of the Sacrament of Baptisme let vs now proceede to speak of the sacramēt of the lords supper first tell me what is the special vse of it Child First it serueth to seale vnto our consciences all the promises made in Christ and all the benefits of his death whatsoeuer therfore there is the same vse of it that is of a seale which is to cōfirme and ratifie a writing For in outward things men like wel of a promise but better of a writing best of all of a seale Now therfore the sacrament is as it were y e kings broad seale set to his generall frée pardon For all the doctrine of the Gospel is as it were an open proclamation of pardon to all penitent sinners this sacrament is the seale of the kings pardon to ratifie confirme all the promises of the Gospell for a word or promise must necessarily go before the sacrament which it doth seale confirme vnto vs therefore the sacraments without the word of promise going before are as it were a seale to a blanke Secondly the sacrament of y e Lords supper is as it were a second seale set by the Lords owne hand vnto the former couenant made in baptisme which is renued in the Lords supper betwixt y e Lord himselfe the faithfull receiuer and that by the outward actions of eating bread drinking wine c. Thirdly the Lords supper serueth to represent vnto vs our continuall féeding in the house of God For as by baptisme we are once admitted into the houshold of God so by the Lords supper is signified a daily féeding in the same vpō Christ and all the promises made in him also vpon the word which is our most swéet heauenly manna Father Which bee the outward signes in the Lords supper Child Bread and wine Father Which be the inward things signified Child The body and blood of Christ Father How receiue you the outward signes Child I receiue them with my hands eate them with my mouth digest them with my stomack Father How do you receiue the inward things signified Child Onely by faith and féede of it as of a foode giuen me to life euerlasting Father Is the bread and wine then changed into the substance of the body and bloud of Christ Child No for that were to destroy y e nature of a sacrament which must consist both of heauenly earthly matter Therefore the bread and wine remaine still in their own forme nature substāce but Christs naturall body is in heauen Therfore the papists would make vs beléeue the moone is made of a gréen théese whē they beare vs in hand that bread is changed into flesh and wine into bloud and Christs naturall body is really present in the sacrament and yet we sée it quite contrary with our eyes and a child may discerne that it is neither so nor so Father Is there then no difference beetwixt bread and wine in the sacrament common bread and wine Child There is no difference eyther in substance or forme but only in the vse end whereunto they are applyed which is to represent signifie holy things for wheras before they were common meat now they are holy signes and beare the name of that thing which they signifie otherwise out of this action they are the same with common bread Father You said euen now that Christs bodie and blood and all the benefits of his death are receiued of vs by faith tell me therefore whether a wicked vnfaithfull man can receiue them Child He cannot for if they be receiued onely by faith how shall hée receiue them that hath no faith the vnbeléeuers therefore may receiue the outward signes that is the bread and wine as wel as others as did Iudas but the inward thing signified which is the body and blood of Christ and all the benefits of his passion none can receiue but onely the elect Father If this be true that all that receiue the shell doe not receiue the kernell then it followeth that grace is not necessarily tyed to the outward signe or sacrament Child True indéed for otherwise the faithlesse should gaine as much by the sacrament as the faithfull which were most absurd but most certaine it is that saluation is not tyed nor shut vp within the Sacraments neither doe they giue grace but onely testifie and assure that grace is giuen as sealed euidences doe giue no lands which are otherwise attayned as by inheritance friendship and money but onely testifie that they are giuen and assure the quiet possession and enioying thereof Father Why did God choose these creatures of bread and wine to represent vnto vs the body and blood of Christ rather then any other earthly creature Child Because there are none other earthly creatures that can so fitly represent vnto our outward senses those things which God would haue vs learne by this sacrament Father What be those things that God would haue vs learne by this Sacrament Child By the breaking of the bread we haue to learne the breaking of the bodie of Christ vpon the crosse and by powring forth of the wine the shedding of his blood and by the distributing to all that are present Christs communicating himselfe to all that will faithfully receiue him By eating and drinking wée learne that as bread wine do nourish our bodies in this life so Christs body and blood do nourish our soules to life euerlasting and as the substance of bread and wine by digestion passeth into the substance of our bodies euen so by faith Christ and wée are vnited with an vnspeakable vnion and wée made flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones and this is the proportion and analogie betwixt the signe the thing signified For if the sacraments had not a certaine likenesse of those things wherof they are sacraments then were they no sacraments at all Father What more is to be learned hereby Child That wée being many are one in Christ as of many graines is made one loafe and of many grapes one wine Father For as much as the vnworthy receiuer is dāned as the Apostle saith how wilt thou know whether thou art a worthie receiuer or no Child If I examine my selfe and find that I humbly acknowledge mine owne vnworthines that is to say my sins and be heartely sorry for them and fully purpose amendment of life assuredly resting vpon y e promises of pardon made in Christ then am I worthy because mine vnworthines is forgiuen put out of remembrance Father For whom are the Sacraments ordained Child The sacraments are specially ordained for those which beleeue in Christ and do séeke for remission of sins eternall life onely through his sacrifice for how can the forgiuenes of sin bée sealed vnto the vnbeléeuers whose sin is not forgiuen Father Who ought to approach vnto the Lords supper Child None but such as haue the knowledge of God in some measure
both in reason vnderstanding will and affections which is the very cause why we are so proone to euill and so vntoward to all goodnesse Father Doth God hate vs for this our naturall corruption Child As an Adder or a Toad is hated of man not so much for the euill it hath done as for the poyson that is in it and the hurt which it cannot but doe so God hateth vs not onely for the euill wée doe but for the euill which wée cannot but doe that is for our poysoned nature which is borne and bred with vs. Father Then you holde that our actuall transgressions doe not first make vs euill Child I hold so indéed For as the hurt which a venemous serpent doth maketh her not a serpent but because shée is a serpent shée poysoneth and hurteth so our euill déedes doe not first make vs euill but because wée are of nature euill therefore wée thinke and doe euill Father Doe you thinke that this originall contagion is wholly in euery particular man or that one man hath one part of it and another man another and so part it among them part and part like Child I thinke thus that as euery man receiued from Adam the whole nature of man so also hée receiued the whole corruption and is cloathed with it as a beast with a skinne his whole nature both bodie soule being oppressed with it as a most infectious leprosie and therefore euery man hath in him from his parents the séede of all sinne which is a naturall disposition pronenesse to commit any sinne whatsoeuer For the spawne of all the horrible sinnes that are practised in the world are in that man which is thought to bée best disposed by nature Father But experience teacheth that some euen by nature are more ciuill gentle and tractable then others Child This commeth to passe not because some men are by nature lesse wicked then others but béecause God by his prouidence doth limit and restraine mens corruptions more or lesse which hée doth for the good of mankinde for if men were wholly left to themselues corruption would so excéedingly break out into all manner of villanies that there should bée no liuing in the world Father It seemeth by this that man is a most contagious and vile nature Child The nature of man in regard of the corruption thereof is the worst of all natures except the Diuell yea worse then the nature of beasts as Lions Woolues Dogs Swine c. for there is in mans nature some thing of euery beasts nature For hée is proud as the Lyon cruell as the Woolue greedy as the Dogge craftie as the For filthy as the Swine leacherous as the Goat c. For looke what degrée of goodnesse wée had in our first creation in Adam the same degrée of euill haue wée in the corruption of our nature by his fall Father But is this naturall corruption alwaies liuely and operatiue in vs I meane in continuall action and operation doth it not sometimes lye dead in vs and cease to worke Child It is alwayes aliue and woorking except where it is kept downe by speciall grace and there also it will not bée held downe one minute longer then speciall grace woorketh and preuayleth in the soule For so soone as the thought or action of grace is out the thought and action of sinne is in Our concupiscence is like a crabbe trée which bringeth foorth alwayes sowre fruit or like an vntilled field which bringeth foorth nothing but wéedes or a lusty strong horse pricked with prouender that carieth his rider headlong ouer hedge and ditch Father But put the case a man should haue no outward obiection to mooue him nor externall prouocations to allure him Doe you not then thinke that this naturall infection would lye dead in him and cease to worke Child Concupiscence would shew it selfe though men were shut vp alone in closets betwéene stonewals where they could haue no externall prouocations yea though there were no Diuell or that the Diuell were chained vp Father Whether then doe you thinke that the Diuell or our corrupt nature are greater enemies to our saluation Or whether doth more euill spring out of our currupt nature then from the diuels suggestion Child First I answere that our corruption is a stronger enemie against vs then Sathan and consequently our selues greater enemies to our selues then the diuell for wée haue no such enemy as our selues and secondly that more greater euill doth spring from our corrupt nature then from Sathans instigation And all this S. Iames doth affirme saying Euery man is tempted when he is drawen away by his owne concupiscence and entised It is the concupiscence that doth first both draw away and entice as for the Diuell he doth but worke vpon our concupiscence and is as it were the bellowes to blow it and fire it without the which he could not come within vs to doe any thing against vs. Father Doe you then thinke that the diuell cannot worke immediately or sine medijs without meanes vpon the soule or heart of man Child I thinke so indéed But that which the Diuell doth vpon the heart is by the externall sences and outward obiects by reason of the hypostaticall vnion betwixt the soule and the bodie for hée worketh and pierceth through the body to affect the soule by reason of the naturall sympathy Father But doth this birth-corruption remaine in the very elect after their regeneration Child Yes vndoubtedly and the children of God haue greatest féeling of it and are most troubled with it and grieued for it strugling with it by all good meanes to suppresse it and kéepe it vnder for sure it is that euen after the people of GOD are iustified and sanctified and assured of eternall life yet they haue their hands full and as wée say towe inough to their Rocke to snib and nippe of those manifolde blossonies and fruites of corruption which dayly and hourely arise and spring vp in their nature For as fast as one is pinched and nipt in the head an other foorthwith springeth and sprouteth out Not vnlike the Monster Hydra with seauen heads that the Heathen write of which hauing one of them cut off seauen others did arise in the stead of it And thus wée sée that the very Elect of GOD haue an endlesse trouble and as wée say worke enough cut out for as long as they liue to repayre this rent and torne nature For alas alas though GOD forgiue vs our sinnes yet doth hée not nor will hée in this life frée vs of naturall corruption Father Is not the knowledge and feeling of this a great corsey and heart smart to the most deare children of God Child Yes verely For there is nothing that doth so sorely pinch them at the heart as the consideration of this which indéede maketh them wearie of their life weary of the world and weary of all and often wish with the Apostle to bée dissolued and to bée
that Doth repentance change or abolish the substance of body or soule or any of the faculties thereof Child No such matter But true repentance doth rectifie and amend them by remoouing the corruption for it turneth the sadnesse of malancholy into Godly sorrow choler into good zeale softnesse of nature to méekenes of spirit lightnesse and wantonnes to christian mirth It reformeth euery man according to his natural constitution not abolishing it but redressing the faults of it Father By what meanes is repentance wrought in vs Child Both faith and repentance are wrought in vs by y t preaching of the Gospell through the inward worke of the holy Ghost Father Is not repentance wrought in vs by the preaching of the Law Child To speake properly it is not For the Law is not the proper cause but rather an occasiō of repentāce because it representeth vnto the eye of our soule our damnable estate and smiteth the conscience with dolefull terrours and feares which though they be no tokens of grace for they are in their owne nature the very gates and the downefall to the pit of hell yet are they certaine occasions of receiuing grace Father Expresse this more plainely Child Euen as a Phisition is sometimes constrained to giue that vnto his patient which increaseth sicknesse maketh his fits more sore and terrible to the end he may recouer him so man because hée is dangerously sicke of sin must bée cast into some fits of legall terrors by the ministrie of the Law that he may be soundly and inwardly cured Father The Law is a scholemaster to bring vs vnto Christ ergo it is the cause of repentance Child It bringeth vs to Christ but not so kindly naturally as doth the Gospel by alluring vs but as it were violently and forceably constraining vs and as they say it bringeth vs not simply and of it selfe but after some sort and manner For the law in it selfe is the ministry of death damnation because it sheweth a man his wretched estate but sheweth him no remedy therefore it cannot properly be an instrumentall cause of that repentance which is effectuall to saluation But the doctrine of repentance is a part of the Gospell and therefore the preaching of the Gospell and the preaching of repentance are put one for another Luk. 96. Mar. 6. 12. and consequently true repentance doth spring out of the gospell as out of his naturall root and most originall cause Father As you haue told me by what meanes faith and repentance are wrought in vs so now tell mee by what meanes they are nourished increased in vs Child As faith and repentance are first hatched and bred in our harts by the ministry of the word so also are they increased by the same and by other good helpes appointed of God for that purpose as prayer sacraments reading meditation conference and such like good meanes Father First then let vs proceed to speak a little of prayer and first of all tell me what prayer is Child And earnest calling vpon God according to his will or as some say a familiar speach betwixt God and vs or as a secret letter wherein Gods people signifie their minde vnto him at large crauing a spéedy answere which hée in his time according to his will and wisedome doth alwayes most graciously returne without fayling Father How manie partes are there of prayer Child Thrée confession petition thanks giuing Father Whereof must confession bee made Child Confession must bée made both of originall sinne and actuall transgressions both commissions of euill and omissions of good And all this must be done with as much particularising as may bée that is calling to minde and reckoning vp particular offences especially those which lie heauiest vpon vs and that with as great griefe vehemency and aggrauation of them as is possible Father Whereof must our petitions be Child Petitions must bée for the remoouing of euill the obtayning of good for spirituall and earthly blessings concerning our selues and those that are néere vnto vs concerning Church and commonwealth concerning magistracy ministerie commonalty Father For what must our thanksgiuing be Child First for al spiritual blessings as election creation redemption iustification sanctification adoption word sacrament good men good bookes good societie good conference all furtherances to eternal life whatsoeuer Secondly for all outward blessings as preseruation of prince country peace for magistrats soode rayment health liberty peace and preseruation For dayly ordinary and particular fauours which are renued vpon vs continually from day to day euen as the eagle renueth her bill Father As you haue shewed mee the parts of prayer so also shew mee some circumstances of prayer and first tell me to whom we must pray Child To God onely Father In whose name must we pray Child In the name of Christ onely Father How must we pray Child In the spirit that is feruently féelingly and constantly which cannot be without a féeling of our misery Father When must we pray Child At all times as occasion and necessitie doth mooue but specially in the time of affliction as it is written if any be afflicted let him pray Father Where must we pray Child Euery where but especially in the publike assembly and our priuate families Father Vpon what must our prayers bee grounded Child Vpon the word of God and the promises of the Gospell Father What must we pray for Child For those things which our Lord Iesus hath taught in his praier which is the perfect platforme of all prayer both for matter and forme Father Which bee those things which our Sauiour would haue vs alwaies to bee mindefull of when we haue any suites vnto his father Child First the honoring and setting vp of his name héere amongst vs both in regard of his Iustice and mercie and also in respect of his worde and wisedome power and prouidence Secondly for the aduancement and flourishing estate of his Church and kingdome by the regiment of his word and Spirit by the increase of good worke men in his haruest and a blessing vpon their labour by a remoouing of all lets by a weakning ouerthrow of all aduersary power whatsoeuer especially that of Antichrist Idolatry and Atheisme Thirdly that all chéerful obedience may at all times and of all persons in their seuerall places and callings bée yéelded vnto his most holy will without grudging or hypocrisie Fourthly that all things necessary for this life may bée ministred vnto vs as food rayment health libertie peace and preseruation and also that a blessing may bée vpon all that wée haue as body goods name wife children family stocke store corne cattell trades occupations yea all the works of our hands both goings out and commings in Fiftly that a generall pardon may be graunted from the throne of grace thorow Christ for the remission of all sin in his blood that therby we may be iustified acquited and discharged Sixtly that we may not