drunkenness but soberness not about the profanation of the sacred Name of God but its holy celebration nor about idleness but watchfulness Let us then brethren forsake our covetous desires let us not run after the impetuons blast of this world the time which we have employed for our covetousness pride and vanity ought to oblige us to redeem it and to lay aside the sin which doth so easily beset us in this corrupted world pursuing with patience the race that is set before us and looking unto Jesus the authour and finisher of our faith who saith My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Amen FINIS