in the institution and it is contained in these words This is my bodie The Promise craueth faith as the Command craueth obedience so the Promise craueth beliefe Therefore come not vnto the Sacrament except ye bring both faith and obedience with you If thou come not with a heart minding to obâ—y Christ at the least more then thou wast wont to do thou comest vnto thy owne damnation And if thou bringest a heart void of faith thou comest vnto thine owne damnation So let euery one that cometh vnto the Sacrament bring with him a heart minding to do better that is to obey and belieue Christ better then he did in time past Except ye bring these two in some measure come not vnto the Sacrament for whatsoeuer thou doest except it flow from faith it can profite nothing Thus farre briefly concerning the word Now it will be demanded what neede is there that these Sacraments and seales should be annexed the word wherefore are they annexed seeing we get no more in the Sacrament then we get in the word and we get as much in the very simple word as we get in the Sacraments Seeing then we get no new thing in the Sacrament but the same thing which we get in the simple word wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung vnto the word It is true certainly that we get no new thing in the Sacrament nor we 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 heart cannot wish nor imagine a gâ—eater gift then to haue the Sonne of God who is King of heauen and earth therefore I say what nâ—w thing wouldest thou haue for if thou get him thou gettest all things with him thy heart cannot imagine a new thing besides him Wherefore then is the Sacrament appointed Not to get thee any new thing I say it is appointed to get thee that same thing better then thou hadst it in the word The Sacrament is appointed that we may take better hold of Christ then we could in the simple word that we may possesse Christ in our hearts and minds more fully and largely then we did before in the simple word That Christ might haue a larger space to make residence in our narrow hearts then he could haue by the hearing of the simple word 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 bounds 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 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 ye belieue it better euen so the Sacrament assures me of no other truth then is contained within the word yet because it is a seale annexed vnto the word it perswades me the better of the same for the more the outward senses are wakned the more is the inward heart and minde perswaded to belieue Now the Sacrament wakneth all the outward senses as the eye the hand and all the rest and the outward senses being mooued no questâ—on the Spirit of God concurring therewith moues the heart the more The Sacraments are then annexed vnto the word to seale vp the truth contained in the word and to confirme it more and more in thy heart The word then is appointed to worke beliefe and the Sacrament is appointed to confirme you in this beliefe But except ye feele the truth of this inwardly in your hearts except ye haue your heart as ready as your mouth thinke not that any thing will auaile you All the seales in the world will not worke except the Spirit of God concurre and seale the same truth in your hearts which the Sacrament seales outwardly except he make cleere the sight of thy minde inwardly and worke a feeling in thy heart both word and Sacrament shall lose their fruite 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 Therefore your whole indeuour should be to prease to feele Christ inwardly in your hearts that finding him in your hearts and seeing him in your minds both word and Sacrament may be effectuall If not your soules remaine dead ye are not translated fâ—om that death wherein ye were conceiued Therefore all the study of Christians should be when they see the Sacraments and heare the word to labour to finde and feele in their hearts and minds that which they heare and see and this I call to finde Christ quick in your owne soules This cannot be except ye sanctifie his lodging for if all the corners of thy soule remaine a dunghill Christ cannot dwell there and therfore exept ye study for continuall growth in sanctification and seuer your selues from euery thing that seuers you from Christ it is not possible that he can liue or dwell in you This is a great lesson and it is not possible to do this except as I haue said a stronger come in and possesse vs and make vs to renounce our selues Then the seales had not bene 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 tâ—at he 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 when he hath sworne and set his seales vnto his word we are as neere to belieue as if he had neuer spoken a word So to helpe our beliefe our weaknesse and inability 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 we leane vnto our selues the further we are from God I say to helpe this wonderfull weaknesse whereby we are ready to mistrust God in euery word he hath annexed his Sacraments and besides his Sacraments he 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 weaknesse 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 how we are defrauded of the fruit effect therof Two sorts of faults peruert the
worketh that same operation in my soule which the carnall head doth in my bodie therefore he is called a spirituall head therefore he is called the head of his Church because he furnisheth her with spirituall motion and senses which is the life of the Church So to be short there is nothing in this coniunction carnall there is nothing grosse in it there is nothing that may be compassed by our naturall iudgement and vnderstanding And therefore whosoeuer would attaine to any small in-sight of this spirituall coniunction betweene Christ and vs of necessitie he must humble himselfe earnestly pray for the Spirit otherwise it is not possible to get any vnderstanding no not the least apprehension how the flesh of Christ and we are conioyned except we haue some light giuen vs by the Spirit that is except our hearts be wakened by the mighty working of the Spirit of Christ this shall remaine as a dead closed letter vnto vs. So ye are to craue that the Lord in his mercie would waken you illuminate your vnderstandings and make you to haue a spirituall light to discerne of these spirituall things Next ye must studie and be carefull to remoue all vaine cogitations earthly fantasies when ye come to heare so high a matter ye must cast off all filthie thoughts ill motions and care of the world and ye must shake off all things that clog your hearts Thirdly ye must come with a purpose to heare the word to giue diligent eare to the word with a sanctified heart to receiue it with a purpose to grow and increase in holinesse as well in bodie as in soule all the daies of your life And coming with this purpose no question the holie Spirit shall reueale those things to you which ye want And though this word passe and bring no commoditie for the present yet the holie Spirit hereafter shall reueale to thee the truth of that which thou hast now heard This then is the end of all Be present in your hearts and minds and let your soules be emptied of all the cares of the world that they may receiue that comfort which is offered in the hearing of the word Now I come to the defining of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I call this Sacrament An holy Seale annexed to the couenant of grace and mercie in Christ. A seale to be ministred publikely alwaies according to the holy institution of Christ Iesus that by the lawful ministery thereof the Sacramentall vnion betweene the signes and the thing signified may stand and this vnion standing Christ Iesuâ— who is the thing signified is as truly deliuered to the increase of our spirituall nourishment as the signes are giuen and deliuered to the body for our temporall nourishment Now let vs examine the words and parts of this definition First of all I call this Sacrament a Seale because this Sacrament serueth to the same vse to our soules that a common seale doth to a common Euidence As the seale which is annexed to the Euidence confirmes seales vp the truth contained in the Euidence so this Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ confirmeth and sealeth vp the truth of mercy and grace contained in the couenant of mercy and grace for this respect it is called a seale It is called An holy Seale Why Because it is taken from profane vse whereunto that bread serued before and that bread is applyed to an holy vse There is a power giuen to that bread to signifie the precious body of Christ Iesus to represent the nourishing and feeding of our soules And in respect it serueth now in the Sacrament to so holy an vse therfore I call it an holy seale This is not my word it is the Apostles Rom. 4.11 where he giueth the Sacrament the same name and calleth it a seale And further if the wisedome of Christ in his Apostle had bene followed and if men had not inuented new names of their owne for this Sacrament but had contented satisfied themselues with the names which God hath giuen by his Apostle that Christ himselfe hath giuen to this Sacrament I am assured none of these controuersies and debates which neuer will ceasse had fallen out but where men will go about to be wiser then God and go beyond God in deuising names which he neuer gaue vpon mens owne inuention such debates haue fallen out A lesson by the way that no flesh presume to be wiser then God but let them stoupe keepe the names which God hath giuen to this Sacrament Thirdly I say annexed to the Couenant annexed and hung to the Charter because it cannot be called a seale properly except it be hung to an Euidence What it is by nature the same it remaineth and no more if it be not annexed to some Euidence it is onely the hanging of it to the Euidence that maketh men account it a seale not being esteemed except it be hanged to the Euidence Euen so it is here if this Sacrament be not ministred and ioyned to the preached word to the preaching of the couenant of mercy and grace it cannot be a seale but what it is by nature it is no more As by nature it is but a common peece of bread so it is no more if it be not annexed to the preaching of the word and ministred therewith as Christ hath commanded Therfore I say the seale must be annexed and hanged to the Euidence to the preaching of the word for the confirming of the Euidence otherwise it is not a seale But it is not so with the Euidence which is the word of God for ye know any Euidence will make faith though it want a seale and it will serue to make a right if it be subscribed without a seale but the seale without the Euidence auaileth nothing Euen so it is with the word of God though the Sacraments be not annexed to the word yet the word will serue the turne it serueth vs to get Christ it serueth to ingender and beget faith in vs and maketh vs to grow vp in faith But the seale without the word can serue vs to no holy vse therefore I say the seale must be annexed to the word preached to the couenant of mercy and grace Now it followeth in the definition that this seale must be ministred publikely Wherefore say I publikly To exclude all priuate administration of this Sacrament For if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately it is not a Sacrament Why Because the Apostle calleth this Sacrament a Communion therefore if ye administer it priuately ye lose the Sacrament For this Sacrament is a Communion of the body and bloud of Christ therefore of necessity it must be by way of communication and so the action must be publikely ministred Secondly this Sacrament must be publikely ministred because Christ Iesus who is the thing signified in this Sacrament is no such thing as pertaineth to one man
who is not sanctified himsâ—lfe how shall he teach holily who is not holie So we must studie for our owne particular sanctification that while as we preach saluation to others we be not reprobates our selues Next we must studie to present our works and how we haue trauelled before him That is we must studie to shew our selues good Pastors as well as good Christians and to this effect he letteth vs see what properties are required in particular of vs to do the part of a Pastor And first of all he sheweth vs that we must be workmen not idle for the ministerie is a worke and no idle businesse And in respect that men may worke and all out of frame and out of order therefore he adioyneth we must be such sort of workmen that neede not be ashamed that is workmen without reproofe The worke of the ministery standeth in two points in ruling teaching the third thing that he must do as he must be a worthie workman so he must be a skilfull workman that can cut aright and worke rightly and in the end of the verse he sheweth him whereupon he shall worke wherein he shall trauell to wit vpon the word of truth And because these things cannot be done without great trauell he biddeth him studie for them all So to come backe the first thing that we must take heed to We must take heed that we be not idle And it is required of vs that we be workemen that is the ministerie as I haue said is a worke and no idle businesse That it is a worke I haue many places to proue it but there is one in speciall out of the 1. Thessa. 5.12 where the Apostle saith I pray you acknowledge those that labor among you and haue them in great estimation for their works sake So the ministerie is a worke and that we are workmen Acknowledge saith he those that labor among you and haue them in most great estimation for their works sake The worke of the ministerie standeth in two points in ruling and in teaching and these are the two points for ruling we haue 1. Thes. 5.12 where it is said And rule you in the Lord. And as for teaching the 17. verse 1. Tim. 5. Chap. letteth vs see that they must labor in the word Now by reason that men may worke and worke out of frame and that men may labour diligently and yet out of order he adioyneth that they must be such workmen as neede not to be ashamed as he would say worthie workmen and without reproofe For the ministerie is a worthie worke He that seeketh the office of a Bishop saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 3. doth seeke a worthie worke So he must be a faithfull and a worthy workman To do the part of a faithfull and worthie workeman he must do two things he must not onely rule but rule rightly he must not onely teach but teach skilfully That he must rule rightly we haue the Apostle for vs 1. Tim. 5.17 where he saith The Elders that rule well and not onely simply the Elders that rule are worthie c.. Now to rule rightly it is as the Apostle speaketh 1. Thes. 5. To rule in the Lord to rule in the Lord againe is to rule spiritually in spirituall affaires as the Lord did To rule in the Lord is not to rule as a Lord For we preach Christ Iesus to be our Lord saith the Apostle and we are your seruants for his sake So to rule in the Lord is not to rule as a Lord but vnder the Lord as a seruant To rule in the Lord is to rule as he did Now he saith of himselfe Math. 18. That he came not downe to do his owne will but his Fathers will who sent him So as the Lord ruled not after his owne will much lesse must we rule after our will yea not after the will of the Prince We must lay all sorts of wils aside and follow the will of God onely For so many conclusions and determinations as flow from the will of man yea although they were the will of the Prince beside the warrant of Gods word they are as many nullities and haue no power to strike vpon the conscience no more then the Popes Buls So he must lay aside all sort of will and rule after the Lords will For his wil is perfect good and holy as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 12.2 Further if he will rule as the Lord did he must rule carefully and very diligently for as it was his meate and drinke as he speaketh himselfe to do the worke of his Father so we must be carefull and preferre his worke before any worke of our owne although it concerne our body neuer so neare To mooue vs to diligence we should remember that we haue the Citie of God to watch ouer we should remember that we haue the spouse of Christ to present as a pure virgin and we haue the lambs of Christ committed to our feeding for that threefold repetition of our Maister bidding Peter feede his lambes what required it but diligence And who is able to answer to the meanest of these things And yet I haue not spoken the halfe of the things that are requisite So that I maruell not if of old and of late also there be many loth to enter their shoulders vnder so heauie a burthen But it is a great maruell that any should be found that can intrude himselfe to so weightie and hard a worke Who euer he be that runneth so vnsent he will neuer do good in this worke As he must rule rightly so he must teach skilfully and this is set downe in the end of this verse where he biddeth them deuide the word and deuide aright As to the former speech it is a borrowed kind of phrase wherin the Apostle alludeth to two things first to the bread of the familie comparing the word to houshold bread vs to stewards who are the deuiders of that bread As it is required in a steward of a great familie that he be discreet in such sort that he haue a respect to euery mans age abilitie and disposition and deuide to them thereafter So in vs that are the dispensers of this blessed word there is a speciall kind of dexteritie wished that is the gift of discretion whereby we may skilfully and fruitfully deuide to euery one He that will do the part of a skilfull Teacher must be a faithfull interpreter and a skilfull applyer to interpret faithfully he must take heede to three things chiefly first he must take heede to the meaning of the Author that he take vp his true meaning so neare as he can To take vp his meaning truly he must first take heed to the words what they signifie he must trie their signification after triall gather such a meaning as the words may beare and as their signification may agree with for if he gather a contrary meaning or another then they may import he is
it taken so largely in any part of the book of God Alwaies the word Sacrament is very ambiguous in it selfe and there arise about the ambiguity of this word many controuersies which are not yet ceassed nor will not ceasse while the world lasteth whereas if they had kept the Apostles words and called them as the Apostle calleth them Signes and Seales all this digladiation strife and contention appearingly had not fallen out but where men will be wiser then God and giue names to things without warrant from God vpon the wit of man which is but meere folly all this stirre falleth out Well then to come vnto the purpose The ancient Diuines tooke the word Sacrament as we may perceiue in a fourefold manner Sometime they tooke it for the whole action that is the whole ministery of the Elements sometime they tooke it not for the whole action but for the outward things that are vsed in the action of Baptisme and of the Supper as they tooke it for the water and sprinkling of it for the Bread and Wine breaking distributing and eating thereof Thirdly againe they tooke it not for the whole outward things that are vsed in the action but onely for the materiall and earthly things the Elements as for Bread and Wine in the Supper and water in Baptisme And after this sort saith Augustine the wicked eate the body of our Lord concerning the Sacrament onely that is concerning the Elements only 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 wayes they tooke it rightly But leauing the ambiguity 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 Seale that is annexed to the preached word of God to seale vp confirme the truth contained in the same word so that I call not the seale separated from the word a Sacrament For as there can not be 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 be a Sacrament except it be annexed to the euidence of the word 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 word Therefore the word onely cannot be a Sacrament nor the element only cannot be a Sacrament but the word and element coniunctly must make a Sacrament And so Augustine said well Let the word come to the element and so ye shall haue a Sacrament So then the word must come to the element that is the word preached distinctly and all the parts of it opened vp must goe before the hanging to of the Sacracrament and the Sacrament as a seale must follow and so be receiued accordingly Then I call a Sacrament the word 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 we must speake it so the Sacrament must be placed in that same Categorie of relation Now euery relation againe must stand of force betwixt two things for one thing cannot be 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 therefore in euery Sacrament that hath a relation there must be two things which two haue euer a mutuall respect the one to the other Take away one of these two things from the Sacrament ye lose the relation and 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 ye lose the relation and so ye lose the Sacrament Then as in euery Sacrament there is a relation so to keepe the relation ye must euer keepe two things seuerally in the Sacrament Now for the better vnderstanding and consideration of these two diuerse things which are relatiue to others we shall keepe this order by Gods grace First I will let you see what is meant by a signe in the Sacrament Next I will let you vnderstand what is meant by the thing signified Thirdly how they two are coupled by what power and vertue they are conioyned and from whence this power and vertue floweth Fourthly and last of all I will let you vnderstand whether one and the selfesame instrument giueth 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 the diuersitie of the giuers and ye shall find little difficultie in the Sacrament Now to begin at the signes seeing all Sacraments are signes what call we 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 and to the eye especially ye see the Elements of Bread and Wine are subiect to mine eye therefore they must be signes Ye see againe that the rites and ceremonies whereby these Elements are distributed broken giuen are subiect to mine eye also Then I must make two sorts of signes one sort of the Bread and Wine and we call them elementall another sort of the rites and ceremonies whereby these are distributed broken and giuen and we call them ceremoniall Be not deceiued with the word 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 profite 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 ye cannot leaue one iotte of them except ye peruert the whole institution for what euer Christ commanded to be done what euer he spake or did in that whole action it is essential and must be done ye cannot leaue one iot thereof but ye will peruert the whole action
yet if ye be touched in your hearts with any feeling or remorse of your life past go not from the Table but come with a prostation of your misery and wretchednesse and come with a heart to get grace If with a dissolute life I meane not of open slanders thou haue also a purpose not to amend but to do worse for Gods sake abstaine Thus far of the thing signified Vnto this generall consideration there remaineth these things yet to be made plaine vnto you First how the signes and the thing signified are coupled together and how they are conioyned Next it resteth to be told you how the signe is deliuered and how the thing signified is deliuered and how both are receiued as they are deliuered This being done I shall speake briefly of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word And last of all I shall let you see what sort of faults they are that peruert the Sacrament and make it of no effect And if time shall serue I shall enter in particular to this Sacrament which we haue in hand Then to come backe againe In the third place 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 with them that vary from the straight truth stand about the matter of this coniunction Some will haue them conioyned one way and some after another way and 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 heate of contention ariseth and 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 Reade their works and bookes about this coniunction you wil craue rather conscience then knowledge yea if they had the quarter of conscience that they haue of knowledge no question this controuersie might be easily taken vp but men lacking conscience and hauing knowledge an euill conscience peruerts the knowledge and drawes them to an euill end To tell you now how these two are conioyned it will be far easier for me and better for you to vnderstand to tell you first how they are conioyned for I shall make it very cleare vnto you by letting you see how they are not conioyned but it is not possible to make it so cleare by telling you the manner how they are conioyned Ye may perceiue clearely by your eyes that the signe and the thing signified are not locally conioyned that is they are not both in one place Ye may perceiue also by your outward senses that the bodie of Christ which is the thing signified and 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 me to Christ is not the signe appointed to point out Christ vnto me If I saw him present by mine owne eye as I do the Bread what need had I of the Bread Therefore ye may see clearely that there is no such thing as a corporall naturall or any such like physicall coniunction betweene the signe 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 We cannot craue here 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 here 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 ye are neuer the better for this but I shall make it cleare by Gods grace Ye know euery Sacrament is a mysterie there is not a Sacrament but it containes a high and diuine mysterie In respect then that a Sacrament is a mystery it followeth that a mysticall secret and a spirituall coniuction agreeth well with the nature of the Sacrament As the coniunction betweene vs and Christ is full of mysterie as the Apostle letteth you see Eph. 5.32 that it is a mysticall and spirituall coniunction so no doubt the coniunction betweene the Sacrament and the thing signified in the Sacrament must be of that same nature mysticall and spirituall It is not possible to tell you by any ocular demonstration how Christ and we are conioyned But whosoeuer would vnderstand that coniunction his mind must be enlightened with an heauenly eye that as he hath an eye in his head to see corporall things so he must haue in his mind and heart an heauenly eye to see this mysticall coniunction 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 hereupon except ye haue this heauenly illumination ye can neuer vnderstand neither your owne coniunction with Christ nor yet the coniunction betweene the signe and the thing signified in the Sacrament 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 well with the nature of the Sacrament Then wilt thou aske what kinde of coniunction it is I answer the coniunction that agreeth with 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 know in a word the kind of coniunction that is betweene the signe and the thing signified I call it a secret and a mysticall coniunction that standeth in a mutual 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 cleare and this is the coniunction which is betweene the word which you heare and the thing signified by the same word Marke what sort of coniunction is betweene the word which you heare and the thing signified which cometh into your mind the like coniunction is betweene the signe that you see and the thing signified in the
place of the Scripture Thirdly it is opposite vnto the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted and this is most euident for the end of the Sacrament is spirituall as the effect that floweth thereof is spirituall and the instrument whereby this spirituall food is applyed to vs is also spirituall But from a naturall and corporall presence a spirituall effect can neuer flow therefore the corporall and naturall presence of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus repugnes directly the end of this Sacrament for the corporall presence must haue a corporall eating of this eating followeth a digestion in the stomacke and the thing that is digested in the stomacke is neuer able to feede my soule to life eternall So this corporall presence must euer tend to a corporall end which is directly contrary vnto the end wherfore the Sacrament was instituted Further if the bread were transubstantiate it should become the thing signified if it become the thing signified this Sacrament should want a signe and so it should not be a Sacrament for euery Sacrament as ye haue head is a signe Now to say that the accidents of true bread as the colour and the roundnesse of it may serue as signes that is more then folly for betwene the signe and the thing signified there must be a conformity but there is no conformity betweene the accidents and the body and bloud of Christ Iesus For if that were so the accidents behoued to nourish vs corporally as the body and bloud of Christ Ie pointed to nourish vs spiritually Againe if the bread become the body bloud of Christ Iesus it should follow that he had a body without bloud for he hath instituted another signe besides to represent his bloud Also if there had bene â—uch a wondefull thing as they speake of in this Sacrament there would haue bene plaine mention made thereof in the Scripture for God himselfe neuer works a notable worke but he declares it either openly or more secretly in the Scripture that thereby he may be glorified in his wonderfull workes As ye may reade in the Euangelist Iohn 2.8 where the water was changed into wine Gene. 2.22 where the rib of Adam was changed into Heua Exodus 7.10 where Aarons rodde was turned into a Serpent there ye see that changing is manifestly expressed Therefore I say if there had bene such a monstrous change in these elements of â—he Supper as they affirme the Scripture would not haue concealed it but expressed it but in respect there is no mention made of this change in the Scriptures therefore there is no such change in this action Further if there were such a change as they say either it is before these words of consecration be spoken or followes after the same words be spoken If the change be before the words of the consecration be spoken the consecration is superfluous and their Proposition is false if the change be after the words be spoken This bread is my body their Proposition is false also because the word bread is spoken before the last syllable of their fiue words is pronounced These and infinite more absurdities follow of this doctrine And yet they obstinately perseuer and vrge vs with the letter affirming that the words of Christ are so plaine that they admit no figure They would haue spoken more aduisedly if they had sought counsell of Augustine to haue discerned betwene a figuratiue speech and a proper speech for he in his third booke and 16. chapter of Christian doctrine speakes after this sort If the speech saith he seeme to command a wickednesse or mischiefe or to forbid any happinesse or any welfare it is not proper it is then figuratiue And he addes for an example a place out of Iohn 6.53 Except saith our Sauiour ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his bloud ye haue no life in you Whereunto Augustine addeth This speech saith he seemeth to commande a mischiefe therefore it is a figuratiue speech whereby we are commanded to communicate with the sufferings of Christ Iesus and with gladnes to keepe in perpetuall memory that the flesh of the Lord was crucified and wounded for vs. For otherwise it were more horrible as the same Augustine maketh mention in the second booke against the Aduersaries of the law to eate the flesh of Christ Iesus really then to murther him and more horrible to drinke his bloud then to shed his bloud Yet notwithstanding they are not ashamed still to hold maintaine that those words ought to be taken properly So that it appeareth that of very malice for contradiction sake to the end onely that they may withstand the truth they will not acknowledge this to be a sacramentall speech For they are compelled will they nill they in other speeches of the like sort to acknowledge a figure as Genes 17.10 Circumcision is called the couenant and Exod. 12.11 the Lambe is called the Passeouer and Math. 20.22 the Cup is called his Bloud and Luke 22.20 the Cuppe is called the new Testament and 1. Cor. 10.4 the Rocke is called Christ. All these speeches are sacramentall and receiue a kinde of interpretation yet they maliciously prease to deny vs this in these words Hoc est corpus meum which they are compelled to grant in the rest as especially where Paul calleth the rocke Christ. Now when they are driuen out of this Fortresse they flie as vnhappily to the second namely That God by his omnipotency may make the body of Christ to be in heauen and in the bread both at one time Ergo say they it is so If I denied their consequent they would be much troubled to proue it But the question standeth not here whether God may do it or not but the question is Whether God will it or not or may will it or not And we say reuerently that his Maiestie may not will it for though it be true that he may many things which he will not yet it is as true that there are many things which he may not will of the which sort this is and these are reduced to two sorts First he may not will those things which are contrary to his nature as to be changeable as to decay such others for if he might will these things they should not be arguments of any puissance or of any other power but rather certaine arguments of his impotency and infirmity And therefore though he may not will these things he ceasseth not to be omnipotent but so much the rather his constant and inuincible power is knowne Secondly God may not will some things by reason of a presupposed condition as such things whereof he hath concluded the contrary before of the which sort is this which is now controuerted For seeing that God hath concluded that a humane body should consist of instrumentall parts and therefore to be comprehended and circumscribed within one and the owne proper place and also seeing he hath appointed Christ
praise and thanksgiuing for the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing sanctifieth not only thy person but all the benefits which the Lord bestoweth on thy person For that which is true in meate and drinke is true in all the rest of the benefits which are pledges of his mercy in Christ Iesus Now the Apostle testifieth in the 4 to Timothie first Epist. 4. verse that thanksgiuing sanctifieth our meate and drinke and maketh it both holy and wholsome As this is true in these creatures so it is true in all the rest of the benefits and blessings of God So when I looke on this thanksgiuing I am mooued yea I am compelled to marke three things in it first I am mooued to marke the wonderfull goodnesse of God Secondly our horrible ingratitude Thirdly the great arrogancie of the enemies of God the Papists First then I say ye may easily see the goodnesse of God in this forme of praise who when he may require our life our soule and bodie and the whole actions of our life for his benefits yet he is content with a simple kind of praise and thanksgiuing in such sort that if the heart be good suppose we babble with words yet it is acceptable to him As this sheweth his kindnesse and wonderfull mercie on his part so on our part it sheweth our horrible ingratitude that albeit little will content our God yet we will not bestow that little on him it cometh neuer in our mind to thinke it much lesse to do it in deed So this is an intollerable ingratitude vpon our part This ingratitude maketh it come to passe that we possesse his benefits with an euill conscience This maketh it come to passe that the curse of God hangeth ouer all your riches which curse ye either see in your daies or else it is seene after you in your prodigall posteritie And this is onely by reason ye are vnthankfull to God for his benefits I am assured and this ground cannot deceiue me there is none of you that hath purchased any benefit in a good conscience but ye will thanke God for it for a good conscience will neuer shake off the memory of God altogether So when ye forget to thanke God it is an euident argument that the benefit is purchased in an euill conscience For the which cause the curse of God is hanging ouer your riches Which appeareth either in your time or suppose the Lord be long-suffering in your posteritie Then to testifie that the benefits are well come by be thankfull to God for them and purchase nothing but that whereof ye haue a sure warrant in your conscience Now the third thing that I am mooued to marke I say this letteth vs see the horrible arrogancy of the Papists who thinke that they can not onely be thankfull for his benefits in word but also they are able to do him one good turne for another in deede and when after their maÌ„ner they haue satisfied him they make a superplus which they call works of supererogaâ—ion Those their works of supererogation are a superlatiue follie and madnesse which cannot be expressed that whereas the best seruants of God found in experience that by word they were not able to satisfie him they thinke by their deeds to satisfie his infinite goodnesse But I leaue them and go forward He sheweth in the next words the greatnesse of the benefit and he taketh it vp briefly vnder two words after this manner He hath said it and himselfe hath done it he said it in his promise he did it in keeping of his promise he both said and did it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke might appertaine to him he said it freely for I procured the contrary he kept it as freely for the Lord is true suppose all the world be false Ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God the mercie of God in promising the truth of God in keeping and peâ—forming of his promises The mercy of God in promising freely for he is debter to no man and therefore whatsoeuer he promiseth he promiseth freely for there is none of vs can make claime to any better condition then the naturall branches might haue made claime to and if ye list to reade of their naturall inclination ye haue many places of Scripture and in speciall I send you to Deuter. 32. Exod. 32. Isaiah 48. For there speaking of the Iewes the Lord saith I foreknew thy stubbornnesse I saw the sinewes of thy necke were of brasse and thy face of yron I foresaw that thou wouldst remaine false and vnfaithfull yet notwithstanding I made my promise freely vnto thee and as freely as I made it I kept it as feely It is I it is I saith he in the 43. of Isaiah that putteth away thine iniquities it is I that for mine owne name sake calleth not thy sinnes to memorie If this be true in the naturall branches how much more is it true in vs Then we haue nothing to lay betwixt vs the iudgements of God but his mercie freely offered vs in the bloud of Christ Iesus It is God saith he that hath done this As if he would say all the rest are lyars onely God is true and ere he faile in one iot of that he saith he is able to make the world turne vpside downe and to inuert the order of nature as ye may see in the former part of the Chapter in bringing backe of the Sunne by ten degrees And therefore this teacheth vs that there lacketh not in God neither a power nor a will onely on our part there lacketh an hand an instrument to receiue and belieue the promises And therefore suppose there be carts full of promises and as sure promises that there can be nothing surer it is not possible that these promises can auaile any thing except the Spirit prepare a way for himselfe except the Lord create in the soule faith Therefore all your care and diligence should stand in this to craue that with the hearing of the word the Lord would conioyne the working of his Spirit that faith being wrought and the heart being opened fully we may leane and repose stedfastly on the faithfull promises of God In the end of the verse he sheweth a blessed and happie effect which issued out of this notable benefit he saith I shall henceforth all the rest of my yeares walke ouerpassing the bitternesse of my soule As if he would say by this benefit the griefe of my conscience and the terrors and troubles of my soule are remoued He maketh no mention of the rest of the benefits of the health of his bodie of his sure and prosperous estate which was both promised and giuen vnto him But he touched that which troubled him most the griefe of his conscience was the thing that troubled him most and therefore he maketh mention onely of it This bitternesse made such a deepe impression
in his soule that in the 17. verse he calleth it bitter bitternesse he hath no words to expresse this bitternesse what euer it was Where the iudgements of God make such a print in the soule it is long ere sinne can blot it out and so long as the memory of the iudgement remaineth it is easie to be thankfull it is easie to go forward in doing some part of our duty it is easie to stand in aw that we fall not into the hands of God but when we blot out this memory we returne to that same puddle out of the which we were deliuered Therefore I commend to you to craue of God a sanctified memory that ye may kepe fresh the iudgements of God which either ye haue seene in others or felt in your owne bodies that the feeling of these iudgements may serue you to be thankfull to him and may make you to stand in aw and beware to fall into the hands of a consuming fire Now this King finding this benefite so sweete he is compelled to burst forth in the praise of the word of God which brought forth so good an effect And first he praiseth it generally from the good it doeth vnto all men Then he prayseth it in particular from his owne particular experience comfort which he receiued in his owne person This doctrine is necessary and notable for these times First then he praiseth the word from the good it worketh in all flesh By these things sayth he men liue that this by the force of these words it commeth to passe that we enioy the benefite of this naturall life wherby we liue in this body vpon earth For the Lords word calleth on things that are not as though they were and his word maketh them to be By his word he created heauen and earth by his word he gaue man life and breath and whatsoeuer is necessary to him By his word he assigned to him the earth the seasons and bounds of his habitation To this end that man being created according to the image of God he might seeke God and no doubt he is not farre from euery one of vs For as the Apostle sayth Act. 17. In him we liue moue and haue our being And as this is true in this naturall life so is it as true in the entertainment of this life for by the benefit of this word we are sustained For our life standeth not onely in meate and drinke but in euery word that proceedeth out of the Lords mouth Mat. 4. that is in euery thing wherunto the Lord giueth power to nourish For it is the Lords word that giueth power to nourish vs. And suppose meate and drinke were remoued the Lord is able to make stones to nourish vs. This good King acknowledged this good effect to come of the word and therefore he praiseth the word Now after he had praised it from the generall effect he goeth forward and praiseth it from his owne particular experience and he saith in the conclusion of these things The life of my soule standeth that is in thy saying and doing in thy truth and mercy in thy promising and keeping thereof standeth the life of my soule as if the King would say Not onelie haue I this naturall life which I liue in this miserable bodie by the benefite of the word but I haue a more precious life the life of my soule and spirit which discerneth me from the rest of mankind which putteth me in a better estate then the rest of the world which maketh mine heauen to begin here which neuer shall end For as there is a life and death of the body so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the body may be conioyned with the death of the soule and the death of the body may stand with the life of the soule The life of the body standeth in the presence of the soule the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life Except the soule be borne againe by the Spirit of life ye shall neuer see the face of God before the soule be quickned by the Spirit of life it remaineth a dead carion dead in sinne dead in the lusts of the flesh as the Apostle saith Ephes. 2. Colos. 2. And consequently there remaineth but a carriō both in soule body the soule being as void of a spirituall and heauenly life as a carion is of a naturall life The words of the Apostle in that place in sundry places are Dead in sinne dead in trespasses and in the vncircumcised lusts of the flesh Where death hath place life must be wholly extinguished and where death hath place there can neither be halfe life quarter life nor a breath of life But so it is that death hath place in our soule by nature Therefore by nature there cannot be so much as a sparke of that heauenly life in it And if there be not so much as a sparke of life in it where is that halfe or quarter life whereof the Papists speake They will not haue it dead but lamed or crooked The Apostle saith in plaine tearmes that it is dead and therefore that spirituall life must be wholly put out and consequently all kind of will to good and all sight of God in Christ is banished away this death of the soule remaineth perpetually in vs vntill such time that the participation of the Spirit of life which is in the body of Christ Iesus free vs from the law of sinne and from the law of death which is in our owne nature Rom. 8. Now would ye know whether your soule liueth or not Would ye perceiue whether this Spirit of life be begun in you or not I will giue you certaine effects whereby ye may examine the life of the soule There are many effects giuen vs in the Scriptures as namely Gala. 6. But I leaue them choose three speciall effects whereby euery one may discerne of the life of the soule There is first that inward peace of conscience There is next that ioy and reioycing vnder trouble There is thirdly a loue of God a loue of vertue and an hatred of vice where euer any of these three hath place there the soule liueth where thou findest thy conscience refreshed and thy soule recreate from the great terrors manifold pangs of sinne no question the soule liueth for this is the effect of the right Spirit and this is the right peace whereof the world is ignorant that passeth all naturall vnderstanding The more thou makst this peace to grow the more thou liuest in thy soule The more this peace groweth the more sinne decayeth the more thou castest out all that baggage of sin that troubleth the quiet estate of the conscience In a word the onely thing that troubleth the soule that disquieteth the conscience and that we haue to cast out is sinne For sinne is the onely thing that seuereth vs from God in whom there
of the Ministery See then if the iudgement of God pronounced 2. Thes. 2. goeth not fast forward who hath giuen vs ouer as appeareth to be deceiued by the mighty power and working of the Diuell in such sort that euerie man striueth who shall put his appetites furthest in execution Oh! vnhappy and wrathfull countrey that hath so abused the merciful calling and great benignitie of God it is a wonderfull thing to looke vpon this matter and to consider our great ingratitude The more that knowledge groweth the more conscience decayeth as if conscience and knowledge could not both rest in one breast looke to the workes of all men it appeareth that the bringing in of light hath banished conscience which was in the time of darknesse What can be the cause of this that as light groweth the effect of light decayeth It is a thing that passeth the vnderstanding of man and the end of it shall be more then terrible Is it not more then wonderfull that the more that this Countrey is watered with the sauing and heauenly dew the more our hearts are hardened What must this bring forth It must bring forth at the last an eternall consumption which consumption must be so much the greater the greater that our contempt is For it is not possible but that ground which is so oft refreshed with raine and dew and yet bringeth foorth no other thing but thornes and bryars but at the last it must be burnt vp How is it possible that thornes that are prouided for the fire but they must be consumed by the fire And seeing our deedes testifie that we are nothing but thornes of necessitie we must be burnt vp except the Lord worke otherwise then I haue any expectation For the longer that iudgement is delayed it shall be heauier when it lighteth seeing the contempt is so great â—herefore the Lord giue you grace that as ye know there is a Hell and eternity of paine and as ye would eschue it so ye may take vp a new course of life But this cannot be except the Lord worke it by his holy Spirit except he forget our sinnes and assure vs of the remission of them in the blood of Christ. And therefore I haue to craue with you and ye with me that this may come to passe that in the bowels of his mercie we may eschue that terrible damnation from the which the Lord preserue vs for Christ Iesus his Sonnes sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise now for euer Amen THE ELEVENTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 16 O Lord to them that ouerliue them and to all that are in them the life of my spirit shall be knowne that thou causest me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me 17 Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe 18 For the graue cannot confâ—sse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth 19 But the liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I do this day the Father to the children shall declare thy truth 20 The Lord was readie to saue me therefore I will sing my song all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord. 21 Then said Isaiah Take a lump of dry figs and lay it vpon the byle and he shall recouer 22 Also Hezekiah had said What is the signe that I shall go vp into the house of the Lord IN our last lesson welbeloued in Christ Iesus the King entred into the second part of his song And first of all as ye heard he bursteth foorth of hand into the praise of God Then after he setteth downe the greatnesse of the benefits receiued in two words with the chiefe comfort that he found And in respect the comfort flowed from the word of God he entered into the commendation of the word of God Then first of all whilest the King is musing and pausing vpon the greatnesse of the Lords benefits and rauished in admiration of the greatnesse of the workes of God he cannot containe himselfe any longer but the bursteth foorth into the praise of God and saith what shall I say A patheticke and abrupt kind of speech whereby he testifieth that his tongue would not serue him to expresse the matter his heart was so swolne with praise that he was not able to vtter it in any quantitie of words In this doing suppose his words be few yet he sheweth himselfe more thankfull then if he had vttered a million of words So thankfulnesse standeth not in the multitude of sillables and voyces but it standeth in the heart and disposâ—â—ion of the soule Where the Lord findeth the heart thankfull there is no word that can flow from that heart but it is acceptable And howsoeuer the Kings words be few yet in his words he granteth three things First he granteth the benefit was free and freely bestowed Secondly he granteth that he hath nothing to render for it yea not so much as one word much lesse a deed Thirdly he letteth vs see that howsoâ—â—er he was not able to answer to the worthinesse of this benefit yet he was not idle but he vttereth praise as God gaue him the grace for it is not possible that a good conscience and a godly soule can altogether forget God but in the due time it will euer thanke God for his benefits so â—â—at whosoeuer either forgetteth or casteth off this exercise they testifie their wealth to be euill purchased and that there is a curse hanging ouer them and their riches both which curse appeareth either in their owne times or suddainly after in their prodigall posteritie Therefore ye that would haue the curse remooued in time learned to thanke God for his benefits that ye may possesse them with the blessing of God to you and yours Therefore he taketh vp the greatnesse of the benefit and comprehendeth it vnder these two words He said and he himselfe did it he said it in his promise he did it in accomplishing of his promise he did it and said it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke should appertaine to him he said it freely for the King confessed that he deserued the contrarie he did it as freely in keeping his promise For suppose all the world be false yet God remained true ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God his mercie in promising his truth in accomplishing All the promises which the Lord maketh they flow from his mercie and all his accomplishings they flow from his truth His promises from mercy why He is debtor to no man His accomplishings from his truth why He is truth it selfe and there is no promise that he hath made but he will keepe yea he will inuert nature rather as it appeareth in the drawing backe of the
ye will find it the more worthie of praise I am sorie in my heart that our disposition is so euill that we cannot praise him as we would yet howsoeuer it be that we can do it as we would let vs do it as we may according to that measure of grace that is granted to euerie one of vs. And for this default that is in vs let euery one of vs desire pardon following me after this manner Lord be mercifull to our vnprepared hearts Lord behold vs in the righteous merits of thy Sonne and suffer not this euill disposition of ours to be a hinderance to the second deliuerie if peraduenture that Balaak with his Priest Balaam make the second assault But Lord in thy mercies sanctifie our hearts more and more to all thy holy vses that thy mercifull protection may couer vs and being inuironed therewith we shall not be found naked let the furie and rage of the enemie assaile when he pleaseth Let vs I say after this manner be thankfull to God And surely the thankfull memory of this benefit shall be the readie way to purchase the second deliuerie in case as I haue said the enemies of God being possessed with that restlesse spirit of the Diuell make the second assault Thus farre concerning the first benefit The second benefit whereby he sheweth himselfe gracious to his people followeth in the second verse to wit He made his residence with them he dwelt at Shalem as his Tabernacle placed in Sion doth testifie He dwelt at Ierusalem which at that time was called Shalem where his Tabernacle was placed This dwelling of God with his Church is the second benefit wherein he sheweth himselfe gracious to her For suppose it be true that the maiestie of our God replenisheth heauen and earth and is euery where yet it is as true that this God of ours dwelleth not euery where for he dwelleth onely in his Church and among his faithfull For the Lord is farre off continually from the hearts of the wicked as the Apostle saith Therefore the Lord had made as yet his residence and dwelling to be in Sion He dwelt in the hearts and consciences of his owne people of old he gaue them ensignes of his visible presence as was the Tabernacle the Arke as types and ceremonies which were seates of his oracles and gaue many miracles and wonders for the confirming of his presence Now it hath pleased the Lord to translate his Tabernacle from the Iewes to vs and to set downe the ensignes of his presence among vs such as the preaching of his word as ye heare it this day the ministring of his Sacraments as ye see this day and the exercise of discipline as we haue at this time These are the visible ensignes of his presence whereby your senses are informed that the inuisible God dwelleth here he maketh his residence properly in the hearts of faithfull men and women And the Lord dwelleth in his Saints two manner of waies to wit by faith and by his holy Spirit It is by the benefit of faith the Spirit of God that we become the Church of God Temples of his holy Spirit Citizens with the Saints and domesticks of heauen For by this faith our hearts as Peter speaketh Act. 15. are purified whereby Christ Iesus may haue residence in them and as Ephes. 3.17 whereby Christ may dwell in vs. By the same faith againe we are builded on the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles that we may be an habitation to God by his holy Spirit as in the last verse Ephes 2. Then I say if the Lord dwelleth in his Saints by these two manner of waies by faith and by his holy Spirit he dwelleth not substantially in his Saints but he dwelleth so onely in his owne Sonne For the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him corporally By faith and his holy Spirit therefore he maketh his residence with you by the ministerie of his word and Sacraments he testifieth his presence here And surely moe and greater promises Ierusalem had neuer then this Church of ours hath moe notable testimonies of his presence and mightie deliuerances Iudah had neuer then we haue And God dwelt neuer in no nation of the earth at least since the Gospell began so long in such sinceritie and puritie without error or heresie as he hath done with vs. So that if there be any nation vnder the Sunne bound to praise God we are chiefly bound and of all nations we must be most vngrate if his name be not great among vs. But when I looke to the horrible ingratitude answering to this obligation I cannot promise a continuance of this light and presence For will ye looke vnto our answering in our liues the great men in this countrey are become companions to the eues and Pirates oppressors and manifest blasphemers of God and man Ye see murther oppression and bloodshed is the onely thing that they shoote and marke at As to the simple sort of people the prophane multitude they are altogether godlesse there is not such a thing in them as a naturall light whereby they may see God in his works much lesse the supernaturall As to the greatest part of our Priests our Ministers their mouthes haue lost the truth and their persons haue lost their reuerence the Lord hath made them contemptible in the eyes of men And by reason they haue forgot to giue him his due reuerence he hath taken their reuerence out of the hearts of men Well the Lord will not wearie and trouble himselfe perpetually as he hath done these many yeares past in offering pearles to filthie swine to curres and to dogs It is not possible that he should wearie himselfe still but at the last seeing there is no estate of life that testifieth any true loue to his truth therefore it is as ye see the most part of this countrey is giuen ouer alreadie to a strange delusion because they would not receiue his Sonne when he was offered therefore the Lord hath giuen them ouer to a strange delusion And to what I pray you Euen to prefer the leauen of the Pharisies and dregs of Papistrie to the wholsome and blessed word of truth And shal this be the end of these plagues No but in respect of the contempt of the truth their bodies shall be plagued also in the sight of you all whosoeuer they be that haue made foule defection from that blessed truth And vpon this we haue also a petition in the second place to craue of God as in the first place to craue that the Lord of his great mercie in time would preuent this vtter extermination which this great confusion both in Church and policie so terribly threatneth and portendeth For it is not possible that things can euer stand still in this estate but of necessitie either the Magistrate and in speciall the supreame Magistrate must put to his hand and make an end of this confusion or else this
is so wicked and corrupt that it cannot hold it selfe within bounds nor containe it selfe in any mediocrity But as when we finde the fire of Gods wrath in any mesure kindled for sinne we would looke backe to desperation So if the conscience be acquainted long with the ioy with the taste of his mercy and of his peace the diuell in this world deceiueth vs and draweth vs to presumption Therefore as before being cast downe with the consideration of thine owne sinnes so eschue desperation thou withdrawest thy consideration to the mercy of God So now to esâ—hue presumption thou must cast backe thy thoughts to the consideration of thy selfe of thine owne sinnes and iniquities and looke what thou wast before thou wast called to repentance This is the way to hold thee low and humble and to distinguish grace from nature As to the sorts of repentance Of true repentance there are two sorts an ordinary repentance wherein euery Christian is bound to walke all the dayes of his life and an extraordinary and a speciall repentance The ordinary repentance is this when any man after he is called to the participation of grace falleth into some speciall sinne the rising from that sin I call a special repentance as Dauids rising In this ordinary repentance we are commanded all to walke the speciall repentance should waken them that are fallen into one speciall viâ—e or other From the extraordinary we should beseech the Lord to preserue vs. Alwayes if we fall the Lord waken vs. Now ye haue heard the parts of repentance according to the order and diuision which I haue layd There is nothing farther to be spoken of this head except onely this We ought to praise and thanke God for the victory that we haue gotten ouer our selues through him We haue to consider and see how farre we are bound vnto him that he should haue had such a speciall regard vnto vs vile finners that he hath poured out streames heapes and conduits of his mercy among vs which he hath denied to others who in the iudgement of the world were in a better ease then we The consideration of this no doubt will raise a thankefulnesse in vs and moue vs to consider how farre we are bound to so gracious a God As for the gift it selfe seeing it is not in vs we ought euer to be instant in seeking of it Therefore I recommend this repentance to be sought of euery one of you And ere we go further let vs pray for it both to out selues and others Then remember the things that haue bene spoken What is the chiefe thing that yong men should flie to wit the lusts of the flesh what is the chiefe thing that they should follow and strictly pursue the gift of repentance Therefore from your hearts seeke this gift And ere we go forward to the rest of our action let vs pray for it and pray that this matter may haue a good issue and succeede well that for the righteous merits of Christ. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer The Sermon being ended the Minister directeth his speach to the Auditory assembled for the time in effect as followeth IT is not vnknowne to you all welbeloued in Christ Iesus how many means and sundry wayes the Lord hath to waken a sleeping conscience to bring men to the confession of their sinnes and to make them to seeke grace and mercy at his hands And as he lacketh no store of instruments and meanes so it hath pleased him of his mercy to the saluation of his soule who is penitent and to your good example who heare to worke this motion in the heart of this noble man in such sort that he is content from his hart vpon his knees to acknowledge and confesse those sinnes whereby he hath offended the maiesty of God and giuen euill example to the meanest and poorest of you And to let you vnderstand that this confession is willing and from his heart It is true and none of you can pretend ignorance of it that by the liberty of the Actes of our Church and custome receiued it had bene lawfull for him according to the order in his owne Church to haue made satisfaction yet such is the willingnesse of his owne heart that for the better satisfaction of you that are indwellers in this City he is content in this chiefe part and Church of the country and in that same place where he last shed innocent blood to repaire the same and in the presence of you all to seeke mercy at the God of heauen The Lord hath put this motion in his heart and that not suddenly not of late but he informed our brother Iames Gibson along time before his Maiesties departure out of this country and desired him to come and shew vnto vs that he was willing to make satisfactition to the Church not onely for his murther and bloodshed but for taking the name of God in vaine and for euery thing wherein he hath abused himselfe and for all his offensiue rash speeches generally for euery thing wherin he hath offended the least of you Which if we had vnderstood we had made more hastle to require the practise of it sooner Alwaies we haue euery one of vs to thanke God that he hath so moued his heart and to beseech of the Lord that it may be from his hatt that he may declare the effects of it in all time to come Therefore my Lord ye haue no further ado but fall on your knees craue of God mercy and pardon for your sinnes whereby ye haue offended him The Lord of his mercy grant it you THE WORDS WHICH THE EARLE Bothuell c. vttered being vppon his knees I would God that I could make such a Repentance as my heart desireth and I desire you all to pray for it The Lord of his mercy grant it to him and to vs all Amen THE SIXTEENTH SERMON VPON 2. TIMOTHIE 2.15 IN WAY OF EXHORTAtion to the Prouinciall assemblie of the Presbyteries of Louthiane holden at Edinborough the 16. of September 1589. 2. TIMOTHIE 2.15 Studie to shew thy selfe approoued vnto God a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed deuiding the word of truth aright IT is not vnknown vnto you Brethren that in Timothy we haue the true patterne of a Profitable Pastor set down how he should behaue himselfe in all things what he should do what he should leaue vndone what he should follow what he should flie In euery thing he is forewarned but chiefly among many of one thing that he study not to please men that he hunt not for their praise and commendation For why Experience from time to time hath taught that these men haue not onely endangered their owne estate but hazarded also the whole estate of the Church As namely there were two in his owne time in the dayes of Timothy who to get a name
not an interpreter of these words but a peruerter of them Next to see if the meaning be right he must confer theÌ„ with other parts places of the Scripture see how it agreeth with the analogy of faith And if he finde any harmony there is no doubt but the sence is true The third thing that he must do he must take heed how the words are placed in what order they come in what relation they haue to the things that go before and also how they are fastened with the things that follow But he that would interprete truly must chiefly take heede to the Scriptures for all true interpretations must be sought out of the Scriptures for seeing that all truth is contained in the Scriptures there can be no true interpretation but that which floweth from thence Men should not be leaned to where they want Scriptures for no man should vse a lie to interpret a truth and the words of men without Scripture are onely lyes and vanities Also if the interpreter would be sensible as he ought and should be of force he must vse Scripture he must conferre place with place and that thing which he findeth obscurely spoken in one place he wil finde it more clearely spoken in another So many Scriptures are necessary and he that would interprete truely must haue many Scriptures in his memory Therefore we should pray for holy memories for our old memories wil not keep these things they must be sanctified memoryes that shall keep holy things As he must be a faithtull interpreter so he must be a skilfull applier for he must Deuide the word aright It is not ynough that he apply except he apply it also skilfully So application is necessary skilful applicatioÌ„ I say is necessary As it is not possible that we can feede vpon food except it be applied to our mouth as little is it possible that our soules can feede except the food of them be applyed Indeed things would be applyed skilfully for as if the foode be applied to any other part but the mouth the application serueth not euen so it is in spirituall things if they be not applied to the right parts and to the right diseases the applicatioÌ„ may do them more euill then good Therefore it is necessary that he who would do the part of a skilfull applyer do know the faults and diseases of his flocke which is not possible to be done in this Towne except it were deuided into parishes that euery one might haue a reasonable number to come to him that he were acquainted with and accustomed with their manners and behauiour This application is a chiefe point of the Pastors office for there is no edifying beside it there is no obedieÌ„ce to God but by it And therefore as by interpretation he informeth the mind and maketh it to vnderstand what he should do what he should leaue vndone So by application he should subdue the will that it may giue obedience and follow the vnderstanding Then in a word we see that the gift of gouernment and the gift of exhortation are necessarily requisite to be in a Pastor in some measure in such sort that he canot be a Pastor except he haue a part of both these gifts as I haue said in some measure And therefore ye haue to take heede to your admission in admitting of yong men ye should see how they haue profited in both thesâ— gifts And that act which was made in the last prouinciall assembly would be taken heede to that none be placed in this office except he haue learned by time the gift of gouernment together with the gift of teaching in some measure And as for application it is so necessary if it were no more but to turne ouer the very words of the text vpon the Auditory it must not be left yea and the nearer that we go to Gods word the application is so much the better for his word must euer haue a greater force with it then any other word And when the people heare that God speaketh and not man it striketh a great reuerence in the hearts of the auditory And so much the more when we consider the worthinesse and dignity of the subiect whereupon we ought to take these paines and are to intreate The Apostle calleth it here the word of truth The more notable that any subiect is it would be so much the more wisely handled And we haue not such a notable subiect as this for there is not a subiect that hath these epithetes to be called sound wholesome holy and true but this And beside this there is neither health soundnesse truth nor holinesse Therefore we should not choppe nor change with the word as if it were a vaine word but with great humility it would be handled But who is able to do these things or to answer to the meanest part of them These things craue an exact diligence a singular care and a painefull trauell They are not purchased by sluggishnes they will not giue vs leaue to employ our selues else-where but they take the whole man yea the whole thing that he may do if it were more And therefore in respect of this the Apostle vseth the word Study shewing vs that these things are not gotten without study that is without an earnest care and great diligence All things whereunto a Pastor should study may be taken vp in two words In faith and in a good conscience Study we for these two there is no doubt but we shall take heede both to our selues and to our office And these two we cannot keep except we study for the third also which is the keeper of all the rest to wit the holy Spirit We must study to entertaine and nourish him and this is done chiefly by praying in the holy Spirit Therefore we should be acquainted with prayer and be instant in it that the Lord would not withdraw his holy Spirit from vs but rather increase the power thereof from day to day that we might finde by experience and by a sensible feeling the truth of his heauenly promises within our selues and speciallie of that promise of life euerlasting To the which life Christ Iesus that great Pastor of the sheepe who gaue his life for his flocke bring vs. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor praise and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS The heads to be intreated of in this Sermon Definition of conscience with the exposition of the parts thereof To what vses the Lord hath appointed the conscience to serue in the soule of man Application Certaine lessons to be learned by which a man may preserue healâ—h in his soule conscience In what points we should examine our consciences How faith is created in our soules A similitude of the apprehension of the corporall foode to illustrate the spirituall How faith is nourished entertained in vs. Conclusion with an exhortation How a sincere faith is knowne A man renouncing
himselfe is neuer disappointed of his expectation Exhortation Faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith Our faith must be coÌ„tinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting Doubting faith may lodge in one soule 1 Cor. 4. A doubting and weake faith is faith and shall neuer decay The spaâ—kles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle Similitudes shewing that the sparkles of faith though they be couered are not extinguished A sure retreat to repose on in highest tentations A lesson Of loue which is the secoÌ„d point of our triall How the word loue is taken in the Scripture The definition of loue Of our loue toward God Of loue towards our neighbour Conclusion with an exhortation The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament Ephes. 3.9 Ephes. 5.32 The heads to be entreated of in this Sermon 1. The signes in the SacrameÌ„t Why they are called signes 2. What is the thing signified in the Sacrament Question Answer The thing signified must be applyed How the signe the thing signified are ioyned together This coniunction is made cleare by the coniunction betwixt the word and the thing signified thereby How the signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued Considerations thereof The signe the thing signified are offered in two actions by two instruments and after two manners Of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word Anâ—wer 1. By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple word 2. They serue to confirme the truth contained in the word Exhortation Faults whiâ—h peruert the Sacrament Conclusion with an exhortation Of the Supper of the Lord in particular Heads to be intreated of First head generall Of the names giuen vnto this SacrameÌ„t both in the Bible and by the Ancients Second head generall Of the ends why this Sacrament was instituted Third head generall Of the things contained in this SacrameÌ„t outward and inward wherin sundry heads are intreated The thing signified in both the Sacraments is one the signs are not one Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two Two questions What power the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament And how long that power endureth 1. Answer That bread hath that power from Christs institution 2. Answer That power continues during the seruice of the Table An obseruation How the signes the thing signified are coÌ„ioyned in the Sacrament How the signe and the thâ—ng signified iâ— receiued What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament Inconueniences cast in by the Papisâ—s against the spirituall â—eceiuing of Christ in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is supeâ—fluous Refutation of the first Inconuenience Second incoÌ„uenience Refutation of the second inconuenience obiected wherein are sundrie reasons giuen why the wicked are counted guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Exhortation Third inconuenience Refutation of the third inconuenience How the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ. Obseruation Faith is that which couples vs and Christ. Similitude taken from the Sunne Conclusion with an exhortation How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ. Our vnion with Christ by one and the same Spirit Exhortation The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrâ—ment is called a Seale Why it is called an holy Seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the couenant Why the Sacrament should be ministred publikely First reason Second reasoÌ„ Why this seale must be ministred according to Christ his institution None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onâ—ly We call the word in the Sacrament the whole institution Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in the Sacrament What the Papists vnderstand by the word in the SacrameÌ„t The third head in controuersie How the elements are sanctified The word of blessing and thankâ—giuing vsed indifferently expressed by the other How the Papists sanctifie the outward Elements Refutation of the doctrine transubstantiation by three sorts of arguments The first sort of argument Second sort of argument Third sort of argument Other arguments vnto the same effect Their last râ—fuge The reason that moues the Papists to thinke thâ—t Christs body cannot be present in the Sacrament except it be really carnally and substaÌ„tially present Obseruation The diuerse opinions coÌ„cerning the presence of the body of Christ in the Saâ—rament How a thing is said to be present and absent How the bodie of Christ is present The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists Conclusion with an exhortation Heads to be intreated in this Sermon First lesson Second lessoÌ„ The time when the King fell into this disease Obseruation Doctrine The Prophet visiteth the King and inioyneth two things to him The dutie of the Pastor toward his diseased brethren The first omission that appeareth to be in this denunciation The second omission The third omission The King behauiour in this disease The Kings behâ—uiour makes vs certaine of his faith and repentance The Kings gesture in his disease The words of his prayer Dan. 6.23 1. Cor. 4. A wonderfull thing to haue recourâ—e vnto the same God who smiteth â—esson Recapitulation Diâ—isâ—on First lesson 2. Lesson 3. Lesson Doctrine The circumstance of peace Third circumstance The comfort that the King receiued Why mention of Dauid is here made Why Dauid is called Hezechias Father What maketh vs the sonnes of God 1. Lesson 2. Lesson A fault to be eschued in Ionas person Application to the King A vertue to be followed in Esaiahs person Doctrine Application The points of the comfort that the King receiued Obseruation Application Obseruation Exhortation to the Kings Maiestie Recapitulation The heads of doctrine to be intreated of The cause why he sought a signe How the wicked seeke signes Some refuse signes when they are offered How the signe was shewed Why the signe was wrought in the diall Why it was wrought in the body of the Sunne What profite is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer in procuring this signe Why the Lord willeth vs to pray Application The Kingâ— thankfulnes for the beneâ—ite receiued The parts of the Kings Song A short sum of the Kings life A Christians chiefe exercise The first part of the song The diuersity of seeking death in the wicked and godly The way to eschue the feare of death Application The reason why deaâ—h was grieuouâ— to him Application The second reaâ—on why death was grieuous to the King How God was said to be seene of old Application The third reaâ—on why death was grieuous to this King Applicatâ—on What is worthy of praise or reprofe in these reasons Conclusion with an exhortation Recapitulation The heads to be treated of in this SermoÌ„ The manner of the transportation of the