pecâ—atorum as Syrach calls it a sin which first began in heaven and tumbled the first abetters of it down to hell That Epidemicall sin which hath infected the race of all mankinde and like a most malignant disease runs thorough all his veines from that man of sin the King of all the children of Pride as Job terms the Leviathan who hath the horns of the Lamb but the mouth of the Dragon with which he speaketh proud words Unto the lowest sinner amongst the sonnes of men is this pestilence dispersed those which have seemed most to trample upon pride and made pretences of voluntary humility have done it with greater pride as Plato said of Diogenes when he â—ord upon his chair with greater Pride then ever he sate in it greater pride below often goes about to pull down lesser pride above I must not stand to tell you what the pride of our self conceit is the magnifying of our selves the despising of our Brethren our high looks and proud stomacks the heighth of our apparell the glory of our Pompe how we perch up to the highest twig of our estate till the boughs will not bear us how we look down like the sonnes of Anack upon our brethren as Grashoppers how full every vain of us is of this vice it is enough to see it and to say Woe now unto us that we have sinned The next sin is covetousnesse Amor sceleratus habendi the root of all evill as the Apostle calls because it gives nourishment and groweth to all other sins even pride it self hath grown up by it Idolatry Prophanation Sacriledge Extortion and infinite others are troupers in this band the love of Mammon hath begotten it the wages of Balaam and the booty of Gâ—bazi and the Vineyard of Nâ—both have maintained it This also is our sin and woe is unto us that we have sinned These two Pride and Coveteousnesse have their residence in the heart have usurped Gods mansion and left him no room there But The third sin is Swearing which is a cankar in the mouth an open Sepulcher in the throat a sâ—ink that doth ascend to heaven which infects the sacred name of God the true Generall of Blasphemies perjuries lyings c. It is a sin which crucifies Christ a new and tears his very wounds and body in peeces and sheds his pretious bloud again a sin which never goes without a curse a long with it which the jealous God will not let go unrevenged This also is our sin and woe is unto us that we have sinned I will but name another a capitall sin among the Armies of Lucifer it is Drunkennesse the ring leader to adulteries quarrels wounds distempers to profannesse uncharitablenesse swearing flyes into the face of God but drunkennesse defaces the image of God he is the sepulcher of the creatures of God nay he is his own sepulcher being entombed in his own bowels It is a sin which began with the new world and hath been cryed down by the Prophets Apostles Fathers Pastors of the Church and yet they have not prevailed it is a crying sin which maketh a loud noise in Gods ears and it is our sin also woe now unto us that we have sinned I have named these four because of the four woes we spake of before and indeed if you peruse but the fifth chapter of Isaiah you shall finde a severall woe threatned to each of them I must not go about to number the rest I cannot do it I must say with the Psalmist Oh how great is the summe of them and set that at the foot of the accompt I can shew you but a part of this great Army as Balack shewed Bâ—laam but let that be enough to make you curse them all and say â—â—â—â—â— unto us that we have sinned Let us not now put them off and say these are indeed the sins of the times with Saul the people have sinned Justus est accusator suâ— true repentance accuseth none but it self I have sinned saith David we have sinned we have done wickedly saith Daniel We our selves are the men me me adsum qui fici in me convertite flaminat they are our sine that have troubled Israel say it though to the shame of our faces â—ertul Let not us be ad delinquendum expandentes frontem ad deprecandum subducenter Let us say it and give God glory by our saying it as Joshnah taught Aâ—han but to our own shame and the consusion of our faces Foâ— woe now unto us that we have sinned I le give you one observation more from the Text woe now unto us the pain that is present so we are to judge so it would be iâ— that great Judge of all do not forbear us but the sin that is past the pleasure that was in it that iâ— gone that we have sinned this is ever the sting of sin The fruit that it brings forth is shame the reward it leaves behinde is death all the worth of it is woe Woe now unto us that we have sinnod What remains now but that the sence of our misery and the sight Exod. 31. 31. of our sins like Aâ—ton and Hur make us bold up our hands with Moses unto God in crying That ceremony is not out of season now it is all that remains and let us cry a great and a strong cry unto God saying O Lord we have sinned a grievous sin therefore if thou pardon our sin thy mercy shall appear and let us withall beleeve assuredly that for the strong crying of his sonne he will hear our faithfull and unfained though but weak and feeble cryes for his satisfaction which be once made he will forgive our sins and accept of our repentance To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three Persons but one God blessed for ever be all praise and glory now and ever Amen THE THIRD SERMON 1 COR 10. 16 17. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ 17. For we that are many are one bread and one body because we are partakers of one bread THese words are an argument of the Apostle and such an argument which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken ab axiomate concesso against which there could be no disputing he appeals to themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were able to judge of the truth of it and if to judge then to contradict it if not true 1. Two things are to be taken notice of about it 1. The Coherence 2. The Inference the cause of it and the case The first is the point of Idolatry from which he diswades his Corinthians verse 14. My beloved flee from Idolatry for Idolaters have fellowship with Divels and I would not have you which drink of the Cup of the Lord drink of the cup of divels which are partakers of the Lords table be partakers of the table of
divels verse 20 21. Neither indeed can there be any communion between Christ and Belial now they might possibly except Though they did eat of things sacrificed to Idols yet they did not beleeve they had any communion with divels or that they were in so doing made partakers of the table of divels The Apostle answers that reply by a double argument The one taken from Israel after the flesh which did still observe the ceremonies of the Law and the legall sacrifices are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the Altar verse 18. and if of the Altar then of the Idol which is over the Altar and though the Idol be nothing yet of the Divell to whom the Gentiles sacrifice in the Idol verse 19. The other argument taken from the Christians which are after the spirit which have an Altar too Heb. 13. 10. though only mysticall and far superiour to theirs because more spirituall of which they which are partakers all worthy receivers have a communion with the things signified upon the Altar The Corinthians themselves were not ignorant of that the Apostle speaketh unto them as men that understood it was so verse 15. he carries it not out upon his own authority buâ— with their knowledge and assent The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ and if there be communion in these there is communion in those if with God and Christ in his Altars then with the Idoll and the Devill in his Altars This is the coherence and the inference of the Text. This being already affirmed by the Apostle and acknowledged by the Corinthians for his interrogation is it not is Emphatica affirmatio the whole argument is grounded upon an Hypothesis which must not be denied we maâ—e no more work to prove it but waite upon the Holy Ghosts further illustration of it as he shall enable me and your patience permit There is one word for the most part praedominant in every Text in this the word Communion is it it is the chief veine in the body of it and runs through every line and part and it is very fit for the season Communion now especially to be spoken of when there is so much need of Communion when faction and division have made the thoughts of our hearts otherwise too great there to have some thoughts of communion That you may know what it is the better you may consider three Communions in the Text they make each of 3 Communions them a severall part The first is Sacramentall between the signs and the things signed 1 Calicis The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The second is the Spirituall between the things signed and the 2 Capitis receivers We are all partakers of one bread which though last in the Text is the second to be inserted because by the Apostle it is made the cause of The third Communion which is mysticall between the receivers 3 Corporis and themselves one with another for we that are many are one bread and one body or to read the words more agreeable to the originall and therein I have the judgement of Beza Because there is but one bread we that are many are one body The first of these is peculiar to the season the Sacrament at the solemnity of the Sacrament and the ground of the other two For first there is Communio Calicis and from thence springs the second our Communion with Christ which is Capitis and the third our communion one with another which is Coâ—poris Saint Austine affirms them all Sacramentum Pietatis vinculum charitatis signum unitatis in Johan Tract 27. I call them all Communions because they are all cum unione and where there is union there needs must be communion Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall be sayd only of the first which is Sacramentall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the other which is mysticall yet they are made to differ but as the effect and the cause the ancient translations know no difference between them these last ought to have as full and as firm communion as the first the end of that being to effect these the Sacramentall Communion for our spirituall which is with Christ our head and for our mysticall which is with one another our body Ideo institutum ut corpus in terris capiti quod est in Coelis coadunetur Aug. Ser. 28. in Erem I begin with the first Communio Calicis the Sacramentall Communion and that because it is the seale of all the rest the cement of all our 2 Calicis Communions the Union of Communion The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break c. Now a Communioniâ—s rightly defined a relation between two or 2 Paciâ— union of two or more in one thing which is common In the sacrament are two things 1 The signes 2 The things figned These two by the 1 Outward signe vertue of Divine operation are made one and thence is the Sacrament rightly styled A Communion untill this Union come there is no Communion at all res terrena Coelestis which Iraeneus makes the parts of the Sacrament never come together they are at distance look how high the heaven is from the earth nec verit as signo nec virtus Sacramento saith Cyprian till they meet in one conjunction no truth there 2 I ward gracâ— in the signe no mercy here from the things signed till mercy and truth both meet all the vertue in the Sacrament is in the Union of the parts and when that Union is there is then a Communion Take we a view of the parts we must know them first before we can say any thing of their Union or of the Communion of them The first is res terrena the outward and visible signe which is in 1 Ouâ—waâ—d fight effect but one though in number two even as the thing signed one invisible grace or as St. Bern saith rather unus Christus in quo est omnis gratia formally the signes and the things figned are but one but materially two saith the School They are two in number so delivered by Christ at the first Institution so exhibited by the Apostle at the reinstauration and so received by our Church and all places where rightly received at the Solemnization and these two severally considered and not joyntly the Bread asunder from the Wine the better to illustrate the death and passion of our Saviour which was in the separation of his Blood which is the life from the Body but after they are received they come together again as they did this day the Resurrection Christ now dying no more The Commemoration is of Christs death butthe Communion of
Christ alive The signes being two in number are severally to be represented so in the Text as they are at the time we consider them in that Order the Apostle layes them down and content our selves with that reason which Hiereme and Anselme give for his speaking of the Cup first because he had more to speak of the bread last not to invert the Order by a figure but to divert his speech whither he first intended it Bread being a more proper Symboll of Union than Wine not so soon falling into parts not so easie a subject of separation as that is and of Union his intent was to speak The Cup that is first mentioned in the Text by a Synecdoche it is 1 The Cup. put for the Wine in the Cup That which is in the cup St. Chrysost reades it The Papists which boast so much of their keeping the literall sense of the Sacrament allow of this figure no man was ever so much est ranged from common speech as not to understand it The Wine is the figne the Cup by a figure put for it but yet it is not the Wine in any cup. The Psalmist speaks of one In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup and the Wine is mixt his enimies shall drink the drâ—gs of it And in Jeremy there is a cup of Wine of indignation those that did drink of it did spue and fall and rise no more The Apostle distingâ—â—es from that and calls it The Cup of blessing The Scripture useth commonly to expresse the blessing of God by the Metaphor of a cup the abundance of blessing by the filling and overflowing of a cup Psal 23. 5. The Navell of the Spouse was as a round Cup Canâ— 7. â— The Heathen used to crown their cups in the time of plenty and Calvin reports that the Jews seats had their cup an holy drinking in which consisted the solemnity of their action and thence seems to come the Cup of Salvation the Psalmist speaks of which they used to drink at their solemn meetings in a gratulatory remembrance of their Deliverance these are all farre inferiour unto that our Apostle speaks of which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calls the Cup of blessing Two wayes it may be called the Cup of blessing First from Gods blessing for us 2. From our blessing of God for it 1. Gods blessing of it for us the words of Institution are He took the Cup and blessed it in which there is a double power 1. A power of Consâ—cration 2. A power of Sanctification By the first the Cup is made a Symboll separated from a civill or common use to a religigious and holy intendment By the second the Symboll is made effectuall to incorporate a right receiver into Christ whereof it is made a Symbol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will extend to both whichis the word for both Oecumeni us takes it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is consecrare Beza for the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sanctificare Of the first there are infinite examples in the old Testament blessing of the Sacrifices the consecrating of them Of the second we have a pregnant one in thenew every Creature of God is good and is sanctified by the Word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 5. Both these make the Sacrament necessarily to beof Divine Institution none but God may appoint his figne none blesseit but he to make it effectuall to the receiver other Creatures are of his blessing in his first Institution they had that Gen. 1. and by his blessing of them we receive all our benefit from them but that was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bare word and man lives by that Every word which coneth from the mouth of God Matth. 4. 4. But in his second Institution there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good Word of God much good must needs come from that the Creature the Cup which is blessed with it is indeed the Cup of blessing Besides the true effects of it in a worthy receiver make it appear a Cup of blessing it is the onely fap of our Spirituall life the Autidote against the deepest Consumption the water of life which whosoever drinks worthily shall never thirst any mâ—re Haustus ej us neihi Nectar erit it is the Wine of Angels the Cup of Salvation the Waters of Comfort the Spring-Head of eternall happines In many things Christ hath deserved well at our hands but in none so much as this Super omnia it reddit amabilem bone Jesu Calix redemptionis meae saith Bernard it is a Cup of spiced Wine Cant. 8. 2. Christ kept the good Wine till the last and then gives it to his friends to drink to his welbeloved to â—ake her merry Cant. 5. 1. it is a cup for the sad heart to chear it for the merry heart to confirm it to quench our spirituall thirst to cure our spirituall grief well may it receive from us these Eulogies which receive by it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much blessing There is Isaacs blessing The Dew of Heaven in it and Calebs blessing the springs above in it and that which is above all and worth all there is Gods blessing it is the Cup of blessing from his blessing of it for us that first and that is poculum benedictum as well as benedictionis 2. From our blessing of God for it The Cup of blessing which we blesse there is the same word for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but yet not altogether of the same sence Aliter nos Deum aliter Dens nos God blesseth with power and maketh that to be of force which he saith we blesse God withpraise Gods blessing is reall ours but verball His cum effectu ours at the best but cum affectu his is operativè his word is ever a work with all ours only optativè it is the greater only that can blesse the lesser according to that of the Apostle effectually and he is the greatest we the least but ei benedicimus cum de co bene dicimus we blesse him when we speak well of him when we confesse his praise when we speak well of him though so well as he hath deserved of us we cannot speak And hence is the Sacrament called Eucharistia which is a giving of praise and thanks which is the word of institution Matth. 26. 27. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall are Synonima saith Beza to give praise and thinks and to blesse And yet this is not all the blessing is intended Cui benedicimus hath reference to the Cup we blesse the Cup as well as God for the cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Oecumenius The consecration of it is the blessing of it the setting it a part to an holy use the praising of God for it the praying unto God for a blessing upon it all these doth the word of blessing extend unto and one thing more
Rem terrenam Câ—lestem we come now to the Communion or their coming into one to make up the Sacrament though the one part be on earth the other in heaven and look how high the heaven is from the earth yet they may meet they must meet else there will be no Sacrament at all Nulla virtus Sacramento saith Cyprian they must be in Common or there will be no Communion and then the Text will not be true which saith The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Bloud of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communiâ—n of the Body of Christ Communion is ever cum unione when two or more meet in one 2 The Coâ—â—â—en there is a Communion It is divers wayes either by nature which is Physicall as when soul and body are united into one person there is Communion between them by reason of thaâ— union Secondly by miracle which is Metaphysicall as when two Natures God and man were united into one Christ There is also Communion between them by virtue of that Union neither of these is this heer for it is no substantiall no Hypostaticall Vâ—ion and yet the Fathers have used both these to illustrate this Communâ—on Thirdly by locall coberence as when many stones are in one heap Fourthly by actuall inexistence as where accidences as colours c. are in one ubject none of these yet for the body and bloud of Christ may not be thought to be Locally Actually any where but in Heaven The Heavens must contain him till his second and last coming There is yet another way Fiftly Intellectually Sacramentally which consists in meer relation which is the nature of Communion Sacramentall Union is that Communion we speak off and it consists in a Mysticall and Mutuall relation between the signes and the things signed Sacramentum est rei Sacrae signum is Saint Austins definition and allowed and approved by all when the signe comes to signifie the sacred thing it comes to be a Sacrament and this coming is the Communion We look to two things 1. The cause of it 2. The effects First Divine institution is the cause The Rain-bow it is generally 1 The cause agreed upon was before the floud yet was not any signe of the promise of God of not destroying the world with a deluge till after the floud it was in nube to be seen there but not signum in nube till God first appointed it his signe to Noâ—h The Wine in the Cup the Bread on the Table were in use before blessed in their creation for temporall food but not in any use to a spirituall life till blessed again at their institution they were not signes of any sacred things till God appointed them his signes to his Apostles and as words which come to the ears are signa rerum of those things which the minde means to expresse if aptly appointed and do conveigh the very things to the understanding of the Auditor if he be quick you would wonder at it to see how soon at a word speaking a thing of never so great distance can come to his knowledge so these earthly things which are signa rei sacrae which come unto the eyes and the other senses being aptly appointed by the first institutor do conveigh unto the faith of the worthy receiver the very things themselves and though they were before at never so much distance they come to be present to our faith as other things expressed by words are to our reason and sence To make signes of such belongs only unto him which can give the things and his body and bloud none can give but himself none can make a signe to be a means to conveigh it to be apledge to confirm it but he the Elements are empty and non significant Accedat verbum ad Elementum saith Austin his word his work that comes and it becomes a Sacrament the signe is made effectually to signifie the sacred thing and that making a signe is the cause of the Relation of the Communion first Secondly being so made by the virtue of the Divine Institution 2 The effects the effects of Sacramentall Communion follow The signes themselves have a Communication of the Proprieties of the things signes Communicatio Idiomatum is the chief effect As by the Hypostaticall Union of the two natures in Christ the humane nature is invested into the Divine the manhood being assumed is allowed to carry away the properties of the Godhead in the person of Christ And thence comes it that the Son of God is called the Son of man and the Lord of life was crucified and slain The Mother of God the Bloud of God are usuall speeches with the Fathers so in this Sacramentall Union by virtue of that Communion in the words of institution the Bread is called the Body of Christ the Wine his Bloud When we give the Bread we say The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ c. the Cup we say The Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ The Bread though it be res terrena is called Panis vitae the food of Angles the Bread which came down from Heaven The food of the soul Panem Dominum S Cyprian calls it and not only Panem Domini and all this per Metonymiam signi because of the Communion it hath with the things signed with the Body of Christ Neither is this Communion only nominall but also reall the very substance of Christs Body and Bloud is by it communicated to worthy receivers they are verily and indeed taken and received of the faithfull saith our Church Not in the signes essentially but by the signes effectually for we must hold us to this that the Union is not Physicall nor Metaphysicall not Essentiall nor Locall but Intellectuall and Sacramentall and yet reall and not only nominall Ask what the Bread and Wine is I answer the Body and Bloud of Christ Ask me how or which way I answer Sacramentally because they are the Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ and not that properly neither for a substance cannot be a Relation but by a Metonymy of the effect because they make us partakers of the Body and Bloud of Christ they are called the Communion of his Body and Bloud And being Communis substantiae they are also Communio efficaciae they make us partakers of the merit of Christs Body and Bloud those things ever bring their worth and dignity with them remission of sins redemption sanctification salvation all graces come along with Christ in quo est omnis gratia Habent omnia qui habent deum habentem omnia St August And as there is Communion with them so there is communition from them we may not amisse take the word Communio a Communiendo that is to be reckoned among the benefits we receive so our Church reckons it the strengthening of our souls Vis semper fortior in Vnione nothing can prevail against earth when heaven