shaken with the wind as the point of the Mariners compasse so long as it is not direct to the North trembles continually so the spirit of the wicked not set vpon the Lord is neuer quiet but tossed too and fro with restlesse perturbations which in a part presently he feeles but shall better perceiue it when he goeth out of the body For tribulation and anguish shal be on the soule of euerie man that doth wickedlye this is the portion of them that forsake God and wander after vanitie It is good therefore for vs to draw nere vnto God saying with Dauid whome haue I in the heauen but thee and I haue desired none in the earth with thee The Lord worke this heauenly disposition in vs. And now to helpe forward our earthly mindes vnto it wee haue to consider both the time and place when and where our Sauiour did institute this sacrament The place is recorded by Saint Luke to haue beene an vpper Parlour the consideration of the place saith Nazâ—aÌ„zin doth some waie warne vs that wee should celebrate this holy sacrament with high heauenly affections When God gaue the lawe he came downe from heauen to the top of Sinai and Moyses went vp from the plaine to it and so saieth he had familiar conuersation with the Lord and heere as the Lord cometh downe as lowe as he can in this Sacrament for our capacitie it becommeth vs to mount vp as high as possible we can in our affections if so be we be desirous to meete the Lord otherwise if the Lord shall abide in his glorie and in accesâ—ible light and if man shall lye still in the darke dungeon of hiâ— base and earthly minde what familiar meeting can there be betweene God and man And as to the time Saint Iohn witnesseth that our Sauiour ordeined this sacrament when he was to go out of the world to his father wherin said Augustine Spes membris in Capiâ—e data quod essent in illo transeunte sine dubiâ— seqâ—â—tura Yea not onlie should it nourish our hope that where he is there once we shal be but should waken our affection and desire to goe after him we should eat and drinke at this holie table not as if we were here to remayne but shold celebrate this supper like a passeouer standing as pilgrimes and our loynes girded vp hauing our staues in our hand readie to follow our Lord who is gone into heauen before vs and euerie day of our communion should be a new departing of our hearts out of this world vnto our heauenly Father yea we should receiue this meate from the Lord with that warning which the Angell gaue to Eliah in the wildernesse vp and eate for thou hast yet a great iourney to goe This bread is giuen vs that in the strength thereof wee may walke forward in the way which is before vs not that we should lie downe and rest vs in this wildernesse as if we had now attained to the end of our iourney The Angell wakened Eliah twice sleeping vnder the Iuniper twice he touched him and twice he bad him vp eate and walke at length hee arose and walked in the strength of that bread fortie dayes But alasse our securitie is greater then his Many a time hath the Lord warned vs of the iourney that is before vs many a time hath he proposed heauenly food vnto vs and now against this day the Lord reneweth his mercy towards vs. The Lord waken vs and graunt at the length that we may rise and walke following the Lord till we appeare before the face of our God in Sâ—on But of all other meanes the moste forceable to rauish our hearts afteâ— y e Lord is a deep meditatioÌ„ of the loue of god towards vs. The apostle protesteth it is a loue that passeth knowledge the height and breadth the length depth wherof none is able to comprehend he that at one time cryed out Come and I will tell you what God hath done to my soule is compelled another time to confesse O Lord my God thou hast made thy wonderful works so many that none can couÌ„â— in order to thee the thoghts towards vs I would declare and speake of them but they are more then I am able to expresse And yet although we be lesse able then the Elephant at one draught to drinke vp the riuer of Iordane let vs be content with the wearied passenger willinglie to take in so much as may refresh vs wee cannot measure the waters of the sea in our fist nor number the starres of heauen and how then shall we number his mercies which are aboue all his workes shall we therefore not looke to them nor beholde that glorie of God which shineth in them Though we cannot comprehend his incomprehensible loue yea blessed are we if it shall comprepend vs let vs notwithstanding earnestlie and frequentlie meditate vppon it not by starts and vanishing motions for as A Candle dooth not at the first receiue light from the fire were it neuer so bold but if for a time it be holden constantlie to the fire it is at the length enlightened so is it not vanishing meditations that wil warm our harts with the loue of God but if we shal continue without wearying to exercise our thoughts vpon this great loue that the Lord hath borne towards vs it shal happilie fall out at length that the powers of our soule shall bee inflamed with his loue and we shall finde the sauour of death in euerie thing that smelleth not of his loue No greater loue then this saith our Sauiour can be shewed among men then that a man should bestowe his life for his friendes but that which maÌ„ is not able to shew our Lord Iesuâ— God man hath shewed to the Children his good will for the loue he bore to vs he gaue himself in a sacrifice for our sins on the Crosse eueÌ„ when wee were his enemies and hath here in this SacrameÌ„t giuen himselfe a food and nourishment vnto vs for so that disciple belooued of him doth testifie When Iesus knew that his houre was come that hee should goe out of the world vnto his Father forasmuch as he loued his owne vnto the end he loued them therefore did he institute this sacrament that therein he might communicate himselfe to them O wonderfull loue stronger then the loue of Ionathan to Dauid When Ionathan and Dauid behooued to part companie because of Saules tyrannie Ionathan gaue Dauid his Garment his Girdle and his Armour he had no better and could giue no better so with many teares and mutuall imbracings departed from him but our blessed Sauiour before he remoued his corporall presence from vs gaue his life to redeem our life froÌ„ the death he sent out bloody sweat abouÌ„dantly as the witnesses of his burning loue towards vs hee prowred out an euerlasting prayer
the cup so mutilate the holy sâ—crament a horrible sacriledge in like maner yet ratified by y e decree of y e haeretical couÌ„cel of Trent Si quis dixerâ— ex dei praecepto vel de necessitate salutis esse omnes et singulos Christi fideles viramque specieÌ„ Eucharistae sumere debere Anatâ—ema sit If any man auouch that it is by Gods commaundement or vppon neceâ—sitie of our Saluation that all Christes faithfull people should receiue the Eucharist vnder both kindes let him be accuâ—sed To whome it contents at vs this time to oppose the decree of their owne Pope Gelasius Comperâ—mus quod quidâ—m sumpta tantuÌ„modo corâ—oris sacri portione a calice sacrati cruoris â—bst meant qui proculdubio quoniam nâ—soâ—o qua superstitione docentur astricti aut integra sacramenta percipiâ—nt aut ab integris â—reeantur quod diuisio vnius eiusdemque mystery sine grandi non sit sacrilegio Wee vnderstand that certaine receiuing only the portion of Christes bodye absteine from the cup of his sacred blood which men because vndoubtedlye they are trayned vp in some kinde of superstition let them be inforced either to receiue the whole sacrament or to bee restayned from the whole because this diuiding of one and the same mysterie cannot bee without great Sacriledge In this contrarietie among themselues which way I pray you shall the poore people turne them The counâ—ell curses all them who affirme this Sacrament should bee ministred with bread and wine The Pope sayes plainly it is superstition and sacriledge to giue the one without the other and commaunds that either we abstaine from both or retaine them both togither If ye follow the counsell the Pope shal condemne you if you follow the Pope the Councell shal accurse you but curse as they will the Lord shall blesse them who in faith communicate at his holy Table according to his institution and the curse of God shal not faile to cleaue vnto thâ— surer theÌ„ the leprosie of Naaman to Gâ—â—â—sa yea their part shall be taken out of the booke of life who dare presume to change the ordinance of God The Apostle hath deliuered vnto vs that which he receyued from the Lord how not only he tooke the bread blessed it and brake it and gaue it but that in like maner he tooke the cup and gaue also to his Disciples What boldnesse is it then to take from the people that which Christ by his Apostles hath deliuered vnto them and thus while they boast of antiquitie they are found fathers of Noueltie And against the third they faile who vse not this sacrament to the right endes which are especially two The first is the commemoration of Christes death and passion with thanksegiuing fâ—r the which also the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second is the communication of Chrâ—st to them who are his And for this the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first I take out of our Sauâ—our his words Do this in râ—membrance of me And from the Apostle So â—ft as ye eate of thiâ— bread and drinke of this cup shew fooâ—th the Lords death till his â—omming againe And in verie deede this holy Sacrament beeing vâ—ed according to Christes institution is a liuely representation of Christ crucified while as the signes of his blessed bodye and blood being sundred one of them from the other the one is broken the other poured out remâ—mbring vs how his blessed body was broken with the Crowne of Thornes the Scourge the Nailes and the Spâ—are and his blood shed for the remission of our sinnes which should worke in vs so oft as wee beholde it an inward contriâ—ion and godly sorrow for our sinnes wherewith wee pierced and wounded our blessed Sauiour vnto the death and indeâ—de if wee bee of the number of those vpon whom God hath powred out the spirit of grace and compassion so often as wee looke vpon him whom we haue pierced as heere in this sacrament we may see him crucified before our eyes as often shall wee lament for this as one mourneth for his onely Sonne or is sorrowfull for his first borne but of this we shall speake God willing hereafter Now here is also discouered the vanity of that error of concomitance wherwith the aduersaries would excuse their dismeÌ„bring of this holy SacrameÌ„t for say they by concomitance where the bodye of Christ is there is his blâ—od and therfore the breade which is his boâ—die being giuen there is no neede â—o giue the cup. But as the Lord asked the King of Tyrus in derision Art thou wiser then Daniell So â—ay wee aske of them are yee wiser then Christ will ye amend his institution This assertion takes away one of the principall ends of this Sacrament to wit the commemoration of Christes death and passion for to haue the blood within the bodie is no declaration of a crucified man nor a shewing foorth of the Lordes death whereas our blessed Sauiour ordeyned them to bee exhibited and receaued sundrie that it might not onely be preached to our eares but represented also to our eyes how his blessed body and blood were sundred for our sinnes The second end for which this Sacrament was ordeyned is that it might bee a mean of the communication of Christ to all them who are his for the sealing vp of our spiritual vnion with him ideo enâ—m Sacramentum ilâ—ud hominibuâ— datur vâ— Caput in terris corporicoaduneâ—ur And this as I said I take out of the words of the Apostle The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodye of Christ And in this respect this holye bread and wine are not onely signes representing Christ crucified nor seales confirming our faith in him but also effectuall instruments of exhibition wherby the holy spirit makes an inward applycation of Christ crucified to all that are his And heerein standes our greatest comfort for if wee had no more a doe in the celebration of this holye Sacrament but to remember Christes death and passion then certainel ye looking to it onely were sufficient to put vs in remembrance therof but when we heare and see that this bread which is his body is giuen vs and we are commaunded to take and eate it what shall wee thinke but that weâ— are called to this high mercy as to bee partakers of Christ and all the benefits that flowe from his death The Lord doth neither deceiue vs with wordes to bid vs take when he giues nothing neither calleth he vs only to a coÌ„munion of naked bread and wine farre be it from vs to thinke so baselye of this holy Sacrament Certainly he that with any measure of light and grace wil ponder these wordes of our Sauiour Take and eate this is my body Shall perceiue that there is here a real and effâ—ctual exbition made of the Lord Iesus to the penitent and beleuing receauer
of themselues but proclaime peace to theÌ„selues though there be no peace blessing thâ—mselues in their hearts albeit God in their hearing pronounce them and their actions accursed in his word They are wise like Achitophel hee put his house in order but not his soule in order wâ—se in things perishing concerning this life there they ouersee nothing wise enough in theâ—r generation but fooles concerning things perteining to liâ—e eternal for they suffer a daily debt run on vpoÌ„ their soules which at length shall ouer-charge them A count that is long ouerpassed in the end becomes difficult to be finished he who long hath liued in darkenes if ye bring him to the light cannot holde vp his eies to looke vppon it but is forced to cast them downe toward the ground euen so shal it be with him who suffers his debt of sin to multiplie and the reckoning of his transgressions to runne on in the end His own wickednesse shal reprooue him The Lord shall drawe him out of his lurking holes and bring him out of the dark chambers of his imagination as now his secret sinnes are set in the light of Gods countenance so then shall the Lord set them in order before him that did them He shall manifest his inward thoughts to the light and present him naked vnto iudgement and then with what confusion and astonishment with what trembling and blacknesse of face shall hee that was prodigall of the time of grace liuing in his sinnes a contemner of God come forward vnto iudgemeÌ„t And this to awake vs to the daily tryall and ordinarie examination of our hearts As to this action it is not ordinarie and therefore requires a singular and extraordinarye tryall farre aboue that which euerie day wee are to take of our selues for if as I said the Ieâ—es had assigned to them the space of foure daies for preparation before they eate their Passeouer whaâ— shall wee doe that haâ—e to celebrate a more excellent misterie they searched diligently euery corner of their house to see that no leauen were in it but more diligentlie should wee search euerie corner of our hearts that no knowne leauen of wickednesse and maliciousnesse bee left in it which wee haue not purged and cast out by repentance Then shall we finde that eueriâ— new sight of our selues shall discouer a new corruption for the heart of man is a great deepe and deceitfull aboue all things manie Chambers of corruption are in it If we haue entred into one and seene the abhominations which are there thinke not for that we haue entred in all No doubt the prophet Esay knewe before that hee was a sinfull man but a new vision of the Maiestie of God brought him to a deeper insight of his owne vncleanenesse and made him to crie out woe is me for I am vndone Becâ—use I am a man of pâ—lluted lippâ—s and mine eyes haâ—e seene the King the Lord of Hostes I haue seene saith Iob The Lord therfore doe I now abâ—oâ—re mâ— sâ—lfe And this I marke that none of vs think a new trial vnnecessary but that euenye who through grace haue beene accustomed euerie morning to chastice your selues and euerie euening to examine your hearts in your beds may bee warned to you also belongeth this precept let a man trye himselfe and so let him eate Which shall appeare more euidently if thou ponder this precept Try thy selfe it is a râ—stlesse and laborious worke that heer is inioyned to thee thoâ— art set to a taske which may holde thee exercised all the daies of thy life The Lord by this precept will haue euerie thing that is in man broughâ— vnder examination Man as he is the workmanship of God is euerie way so maruailous that no maruaile the Philosophers called him a little world Augustine in his Estimaâ—ion acâ—counted man a greater miracle then all the miracles that euer were wrought amoÌ„gst men but as he is peru râ—ed by sin become the workmaÌ„ship of sâ—than he is so fraughted with iniquitâ— y e S. Iames cals one member of his body A world of wickednesâ— if in the toung only which is but a small meÌ„ber of the body there is so much wickednâ—sse that the Spirit of God who giueth names to thinges as they are calleth it a world of wickednes what shall we thinke of the rest what bottomles depth of iniquitie must there bee in the fountaire when there is so much in the streame and therefore I say â—e hath nâ—ede to be full of eies within and without that will practise this precept of the Apostle let a man trie him selfe For if ye shall begin to take a view of your minde and consider how farre it is inlightned and what naturall darknesse yet remaineth in it how many bands of strange cogitations at sâ—uerall times soiourne in it sâ—me flowing frâ—m the loue of the world and her deceitfull pleasures intending to steale our hearts after them some from the roâ—te of concupisence and her inordinate lusts that ofâ—entimes violently oppresse vs and some from the roote of bittâ—rnesse raysing wonderfull câ—mmotions and perturbations within vs reeling too fro by courses in our swelling and restlesse mindes raging like waues of the Sea carried with furious windes besides infinit armies of other vaine and ydle cogitations wherof we cannot tell froÌ„ whence they come nor whither they go and if from the minde they proceede to the heart which is the seate of the affections and take a particular view of them how our loue and our hatred our feare and our confidence our ioy and our griefe our care and our contentment are renewed and framed according to that word which is the rule of righteousnes And if againe ye goe to try the affections and see how the members of your bodies are imployed as weapoÌ„s of righteousnes in the seruice of God if ye haue made a couenant with your eyes or not that they regard not vanitie or if negligently ye let them stand open as windowes at the which death enters euerie moment into your soules and if ye haue learned to take heede to your lippes that ye sinne noâ— with your tongue if ye shal also take a time to considâ—r the ignorances of your youth and sinnes of your old age if I say yee looke vnto all these which yet are fewe in regarde of manie moe we haue to looke vnto what shall appeare but a new found world of wickednes discouered vnto thee which moâ—te iustlie may make thâ—e ashamed and compell thee to crie out with Dauid O Lord who knoweth the errors of his life Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnâ—s and k epe me from presumptuous sinnes that so I may bee made cleane from much wickednesse yea thou shalt wish with Ieremie O that my head were full of water and m ne eyes fountaines of teares that all the whole day long I might with Ezekiah
in like manner who had sate al his daies with Mathew at the receipt of custome that is who had liued in y e sinful trade of vnlawful gaine wold now in like manner forsake it but where the Lord by effectuall calling works not in the heart an earnest loue of God no maruaile they lie stil in the graue of their sins rise not to walk after the Lord. We are therfore so much the more to vse all the ordinary meanes which may entertain in vs y â— little spark of the loue of god til it grow vp vnto a great flame for the farther vnion coniunction of our soules with Iesus Christ and this for our dispositioÌ„ towards God As concerning our Christian disposition to our neighbour it is vsuall to the spirit of God to comprise it vnder loue Our Sauiour saith that loue is the cognisance of his Disciples the Apostle calleth it the band of perfection and fulfilling of the law no maruell for loue speaketh with the tongue of euerie vertue All the sundrie precepts we are commanded to doe vnto our neighbour are summarily comprehended vnder this one Loue one another As this sacrament sealeth vp the coÌ„munion of the members with the head so it seales vp the communion of the members amongst themselues for this bread whereof we eate is of many graines of wheat made vp into one bread the wine is the iuice of many berries collected vnited into one to teach vs that all the communicaÌ„ts at this holy table how many soeuer they be ought to agree together in one like meÌ„bers of one body as hauing one Father one faith one Baptisme one inheritance as Brethren quickned al by one the selfe same spirit which is not to bee found againe in all the world except in this excellent brother-hood as we cannot be ioyned to the heade without faith so can we not be knit to the member without loue Stones and timber cannot make vp a building till they be ioyned and sundry peeces of mettall cannot bee melted in one worke without fire no more can ChristiaÌ„s be vnited in one mistycall body without loue and therefore our Sauiour at the celebration of this Sacrament recommended louâ— to his Disciples by a new commaundement which he so called because it should neuer wax olde yea so much doth he account of it that he will accept no seruice wee owe to himselfe without that duety of loue we owe to our bretheren If thou bring thy gift to the Altar there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue thy offering goe thy way and â—â—rst be reconciled to thy Brother then come and offer thy gift of this it is euident that without loue to our brethren wee can doe no acceptable seruice to the Lord. In this therfore let vs trie and examine our selues what compassion finde we in our hearts toward our brethren what willingnesse to do them the good we can what loue to beare one anothers burden what readinessâ— to forgiue when wee are offended what humblenesse of minde to aske them forgiuenesse against whome we haue sinned practising these precepts While ye haue time to doe good to all men And againe for beare one another forgiue one another euen as God for Christs sake foâ—gaue you The Maiestie of God suppose first offended did firsâ— seek man to be reconciled with him and shall man that hath offended thinke euill to seeke his brother to be reconciled with him but alasâ—e are thesâ— fruites of godlinesse now to be found amongst men it thou seeke them thou shalt finde th em as the Sommer gatherings or as the grapes of a vintage cut downe though thy soule desire to eat the fruiâ— thereof thou shalt not find it for the good man is perished out of the earth such as are Christians by name they liue like Iewes and the Samaritans of whome it is written that they might not conuerse together to forbeare and forgiue one another to them are precepts of an vncouth language which they vnderstand not as a sparckle of fire easily kindles a heape of powder so a smal offence remooueth all their affections they are not slowe vnto wrath like the Lord and farre lesse like him in readinesse to forgiue As men saith Lactantius are mortall so should their anger be mortall our Sauiour saith the sunne should not go down vpoÌ„ our wrath the Apostle coÌ„maunds vs to be children concerning anger maliciousnesse who as they doe not deepely conceiue it so they do not long reteine it but are shortly familiar with them with whome they were a little before offended but as it was doubted of Sylla Syllane prioâ— an Syllae iracundia sit extincta so is it out of all doubt that in many vipers of this age anger dieth not tilâ— they die themselues And as for doing of good to their neighbors and brethren they liue in the world like moÌ„sters or like these Gyants The sonnes of Anak they alone will bee Lordes of the earth as ifthe world were made for theÌ„ only or they at the least were born for theÌ„ selues churchlish like Nabal shall I take saide hee my bread and my flesh giue vnto Dauid al that they haue they account so to be theirs as ifthey had not receiued it or were not the Lords stewards bouÌ„d to distribute to the necessities of his saints the rich gluttoÌ„s they vse it as a morsell for their own mouth Now my soule thou hast enough for many daies let Lazarus find as he may they thinke with Caine they are no keepers of their Brethren That which dieth let it die These and many moe are the common and sâ—ene corruptions of this age wherein we are to examine our selues how farre the renewing grace of the Lord hath made vs to depart from them and what holy loue we haue put on For hee that loueth not knoweth not God because God is loue and he that loueth not his Brother whome hee hath seene how can he loue God whom he hath not seene hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the Brâ—thren And thus much we are content to haue touched of our disposition toward our neighbour Now last of all concerning our disposition in our selues let vs be sober esteeming basely of our selues highly of the Lords mercie hungring and thirsting for his saluation and in verie deed the more we shall consider how God hath magnifieâ— his holy name by his maruelouâ—mercies towards vs the more shall we be compelled to cast downe our selues befoâ—e him in all humilitie and submission of our spirits When Dauid promised to Mephiboseth that hee would shew him kindenesse for Ienathan his faâ—hers sake Mephâ—bosheâ—h humbled himself to the ground and said what is thy seruant that thou shouldest looke to such a dog as I am but heere the Lord oâ—r God not onely promiseth vnto vs kindenesse