the body of our Lord concerning the Sacrament onely that is concerning the Elements onely Last of all they tooke it not only for the Elements but for the things signified by the Elements And after this manner Irenaeus saith that a Sacrament standeth of two things the one earthly the other heauenly The ancient Diuines then taking the word after these sorts no question all these waies they tooke it rightly But leauing the ambiguitie of the word I take the word Sacrament as it is taken and vsed this day in the Church of GOD for a holy Signe and Seale that is annexed to the preached word of God to seale vp and confirme the truth contained in the same vvord so that I call not the seale separated from the vvord a Sacrament For as there can not bee a seale but that which is the seale of an euidence and if the seale be separated from the euidence it is not a seale but looke what it is by nature it is no more So there cannot bee a Sacrament except it bee annexed to the euidence of the vvord but looke what the Sacrament was by nature it is no more Was it a common peece of bread it remaines common bread except it be ioyned to the euidence of the vvord Therefore the vvord onelie cannot be a Sacrament nor the element onely cannot be a Sacrament but the vvord and element coniunctly must make a Sacrament And so Augustine said well Let the vvord come to the element and so yee shall haue a Sacrament So then the vvord must come to the element that is the vvord preached distinctly and all the parts of it opened vp must goe before the hanging to of the sacrament and the Sacrament as a seale must follow and so be receiued accordingly Then I call a Sacrament the vvord and seale coniunctly the one hung to the other It is without all controuersie and there is no doubt in it that all Sacraments are signes Now if a Sacrament be a signe as the signe is in a relation in that Category for so wee must speake it so the Sacrament must be placed in that same Category of relation Now euery relation againe must stand of force betwixt two things for one thing cannot bee the correlatiue of it selfe but in a lawfull relation of force there must be two things which two haue euer a mutuall respect the one to the other therfore in euery Sacrament that hath a relation there must be two things which two haue euer a mutual respect the one to the other Take away one of these two things from the Sacrament ye lose the relation losing the relation ye lose the Sacrament Confound any of these two with the other make either a confusion or permixtion of them ye lose the relation and losing the relation ye lose the Sacrament Turne ouer the one into the other so that the substance of the one starts vp and vanisheth in the other yee lose the relation and so yee lose the Sacrament Then as in euery Sacrament there is a relation so to keepe the relation yee must euer keepe two things seuerally in the Sacrament Now The heads to be entreated in this Sermō for the better vnderstanding cōsideration of these two diuerse things which are relatiue to others wee shall keepe this order by Gods grace First I will let you see what is meant by a signe in the Sacrament Next I wil let you vnderstand what is meant by the thing signified Thirdly how they two are coupled by what power and vertue they are conioyned from whence this power and vertue floweth Fourthly and last of all I will let you vnderstand whether one and the selfe same instrument giues the signe and the thing signified or not whether they be giuen in one action or two whether they be offred to one instrument or two or if they be giuen after one manner or two to both the instruments Marke these diuersities the diuerse manner of the receiuing the diuersitie of the Instruments and the diuersitie of the giuers and yee shall finde little difficultie in the Sacrament Now to beginne at the signes seeing all Sacraments are signes The signes in the Sacrament what call wee the signes in the Sacrament I call the signes in the Sacrament whatsoeuer I perceiue and take vp by my outward senses by mine eye especially Now ye see in this Sacrament there are two sorts of things subiect to the outward senses to the eye especially yee see the Elements of Bread and Wine are subiect to mine eye therfore they must be signes Yee see againe that the rites and ceremonies whereby these Elements are distributed broken and giuen are subiect to mine eye also Then I must make two sorts of signes one sort of the Bread and the Wine and we call them Elementall another sort of the rites ceremonies whereby these are distributed broken and giuen and wee call them ceremoniall Be not deceiued with the vvord Ceremonie thinke not that I call the breaking of the Bread the eating of the Bread and drinking of the Wine Ceremonies thinke not that they are vaine as yee vse that word Ceremonie for a vaine thing which hath no grace nor profit following after it No although I call them Ceremonies there is neuer a Ceremonie which Christ instituted in this Supper but it is as essentiall as the Bread and Wine are and yee cannot leaue one iot of them except yee peruert the whole institution for what euer Christ commaunded to be done what euer he spake or did in that whole action it is essentiall and must be done and yee cannot leaue one iot thereof but yee vvill peruert the vvhole action The reason wherefore I call them signes Why they are called signes is this I call them not signes by that reason that men commonly call them signes because they signifie onely as the Bread signifies the body 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 and bloud of Christ conioyned with them Yea so truly is the body 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 faithful 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
thing signified are ioyned together it is to be considered how the signe and the thing signified are coupled For about this coniunction all the debate stands all the strifes that we haue vvith them that varie from the streight truth stand about the matter of this coniunction Some will haue them conioyned one way and some after another way men striue very bitterly about this matter and continue so in strife that through the bitternesse of contention they lose the truth for when the heat of contention ariseth especially in disputation they take no heed to the truth but to the victory If they may be victorious and it were but by a multitude of words they regard not suppose they lose the truth Read their works and bookes about this coniunction and you will craue rather conscience then knowledge yea if they had the quarter of the conscience that they haue of knowledge no question this controuersie might bee easily taken vp but men lacking conscience and hauing knowledge an euil conscience peruerts the knowledge drawes them to an euill end To tell you now how these two are conioyned it will be farre easier for mee and better for you to vnderstand to tell you first how they are not conioyned for I shall make it very cleere vnto you by letting you see how they are not conioyned but it is not possible to make it so cleere by telling you the manner hovv they are conioyned Yee may perceiue cleerely by your eyes that the signe and the thing signified are not locally conioyned that is they are not both in one place Yee may perceiue also by your outward senses that the body of Christ which is the thing signified the signes are not conioyned corporally their bodies touch not each other You may perceiue also they are not visibly conioyned they are not both subiect to the outward eye So it is easie to let you see how they are not conioyned For if the signe and the thing signified were visibly and corporally conioyned what need were there for vs to haue a signe Wherefore should the signe in the Sacrament serue vs Is not the signe in the Sacrament appointed to leade mee to Christ Is not the signe appointed to point out Christ vnto mee If I saw him present by mine owne eye as I doe the Bread vvhat need had I of the Bread Therefore ye may see cleerely that there is no such thing as a corporall naturall or any such like physicall coniunction betweene the signe and the thing signified So I say it is easie to let you see how they are not conioyned Now let vs see how they are conioyned VVe cannot craue heere any other sort of coniunction then may stand agree with the nature of the Sacrament for nothing can be conioyned with another after any other sort then the nature of it will suffer therefore there cannot be heere any other sort of coniunction then the nature of the Sacrament will suffer Now the nature of the Sacrament will suffer a Sacramentall coniunction O but that is hard yet yee are neuer the better for this but I shall make it cleere by Gods grace Yee knowe euery Sacrament is a mysterie there is not a Sacrament but it containes a high diuine mysterie In respect then that a Sacrament is a mysterie it followeth that a mysticall secret and spirituall coniunction agreeth well vvith the nature of the Sacrament As the coniunction betweene vs and Christ is full of mysterie as the Apostle lets you see Ephe. 5.32 that it is a mysticall and spirituall coniunction So no doubt the coniunction between the Sacrament and the thing signified in the Sacrament must be of that same nature mysticall and spirituall It is not possible to tel you by any ocular demonstration how Christ and we are conioyned But whosoeuer would vnderstand that coniunction his minde must be enlightened vvith an heauenly eye that as he hath an eye in his head to see corporall things so he must haue in his mind hart an heauenly eye to see this mysticall cōiunction a heauenly eye to take vp this secret coniunction that is betwixt the sonne of God and vs in the Sacrament So I need not to insist any longer heerupon except ye haue this heauenly illumination yee can neuer vnderstand neither your own coniunction with Christ nor yet the cōiunction between the sign the thing signified in the Sacramēt But I keepe my ground As the Sacrament is a mysterie so the coniunction that is in the Sacrament no doubt must be a mysticall secret and spirituall coniunction Besides this I will let you see by a generall deduction that in euery Sacrament are two things which two haue a relation and mutuall respect the one to the other so that a relatiue coniunction agreeth wel with the nature of the Sacrament Then wilt thou aske what kinde of coniunction it is I answere the coniunction that agreeth in nature to wit a relatiue and a respectiue coniunction such a coniunction wherein the signe hath a continuall respect to the thing signified and the thing signified to the signe Then would you knowe in a word the kinde of coniunction that is betweene the signe and the thing signified I call it a secret and a mysticall coniunction that standeth in a mutuall relation betweene the signe and the thing signified There is another coniunction besides the coniunction that is betweene Christ and vs that may make this coniunction betwixt the signe and the thing signified in the Sacrament more cleere and this is the coniunction which is between the word which you heare This coniunction is made cleer by the coniunctiō betwixt the word the thing signisied therby and the thing signified by the same word Mark what sort of coniunction is betweene the word which you heare and the thing signified which commeth into your minde the like coniunction is between the signe that you see and the thing signified in the Sacrament You may perceiue easily that there is a coniunction by the effect although you cannot so vvell knowe the manner of coniunction And why You heare not the word so soon spoken by mee but incontinent the thing which my words whereof I speak signifie commeth into your minde If I speake of things past of things to come or of things that are neuer so farre absent I can no sooner speak to you of them in this language but presently the thing signified commeth into your minde no doubt because there is a coniunction between the word and the thing signified So euery one of you may easily perceiue that there is a coniunction between the word and the thing signified by the word As for example Suppose Paris be far distant from vs yet if I speake of Paris the word is no sooner spoken but the Citie will come into your minde If I speake of the King although hee be farre distant from vs the word is no sooner spoken but the thing
thou doost except it flow from faith it can profit nothing Thus farre briefly concerning the word Now it wil be demaunded What need is there that these Sacraments seales should be annexed to the word wherfore are they annexed seeing we get no more in the Sacrament then we get in the word and wee get as much in the very simple word as we get in the Sacraments Seeing theÌ„ we get no new thing in the SacrameÌ„t but the same thing which we get in the simple word wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung vnto the word It is tru certainly that we get no new thing in the Sacrament nor wee get no other thing in the Sacrament then we get in the word for what more wouldest thou craue then to get the Sonne of God if thou get him well Thy hart cannot wish nor imagine a greater gift then to haue the Sonne of God who is King of heauen and earth therefore I say VVhat new thing wouldest thou haue for if thou get him thou gettest all things with him thy hart cannot imagine a new thing besides him Wherefore then is the Sacrament appointed Answere 1 Not to get thee any new thing I say it is appointed to gette thee that same thing better By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple vvord then thou haddest it in the vvord The Sacrament is appointed that we may take better hold of Christ then we could in the simple vvord that we may possesse Christ in our harts and mindes more fully and largely then we did before in the simple vvord That Christ might haue a larger space to make residence in our narrow harts then he could haue by the hearing of the simple vvord and to possesse Christ more fully it is a better thing For suppose Christ be one thing in himselfe yet the better hold thou hast of him thou art the surer of his promise The Sacraments are appointed that I might haue him more fully in my soule that I might haue the boundes of it enlarged that he may make the better residence in me This no doubt is the cause wherefore these Seales are annexed to the euidence of the simple word They serue to this end also to seale vp and confirme the truth that is in the word They serue to confirme the truth contained in the vvord for as the office of the Seale hung to the Euidence is not to confirme any other truth then that which is in the Euidence and though ye belieued the Euidence before yet by the seales yee belieue it better euen so the Sacraments assure me of no other truth then is contained vvithin the vvord yet because it is a seale annexed vnto the vvord it perswades me the better of the same for the more the outvvard senses are wakened the more is the inward hart and minde perswaded to belieue Now the Sacrament wakeneth all the outward senses as the eye the hand and all the rest and the outward senses beeing mooued no question the spirit of GOD concurring there-with moues the hart the more The Sacraments are then annexed vnto the vvord to seale vp the truth contained in the word and to confirm it mâ—re and more in thy hart The word then is appointed to worke beliefe and the Sacrament is appointed to confirme you in this beliefe But except yee feele the truth of this inwardly in your harts except yee haue your harts as ready as your mouth thinke not that any thing will auaile you All the seales in the world wil not work except the spirit of God concur and seale the same truth in your harts which the Sacrament seales outwardly Except hee make cleere the sight of thy minde inwardly and worke a feeling in thy hart both word and Sacrament shall lose their fruite and effect which they should haue All the Scriptures are full of this the whole Scriptures of God are but a slaying letter to you except the spirit of God concurre to quicken inwardly Exhortation Therefore your whole indeuour should be to prease to feele Christ inwardly in your harts that finding him in your harts and seeing him in your minds both word and Sacraments may be effectuall If not your soules remaine dead ye are not translated from that death wherin ye were conceiued Therefore all the study of Christians should be when they see the Sacraments and heare the word to labor to finde and feele in their harts and mindes that which they heare and see and this I call to finde Christ quick in your ovvne soules This cannot be except yee sanctifie his lodging for if all the corners of thy soule remaine a dunghill Christ cannot dwell there and therefore except ye studie for continuall growth in sanctification seuer your selues from euery thing that seuers you from Christ it is not possible that hee can liue or dwell in you This is a great lesson and it is not possible to doe this except as I haue said a stronger come in possesse vs and make vs to renounce our selues Then the seales had not been annexed to the word except for our cause for there is no necessity on Gods part that God should either sweare or confirme by seales the thing that hee hath spoken for his word is as good as any oath or seale But the necessity commeth of vs there is such a great weaknesse in vs that vvhen hee hath sworne and set his seales vnto his vvord wee are as neere to belieue as if hee had neuer spoken a vvord So to helpe our beliefe our vveakenesse and inabilitie that is in vs for we are so vnable by nature that we can belieue nothing but that which is of our selues and the more wee leane vnto our selues the further we are from God I say to helpe this wonderfull weakenes whereby we are ready to mistrust God in euery word he hath annexed his Sacraments besides his Sacraments hee sweares the things that concerne most our saluation As in the Priesthood of Christ Psal 110.4 He will not speake onely but he sweares and that for our weakenes and infirmities but yet if he abstract the ministery of his spirit all these meanes will do no good Now the last thing is how the Sacrament is peruerted Faults w th peruert the Sacrament and how we are defrauded of the fruit and effect thereof Two sorts of faults peruert the Sacrament and defraude vs of the profit and vse thereof and these faults are either in the forme or in the person In forme if the essentiall forme be spoyled we gette nothing for when the Sacrament is spoyled of the essentiall forme it is not a Sacrament There is an essentiall forme in Baptisme and an essentiall form 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
and said Depart in peace thy faith hath saued thee Thy faith hath drawn out a vertue power from me that hath made both thy soule body whole So that this touching of Christ hath euer been profitable is and shall be profitable like as the touching of Christ with the corporall hand hath neuer beene is not nor euer shall be profitable And why Christ is not appointed to be a carnall head to be set vpon the necks of our bodies that he may doe the office of a carnall head therunto to furnish naturall motion senses to our bodies No the Scriptures call not Christ a natural head but the Scriptures call him a spirituall head to be set on the neck of our soules that is to be cōioyned with our soules that out of him into our soules may distill holy motions heauenly senses and that there may flowe out of him to vs a spiritual heauenly life Then the Scriptures call him a spiritu-head as they call vs a spirituall body and as the life which wee get from him is spirituall so all our coniunction with him is spirituall And in respect he worketh that same operation in my soule vvhich the carnall head doth in my body therefore hee is called a spirituall head therefore hee is called the head of his Church because hee furnisheth her vvith spirituall motion and senses vvhich 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 vnderstanding And therefore whosoeuer would attaine to any small in-sight of this spiritual coniunction between Christ and vs of necessity hee must humble himselfe and earnestly pray for the spirit otherwise it is not possible to get any vnderstanding no not the least perseuerance how the flesh of Christ and vve are conioyned except we haue some light giuen vs by the spirit that is except our harts be wakened by the mighty working of the spirit of Christ this shall remaine as a dead and closed letter vnto vs. So Exhortation yee 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 study and be carefull to remoue all vaine cogitations and earthly fantasies when yee come to heare so high a matter yee must cast off all filthy thoughts ill motions and cares of the world and yee must shake off all things that clogge your harts Thirdly yee must come with a purpose to heare the vvord to giue diligent care to the word and with a sanctified hart to receiue it vvith a purpose to growe and increase in holiness as well in body as in soule all the dayes of your life And comming with this purpose no question the holy Spirit shall reueale those things to you which yee want And though this word passe and bring no great commodity for the present yet the holy Spirit heereafter shall reueale to thee the truth of that which thou hast now heard Then this is the end of all Bee present in your harts and mindes and let your soules be emptied of all the cares of the vvorld 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 The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I call this Sacrament A holy Seale annexed to the couenant of grace and mercy in Christ A seale to be ministred publiquely alwaies according to the holy institution of Christ Iesus that by the lawful ministery therof the Sacramentall vnion betweene the signes and the thing signified may stand and this vnion standing Christ Iesus who is the thing signified is as truely deliuered to the increase of our spirituall nourishment as the signes are giuen deliuered to the body for our temporall nourishment Now let vs examine the words parts of this definition Why this Sacrament is called a Seale 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 and 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 contayned in the couenant of mercy and grace for this respect it is called a seale It is called A holy Seale Why Why it is called a holy Seale Because it is taken from the profane vse whereunto that bread serued before and that bread is applyed to a 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 therefore I call it an holie seale This is not my word it is the Apostles Rom. 4.11 where hee giueth the Sacrament the same name and calleth it a seale And further if the wisdom of Christ in his Apostle had been followed and if men had not inuented new names of their own for this Sacrament but contented satisfied themselues with the names which God hath giuen by his Apostle that Chr. himself hath giuen to this Sacramēt I am assured none of these controuersies debares which neuer will cease had fallen out but where men wil go about to be wiser thē God go beyond God in deuising names which he neuer gaue vpon mens own inuentions such debates haue faln out A lesson by the vvay that no flesh presume to be wiser then GOD but let them stoupe and keepe the names which God hath giuen to this Sacrament Thirdly Why the seale is said to be annexed to the couenant 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 beeing esteemed except it be hanged to the Euidence Euen so it is heere if this Sacrament be not ministred and ioyned to the preached vvord to the preaching of the couenant of mercie 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 commaunded 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 vvhich is the word of