The Body desireth Sleepe in excesse This must bee punished with watching or if wee bee not able to watch all night yet as Christ saith to Peter Wee Mat. 26. 40. must force our selues to watch one houre with Christ and that houre is to be spent in holy Meditations in Prayer and Deuotion to God 2. The Flesh desireth to enioy a beautifull person This must bee punished by making a Couenant with our eyes not to thinke vpon Iob 37. 1. a woman 3 Worldly Sinnes are Couetousnesse Ambition Thirst after the outward commodities of the World And these must be punished by the Purse First by making restitution of whatsoeuer wee haue gotten contrarie to the law of God Secondly by being bountifull in deeds of Piety to the Priests of God and the Ministers of the Gospell Thirdly in being liberall in deeds of mercy to the poore members of Christ Now because euery one is not of Iudgment to know the right Quantum of all these ingredients to repentance how much hee must take of each therefore hee is to resort to some vnderstanding Priest who is to prescribe how much or how little will serue the turne for so the people did in the Old Testament and Saint Paul takes vpon him to doe it in the New for hee prescribes a Sufficit to the incestuous Corinthian 2 Cor. 2. 6. But here we are to take heed of a Common error which possesseth the most men of these times For many are perswaded that Repentance may bee performed in a moment of time But they are grossely deceiued for all these seuen forenamed duties cannot bee done in a moment but require some good space of time Therefore God saith Dedi illi tempus ad poenitendum I gaue her a space and time to repent in And as Apoc. 2. 21. there must bee a space to exercise the grace of Repentance in so there must bee a certaine place assigned to it for euery place is not fit for this exercise And therefore the Prophet Zachary would haue vs to separate Zacharâ— our selues from company when we goe about to set our selues in the state of Repentance And Saint Peter did put it in practise in his owne person for he went out from company first and then wept bitterly Math. 26. â—â— And hee deliuereth the same in doctrine The Lord would haue no man to perish but 2. Peter 3. â— would haue men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to separate themselues to repentance I haue staied the longer vpon this point because as there is no saluation without Repentance so there can be no profitable accesse to the Lords Table without it But the Law is not onely a Looking-glasse but also our Schoolemaster to bring Galat. 3. 24. vs to Christ to the Gospell Therefore I proceed now to the Second matter concerning which wee are to make our Examination and that is Faith and it consisteth of two things Knowledge and Application Touching Knowledge euery Knowledge Communicant is bound to know three generall poynts of Christian Religion These as also the Summe of all which Christians are bound to beleeue are contained in the Creed which consisteth of three generall parts The first part whereof concerneth God the Father the second God the Sonne the third God the Holy Ghost The Maine part of the Creed Of Christ is that which concerneth Iesus Christ Wherein I am taught to beleeue with my heart That Iesus Christ is very God begotten of the Father from all eternitie before all worlds and the same Christ is True Man borne of Mary the Virgine This God-man and Man God is my Lord who when I was vtterly perished and damned redeemed mee from Death and from the power of Sathan not with Golde or Siluer but with his owne holy and precious Blood and by his vndeserued Death Passion that I might be His owne and might liue in his Kingdome and serue Him without seruile feare in perpetuall holinesse righteousnes of life euen as he rose from the dead and now liueth and raigneth for euer I beleeue that there is no Saluation but by him onely no fruition of God but through him He purchased Saluation and Redemption not for me onely but for the 1 Iohn 2. 2. whole world But the Benefit of Redemption Of the Sacrament is an vniuersall benefit and belongeth to all Mankinde yet all mankind are not partakers of it None doe ordinarily pertake of it but such as haue it passed vnto them vnder Seale The Seales which God vseth to apply vnto mee in particular that which Christ wrought for all the world in generall are the Two Sacraments Baptisme and the Communion of Christes Body and Blood And heere comes in the necessitie of Faith concerning the Sacraments for they are both of them Sacramenta Fiâ—â—i Sacraments of Faith so called by the Fathers because the Mysteries in them contained are not to be iudged by our Senses nor discussed by Reason but to bee apprehended and receiued by Faith onely In Both the Sacraments there bee two things to be considered there is an earthly Thing which we see and feele with our outward Senses and there is an heauenly and spirituall thing or grace which wee cannot see but by Faith Both these parts are inseparably vnited and cannot be separated one from another He that is rightly fitted for the receiuing of the Sacrament doth receiue both these parts together namely the earthly with the heauenly and the heauenly with the earthly which are so inseparably conioyned by God in a Sacramental vnion that he that goeth about to separate them must needs run himselfe vpon a curse But as wee are not to diuide and disioyne one part from an other so wee must take heed that we doe not confound them one with another but keepe them distinct As for example We know that in the Person of our Sauiour Christ there are two seuerall Natures viz. the God-head and the Man-hood The Nature of Man is not the Nature of God nor is the Nature of God the Nature of Man The one is not turned into the other neither are they blended and mingled one Nature with the other but both remaine distinct in the same person yet are they so indissolubly vnited by personall vnion that Death was not able to sunder or separate them For howsoeuer at the death of Christ his Soule was separated from his Body and his Bodie sundered from his Soule yet euen when hee lay in the graue both the parts of his Humane Nature Body and Soule were as neerely vnited to his Godhead as they were at his Birth or are now in heauen So to restraine my speech to the Communion There are two distinct and seuerall things in the Sacrament an Earthly as Bread and Wine and an Heauenly sc the Body and Blood of Christ The Body of Christ is not turned into the Bread neither is Bread turned into the body of Christ Nor is the one blended or mingled
conuerting from Sin to God But S. Paul had studied the case thoroughly and He teacheth vs otherwise viz. That Repentance is a great deale different from godly sorrow for godly sorrow saith he causeth Repentance so that Repentance is an effect or fruite of godly sorrow and godly sorrow is the cause of repentance so that Sorrow and Repentance are not the same For Nihil est causà suiipsius Nothing is cause of it selfe Secondly some take it to be no more but Conuersion that is a leauing off to sinne and a turning to God But Conuersion is an Antecedent of Repentance and Repentance is a consequent of Conuersion as the Prophet Ieremie teacheth Surely after that I conuerted Ierem. 31. 19. then I repented So that Conuersion goeth before Repentance and Repentance followeth after Conuersion Saint Paul tells vs that Repentance is another manner of matter and consists of seuen parts An Inuentory whereof he deliuereth vnto vs For behold this godly sorrow what great 2 Cor 7. 11. carefulnesse it hath wrought in you yea what Apologie or defense yea what indignation yea what feare yea what earnest desire yea what emulation yea what reuenge or punishment These are the seuen parts of the body of true Repentance and acording to these seuen we are to examine our Consciences For true repentance requireth the whole man that is the vnderstanding part the Affections and the Body 1 The vnderstanding part must shew it selfe in Carefulnesse and Apologie 2 The Affections are to bee exercised in Indignation Feare Desire and Emulation 3. The Body in Reuenge or Punishment First then to make our Repentance sound it is required that wee bee carefull to auoyd sinnes to come and to do with diligence the works that God commands vs. This is the first part of the Body of Repentance and it pertaines to the Superiour part of the Soule the Vnderstanding and is a part of Prouidence 2 The second Act of Repentance which belongeth to the vnderstanding part is Apologie or Defence Where the Apostles meaning is not that any man should make an Apologie for his sins for he that hideth or excuseth his sins shall not prosper saith Solomon but that euery good Christian should be able to make a iust Apologie for the Truth and Sincerity of his godly sorrow for his sinnes 2 The vpper part of the Soule 1. the vnderstanding is charged with those two actions But the lower part of the Soule in matter of repentance is charged with foure Affections viz. 1. Indignation 2. Feare 3 Desire 4. Emulation 1 Indignation hath respect to Sinnes past 2. Feare is in regard of Sins to come 3. Desire hath an Eye to good things 4. Emulation hath a reference to good Persons 3 Indignation hath the first place because it is an Affection of Anger most properly belonging to Repentance Carefulnesse is a part of Prouidence But Repentance propperly is a part of Iustice vindicatiue and to vindicatiue Iustice no affection so agreeable as Anger and Indignation Wee are then to conceiue Anger against our selues for our sinnes and euery Anger will not serue the turne but it must be an high kind of Anger Indignation Now indignation presupposeth an indignity done By our sinnes wee offer indignity to God and to our owne Soules and therefore we are to conceiue great indignation against our selues for committing such indignities against so good and so great a Maiestie 4 The fourth part of our Repentance must bee an holy Feare in regard of the Time to come to fall into any sin 5 The fifth is an earnest Desire to please God in all things and to doe euery good dutie which he commandeth in his Law 6 The sixth is an holy emulation of Gods persons in striuing to match them in graces and vertues and if it bee possible to ouer-match them 7 The seuenth thing required is Reuenge or Punishment which is the very perfection and complement of Repentance without which Reuenge non agitur sed fingitur poenitentia our repentance is no repentance but hypocrisie The only way to escape the Iudgement of God in another world is to sit in iudgement against our selues in this world to giue sentence against our selues for our offences so Saint Paul teacheth If wee 1 Cor. 11. 31. would iudge our selues we should not bee iudged of the Lord. But after iudging of our selues and giuing sentence against our selues wee must streight proceed to execution and punishing of our selues for our sins for so we shall escape Eternall punishment in another world For Non erit gemina afflictio as the Prophet Nahum speaketh God will not punish twise for the same offence So that to d Wee must ioyne Reuenge of our selues with Iudging of our selues 1 Cor. 11. 31. Indicare we must necessarily ioyne Vindicare and so take vengeance of our selues for our 2 Cor. 7. 11. sinnes here that we may escape the eternal vengeance of God in Hell-fire Now the Fathers grounding themselues vpon the Scriptures haue distinguished sins into these three kinds viz. Spirituall Carnall worldly Sins of the Soule Sinnes of the Flesh Sinnes of the World And there is in Scripture a seuerall punishment set downe for euery seuerall kinde of these Sinnes 1 The Soule hath two parts Superiour and Inferiour Superiour Sins perteining to this are Pride contempt of God c. 2 Sins of the Inferiour Irascible part are wrath desire of reuenge for wrongs done 2 Lusting after vanities The Soule is a fliting thing neuer at rest but euer rouing abroad thorow a thousand desires the way to punish it is to call it home and to force it to settle vpon some vnpleasing obiect as to call to remembrance Esay 38. the yeeres of our life fore past in Amaritudine animae to tye it to thinke vpon Death and Iudgement Hell which will soone pull downe the pride of it The Irascible part we must punish by studying to be quiet and patient to put vp wrongs and be ready to forgiue The Lusting part is to be punished by setting our affections and Desires on good things or things that are aboue 2 Sinnes of the flesh are Vncleannesse Drunkennesse Gluttony ease sleepe c. For these Saint Paul saith Castigo corpus I beate downe my body 1 Cor. 9. 25. and bring it in subiection The Body desires to fare well in meats and drinkes This wee must punish by fasting either a From all sustenance as Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 17. Exod. 10. 6. à toto or if that we cannot do yet b From such a quantitie and but only gustare Acts 10. 13. à tanto If that our health will not permit that yet to fast c From such kind of meates as Dan. 10. 3. à tali from dainties and incentiues to sinne The Body desireth Ease to lye soft and richly in beds of Downe and Iuory This wee must punish 1 Sam. 12. with Dauid by lying hard as vpon the bare ground c.
Curse to saue me from the curse and make mee blessed that he suffered shame to saue mee from shame and crowne mee with glorie c. And there at the Communion Table am I so to collect and gather vp my stragling thoughts that shutting out of my minde all other cogitations I am so to settle my selfe as if None were there present but God the Father and God the Sonne and I my selfe God the Father who is the person offended I who am the offendor and Christ who hangs on the Crosse as my Pawne and Suretie to pay my Debt suffering all that which is due vnto mee And if I aske the reason why God gaue his Sonne to doe and suffer all this for my sake or why the Son of God would suffer it I shall finde none but the great infinite loue to me who deserued no loue at all but rather all hatred and vengeance from them It was in God his incomprehensible loue that caused him to giue his Sonne to mee and for mee God so loued the Iohn 3. 16. world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne c. This loue of Gods is a Sic without any Sicut beyond all comparison nothing that euer was or shall bee may stand in comparison with it God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne It is as much saith Saint Augustine as if some mightie Monarch who had but one only Sonne should haue in his Kingdome a miserable poore Subiect fallen into a desperate disease that were not curable by any meanes in the world but by washing himselfe in a Bath made of the bloud of the young Prince And the King should so farr tender the health of that poore Snake that hauing but one Sonne and him the Hope of his posteritie and Heire of his Kingdome hee should cause all his veynes to bee opened and all his bloud euen to the very last drop to be emptied out of his Sons body to the losse of his life and all this to saue the life of a meane fellow of no parts or deserts at all Such saith Saint Augustine was the loue of our heauenly Father towards mee the meanest of his subiects hee gaue the life and blood of his onely deare Sonne to cure and heale mee a miserable wretch that otherwise had neuer been cured A fine and elegant Comparison it is but yet it commeth short of Gods loue For the life of a Prince though it bee of a very high price in so much that the people say to Dauid Thou art worth ten thousand of 〈…〉 vs yet the life of the Sonne of God is more worth then the liues of a thousand millions of Princes Besides the poorest man nay the poorest gnat in regard of the greatest Prince on the earth is not so meane poore as the greatest Prince that euer was is in comparison of Gods onely begotten Sonne So that no loue may bee compared to this loue of God in giuing his Sonne for mee except it be the loue of the Son who gaue himselfe for me and to me God so loued mee that in respect of mee hee seemed not to loue his Sonne the Sonne so loued mee that in respect of mee he seemed not to loue himselfe but gaue away his owne life to saue my life His death to me is the death of mine High Priest by it I am restored to my forfeited inheritance in the heauenly Canaan Numb 35. 28. His life and blood to me is the life and blood of the Pelican in the wildernesse who diggeth her owne breast and sheddeth Psal 102. her blood vpon her yong that are stung with Serpents to restore them to their health though it bee with losse both of her blood life His blood is to mee not onely the blood of Remission of sinnes in forgiuing but in giuing vnto me that which I could neuer haue purchased it is Sanguis Testamenti the Blood of the Testament whereby Christ as in his Will and Testament doeth giue and bequeath vnto me a Legacie or Heauen His blood is the blood of Gods owne Son the Heire of all things in heauen and earth I doe eate his flesh and drinke his blood and by that am made hauing the Blood royall within me one of the blood royall and Sonne and Heire of God and ioynt-heire with Iesus Christ Beneficium postulat officium Euery benefit doth challenge a dutie at mine hands And what shall I render to the Lord for all these his benefits Surely saith Dauid I will take the Cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord that is Psal 116. giue him thanks praise saying O my God thou art good and true O my soule thou art blessed and happy And for this cause this Sacrament of the Communion is called Eucharistia because it is a Praise and Thankesgiuing to God for the vnspeakeable benefites which we receiue at his hands in and by the Sacrament But wee must not giue him thanks praise with the mouth only but to shew that our hearts are truly thankfull vnto him we must study and endeauour to render loue for loue for that is all that hee requires at our hands Loue. It is recorded by Xenophon Lib. 13. Poet. Cyr. that that potent and puissant King of the Persians Cyrus hauing taken Tygranes King of the Armenians captiue in war and led him and his Queen prisoners to his owne Court did vpon a day bid them to his own Table and in a sport and merriment asked of Tygranes How much he would bestow to ransom his Queen He presently made answer If I had that kingdome which thou hast wonne from mee by the Sword I would willingly part with that to redeeme her and if that were not enough I would spend my life and powre out my blood for her Cyrus being strangely taken with the consideration of such excessiue measure of coniugal loue yearned in compassion toward them and restored them not onely to their libertie but also to their kingdome When Tygranes was at home in his own Court hee thus bespake his wife the Queene Lady what doe you thinke of King Cyrus Is not he a most vnmatchable Heroicall King Is not hee onely worthy to weare the stile and title of a King The wise Ladie presently made answer Sir I wot not what you say neither can I remember what King Cyrus did say or doe whereby I might take notice of his wisedome and prudence for all the while that I with your selfe remained a captiue in Persia I neuer cast mine eyes vpon any one but vpon him that was resolued to set mee at liberty with the losse and expense of his owne blood Behold here a Lesson taught you frō this vertuous Queene She acknowledged her selfe to be indebted to her husband Tygranes for that he was purposed to spend his owne blood for her ransome that for the vehemency of loue and affection towards him shee could not endure to look vpon
any other in all the Court of Persia no not vpon King Cyrus himselfe How much then dear Christians are you indebted to your King and Spouse seeing that he hath not only purposed to redeeme ransome you with his owne dearest blood but hath powred it foorth indeed euen vnto the last drop hauing for your sake suffered so much shame so many sorrowes so many torments to free ransome you from a most cruell thraldome not of the Persian but of Sathan restored you to the free possession and iust right of a Celestiall kingdom Can you then look vpon any can you find in your hearts to bestow one thought vpon any in the whole court of this world saue onely vpon your crucified Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Cast all your thoughts all your looks all your loue vpon him Videte palpate gustate videte behold him feele him tast and consider him recognize his loue to you and returne him loue againe for if any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema Maran-atha 1. Cor. 16. 22. Now this our Loue cannot better be expressed then by a ioyful acknowledgement of those wonderfull benefits which wee receiue from Christ when we do worthily Commnicate and a dutifull obedience to his commandements Iohn 14. ver 15. 21. 24. The later hereof is in part touched before therefore I will in a word or two touch vpon the former which is the spiritual and corporal ioy wherwith we should bee filled at the time of our Receiuing For the time of Receiuing is not a time of moody and melancholy passion but a time of mirth and ioy in the Lord. It is Sacrum conuiuium At a banket A Holy Banquet men ought to bee very merry Our dutie then it is to Reioyce only we are to take heed that we do not reioice in sin which is against the Lord but Reioyce in the Lord. Reioyce in the Lord Philip. 4. 4. alwaies and againe I say Reioyce The Holy ghost by the Apostle doth not only permit and giue leaue to vs to make merry and reioyce but doth also exhort vs vnto it And not only to reioyce but to reioyce againe He would haue our hearts rauished with a double ioy One for the Soule and another for the Body but both in the Lord. So that not only our Soules should be ioyfull in the Lord reioyce in his saluation but also our very Bones should say Lord who is like vnto thee So that the bones which Psal 51. 8. God hath broken may reioyce Psal 35. 9. 10. And certainly we haue great reason to reioyce in God for his goodnesse to vs. For at the Communion by the hands of his Minister he doth passe vnto you vnder Seale his owne body and bloud nay his Whole-selfe and whatsoeuer benefit he wrought for mans saluation as the Remission and pardon of all your sinnes the Redemption and deliuerance of all your soules and bodies from eternall punishment in Hell Perfect Friendship and Reconciliation with God and an vndoubted right and title to the kingdom of Heauen with all the ioyes and blessednesse thereof 1 You would reioyce and be glad at the heart if being indebted but a matter of twenty or an hundred thousand pounds and not knowing which way to pay it or any farthing of it you could find one so kind and bountifull as would pay it all for you and not aske one farthing backe but only your true Loue and hearty Thankfulnesse Beloued wee are all in debt Our sinnes are Debts to God Math. 18. 24. and they are of so high a nature that all the thousands and millions in the world are not able to satisfie God for one of them and euery one of vs are in for millions of thousands Christ comes and brings a Quietus est discharging vs freely of euery one of those debts and passeth it vnder seale in the Sacrament and haue we not farre greater cause to reioyce for this then for the other For his blood is the 1 Cor. 11. 25. bloud of Remission of sinnes 2. If any of you had offended the Law in any heinous manner and for that being legally adiudged to death had the Halter about his neck vpon the Gallowes being ready to be turned off the Ladder would it not glad his heart to see one come from the King with his Pardon vnder Seale procured by the Prince to acquit him from death Verily all of vs besides the actual breaches of Gods Law committed by our selues were non prius nati quà m damnati as Saint Bernard saith No sooner borne then condemned vnder the Sentence of death The halter was about our necks and we ready to bee turned off the Ladder there was but a puffe of ayre a small blast of breath in our nostrils betwixt vs and Hell-fire betwixt our temporary life and endles tormenting death The Minister comes to vs at the Sacrament with a Pardon from the King of Heauen procured by the death of the Prince of our Saluation Iesus Christ sealed with his precious bloud and haue not we iuster cause thinke you to reioyce for our deliuerance from Hell then the Malefactor hath for his deliuerance from Tyburne 3 If our Soueraigne Lord the King were iustly fallen into hatred and enmity against any of vs and should bend himselfe and the strength of all his Subiects to bee reuenged on Him for his rebellions what a pitifull taking would that party be in how glad would he be of any that would procure and could assure him of the Kings fauour and perfect reconciliation vnto him And were not all of vs by Nature Filij irae Ephes 2. 3. and by daily multiplication of rebellions against God professed enemies to God and God enemy to vs Our Sauiour by his death wrought our Peace and attonement our perfect reconciliation with God When we were enemies wee were reconciled Rom. 5. 10. to God by the death of his Sonne And to assure our soules of this our peace and reconciliation with God Christ by his Minister in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood doth passe it vnder Seale to euery particular worthy Communicant 4. If being not borne to any foot of land his Maiestie should bestow vpon any of you a whole Shire to be yours for euer I know that person would thinke himselfe an happie man But behold the King of Heauen doeth assure euery worthy Communicant not of a Shire but of a most spacious ample and glorious Kingdome to bee possessed and enioyed not for the Euer of Time in this life but for the Euer and Euer of eternitie And haue wee not good cause to bee merry and ioyfull then God is True and faithfull of his word and promise and wee knowe that Hee by the Sacrament doth make euery true penitent Beleeuer as sure of his eternall Kingdome as any Prince if hee suruiue can bee sure to inherite his Fathers Crowne For by it wee are all made Heires of God and Ioynt-heires with Rom. 8. 17. Heb. 1. 2. Iesus Christ who is the Heire of all the world So that as I said wee haue all iust cause of mirth and ioy and would to God we could all bee so truely merry and ioyfull as wee should bee both in Body and in Soule that not onely our Soules may bee ioyfull in the Lord and reioyce in his saluation Psal 35. 9. 10. but that all our Bones may say Lord who is like vnto thee Let vs therefore whensoeuer we receiue this Sacrament bee merry a Gods Name Let vs leape reioyce and exult for our Redemption and Saluation wrought by Christ but let vs not reioyce in Surfetting and Drunkennesse nor in Chambering and wantonnesse nor in painted Pride haughtinesse For this is not to reioyce in the Lord but against the Lord this is not to bee merry in Gods Name but in the Deuils name And for all these benefites whereby both our Bodies and Soules may thus iustly be rauished with Ioy the Lord our God exacteth no great matter at our hands but that which wee may pay without any Trouble or Dammage to our selues and that is as I sayd before our Loue to God for his owne sake Loue to our Neighbours for Gods sake wee are to wish euery of them all good and to performe it vnto them to the vttermost of our power helping them in their necessities and forgiuing them the wrongs they haue done vs Euen as God for Christ his sake forgaue vs. For they are all flesh of Christ Ephes 5. his flesh and bone of Christ his bone and whatsoeuer wee doe to any of these because they are the mysticall members of Iesus Christ whether it bee good or bad Math. 25. 45. Christ accounts as done to himselfe FINIS