THere is nothing in this world, nor out of this world, more to be wished of euery one of you, more to be craued, and sought, of euery one of you, then to bee conioyned with Christ Iesus, then once to be made one, with the God of glory, Christ Iesus. This heauenly, and celestiall coniunction, is purchased and brought about, by two speciall meanes; It is brought about, by meanes of the word and preaching of the Gospell: and it is brought about, by the meanes of the Sacraments, and ministration thereof. [Page]The word leadeth vs to Christ, by the eare; the Sacraments, lead vs to Christ, by the eye: Two senses, of all the rest, which God hath chosen, as most meet for this purpose, to instruct vs, and bring vs vnto Christ. For that doctrine must be most effectuall, & mouing, that wake­neth and stirreth vp most of the outward senses: that doctrine, that wakeneth not onely the eare, but the eye, the taste, the feeling, and all the rest of the outward senses, must moue the heart most, must be most effectuall, and pearcing in the soule. But so it is, that this doctrine of the Sacraments, moues, stirres vp, and wakens most of the outward senses, ther­fore it must bee (if wee come well pre­pared vnto it) most effectuall to stirre vp the inward senses of the dull heart. But there is a thing, that yee must euer remember; there is no doctrine, neither of the simple word, nor yet of the Sa­craments, if Christ abstract his holy spi­rit, that is able to moue: therefore, when euer yee come to heare the doctrine, whether it be of the Sacraments, or of the simple word, craue of God, that [Page 2]hee would be present by his holy spirit, or otherwise all the doctrine in the earth will not awaile you. Alwaies, this doc­trine of the Sacraments, stirres vp, and wakens most of the outward senses, and therefore there is no question, but it is an effectuall, and potent instrument, to waken, prepare, and stirre vp our hearts.

Then to let you see what the word Sa­crament meaneth: The di­uerse ta­king of the word Sa­crament. and to remoue the ambiguitie of it, it is certaine, and out of all question, that the Latine Diuines, who were most ancient, did interpret the Greeke word [...], by the word Sacrament; and they vsed the Greeke word, not onely to signifie the whole ac­tion of the Supper of the Lord, and the whole action of Baptisme: but they v­sed the word Mystery, to signifie what­soeuer is darke, and bid in it selfe, and not frequented in the common vse of men: as after this manner, the Apostle calleth the vocation of the Gentiles a mysterie. Ephes 3.9. Ephes. 5.32. This coniunction which is begun heere betwixt vs and Christ, is called a Myste­rie; and the Latine Interpreters, call it a [Page]Sacrament: and to be short, ye will not finde in the booke of God a word more frequent, then the word Mysterie. But as for the word Sacrament, wherby they interpret the Greeke word, we finde not this word by the same Diuines to be ta­ken so largely; neither is it takē so large­ly in any part of the booke of God. Al­wayes the word Sacrament, is very am­biguous in it selfe, and there ariseth a­bout the ambiguitie of this word many controuersies, which are not yet ceased, nor will not cease 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 [Page 3]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 vvater, 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 onely. Last of all they tooke it not only for the Elements, but for the things signified by the Ele­ments. And after this manner, Irenaeus saith, that a Sacrament standeth of two things: the one, earthly; the other, hea­uenly. The ancient Diuines then, taking the word after these sorts, no question, all these waies they tooke it rightly.

But leauing the ambiguitie of the word, I take the word Sacrament, as it is [Page]taken, and vsed this day in the Church of GOD, for a holy Signe and Seale that is annexed to the preached word of God, to seale vp and confirme the truth contained in the same vvord: so that I call not the seale, separated from the vvord a Sacrament. For, as there can not bee a seale, but that which is the seale of an euidence, and if the seale be separated from the euidence, it is not a seale, but looke what it is by nature, it is no more: So there cannot bee a Sa­crament, except it bee annexed to the euidence of the vvord; but looke what the Sacrament was by nature, it is no more. Was it a common peece of bread? it remaines common bread, except it be ioyned to the euidence of the vvord. Therefore the vvord onelie cannot be a Sacrament, nor the element onely, cannot be a Sacrament; but the vvord and element coniunctly, must make a Sacrament. And so Augustine said well, Let the vvord come to the ele­ment, and so yee shall haue a Sacra­ment. So then, the vvord must come to the element: that is, the vvord prea­ched [Page 4]distinctly, and all the parts of it opened vp, must goe before the hang­ing to of the sacrament; and the Sacra­ment as a seale must follow, and so be re­ceiued accordingly.

Then I call a Sacrament, the vvord and seale coniunctly, the one hung to the other. It is without all controuer­sie, and there is no doubt in it, that all Sacraments are signes: Now if a Sacra­ment be a signe, as the signe is in a rela­tion, in that Category, for so wee must speake it: so the Sacrament must be pla­ced in that same Category of relation. Now euery relation againe must stand of force betwixt two things; for one thing cannot bee the correlatiue of it selfe: but in a lawfull relation, of force there must be two things, which two, haue euer a mutuall respect the one to the other: therfore, in euery Sacrament that hath a relation, there must be two things, which two haue euer a mutual re­spect the one to the other.

Take away one of these two things from the Sacrament, ye lose the relati­on; & losing the relation, ye lose the Sa­crament. [Page]Confound any of these two with the other, make either a confusion or permixtion of them, ye lose the rela­tion: and losing the relation, ye lose the Sacrament. Turne ouer the one into the other, so that the substance of the one, starts vp, and vanisheth in the other; yee lose the relation, and so yee lose the Sacrament. Then as in euery Sacrament there is a relation; so to keepe the rela­tion, yee must euer keepe two things se­uerally in the Sacrament.

Now, The heads to be en­treated in this Sermō. for the better vnderstanding & cōsideration of these two diuerse things, which are relatiue to others, wee shall keepe this order by Gods grace. 1 First, I will let you see what is meant by a signe in the Sacrament. 2 Next, I wil let you vn­derstand, what is meant by the thing sig­nified. 3 Thirdly, how they two are cou­pled; by what power and vertue they are conioyned; & from whence this power and vertue floweth. 4 Fourthly, and last of all, I will let you vnderstand, whether one and the selfe same instrument, giues the signe, and the thing signified, or not; whether they be giuen in one action, or [Page 5]two; whether they be offred to one in­strument, or two; or if they be giuen af­ter one manner, or two, to both the in­struments. Marke these diuersities; the diuerse manner of the receiuing, the di­uersitie of the Instruments, and the di­uersitie of the giuers: and yee shall finde little difficultie in the Sacrament.

Now, to beginne at the signes, 1 seeing all Sacraments are signes, The signes in the Sacra­ment. what call wee the signes in the Sacrament? I call the signes in the Sacrament, whatsoeuer I perceiue, and take vp by my outward senses, by mine eye especially. Now ye see in this Sacrament, there are two sorts of things subiect to the outward senses, & to the eye especially: yee see the Ele­ments of Bread and Wine are subiect to mine eye; therfore they must be signes. Yee see againe, that the rites and ceremo­nies, whereby these Elements are distri­buted, broken, and giuen, are subiect to mine eye also: Then I must make two sorts of signes; one sort of the Bread and the Wine, and we call them Elementall: another sort of the rites & ceremonies, whereby these are distributed, broken, [Page]and giuen, and wee call them ceremo­niall. Be not deceiued with the vvord Ceremonie; thinke not, that I call the breaking of the Bread, the eating of the Bread, and drinking of the Wine, Cere­monies: thinke not that they are vaine, as yee vse that word Ceremonie for a vaine thing, which hath no grace, nor profit, following after it. No, although I call them Ceremonies, there is neuer a Ceremonie which Christ instituted in this Supper, but it is as essentiall, as the Bread and Wine are, and yee cannot leaue one iot of them, except yee per­uert the whole institution: for what e­uer Christ commaunded to be done, what euer he spake, or did, in that whole action, it is essentiall, and must be done; and yee cannot leaue one iot thereof, but yee vvill peruert the vvhole acti­on.

The reason, wherefore I call them signes, Why they are called signes. is this: I call them not signes by that reason that men commonly call them signes, because they signifie onely; as the Bread signifies the body of Christ, & the Wine signifies the bloud of Christ: [Page 6]I call them not signes because they re­present onely; but I call them signes, be­cause they haue the body and bloud of Christ conioyned with them. Yea, so truly is the body of Christ conioyned with that Bread, and the bloud of Christ conioyned with that Wine, that as soone as thou receiuest that Bread in thy mouth (if thou be a faithful man or wo­man) so soone receiuest thou the bodie of Christ in thy soule, and that by faith: and as soone as thou receiuest that Wine in thy mouth, so soone thou receiuest the bloud of Christ in thy soule, and that by faith: In respect of this exhibition chiefely, that they are instruments to de­liuer, and exhibite the things that they signifie, and not in respect onely of their representation, are they called signes. For if they did nothing but represent, or signifie a thing absent; then any picture, or dead Image should be a Sacrament: for there is no picture, as the picture of the King, but at the sight of the picture, the King vvill come in your minde, and it vvill signifie vnto you, that, that is the Kings picture: So, if the [Page]signe of the Sacrament did no further, all pictures should bee Sacraments: but in respect the Sacrament exhibites, and deliuers the thing that it signifieth, to the soule and hart, so soone as the signe is deliuered to the mouth, for this cause especially, it is called a signe. There is no picture of the King, that will deliuer the King vnto you; there is no other Image, that will exhibite the thing, wher­of it is the Image: therefore there is no Image can be a Sacrament. Then, in re­spect the Lord hath appointed the Sa­craments, as hands to deliuer, and ex­hibite the thing signified, for this deli­uery, and exhibition chiefely, they are called signes. As the word of the Gospel, is a mighty & potent instrument to our euerlasting saluation: so the Sacrament is a potent instrument, appointed by GOD, to deliuer vs to Christ Iesus, to our euerlasting saluation. For this spi­rituall meat, is dressed, and giuen vp to vs in spirituall dishes: that is, in the mi­nistery of the word, and in the ministery of the Sacraments. And suppose this ministery be externall, yet the Lord is [Page 7]said to deliuer spirituall, and heauenlie things, by these externall things. Why? Because hee hath appointed them as in­struments, whereby he will deliuer his owne Sonne vnto vs. For this is certain, that none hath power to deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs, except God, and his holy spirit: and therefore, to speake proper­ly, there is none can deliuer Christ, but God by his owne spirit: hee is deliuered by the ministery of the holy Spirit; it is the holy Spirit, that seales him vp in our harts, and confirmes vs more and more in him: as the Apostle giues him this stile, 2. Cor. 1.22.

To speak properly, there is none hath power to deliuer Christ, but GOD the Father, or himselfe. There is none hath power to deliuer the Mediator, but his owne spirit: yet it hath pleased GOD, to vse some instruments and means, wher­by hee will deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs. The meanes are these; the ministery of the vvord, and the ministery of the Sa­craments; and in respect he vseth these as meanes, to deliuer Christ, they are said to deliuer him. But heere yee haue [Page]to distinguish, between the principall ef­ficient deliuerer, and the instrumentall efficient; which is, the word, and the Sa­cramēts: keeping this distinction, both these are true; GOD by his word, and GOD by his spirit, deliuereth Christ Ie­sus vnto you. Then I say, I cal thē signes, because God hath made them potent in­struments, to deliuer that same thing which they signifie.

Now I goe to the thing signified, 2 and I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament, What is the thing signi­fied in the Sacrament. that, which Irenaeus, that old Writer, calleth, the heauenly & spi­rituall thing: to wit, whole Christ, with his whole gifts, benefites, and graces, ap­plyed, & giuen to my soule. Then I call not the thing signified, by the signes of Bread and Wine; the benefits of Christ, the graces of Christ, or the vertue that floweth out of Christ onely: but I call the thing signified, together with the be­nefites, and vertues flowing from him, the very substance of Christ himselfe, from which this vertue dooth flowe. The substance, with the vertues, gifts, and graces, that flowe from the sub­stance, [Page 8]is the thing signified heere. As for the vertue and graces that flow from Christ, it is not possible that thou canst be partaker of the vertue that floweth from his substance, except thou be first partaker of the substance it selfe. For how is it possible, that I can be partaker of the iuyce that floweth out of any sub­stance, except I be partaker of the sub­stance it selfe first?

Is it possible that my stomach can bee refreshed with that meat, the sub­stance vvhereof came neuer in my mouth? Is it possible my drouth can be slackned with that drinke, that pas­sed neuer downe my throat? Is it pos­sible, that I can sucke any vertue out of anie thing, except I gette the sub­stance first? So it is impossible, that I can get the iuyce & vertue, that floweth out of Christ, except I get the substance, that is himselfe, first. So I call not the thing signified, the grace, & vertue that floweth from Christ onelie; nor Christ himselfe, and his substance, without his vertue & graces onely; but ioyntly, the substance with the graces, whole Christ, [Page]God, and man, without separation of his natures, without distinguishing of his substance from his graces.

I call the thing signified, by the signes in the Sacrament: for why? if no more be signified by the Bread, but the flesh, and body of Christ onely, and no more be signified by the Wine, but the bloud of Christ onely, thou canst not say, that the body of Christ, is Christ; it is but a part of Christ: thou canst not say, that the blood of Christ, is whole Christ; it is but a part of him: and a peece of thy Sa­uiour, saued thee not; a part of thy Saui­our, wrought not the worke of thy sal­uation: and so suppose thou get a peece of him in the Sacrament, that part will doe thee no good.

To the end therefore, that this Sacra­ment may nourish thee to life euerlast­ing, thou must get in it thy whole Saui­our, whole Christ, God, and man, with his whole graces, and benefites, without separation of his substance, from his gra­ces, or of the one nature, from the other. And how get I him? Not by my mouth. It is a vaine thing to think, that wee will [Page 9]get God by our mouth: but we get him by faith. As hee is a spirit, so I eate him by faith; and belieue in my soule, not by the teeth of my mouth: that is a vaine thing. Be it, that thou mightest eate the flesh of Christ with thy teeth, this were a cruel maner of doing; yet thou maist not eate the God-head with thy teeth: this is a gross fashion of speaking. Then if euer yee get good of the Sacrament, ye must get whole Christ; and there is not any instrument whereby to lay hold on him, but by faith onely: therefore come with a faithfull hart.

O, but yee will aske mee (and by ap­pearance, the definition layd downe of the thing signified, giues a ground to it) If the flesh of Christ, Question. and the bloud of Christ, bee a part of the thing signified, how can I call his flesh a spirituall thing; and Christ, in respect of his flesh, a hea­uenly thing? Yee will not say, that the substance of Christes flesh is spirituall, or that the substance of his bloud, is spiri­tuall; vvherefore then call ye it an hea­uenly, and spiritual thing? I wil tell you. The flesh of Christ, is called a spirituall [Page]thing, and Christ is called spirituall, in respect of his flesh: not, that his flesh is become a spirit; or that the substance of his flesh, is become spirituall. No, it remaineth true flesh, and the substance of it, is one, as it was in the wombe of the Virgin. His flesh is not called spirituall, in respect it is glorified in the heauens, at the right hand of the Father; be not deceiued with that: for suppose it be glorified, yet it remaineth true flesh, that same verie flesh which hee tooke out of the wombe of the blessed Vir­gine. Neither is it spirituall, because thouseest it not in the Supper; if thou wert where it is, Answere. thou mightest see it: But it is called spirituall, in respect of the spirituall ends wherunto it serues to my body & soule, because the flesh & bloud of Christ, serueth to nourish me, not to a temporall, but to a spirituall, & heauenly life. Now, in respect this flesh is a spiri­tual foode, seruing me to a spirituall life, for this cause it is called a spirituall thing: if it nourish mee, as the flesh of beasts doth, but to a temporall life, it should be called but a temporall thing: [Page 10]but in respect it nourisheth my soule, not to an earthly and temporall life, but to an heauenly, celestiall, and spirituall end; In respect of this end, the flesh of Christ, and Christ in respect of his flesh, is called the spirituall thing in the Sacra­ment. It is called also the spiritual thing in the Sacrament, in respect of the spi­rituall instrument, whereby it is recei­ued. The instrument whereby the flesh of Christ is receiued, is not a corporall instrument; is not the teeth, and mouth of the body; but it is spirituall; it is the mouth of the soule, which is faith: and in respect the instrument is spirituall, therefore Christ, who is receiued, is also called spirituall. In respect also, that the manner of receiuing, is a heauenly, spi­rituall, and internall manner; not a na­turall, nor externall manner: in respect that the flesh of Christ, which is giuen in the Sacrament, is receiued by a spiritual, & secret maner, which is not seene to the eyes of men; In all these respects, I call Christ Iesus the heauenly and spirituall thing, which is signified by the signes in the Sacrament.

Now, The thing signified, must be ap­plyed. I say in the end, the thing signi­fied must bee applyed to vs. What auai­leth it me, to see my medicine in a box, standing in an Apothecaries shop? what can it worke toward me, if it be not ap­plyed? What auaileth it mee to see my saluation afarre of, if it be not applied to mee? Therefore, it is not enough for vs, to see Christ, but he must be giuen vs, or else he cannot worke health and saluati­on in vs. And as this saluation is giuen vs, wee must haue a mouth to take it. What auaileth it mee, to see meat before me, except I haue a mouth to take it? So, the thing signified in the Sacrament, must be giuen vs, by God, by the Three persons of the Trinitie, one GOD; by Christ Iesus, who must giue himselfe: & as he giues himselfe, so wee must haue a mouth to take him. Suppose he present, and offer himselfe, yet he can profit, and auaile none but them, who haue a mouth to receiue him. Then ye see, what I call the thing signified: whole Christ, ap­plyed to vs, and receiued by vs: vvhole Christ, God, and man, without separati­on of his natures; vvithout distingui­shing [Page 11]of his substance from his graces, All applyed to vs. Then, I say, seeing we come to the Sacrament to be fed by his flesh, and refreshed by his bloud, to be fed to an hea­uenly, and spirituall life: and seeing there is no profit to be had at this Table, with­out some kinde of preparation; therefore let no man prease to come to this holy Ta­ble, except in some measure hee be prepa­red.

Some will be prepared in a greater mea­sure then others; alwayes, let no man pre­sume to go to it, except, in some measure, his heart be sanctified: therefore, my ex­hortation concerning the way, whereby e­uery one of you ought to prepare your selues, that yee may fit you the better to this Table, is this; there is not one of you, that commeth to the Table of the Lord, that may bring before the Lord, his inte­gritie, iustice, and vprightnes: but whoso­euer goeth to the Table of the Lord, hee ought to goe, with the acknowledging, & confession of his misery: he ought to goe with a sorrowfull hart, for the sinnes wher­in he hath offended God; he ought to goe with a hatred of those sinnes. Not to pro­test, that hee is holy, iust, and vpright: [Page]but to protest, and confesse, that he is mi­serable, and of all creatures the most mi­serable: and therefore hee goeth to that Table, to get support for his misery, to obtaine mercy, at the throne of Grace: to get remission, and forgiuenes of his sinnes; to get the gift of repentance, that more, & more, he may study to liue vprightly, ho­lily, and soberly in all time to come. Ther­fore, except yee haue entred into this course, and haue a purpose to continue in this course; to amend your life past, to re­pent you of your sinnes, and by the grace of God, to liue more vprightly, and sober­ly then yee haue done, for Gods cause goe not to the Table. For, where there is not a purpose to doe well, and to repent, of ne­cessity, there must be a purpose to doe ill: and whosoeuer commeth to that Table, with a purpose to doe ill, and without a purpose to repent, he commeth to mock Christ, to scorne him to his face, & to eate his owne present-condemnation. So, let no man come to that Table, that hath not in his hart a purpose to doe better, that hath not a hart to sorrow for his sinnes past, and thinketh not his former follie, and madnesse ouer-great: Let no man [Page 12]come to that Table, without this, vnder the paine of condemnation. But if yee haue in your hart, a purpose to doe better, suppose your former life hath been dis­solute, and loose; yet, if yee be touched in your harts, with any feeling or remorse of your life past, goe not from the Ta­ble, but come vvith a protestation of your misery and wretchednesse, and come with a heart to gette grace: if vvith a disso­lute life (I meane not of open slaunders) thou haue also a purpose not to amend, but to doe vvorse, for Gods sake ab­staine.

Thus farre of the thing signified. Vnto this generall consideration, there remai­neth these things yet to bee made plaine vnto you: First, how the signes, and the thing signified are coupled together, and how they are conioyned. Next, it restes to be told you, how the signe is deliue­red, and hovv the thing signified is de­liuered, and hovv both are receiued, as vvell as they are deliuered. This bee­ing done, I shall speake briefely of the other part of the Sacrament, vvhich is the vvord. And last of all, I shall let you [Page]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 wee haue in hand.

Then to come back againe; In the third place, How the signe & the thing signi­fied, are ioy­ned toge­ther. it is to be considered, how the signe, and the thing signified, are coupled: For, about this coniunction, all the debate stands; all the strifes, that we haue vvith them that varie from the streight truth, stand about the matter of this coniuncti­on. Some will haue them conioyned one way, and some, after another way; & men striue very bitterly about this matter; and continue so in strife, that through the bit­ternesse of contention, they lose the truth: for when the heat of contention ariseth, & especially in disputation, they take no heed to the truth, but to the victory. If they may be victorious, and it were but by a multi­tude of words, they regard not, suppose they lose the truth. Read their works, and bookes about this coniunction, and you will craue, rather conscience, then know­ledge: yea, if they had the quarter of the conscience, that they haue of knowledge, no question, this controuersie might bee [Page 13]easily taken vp: but men lacking consci­ence, and hauing knowledge, an euil con­science peruerts the knowledge, & drawes them to an euill end.

To tell you now, how these two are con­ioyned, it will be farre easier for mee, and better for you to vnderstand, to tell you first, how they are not conioyned: for I shall make it very cleere vnto you, by let­ting you see how they are not conioy­ned: but it is not possible to make it so cleere, by telling you the manner, hovv they are conioyned. Yee may perceiue cleerely by your eyes, that the signe, and the thing signified, are not locally con­ioyned: that is, they are not both in one place. Yee may perceiue also by your out­ward senses, that the body of Christ, which is the thing signified, & the signes, are not conioyned corporally, their bodies touch not each other. You may perceiue also, they are not visibly conioyned, they are not both subiect to the outward eye: So it is easie to let you see, how they are not con­ioyned. For if the signe, and the thing sig­nified were visibly, and corporally conioy­ned, what need were there for vs to haue a signe? Wherefore should the signe in the [Page]Sacrament serue vs? Is not the signe in the Sacrament, appointed to leade mee to Christ? Is not the signe appointed to point out Christ vnto mee? If I saw him present by mine owne eye, as I doe the Bread, vvhat need had I of the Bread? Therefore ye may see cleerely, that there is no such thing, as a corporall, naturall, or any such like physicall coniunction, be­tweene the signe, and the thing signified: So I say, it is easie to let you see, how they are not conioyned.

Now, let vs see how they are conioyned. VVe cannot craue heere any other sort of coniunction, then may stand & agree with the nature of the Sacrament: for, nothing can be conioyned with another, after any other sort, then the nature of it will suffer; therefore, there cannot be heere any other sort of coniunction, then the nature of the Sacrament will suffer. Now, the nature of the Sacrament, will suffer a Sacramentall coniunction. O, but that is hard yet, yee are neuer the better for this; but I shall make it cleere by Gods grace. Yee knowe euery Sacrament is a mysterie; there is not a Sacrament but it containes a high, & diuine mysterie. In respect then, that a [Page 14]Sacrament is a mysterie, it followeth, that a mysticall secret, and spirituall coniunc­tion, agreeth well vvith the nature of the Sacrament.

As the coniunction betweene vs, and Christ, is full of mysterie, as the Apostle lets you see, Ephe. 5.32. that it is a mysti­call, and spirituall coniunction: So no doubt, the coniunction between the Sa­crament, and the thing signified in the Sa­crament, must be of that same nature, my­sticall, and spirituall. It is not possible to tel you, by any ocular demonstration, how Christ and we are conioyned. But whoso­euer would vnderstand that coniunction, his minde must be enlightened vvith an heauenly eye; that as he hath an eye in his head, to see corporall things: so he must haue in his mind & hart, an heauenly eye, to see this mysticall cōiunction; a heauen­ly eye, to take vp this secret coniunction, that is betwixt the sonne of God, and vs, in the Sacrament. So I need not to insist any longer heerupon: except ye haue this hea­uenly illumination, yee can neuer vnder­stand neither your own coniunction with Christ, nor yet the cōiunction between the sign, & the thing signified in the Sacramēt.

But I keepe my ground: As the Sacra­ment is a mysterie; so the coniunction that is in the Sacrament, no doubt must be a mysticall secret, and spirituall coniuncti­on. Besides this, I will let you see by a ge­nerall deduction, that in euery Sacrament, are two things; which two, haue a relation, and mutuall respect the one to the other: so that a relatiue coniunction, agreeth wel with the nature of the Sacrament. Then wilt thou aske, what kinde of coniunction it is? I answere, the coniunction that a­greeth in nature: to wit, a relatiue, and a respectiue coniunction; such a coniuncti­on, wherein the signe hath a continuall re­spect to the thing signified; and the thing signified, to the signe.

Then, would you knowe in a word, the kinde of coniunction, that is betweene the signe, and the thing signified? I call it a se­cret, and a mysticall coniunction, that standeth in a mutuall relation, betweene the signe, and the thing signified. There is another coniunction, besides the con­iunction that is betweene Christ and vs, that may make this coniunction betwixt the signe, and the thing signified in the Sa­crament, more cleere: and this is the con­iunction [Page 15]which is between the word which you heare, This con­iunction is made cleer, by the con­iunctiō be­twixt the word, & the thing signi­sied therby. and the thing signified by the same word. Mark what sort of coniunction is betweene the word which you heare, and the thing signified which commeth into your minde; the like coniunction is be­tween the signe that you see, and the thing signified in the Sacrament. You may per­ceiue easily, that there is a coniunction, by the effect, although you cannot so vvell knowe the manner of coniunction. And why? You heare not the word so soon spo­ken by mee, but incontinent, the thing, which my words whereof I speak, signifie, commeth into your minde. If I speake of things past, of things to come, or of things that are neuer so farre absent, I can no soo­ner speak to you of them in this language, but presently the thing signified, commeth into your minde; no doubt, because there is a coniunction between the word, and the thing signified: So euery one of you may easily perceiue, that there is a coniunction between the word, and the thing signified by the word. As for example: Suppose Paris be far distant from vs; yet if I speake of Paris, the word is no sooner spoken, but the Citie will come into your minde. If I [Page]speake of the King, although hee be farre distant from vs, the word is no sooner spo­ken, but the thing signified will come into your mind: So this comming of the thing signified into the hart, and minde, maketh it plaine vnto you, that there is a coniunc­tion betweene the word, and the thing sig­nified by the word.

To tell you of this sort of coniunction, it is not so easie, because the thing signified is not present vnto the eye, as the word is to the eare. If euery thing signified, were as present vnto your eye, as the word is to your eare, it were easie to see the coniun­ction: but novv seeing the coniunction is mysticall, secret, and spirituall, therefore it is hard to make you to vnderstand it: e­uer obserue, What coniunction is between the simple word, and the thing signified by the word; the same kinde of coniunction, is between the Sacrament, and the thing signified by the Sacrament: for the Sa­crament, is no other thing, but a visible word. I call it a visible word, why? because it conueyes the signification of it, by the eye, to the minde; as this is an audible word, because it conueyeth the significati­on of it, by the eare to the minde.

In the Sacrament, so often as yee looke on it, ye shall no sooner see that Bread with your eye, but the body of Christ shal come into your mind; ye shal no sooner see that Wine, but after the preaching, and opening vp of the parts of the Sacrament, the bloud of Christ shall come into your mind.

Now, this coniunction, betweene the signe, and the thing signified in the Sacra­ment, standeth chiefely, as yee may per­ceiue, in two things. First, in a relation, be­tweene the signe, and the thing signified; which ariseth from a likenes, and propor­tion betwixt them two: for if there vvere no proportion, & analogie betweene the signe, and the thing signified by the signe, there could not be a Sacrament, or a rela­tion. So the first part of this coniunction, standeth in a relation, which ariseth, from a certaine similitude and likenes, which the one hath with the other. And this likenes may be easily perceiued: for looke how a­ble the bread is to nourish thy body to this life earthly & temporall; the flesh of Christ signified by the bread, is as able to nourish both body & soule to life euerlasting: so ye may perceiue some kinde of proportion between the signe, and the thing signified.

The second point of the coniunction, standeth in a continuall & mutuall con­curring the one with the other; in such sort, that the signe, and the thing signified, are offered both together, receiued to­gether at one time, and in one action; the one, outwardly; the other, inwardly; if so bee that thou hast a mouth in thy soule, which is faith, to receiue it. Then the se­cond point of the coniunction, standeth in a ioynt offering, and in a ioynt recei­uing: and this I call a concurrence. Then, would you knowe what manner of con­iunction is between the signe, & the thing signified? I say, it is a relatiue coniunction; a secret and a mystical coniunction, which standeth in a mutuall relation. There is no more to be obserued heerein, but this one­ly, that if yee conioyne these two, yee be carefull not to confound them: beware that ye turne not the one into the other, but keepe either of them, in his owne in­tegritie, without confusion, or permixtion of the one, with the other; and so ye shall haue the lawfull coniunction, that should be in the Sacrament.

There is not a lesson that can be learned out of this, at the least that I can marke or [Page 17]gather, except only the lesson of the kind­nesse, and goodnes of the euerliuing God, who hath inuented so many wonderfull sorts of coniunction, and all to this pur­pose, that wee might be conioyned to ad­uance this great, & mysticall coniunction, betwixt the God of glory, and vs: In the which coniunction, our weale, felicity, and happinesse in this life, and in the life to come doth onely stand: That he is so care­full, to conioyne himselfe, with his word and Sacraments; that we, in his word, and Sacraments, might be conioyned vvith him.

If wee were mooued with the care, and loue of God, expressed in these coniuncti­ons, though it were neuer so little on our parts, assuredly, we would neuer defraude our selues, of the fruit of that happy con­iunction, nor bring it in such a loathing & disdaine, as we doe this day: for we by fol­lowing and preferring of our pleasures, to Christ & his counsell, haue made the sto­macks of our soules, so foule, and ill dispo­sed, that either they receiue him not at all; or if he be receiued, hee is not able to tary. And why? because a foule stomack is not able to keepe him: for incontinent vvee [Page]choke him so, either with the lusts of the flesh, or with the cares of this world, that he is compelled to depart. And if Christ be not both deuoured, and digested, hee can doe vs no good: and this digestion can­not be, where there is not a greedy appe­tite, to the receit of him; for, if thou be not hungry for him, he is not ready for thee: And I am assured, if all the men in the Countrey were examined by this rule, that there were none that receiue Christ, but he that hath a stomack, and is hungry for him, I doubt that few should be found to receiue him. I feare that vvee haue taken such a lothing, and disdaine, of that hea­uenly foode, that there is not such a thing, as any kinde of hunger, or appetite of it in our soules. And vvhat is the cause of this? I will tell you: Suppose wee haue renounced the corporall and grosse Ido­latry, wherein our Fathers were plunged, and drowned, & which men in some parts, goe about to erect now: yet as the maners of this Countrey, and the behauiour of euery one of vs doth testifie, there is not a man that hath renounced that damnable Idoll, that hee hath in his ovvne soule; nor the inuisible Idolatry, that hee hath [Page 18]in his owne hart and mind. There is not a man, but to that same Idoll, wherewith hee was conceiued, & borne, & whereunto he addicted himselfe, and was a slaue before, but to that Idoll, he giueth his seruice yet. And therefore maruaile not, when thou hast addicted thy seruice, set thy affection, and poured out thy hart, vpon that plea­sure of thine owne, vpon that Idoll of thine owne, vpon that lust, and mischiefe of thine owne, maruaile not if thou haue no appetite to Christ, nor to that heauen­ly foode.

When thou hast thy soule poured forth on some villanie, and vvickednesse, and hast sent it farre afield, how is it possible for thee to retire it, & draw it home againe, to imploy it, where thou shouldest, on Christ Iesus? Then, let euery one in his owne ranke, take heed to his owne do­mestick Idoll, that lodgeth vvithin his owne hart, and prease to cleare himselfe of it; or otherwise, yee cannot see the face of Christ, nor be partakers of his kingdome.

There is not another lesson in Chri­stianitie but this: this is the first, & the last lesson, to shake off your lusts & affections, [Page]peece and peece, and so by little and little renounce thy selfe, that thou maist em­brace Christ. I grant there is a greater pro­gresse in this poynt, in some, then in o­thers; some lesse, some more profit in this: but, except in some measure, yee cast off your selues, & whatsoeuer in your own eyes yee account most precious, to come by Christ, yee are not worthy of him. And this is very hard to be done: It is very ea­sie for a man to speake it, to bid a man re­nounce his owne Idol, which I call his af­fections, but it is not so soone done: assu­redly, a stronger must come in, to cast out the affections; yea, a stronger then the di­uell must come in to driue out the diuell, who maketh residence in the affection, or else he will remaine there for euer. There­fore there are not many, that haue renoun­ced themselues; and examine thine heart when thou wilt, if there be any thing in the world, that thou louest better then Christ: If thou be not content to leaue father and mother, to leaue wife & children, or what­soeuer is dearest vnto thee in this world, for Christ, thou art not worthy of him. If thou be not content to cast off whatsoeuer maketh thee a stranger to Christ, thou art [Page 19]not worthy of him. And is this a small matter, seeing there is no part, or power of our soules, but it is enemy to this, and re­pines against this heauenly coniunction? Is this an easie thing, to cast off, and re­nounce ourselues, that wee may come vn­to Christ? There is no greater thing then this; it hath not entred into euery hart, to consider of this; for this worke of our new creation, is tenne thousand times greater, then the worke of our first creation: and therefore it is most necessary, that euerie man take heede vnto himselfe; for the di­uell is so crafty in this point, that hee erec­teth euer, one I doll or other in our soules; and sometimes vnder the shew of vertue: which of all, is most dangerous. And in e­uery worke that wee take in hand, be it ne­uer so holy, hee is at our right hand, and maketh himself to haue interest in it: and hee contents himselfe not with this, vnder the shew of vertue to corrupt vs, but hee is so watchfull, that euen in the best actions, and when yee are best occupied in your most vertuous actions, hee mixeth them with sinnes, and so doth all that lyeth in him, to make you lose your profit, and lose your rewards. For, when yee are best [Page]occupied, he goeth about to engender in you, an opinion of your selues, and so de­fraude God of his glory. Or otherwise, in dooing of good deedes, he maketh you so slack, and negligent, that if ye do them, ye doe them coldly, or so indiscreetly, that he makes you begin at the last, first, and makes it that should be first, last; and so, as Martha was, to be occupied, and ouer­busie in those things, which are not so ne­cessary, as the things wherin Mary was oc­cupied: for, she should haue preferred, first the hearing of the word, to the preparing of Christs Supper. This is but to giue you an in-sight, and to let you see, that the di­uell is so craftie, that either he casteth in, a false conceit of our selues, in dooing any good deed, or else, makes vs to doe that last, which should be first; or then makes vs altogether so sluggish, and so negligent, that wee do the worke of the Lord coldly: & so, one way, or other, he holdeth vs euer in a continuall business, so that we cannot be halfe watchful enough. For, we haue to do with principalities & powers, with spiri­tual wickednesses, which are aboue vs, and within vs also; for, there is not that man, that hath corruption within him, but Sa­than is in him: we cannot therfore be halfe [Page 20]watchfull, or studious enough, to cast out the diuel, to renounce our selues, & to sub­mit vs vnto the obedience of Christ. Thus farre concerning the coniunction.

Now, seeing that the signe, How the signe, & the thing signi­fied, are giuē & receiued. Considera­tions there­of. & the thing signified, are diuerse, it resteth to be consi­dered, how the signe is deliuered, and how the thing signified is deliuered; and after what manner they are receiued. And ther­fore concerning this, ye haue these things to marke. First, to consider, 1 whether the signe, and the thing signified, be deliue­red vnto you, by one man, or not. 2 Second­ly, to consider, whether the signe, and the thing signified, be deliuered vnto you, in in one action, or not. Thirdly, 3 vvhether both these things be giuen, by one instru­ment, or not. And fourthly, 4 ye are to con­sider, whether the sign, & the thing signifi­ed, be offered, & receiued, after one maner, or not. Now, after that ye haue considered all these, in the end, yee shall find, that the signe, & the thing signified, are not giuen by one person. Yee shall finde next, that they are not giuen in one sort of action. Thirdly, yee shall finde, that they are not both offered, & giuen by one instrument. And fourthly, ye shal find, that they are not [Page]both giuen, and receiued, after one man­ner. So, finding this diuersitie, yee haue this to doe: marke the diuersity of the of­ferers and giuers: marke the diuersitie of the actions: marke, thirdly, the diuersitie of the instruments: and fourthly, the di­uerse manner of receiuing. Marke all these diligently, and ye shall finde little difficul­tie in the Sacrament. And first to make it cleare vnto you, I say, that the signe, & the thing signified by the signe, are not both giuen by one; and this ye see plainly. For, as for the signe, that Bread, & that Wine: yee see your selues, that the Minister offers vnto you the signe, he giues you that Sa­crament; as that signe is an earthly, and corporall thing, so it is an earthly, and cor­porall man that giues it. Now, the thing signified, is of another nature: for it is an heauenly and spirituall thing; therefore this heauenly thing, is not giuen by an earthly man; this incorruptible thing, is not giuen by a naturall and corruptible man. But Christ Iesus hath locked vp, and reserued the ministerie of this heauenlie thing, to himselfe onely: therefore, there are two giuers in this Sacrament; the Mi­nister giueth the earthly thing; Christ Ie­sus [Page 21]the Mediator, giues you the heauenly thing in this Sacrament. For Christ, in gi­uing the earthly thing, will not vse his own ministery immediatly, nor the ministerie of an Angell, but onely the ministerie of an earthly man. And as for the dispensa­tion of his owne body, and bloud, he will not giue it, either to heauenly creature, or earthly man; but he keepeth this ministe­rie to himselfe, and he dispenseth his own body and bloud, to whom, and when hee pleaseth. And vvhy? If any man in the world, had power to giue Christes body, and bloud, no question, this man should haue power to clense the hart and consci­ence; for the bloud of Christ, hath this power with it; and consequently, should haue power to forgiue sinnes.

Now, it is onely GOD that may for­giue sinnes; and therfore it is not possible, that the ministery of the heauenly thing, can be in the power of any man. Example we haue in Iohn the Baptist, Math. 3.11. Saith he not, The ministery that I haue, is of the element; I am commaunded to mi­nister the element of water onely: but as for the ministerie of the fire, and of the spirit, Christ hath reserued it vnto himself. [Page]Therefore, looke not to get the spirit at mans hands, but at the hands of Christ himselfe onely; and without this inward ministery, the outward ministery is not worth a straw. For, my outward ministe­rie, yea, suppose it were the ministerie of an Angell, and suppose Christ were present in the flesh, to minister vnto you these outward things, except hee conioyne the inward ministerie of his spirit therewith, it availes nothing: it may well be as a pro­cess against you, against the day of that generall assembly; but to your saluation, it will neuer profit you. Therefore, this yee ought alwaies to pray for, that the Lord would water your harts, by his holy spirit, as he watereth your eares, by the hearing of his vvord. Then there are two offerers; the Minister offers the signe, Christ Ie­sus offers himselfe, the thing signified. The three persons, one GOD, offers the Mediatour, or the Mediatour offers himselfe, and that by the power, and ver­tue of his owne Spirit.

As there are two offerers, The sign, & the thing signified, are offered in two actions, by two in­struments, & after two manners. two persons that offer, and giue the Sacrament, and thing signified by the Sacrament: so these two, are offered, and giuen in two acti­ons. [Page 22]Christ, vvho is the heauenly thing, is offered, and giuen vnto you, by an in­ward, secret, and spirituall action, which is not subiect to the outward eye. The signe againe, is offered and giuen, in an outward action, after a corporall and vi­sible manner. As there are two sorts of actions; so there are two sorts of instru­ments, vvhere-unto the signe, and the thing signified are offered: for, the thing singified, that is, Christ, is neuer offe­red to the mouth of my body: the bloud of Christ, the flesh of Christ, whole Christ, or the spirit of Christ, is not offered, nei­ther in the word, nor in the Sacrament, to the mouth of my body. Let the Aduer­saries finde me that in any part of the Bi­ble, that there is any other manner of re­ceiuing Christ, then by faith, and let them haue the victorie. So there is not an in­strument, as I told you, neither hand, not mouth, to receiue Christ, but faith onely. As Christ, vvho is the thing signi­fied, is receiued by the hand, & mouth of faith: so the signe, which signifieth Christ, is receiued by our ovvne naturall mouth, & hand: ye haue a mouth in your heads, and in your bodies, as proper to receiue [Page]the signe, as faith is to receiue Christ. So the signe, and the thing signified, are offered and giuen, not to one instrument, but to two; the one, to the mouth of the body; the other, to the mouth of the soule.

Now, marke by what way these things are offered, and giuen, by the same vvay, they are receiued: as the signe is corporal, and naturally offered to a corporall instru­ment, so is it receiued, after a corporall, & naturall manner: for, thou must take the Bread, & Wine, either by thy hand, or by thy mouth. The thing signified, is not takē after a corporall manner, but after a secret, and spirituall manner: and as it is offered, so it is taken. There can be nothing clee­rer then this; the one is taken after a natu­rall manner, the other after a secret, & spi­rituall manner. So in this last part, ye haue these things to marke, to distinguish be­tweene the outward action, and the inward, between the signe, and the thing signified, and to keepe a proportion, and analogie between the inward, and the outward acti­ons: ye may surely perswade your selues, that if ye be faithfull, Christ is as busie, working inwardly in your soules, as the [Page 23]Minister is, working outwardly towards your bodies: looke how busie the Mini­ster is, in breaking that Bread, in pouring out that Wine, in giuing that Bread, and Wine, vnto thee, as busie is Christ, in brea­king his owne body to thee, and in giuing thee iuyce of his owne body, after a spiri­tuall, and an inuisible manner. So keepe this distinction, and yee may assure your selues, that by faith, Christ is as well oc­cupied towards your soules, to nourish them, as the Minister is outwardly towards your bodies. Keepe this, and yee haue the whole Sacrament.

Then from this discourse and deducti­on, you may learn a double matter, wher­of the Sacrament consisteth. It standeth on two sorts of materials; that is, of an earthly matter, and of an heauenly matter: the signe, and the thing signified. And as there is a double matter in the Sacrament: so the Sacrament must be handled after a double manner; by an outward action, and an in­ward action: keep the distinction in these things, betweene the signe, and the thing signified, and ye shall not easily slip in the vnderstanding of the Sacrament.

This beeing said, concerning the gene­rall [Page]consideration of the Elements (for all this yet appertaineth vnto the Elements) it resteth that we speake some-what con­cerning the vvord, Of the o­ther part of the Sacra­ment which is the word. which I call the other part of the Sacrament. I meane & vnder­stand by the vvord, where-unto the cle­ments are annexed, that thing, vvhich quickneth this whole action, which ser­ueth, as it were a soule, and giueth life vnto the whole action. For, by the word, and appointment of Christ in the vvord, the Minister knoweth vvhat is his part, the hearer knoweth what is his part, and e­uery one is prepared, how to deliuer, and how to receiue; the Minister, how hee should deliuer, and the hearer, how hee shold receiue. So the Institution of Christ, is the quickning of the whole action: for, all the action is warranted from the insti­tution set downe in his word. In the insti­tutiō of Christ, there are two things chief­ly to be considered: a Commaund: and a Promise. The Commaund is this, where he saith, Take, eate. The Commaund re­quireth obedience. There is a Promise also in the institution, and it is contained in these words, This is my body. The Promise craueth faith: as the Commaund craueth obedience; so the Promise craueth beliefe. [Page 24]Therefore come not vnto the Sacrament, except ye bring both faith and obedience with you. If thou come not with a heart minding to obey Christ, at the least, more then thou wast wont to doe, thou commest vnto thine ovvne damnation. And if thou bringest a hart voyd of faith, thou commest vnto thine owne damnati­on. So, let euery one that commeth vnto the Sacrament, bring with him a hart min­ding to doe better; that is, to obey, & 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 doost, except it flow from faith, it can profit nothing. Thus farre briefly concerning the word. Now it wil be demaunded, What need is there, that these Sacraments & seales should be annexed to the word? wherfore are they annexed, see­ing we get no more in the Sacrament, then we get in the word, and wee get as much in the very simple word, as we get in the Sa­craments? Seeing thē we get no new thing in the Sacramēt, but the same thing which we get in the simple word, wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung vnto the word? It is tru certainly, that we get no new [Page]thing in the Sacrament, nor wee get no o­ther thing in the Sacrament, then we get in the word: for what more wouldest thou craue, then to get the Sonne of God, if thou get him well? Thy hart cannot wish, nor imagine a greater gift, then to haue the Sonne of God, who is King of heauen, and earth: therefore, I say, VVhat new thing wouldest thou haue? for, if thou get him, thou gettest all things with him; thy hart cannot imagine a new thing, besides him. Wherefore then is the Sacrament appoin­ted? Answere. 1 Not to get thee any new thing: I say it is appointed, to gette thee that same thing better, By the Sa­crament, we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple vvord. then thou haddest it in the vvord. The Sacrament is appointed, that we may take better hold of Christ, then we could in the simple vvord; that we may possesse Christ in our harts, and mindes, more ful­ly, and largely, then we did before in the simple vvord. That Christ might haue a larger space, to make residence in our nar­row harts, then he could haue, by the hea­ring of the simple vvord; and to possesse Christ more fully, it is a better thing. For, suppose Christ be one thing in himselfe, yet the better hold thou hast of him, thou art the surer of his promise.

The Sacraments are appointed, that I might haue him more fully in my soule; that I might haue the boundes of it enlar­ged, that he may make the better residence in me. This, no doubt, is the cause where­fore these Seales are annexed, to the eui­dence of the simple word.

They serue to this end also, to seale vp, 2 and confirme the truth that is in the word: They serue to confirme the truth contained in the vvord. for as the office of the Seale hung to the Euidence, is not to confirme any other truth then that which is in the Euidence; and though ye belieued the Euidence be­fore, yet by the seales yee belieue it better: euen so the Sacraments assure me of no o­ther truth, then is contained vvithin the vvord: yet, because it is a seale, annexed vnto the vvord, it perswades me the better of the same: for the more the outvvard senses are wakened, the more is the inward hart and minde perswaded to belieue.

Now the Sacrament wakeneth all the outward senses, as the eye, the hand, and all the rest: and the outward senses beeing mooued, no question, the spirit of GOD concurring there-with, moues the hart the more. The Sacraments are then annexed vnto the vvord, to seale vp the truth con­tained [Page]in the word, and to confirm it m [...]re and more in thy hart. The word then is ap­pointed to worke beliefe: and the Sacra­ment is appointed to confirme you in this beliefe. But except yee feele the truth of this, inwardly in your harts; except yee haue your harts as ready as your mouth, thinke not that any thing will auaile you. All the seales in the world wil not work, ex­cept the spirit of God concur, and seale the same truth in your harts, which the Sacra­ment seales outwardly: Except hee make cleere the sight of thy minde inwardly, and worke a feeling in thy hart, both word, and Sacrament shall lose their fruite and effect which they should haue. All the Scrip­tures are full of this: the whole Scriptures of God, are but a slaying letter to you, ex­cept the spirit of God concurre, to quicken inwardly. Exhorta­tion. Therefore your whole indeuour should be, to prease to feele Christ inward­ly in your harts, that finding him in your harts, and seeing him in your minds, both word, and Sacraments may be effectuall: If not, your soules remaine dead, ye are not translated from that death, wherin ye were conceiued. Therefore all the study of Christians should be, when they see the Sa­craments, [Page 26]and heare the word, to labor to finde, and feele in their harts and mindes, that which they heare, and see; and this I call to finde Christ quick in your ovvne soules. This cannot be, except yee sancti­fie his lodging: for if all the corners of thy soule remaine a dunghill, Christ cannot dwell there: and therefore, except ye stu­die for continuall growth in sanctification, & seuer your selues from euery thing, that seuers you from Christ, it is not possible that hee can liue or dwell in you.

This is a great lesson, and it is not possi­ble to doe this, except, as I haue said, a stronger come in, & possesse vs, and make vs to renounce our selues. Then the seales had not been annexed to the word, except for our cause: for, there is no necessity on Gods part, that God should either sweare, or confirme by seales, the thing that hee hath spoken: for, his word is as good, as any oath or seale. But the necessity com­meth of vs: there is such a great weaknesse in vs, that vvhen hee hath sworne, and set his seales vnto his vvord, wee are as neere to belieue, as if hee had neuer spo­ken a vvord. So to helpe our beliefe, our vveakenesse, and inabilitie that is in vs, [Page]for we are so vnable by nature, that we can belieue nothing, but that which is of our selues; and the more wee leane vnto our selues, the further we are from God. I say to helpe this wonderfull weakenes, where­by we are ready to mistrust God in euery word, he hath annexed his Sacraments; & besides his Sacraments, hee sweares the things that concerne most our saluation. As in the Priesthood of Christ, Psal. 110.4. He will not speake onely, but he sweares, and that for our weakenes and infirmities: but yet if he abstract the ministery of his spirit, all these meanes will do no good.

Now, the last thing is, how the Sacra­ment is peruerted; Faults w ^th peruert the Sacrament. and how we are defrau­ded of the fruit, and effect thereof. Two sorts of faults peruert the Sacrament, and defraude vs of the profit, and vse thereof: and these faults are either in the forme, or in the person. In forme, if the essentiall forme be spoyled, we gette nothing▪ for when the Sacrament is spoyled of the es­sentiall forme, it is not a Sacrament. There is an essentiall forme in Baptisme, and an essentiall form in the Lords Supper, which if they be taken away, ye lose the vse of the Sacrament. The essentiall forme of Bap­tisme [Page 27]is: I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost: leaue out any of these three, or doe it in the name of any one of the three persons one­ly, ye lose the essentiall form of Baptisme. In the Lords Supper, if yee leaue out the least ceremonie, ye lose the essential form, and so it is not a Sacrament. I speak of the essentiall forme, in respect of the Papists, who keepe the essentiall forme in Bap­tisme, though they haue brought in trifles of their owne, and mixt with it; yet in re­spect they keepe the substantiall forme, it is not necessary, that they, who were bap­tized vnder them, be rebaptized. Indeed, if the vertue of regeneration, flowed from the person, it were something; but in re­spect Christ hath this, to giue to whom, & when he pleaseth, the essentiall forme be­ing kept, it is not necessary that this Sacra­ment be reiterated.

Now, what are the faults in the person that peruerts the Sacrament? The fault may be either in the person of the giuer, or in the person of the receiuer (I speake not of those common faults, which are com­mon to all, but of such faultes, as disable the person of the giuer, to be a distributer [Page]of the Sacrament, & taketh the office from him) so when the person of the giuer is this way disabled, no question, it is not a Sacra­ment. Then again in the person of the Re­ceiuer, the faults may be, if their childrē be not in the couenant, but out of it, they get not the Sacramēt. Indeed, if the Parents af­terward com to the couenant, the children (thogh they be gottē out of the couenant) may be receiued. Euen so in the L. Supper; if a man be laden with any burthen of sin, without any purpose to repent, hee ought not to receiue it. So then, if ye come with­out a purpose to repent, ye lose the vse of the Sacrament: it is onely this purpose to repent, that maketh me, who receiue the Sacrament, to get the fruit & effect therof; therefore euery one, who goeth to that Sa­crament, must looke what purpose he hath in his hart. Hast thou a purpose to murder, to continue in adultery, or to commit any other vile sin that is in thy hart, and art not resolued to repent? In shewing thee to be without repentance, thou shewest thy selfe to be without faith, and consequently thou commest vnto thy condemnation, & not to thy saluation: take heed then what your purpose is; for if with a dissolute life, yee [Page 28]haue a dissolute purpose, yee come vnto your euerlasting perdition.

I had thought to haue entred particu­larly into the handling of this Sacra­ment; Cōclusion with an ex­hortation. but because the time is past (and some of you I doubt not are to communi­cate) onely this: Remember that yee ad­dresse not your selues to that Table; except ye finde your harts in some sort prepared. The first degree of preparation, standeth in contrition, in sorowing for sinne, in a feeling of your sins, wherein ye haue [...]ffen­ded so gracious a God. If ye be able, as that woman was, by the tears of a contrite hart, to wash the feete of Christ, humbly to kiss his feete, and to get hold of the foote of Christ; though yee dare not presume so high, as to get him whole, ye are in a good case: but if thou want all these, and hast them not in some measure, thou wantest all the degrees of preparation; therefore, let none come to this Table, except hee haue these in some measure. But vvhere there is a displeasure for sinne, a purpose to doe better, & an earnest sobbing, and sighing, to get the thing that thou wantest; in that soule, where God hath placed this desire of Christ, it is the vvorke of Gods [Page]spirit, & Christ will enter there. And ther­fore, though that soule be farre from the thing that it should be at, let him not refuse to goe to the Lords Table; but let him go with a profession of his owne infirmitie & weakenesse, and with a desire of the thing that he wants. Euery one of you that fin­deth himselfe this way disposed, let him goe in Gods name to the Lords Table: and the Lord worke this in euery one of your harts, that this ministerie may be effectuall in euery one of you, at this time, and that in the righteous merits of Iesus Christ. To whom, with the Father, & the holy Ghost, be all honour, praise, & glo­rie, both now, and for euer, Amen.

WE ended the considerati­on of the Sacraments in generall, in our last Exer­cise, welbeloued in Christ Iesus: now it remaines that we proceed, to the consideration of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper in particular. Of the Sup­per of the Lord in par­ticular. And that yee may the better attaine vnto the knowledge and consideration of the great varietie of matter, that is cōtained in this Sacrament of the Lods Supper, I shall endeuour, Heads to be intreated of. as God shall giue me grace, to set downe cer­taine things, for the easier vnderstanding of it. And first of all, I vvill let you see, 1 [Page]what names are giuen vnto this Sacrament in the Bible; and I will shew you some names, that are giuen to this Sacrament, by the Ancients. 2 Next, I will let you vnder­stand, for what chiefe ends & respects, this Sacrament was instituted, and appointed by Christ Iesus. 3 Thirdly, I will come to the things, that are contained in the Sacra­ment; how these things are coupled; how they are deliuered; and how they are re­ceiued. 4 And last of all, I will answere cer­taine obiections, which may be obiected, to the contrary of this doctrine: and as God shall giue me grace, I will refute them, and so end this present exercise.

Now, First head generall. we finde sundry names giuen vnto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, in the booke of God; and euery name carries a speciall reason with it. Of the names giuē vnto this Sacrament, both in the Bible, and by the an­cients. Wee finde this Sa­crament, called the body, and bloud of Christ. This name is giuen vnto it, no doubt, because it is a heauenly, & spiritual nouriture; it containes a nouriture of the soule, that is able to nourish, and traine vp the soule, to a life spiritual, to that life euer­lasting: for this cause it is called the body, & bloud of Christ. It is called also the Sup­per of the Lord, to put a difference betwixt [Page 30]it, & a profane supper: for this is the Lords Supper, a holy supper; not a profane, or common supper: a supper, appointed for the increase of holiness, for the food of the soule in holiness, to feede the soule vnto life euerlasting. Not a supper appointed for the belly; for he had ended that Sup­per, that was appointed for the belly, or euer he began this supper, which was ap­pointed for the soule. A supper, no doubt, hauing respect to the circūstance of time, by reason it was instituted, in the article of that time, when they vsed to suppe. It is cal­led also in the Bible, The Table of the Lord. It is not called the Altar of the Lord: but the Apostle calleth it a Table, to sit at; and not an Altar, to stand at: a Table, to take, and receiue at; & not an Altar, to offer at. It is called also, the Communion, and participation of the body, and bloud of Christ: we haue these names giuen vnto it, beside some others, in the Scriptures of God. The Ancients of the Latine, & of the Greeke Churches, gaue it sundry names, for sundry respects. They called it, a pub­lique action; and this vvas a very gene­rall name. Some-times they called it a Thanksgiuing. Some-times they called it [Page]a banquet of loue; and sometimes they gaue it one name, and sometimes another. And at the last, in the declining estate of the Latine Church, & in the falling estate of the Romane Church, this Sacrament began to be peruerted; and with this de­cay, there came in a peruerse name, and they called it the Masse. They trouble themselues much, concerning the deriua­tion of this name: sometime they seeke it from an Hebrew original; sometime from a Greeke; and sometime from a Latine o­riginall: but it is plaine, that the vvord is deriued from the Latine; and it is a word which might haue been tollerable, when it was first instituted: for, no doubt, the Sa­crament, at the first institution of this word, was not then wholly peruerted; but now, in processe of time, corruption hath preuatied so farre, that it hath turned the Sacrament into a sacrifice; and where we should take from the hand of GOD, in Christ, they make vs to giue.

This is plaine Idolatry: and therefore, vvhereas the vvord vvas tollerable be­fore, now it ought not to be tollerable any way, it ought not to be suffered. And cer­tainly, if wee had eaten, and drunke, as oft [Page 31]the body & bloud of Christ in our soules, as wee haue eaten that bread, and drunke that wine, which are the signes of his body and bloud, we would not haue suffered this word of the Masse, much lesse the very ac­tion of it, to be so rise in this Countrey: But because we haue but played the coun­terfaits, and defrauded our soules of the body, and bloud of Christ, and tooke one­ly the outward Sacrament; therefore it is that our zeale decayeth; therfore it is, that our knowledge, and light decayeth: and for want of zeale, loue, and knowledge, the word of the Masse, is becom customable vnto you, and not onely the word, but the very action. I will not runne out heerin: I onely tell you, what commeth of the a­buse of the hearing of the vvord, vvhat iudgements follow vpon the abuse of the receiuing of the Sacraments.

Now, Secōd head generall. Of the ends why this Sa­crament was instituted. I come to the ends wherefore the Sacrament was appointed. This Sacra­ment was instituted in the signes of Bread, and Wine; and was appointed chiefely for this end, to represent our spirituall nouri­ture, 1 the full and perfect nouriture of our soules: that as he who hath Bread & Wine, lacketh nothing for the full nourishment [Page]of his body: so hee, or that soule vvhich hath the participation of the body, and bloud of Christ, wanteth nothing for the full and perfect nourishment of the soule. To represent this full and perfect nourish­ment, the signes of bread and vvine in the Sacrament, were set downe and instituted. The second end, 2 wherfore this Sacrament was instituted, is this; That we might testi­fie to the world, and to the Princes of the world, who are enemies to our profession; that we might openly avow, and testifie vnto them our Religion, and our manner of worshipping, in the which we avow, and worship Christ: and that wee might also testifie our loue towards his members, our bretheren: this is the second end vvhere­fore it was instituted. 3 The third end, wher­fore it was instituted, is this; to serue for our speciall comfort, and consolation; to serue as a soueraine medicine, for all our spirituall diseases, as wee finde our selues, either readie to fall, or prouoked to fall, by the diuell, the flesh, or the world; or after that we haue fallen, and are put to flight by the diuell, and would faine flee away from God; GOD of his mercie, and of his infinite pitie, and bottomlesse [Page 32]compassion, hath set vp this Sacrament, as a signe on an high hill, whereby it may be seene on euery side, farre, and neere, to call all them againe, that haue run shame­fully away: and hee clucks to them, as a Henne doth to her chickens, to gather them vnder the wings of his infinite mer­cie. The fourth end, vvherefore this Sa­crament was instituted, is this, that in this action, wee might thanke him for his be­nefites, and render to him hartie thanks, that he hath come downe so familiarly to vs, bowed the heauens, as it were and gi­uen vs the body and bloud of his owne Sonne, that wee might render vnto him harty thanks, and so sanctifie his benefits vnto vs: for this thanksgiuing, this Sa­crament was also instituted. Thus far con­cerning the ends briefely.

Now, Third head generall. I come to the things contayned in this Sacrament. Yee see with your eyes, there are corporall things, visible things, as the Bread, and Wine. There are againe hid from the eye of your body, but pre­sent to the eye of your minde, spirituall things, heauenly, and invvard things: both these are in the Sacrament.

The corporal, visible, & outward things, [Page]are the things which are appointed, Of the things con­tained in this Sacra­ment, out­ward and in­ward: wher­in sundry heads are in­treated. to sig­nifie the spirituall, heauenly, and inward things. And why? Nothing without a rea­son. These corporall signes, are appoin­ted to signifie the spirituall things, because we are corporall, we are earthly bodies, we haue our soule lodging within a carnal bo­dy, in a tabernacle of clay, a grosse taber­nacle, which cannot be wakened, nor mo­ued, except by the things that are like to it selfe. It cannot be induced to the conside­ration of heauenly things, except by gross, temporall, and corporall things. If we had been of the nature of the thing signified, that as the thing signified, is spirituall, and heauenly; so wee had been spirituall, and heauenly, we had not needed a corporall thing: so, if the thing signified, had been as wee are, corporall, earthly, and visible, we had not needed a signe, to lead vs to cō ­sider of it: But because the thing signified, is spirituall, and we are corporall, therfore to bring vs vnto the sight of these spirituall things, he vseth a corporall means, and an outward signe. This is the reason, where­fore these corporall signes, are appointed to signifie the spirituall thing.

The spirituall thing in both the Sacra­ments, [Page 33]is one, and the selfe same, Christ Iesus, signified in both the Sacraments: yet in diuerse respects, he is the thing signified in Baptisme, and hee is the thing signified in the Lords Supper. This Christ Iesus, in his bloud chiefely, is the thing signified in the Sacrament of Baptisme: and why? be­cause, that by his bloud, hee washeth away the filth of our soules; because, that by the vertue of his bloud, he quickneth vs in our soules, with a heauenly life: because, that by the power of his bloud, hee ingrafteth, and incorporateth vs, in his owne body. For, that Sacrament, is a testimonie of the remission of our sinnes: that is, of the cleanenesse of our consciences, that our consciences, by that bloud, are washed in­wardly. It testifieth also, our new birth, that wee are begotten spiritually, to a hea­uenly life. It testifieth also, the ioyning of vs in the body of Christ. As it is a testi­mony, so it is a seale: it not onely testifi­eth, but sealeth it vp in our harts, and maketh vs in our harts, to feele the taste of that heauenly life begun in vs, that wee are translated from death, in the which wee were conceiued, and ingrafted in the body of Christ.

Marke then: Christ, in his bloud, as hee is the washing of our regeneration, is the thing signified in Baptisme. In this Sacra­ment of the Lords Supper, againe, this same Christ is the thing signified, in ano­ther respect; to wit, in this respect, that his body and bloud, serue to nourish my soule to life euerlasting: for this Sacrament, is no other thing, but the image of our spirituall nourishment; GOD testifying how our foules are fed, & nourished to that heauen­ly life, by the image of a corporal nourish­mēt. So in diuerse respects, the same thing, that is, Chr. Iesus, is signified in Baptisme, and is signified in the Lords Supper. In this Sacrament, the fruits of Christes death, whereof I spake, the vertue of his sacrifice, the vertue of his passion, I call not these fruits & vertues only, the thing signified in the Sacrament of the L Supper: but rather I call the thing signified, that substance, & that person, out of the which substance, this vertue, & these fruits do flow, and pro­ceed. I grant, and it is most certain, that by the lawfull vse, & participation of the Sa­crament, thou art partaker of all these fruites: yet these fruites, are not the first, and chiefe thing, whereof thou art parta­ker [Page 34]in this Sacrament; but of force, thou must get another thing first. It is true, that no man can be partaker of the substance of Christ, but the same soule, must be also partaker of the fruites that flowe from his substance: yet notwithstanding, thou must discerne betwixt the substance, and the fruites that flowe from the substance; and thou must be partaker of the substance in the first roome; then in the next place, thou must bee partaker of the fruites that flowe from his substance. To make this cleere; in Baptisme, the fruites of Bap­tisme, are remission of our sinnes, morti­fication, the killing of sinne, and the sea­ling vp of our adoption, to life euerlast­ing. The substance out of the which these fruite, doe flowe, is the bloud of Christ. Ye must heere, of force, discerne between the bloud, vvhich is the substance, and be­tweene remission of sinnes, washing, and regeneration, which are the fruites, that flow from this bloud: so in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, the fruits of that Sa­crament, are, the growth o [...] faith, & the in­crease in holiness. The thing signified, is, the substance; that is, the body & bloud of Christ is the substance, out of which, this [Page]growth in faith, and holinesse, doth pro­ceed. Now, see ye not this; That you must discerne betweene the substance, and the fruites, and must place the substance in the first place? So that the substance of Christ, that is, Christ himselfe, is the thing signi­fied in this Sacrament. For your owne ex­perience will make this plaine vnto you: Before your stomack be filled with any foode, yee must eate the substance of the food first; before you be filled with bread, yee must eate the substance of the bread first; before your drouth bee quenched with any drinke, yee must of necessitie, drinke the substance of the drinke first: Euen so, after this maner; before the hun­ger of your soules be satisfied & the thirst thereof quenched, yee must eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his bloud first, and that by faith. So, consider the one by the other; looke to what vse bread and vvine serue to thy body, to the same vse, the bo­dy and bloud of Christ serue to thy soule; and he that appointed the one to serue for thy body, the same God appointed the o­ther, to serue for thy soule. So, looke how impossible it is for thee, to be fedde with that foode that neuer commeth into thy [Page 35]mouth, or to recouer health, by those drugges which neuer were applyed; it is as impossible, for thee to be fed by the body of Christ, & to get thy health by the bloud of Christ, except thou first eate his bodie, and drinke his bloud. Then yee see, that the thing signified in the Lords Supper, is not the fruites, so much as the body, and bloud, and Christ Iesus, which is the foun­taine, and substance, from which these fruites doe flowe, and proceed.

Then I say, suppose Christ, The thing signified in both the Sacramēts, is one: the signes are not one. who is the thing signified, remaine alwaies one, and the same, in both the Sacraments: yet the signes, whereby this one Christ is signified in the Sacraments, are not one, nor of an [...]quall number. For in Baptisme, the thing that representeth Christ, is Water. In the Lords Supper, the things that represent Christ, are Bread, and Wine. Water is ap­pointed to represent Christ in Baptisme, because it is meetest to represent our vva­shing with the bloud of Christ: for, what is fitter to wash with, then water? so there is nothing meeter to wash the soule, then the bloud of Christ. In this Sacrament he hath appointed Bread, and Wine: why? Because there is nothing more meet to [Page]nourish the body, then bread and vvine, so the Lord hath not chosen these signes without a reason. As the signes in the Sa­crament are not alwaies one; so the same in both, are not of one number: for, in Baptisme, wee haue but one element; in this Sacrament, wee haue two elements. Now, what is the reason of this diuersitie, that the Lord in the one Sacrament, Why in Baptisme there is but one signe, and in the Lords Sup­per two. hath appointed two signes, and in the other but one signe? I will shew you the reason. He hath appointed onely one signe in Bap­tisme, to wit, Water; because Water is suf­ficient enough for the whole. If Water had not been sufficient, to represent the thing signified, hee would haue appointed ano­ther signe: but in respect that water do [...] the turne, and representeth fully the wa­shing of our soules, by the bloud of Christ, what need then haue we of any other sign? Now, in this Sacrament, one signe will not suffice, but there must be two. And vvhy? Wine cannot be sufficient alone; neyther can Bread be sufficient alone: for, he that hath Bread onely, and Wine onely, hath not a perfect corporall nourishment; therefore, that they might represent, and let vs see a perfect nourishment, hee hath [Page 36]giuen vs both Bread & Wine (for the per­fect corporall nourishment, standeth in meat and drinke) to represent the full and perfect nourishment of the soule. Marke how full, and perfect a nourishment hee hath to his body, that hath store of Bread and Wine: So he that hath Christ, lacketh nothing of a full, and perfect nourishment for his soule. Then you see the reason, wherfore there are two signes appointed in this Sacrament, and onely one signe in Baptisme.

There remaineth yet, concerning these signes, two things to be inquired. First, Two que­stions: What pow­er the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament: And how long that power indu­reth. what power hath that bread in this Sacra­ment, to be a signe, more then the bread, which is vsed in common houses: from whence commeth that power? Next, if it haue a power, how long indureth and re­maineth that power, with the bread? For the first, concerning the power which that bread hath, more then any other bread: I will tell you.

That bread hath a power giuē vnto it by Christ, & by his institutiō; Answer. 1 by the which in­stitution, it is appointed to signifie his bo­dy, to represent his body, & to deliuer his body. That bread, hath a power flowing frō [Page]Christ, That bread hath that power from Christs in­stitution. and his institution, vvhich other common bread hath not: so that if any of you would ask, whē the Minister, in this action, is breaking, or distributing that Bread, pouring out, and distributing that Wine; if you would, I say, aske, what sort of creatures those are? this is the answere: They are holy things. Yee must giue this name, to the signes, and seales of the body and bloud of Christ. That bread of the Sacrament, is a holy bread; and that vvine, is an holy vvine: Why? Because the bles­sed institution of Christ, hath seuerd them from that vse wherevnto they serued be­fore, and hath applied them vnto an holy vse; not to feed the body, but to feede the soule.

Thus farre concerning the power of that bread: it hath a power flowing frō Christ, and his institution. Answer. 2 Now, the second thing is, how long this power continueth vvith that bread; how long that bread hath this office. That power continues during the seruice of the Table. In a word, I say, this power conti­nueth with that bread, during the time of the action; during the seruice of the Ta­ble. Look how long that action continues, and that the seruice of the Table lasteth, so long it continueth holy bread; so long [Page 37]continueth the power with that bread: but, looke how soone the action is ended, so soone endeth the holinesse of it: looke how soon the seruice of the Table is ended; so soon that bread, becomes cōmon bread againe, & the holinesse of it, ceaseth. Then this power continueth not for euer, but it continues onely, during the time of the action, and seruice of the Table. Thus far concerning the Elements.

There is besides the Elements, an other sort of signes in the Sacrament: there is not a ceremonie in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, but is a signe, and hath it owne spirituall signification with it: as namely, looking to the breaking of that bread, it representeth vnto thee, the brea­king of the body, & bloud of Christ. Not, that his body, and bones were broken, but that it was broken with dolour, with an­guish, and distresse of hart; with the weight of the indignation, and furie of God, that he sustained for our sinnes, which he took vpon him. Then, the breaking, is an es­sentiall ceremonie: the pouring out of the wine also, is an essentiall ceremonie. For, as yee see cleerly, that by the wine is signi­fied the bloud of Christ; so, by the pou­ring [Page]out of the wine, is signified, that his bloud was seuered from his flesh; and the seuering of those two, maketh death: for, in bloud is the life; and consequently, it testifieth his death. The pouring out of the wine, then, tells thee, that he dyed for thee, that his bloud was shed for thee; so this is an essentiall ceremonie, which must not be left out. Likewise, the distribution, giuing, and eating of that bread, are essen­tiall ceremonies. And what doth the ea­ting testifie vnto thee? The applying of the body & bloud of Christ vnto thy soule. So that there is none of these rites, but haue their own signification; and there cannot one of them be left out, but ye shal peruert the whole action. Thus farre concerning the signes.

Now, An obser­uation. what profit can ye make of all this discourse? Learne this lesson, and yee shal make profit by these things. In respect that euery signe and ceremonie, hath it owne spirituall signification, so that there is not a ceremonie in this whole action, that wants it owne spirituall signification; consider this, and thinke with your selues, at that time especially when yee are at the Lords Table, & in the sight of that action, [Page 38]that looke vvhat thou seest the Minister dooing outwardly, what euer it be: (Is he breaking that Bread? is hee dealing that bread? is he pouring out, and distributing that vvine?) Thinke assuredly vvith thy selfe, that Christ is as busie, dooing all these things, spiritually vnto thy soule: hee is as busie, giuing vnto thee, his ovvne bodie, vvith his owne hand: hee is as busie, giuing to thee his owne bloud, with the vertue, and efficacie of it. So, in this action (if thou be a faithfull Commu­nicant) looke vvhat the mouth doth, and hovv the mouth of the body is oc­cupied outwardlie: so is the hand, and mouth of the soule (vvhich is faith) oc­cupied invvardly. As the mouth taketh that Bread, and that Wine; so the mouth of thy soule, taketh the body, and bloud of Christ, and that by faith. For by faith, and a constant perswasion, is the onelie vvay to eate the bodie, and drinke the bloud of Christ invvardly: and dooing this, there cannot but follow a fruite­full eating. Thus farre, for the considera­tion of the signes.

Now commeth in the matter wherein greatest difficulty standeth, wherof I spake [Page]the last day, How the signes, and the thing signified, are conioy­ned in the Sacrament. as God gaue me the grace; yet in the particular, I must speak, as wel as in the generall, but somewhat more shortly. Then ye haue to vnderstand, for the better information of your consciences; and for the better preparation of your soules, yee haue to vnderstand, how that bread, and that vvine, which are the signes, are cou­pled with the body, and bloud of Christ, which are signified thereby: What sort of coniunction this is, and from whence this coniunction floweth, I shall be briefe; be­cause I haue already, in my last Lecture, spoken of it at large.

Take heede: for if ye giue not good at­tention, it is not possible, that ye can con­ceiue this coniunction. Concerning this coniunction, would you knowe how these two are coupled? Then must you first marke the nature of the signes, and the na­ture of the thing signified; yee must ob­serue both their natures: And why? Be­cause nothing can be coupled, nor con­ioyned with other, but so farre, as the na­ture of it will suffer; if the nature of it will not suffer a coniunction, they cannot be conioyned: or, will the nature of it suffer a coniunction? looke how farre it will suffer [Page 39]a coniunction, so farre are they conioy­ned. Seeing then ye must obserue the na­ture of the things that are conioyned, first marke the thing signified, what the nature thereof is; marking that, ye shall see, that the thing signified, is of a spirituall nature; of a heauenly, and mysticall nature: then may ye conclude, that this spiritual thing, will suffer a spirituall coniunction, a my­sticall, and secret coniunction.

Againe, obserue the signe: The signe, of his nature (as I haue told you) hath a rela­tion vnto the thing signified; & the thing signified, of his nature, hath a relation vn­to the signe. So then the signe, & the thing signified, will suffer to be conioyned, by a mutuall relation: both the signe, and the thing signified, in respect they haue a mu­tuall relation, the one vnto the other, they will suffer themselues to be conioyned by a relatiue coniunction. Now if ye ask me, what sort of coniunction, is betweene that bread, and that wine, and the body, and bloud of Christ: To tell you in a word, I say, it is a secret, and spirituall coniuncti­on; such a coniunction, as standeth in a mutuall respect, betwixt the bread, and the body of Christ, and betwixt the wine, and [Page]the bloud of Christ: then I say, it is a se­cret, & a spirituall coniunction. Ye would not be so inquisitiue of this coniunction, if it were corporall, visible, or locall: if you saw them both before your eyes, you would not aske how they are conioyned; or if thou didst see them both in one place. But, because you see but the one with your eyes, and the other is hid, this maketh the coniunction the more difficult to be vtte­red, and vnderstood. And how is it possi­ble, that ye can conceiue this secret, and hid coniunction, except you haue the eyes of your minde illuminated by the spirit, whereby ye may come to the right vnder­standing? But if yee haue any insight into these spirituall matters that come by faith, this coniunction will appeare as cleerely, by the eye of your faith, as the physicall coniunction dooth, to the eye of your body.

Novv, to haue this matter made more plain; there is another coniunction, which serueth to make this coniunction very cleere: namely, the coniunction betwixt the vvord, which I speake, and the thing signified by that same word. As if I speake to you, of things in this language, which [Page 40]yee vnderstand, bee it of things past, though neuer so long since; of things to come, though neuer so far off; of things absent, though neuer so farre distant; yet so soone as I speake the vvord, vvhether it be of things past, or to come, the thing it selfe will come into your minde. The vvord is heard no sooner by your eare, but the thing signified by the same vvord, commeth into your minde. What maketh the thing signified, though absent, to come into my mind? This could not be, except there were a coniunction, betweene the word, and the thing signified by the word.

As for example; If I speak of the King, who is now a great way distant from vs (I pray God blesse him) yee will no sooner heare the word, but the King, vvho is the thing signified by the word, will come into your minde. If I speake of things past, though they be already expired, yet the thing signified, vvill presently come into your minde: so there is a coniunction yee see, between the word, and the thing signi­fied by the word. Marke this coniunction, and yee shall gette the nature of the con­iunction, and coupling of the signe, which is the thing signified in the Sacrament.

For obserue, what sort of coniunction is between the vvord, and the thing signifi­ed by the word, the same sort of coniuncti­on, is between the Sacrament, which is seene to the eye of your body, & the thing signified by the Sacrament, which is seene to the eye of your soule onely. As for ex­ample; so soone as thou seest that bread, taken in the hand of the Minister, thou seest it not so soone, but incontinent, the body of Christ must come into thy mind; these two are so conioyned, that they com both together: the one, to the outward sen­ses; the other, to the inward senses. This is not enough now, because in the instituti­on, ye are commanded to goe further; & not onely to looke to that bread, and that wine, but to take that bread, and that wine: incontinent, as your hand takes the one, so your hart takes the other; as your teeth eates the one, so the teeth of your soule, which is faith, eates the other; that is, ap­plyeth Christ vnto your soule. So yee see there is a coniunction heere, secret, and mysticall: and therefore, Christ cannot be conioyned, but by a secret, and mysti­call coniunction. The coniunction be­tweene Christ, and vs, is a secret, and my­sticall [Page 41]coniunction; which the Apostle, in the fift of the Ephes. calleth that spirituall coniunction, ful of an high mysterie: this coniunction cannot be taken vp at the first. So, seeing the coniunction is secret, and spirituall, and not perceiued, but by the spirit of God; all is as nothing, except ye haue some portion, and measure of his spirit. All that is taught in the word, and Sacraments, will neuer doe you good, will neuer carry your soules to heauen, except the spirit of God illuminate your mindes, and make you to finde in your soules, the thing that ye hear in the word. Then learn this, seeing the word cānot be vnderstood, but by the spirit of GOD, craue that the Lord would illuminate the eyes of your mindes, by his spirit; and be you as careful to get the spirit, as yee are carefull now in the hearing of the word. Thus farre con­cerning the coniunction.

Now ye haue heard, how the signe is cō ­ioyned with the thing signified, what re­maineth for you to knowe? This rests yet to knowe, how the signe is receiued, How the signe, & the thing signi­fied, is re­ceiued. and how the thing signified is receiued; vvhe­ther they bee both receiued with one mouth, or not; whether the signe, and the [Page]thing signified, be receiued after one fa­shion, and manner, or not. And marking the diuerse manner of receiuing, and the diuersity of the instruments, yee shall not easily erre in the Sacrament. The signe, and the thing signified, are receiued by two mouthes: for ye see the signes, that is, that bread, and wine, wherunto they are giuen; they are giuen to the mouth of the body. Then the mouth of the body, is the instru­ment that receiueth that bread, and that vvine, which are the signes. As that bread, and that wine, are visible, and corporall: so the mouth, and instrument, whereby they are receiued, is visible, and corporall. The thing signified by the bread, and wine, is not receiued by the mouth of the body: no, the Scripture denieth that plainly, but it is receiued by the mouth of the soule. Then there are two mouthes: that bread, and that wine, which are the signes, are re­ceiued by the mouth of the body: Christ, vvho is the thing signified, is receiued by the mouth of the soule; that is, by a true faith.

Then, bring not to the Lords Table, one mouth onely (for, if yee bring the mouth of your body onely, it auaileth [Page 42]nothing) but bring with you also, the mouth of your soule, a constant perswasi­on in the death of Christ, for that is availe­able.

Novv, concerning the manner hovv the signes are receiued, and the manner how the thing signified is receiued; yee may easily knowe, that these corporall, & naturall signes, must be receiued after a corporall, and naturall maner: they must be taken with the hand, or mouth of the body. Againe, a supernaturall thing, must be receiued after a supernaturall manner: A spirituall thing, must be receiued, after a spirituall manner. So, as the signes are corporall, and receiued after a corporall manner, with the hand, or the mouth of the body; In like manner, the thing signi­fied, is spirituall, and receiued after a spiri­tuall manner, with the hand and mouth of the soule, which is true faith. Thus yee haue briefely deliuered vnto you, the whole preparation, that is necessary for the vnderstanding of this Sacrament.

Now, what doctrine gather I from this? Of this last point, vvhere I say, that Christ is the thing signified, and cannot be pre­ceiued, but by faith, cannot be receiued, [Page]nor digested, but by a faithfull soule: what kinde of receiuing confirme I in this Sa­crament? I establish no kind of receiuing of Christ, What kinde of receiuing Christ, is e­stablished in the Sa­crament. but a spiritual receiuing: he can not be perceiued, nor receiued, but by faith, and faith is spirituall: Therefore in this Sacrament, I establish onely a spiritual taking of Christ; & not a carnall, or flesh­ly receiuing. This is the ground: Novv let vs see, what inconuenience can follow vp­on this ground. Inconueni­ences cast in by the Papists, a­gainst the spirituall re­ceiuing of Christ in the Sacra­ment. The Papists say, that vp­on this ground, this inconuenience shall follow. If there be no receiuing of Christ, but a spirituall receiuing, then (say they) your Sacrament is in vaine; this Sacra­ment of the Lords Supper, was instituted to no end. And what is their reason? If there be no way to receiue Christ (say the Papists) but by faith, what need you then a Sacrament? Yee receiue Christ, by faith, in the word: by the naked and simple prea­ching of the word, ye get faith. So the sim­ple word, may serue the turne. What need haue ye of a Sacrament, if ye get not some new thing in the Sacrament, which yee could not get in the word?

This is their Argument; whereof ye see their conclusion to be this: Wee get no [Page 43]other new thing in the Sacrament, First incon­uenience: That the Sacrament is superflu­ous. then we doe in the vvord, if there be no receiuing but spirituall. Ergo, The Sacrament is su­perfluous.

VVee admit the Antecedent to bee true: vvee get no other thing, nor no new thing in the Sacrament, but the same thing which we got in the word. I would haue thee deuise, and imagine vvith thy selfe, what new thing thou vvouldest haue: let the hart of man, deuise, imagine, and wish, he durst neuer haue thought to haue such a thing, as the Sonne of GOD; hee durst neuer haue presumed, to haue pearced the clowdes, to haue ascended so high, as to haue craued the Sonne of GOD in his flesh, to be the foode of his soule. Hauing the Sonne of God, thou hast him, who is the heire of all things; who is King of hea­uen, and earth; and in him, thou hast all things. What more then canst thou wish? What better thing canst thou wish? Hee is equall with the Father, one in substance with the Father, true GOD, & true man, vvhat more canst thou wish? Then, I say, vvee get no other thing in the Sacrament, then wee had in the vvord: content thee vvith this. But suppose it be so; yet the [Page]Sacrament is not superfluous. But woul­dest thou vnderstand what new thing thou obtainest? what other thing thou gettest? I will tell thee. Refutation of the first Inconueni­ence. Suppose thou get that same thing which thou haddest in the vvord, yet thou gettest that same thing better. What is that better? Thou obtainest a greater, and surer hold of that same thing in the Sacrament, then thou hadst by the hearing of the vvord. That same thing, which thou possessedst, by the hearing of the word, thou doost possesse now more largely; it hath larger bounds in thy soule, by the receiuing of the Sacrament, then other-wise it could haue, by the hearing of the word onely. Then wilt thou aske what new thing wee get? I say, wee get this new thing: we get Christ, better then before; we get the thing which we had, more fully: that is, with a surer apprehension then we had it before; we gette a greater hold of Christ now. For, by the Sacrament, my faith is nourished, the boundes of my soule are enlarged: and so, whereas I had but a little hold of Christ before, as it were betweene my finger, and my thumbe, now I get him in my whole hand; and still the more that my faith groweth, the [Page 44]better hold I get of Christ Iesus. So the Sacrament is very necessary, and if it were no more but to get Christ better, and to get a faster apprehension of him, by the Sacrament, then vvee could haue be­fore.

Now, if it were true, that the Sacrament is superfluous: by the same reason it shold follow also, that the repetition of the Sa­crament is superfluous. For, when yee come to the Sacrament the second time, ye get no other thing then yee did the first time: vvhen ye come vnto the Sacrament the third time, yet get no other thing then yee did the first time: and yet no man will say, that the third, and second comming, is a superfluous thing. And vvhy? Be­cause by the second comming, my faith is augmented, I vnderstand better, I growe in knowledge, I growe in apprehension, I grow in feeling: and in getting the growth of all these, as oft as I come, there is no man will say, that the oft comming to the Sacrament is superfluous, & if it were eue­rie day once. So, their first inconuenience auailes not: Wee get no new thing in the Sacrament; Ergo, the Sacrament is super­fluous.

Thus farre for the first. Then there de­pends another thing on the same ground. If Christ be not perceiued, but by faith; then, say we, no wicked body can perceiue him; hee that lacketh faith, cannot per­ceiue him. He that lacketh faith, may per­ceiue that Sacrament, of that bread, and that vvine, and may eate of that bread, and drinke of that wine; but hee that vvanteth faith, may not eate & drink of the body & bloud of Christ, signified by that bread, & by that wine. So this is the groūd: no faith­lesse people can perceiue Christ, nor eate the body of Christ in the Sacrament.

Against this ground, they bring their Argument out of the same words of the Apostle, which I haue read; the words are these; Hee that eateth of this Bread, vn­vvorthily (saith the Apostle) and drinketh of this Cuppe vnworthily, is guilty of the bo­dy and blood of Christ.

There is their ground: Second in­cōuenience. So that their Ar­gument will suffer this forme: No man can be guiltie of that thing, vvhich hee hath not receiued: they haue not receiued the body, and bloud of Christ: therefore, they cannot be guiltie of the body, and bloud of Christ: but so it is, that the Apostle saith, they are [Page 45]guilty, therefore they haue receiued the body, and bloud of Christ.

I answere vnto the Proposition, Refutation of the se­cond incon­ueniēce ob­iected, wher in are sun­dry reasons giuen, why the wicked are counted guilty of the body, and bloud of Christ. and I say, it is very false: They could not bee guiltie of that body, and bloud, except they had receiued it; for they may be guil­ty of that same body, & of that same bloud, suppose they neuer receiued it. But marke the Text: The Text saith not, that they eate the body of Christ vnworthily; but it saith, that they eate that bread, and drinke that wine vnworthily: And yet, because they eate that bread, and drinke that wine vnworthily, they are counted before God, guiltie of the body, and bloud of Christ. Now wherefore is this? Not because they receiue him; for, if they receiued him, they could not but receiue him vvorthily, for Christ cannot be receiued of any man, but woorthily: but they are accounted guiltie of the body and bloud of the Son of GOD, because they refused him. For vvhen they did eate that Bread, and drink that wine, they might, if they had had faith, haue eaten and drunke the flesh, and bloud of Christ lesus. Now, because thou refusest the body of Christ, offered to thee, thou contemnest his body, offered vnto [Page]thee, if thou haue not an eye to discerne, and indge of this body, that is offered. For if they had had faith they might haue seen his body, offered with the bread; by faith they might haue taken that same body, & by faith, they might haue eaten that same body. Therefore, lacking their wedding garment, wanting faith, whereby they should eate the bodie, and drink the bloud of Christ; wanting faith, which is the eye of the soule, to perceiue, and the mouth of the soule, to receiue that body, which is spirituallie offered; they are counted guiltie of that same body & bloud.

Now, let vs make this more cleere by a similitude. Ye see among worldly Princes, their custome is, not to suffer their maie­stie to be impeached in the smallest thing that they haue. VVhat meaner thing is there that concerneth the maiestie of a Prince, then a seale? for the substance of it is but wax: yet, if thou disdainfullie vse that seale, and contemne it, and stampe it vnder thy feet, thou shalt be esteemed as guilty of his body, and bloud, as hee that laid violent hands on him, & thou shalt be punished accordingly. Much more, if thou come as a swine, or as a dog, to handle the [Page 46]seales of the bodie, and bloud of Christ; much more maiest thou bee rockoned guilty of his body, and of his bloud.

Thus farre of the eating of the body of Christ: The vvicked cannot eate the bodie of Christ; but they may bee guil­tie of it. The Apostle maketh this more plaine yet, by another speech, vvhich I haue sometimes handled out of this place. In Hebr. 6.6. it is said, that Apostates, they that fall away, they crucifie the Son of God againe; and their falling away, maketh thē as guilty, as they were who crucified him. He is now in heauen, they cannot fetch him frō thence, to crucify him: yet the Apostle saith, they crucifie him. Why? Because their malice is as great, as theirs that cru­cified him, because they match in malice, with thē that crucified him; so that if they had him on the earth, they vvould doe the like: therefore they are said to cruci­fie the Sonne of GOD. So in Heb. 10.29. there is another speech: the wicked are said to stampe the bloud of Christ vnder their feet. Why? Because their malice is as great, as theirs that stamped his bloud.

Now, they are accounted for this reason, to be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of [Page]Christ, not because they eate his body, but because they refused it, vvhen they might haue had it.

Now, the time remaines yet, wherein we may haue the body, Exhorta­tion. and bloud of Christ. This time is very precious, and the dispen­sation of times is very secret, and hath it owne bounds: if yee take not this time now, it will away. This time of Grace, and of that heauenly foode, hath been dispen­sed vnto you very long: but how ye haue profited, your liues and behauiours testi­fie. Remember therefore your selues in time, and in time make vse of it; for yee knowe not how long it will last: craue a mouth to receiue, as well the food of your soules, that is offered, as ye doe the food of your bodies: and take this time while yee may haue it, or assuredly the time shall come, when yee shall cry for it, but shall not get it; but in place of Grace, and mer­cie, shall come iudgement, vengeance, & the dispensation of vvrath.

They will not leaue this matter so; but they insist yet, and they bring more Ar­guments, to prooue, that the vvicked are partakers of the bodie, Third in­cōuenience. and bloud of Christ; That Bread (say they) yee vvill [Page 47]grant, vvhich the vvicked man eates, is not naked bread, but is that bread vvhich is the Sacrament. Thus then they make their Argument; The Sacrament hath e­uer conioyned vvith it, the thing signified: But the Sacrament is giuen to all, there­fore the thing signified is giuen to all.

What if I grant to them all this Argu­ment? Refutation of the third inconueni­ence. There should no inconuenience follow. For, the thing signified may be gi­uen to all; that is, offered to all, as it is of­fered to all men, and yet not receiued of all. Giuen to all; therefore receiued of all, it followeth not. I may offer you tvvo things; yet it is in your owne will, whe­ther you will take them, or no, but ye may take the one, and refuse the other: and yet hee that offers, offered you the thing that ye refused, as truely, as the thing which ye tooke. So, GOD deceiueth no man: but with the word, and Sacraments, assuredly hee giueth two things, if they would take them. By his vvord, hee offers the word to the eare, hee offers Christ Iesus to the soule. By his Sacraments, hee offers the Sacraments to the eye, hee offers Christ Iesus to the soule.

Now, it may be, that where two things [Page]are truly, & conioyntlie offred, a man may receiue the one, and refuse the other. Hee receiueth the one, because he hath an in­strument to take it: he refuseth the other, because he wanteth an instrument. I heare the word, because I haue an eare to heare it with: I receiue the Sacrament, because I haue a mouth to receiue it with: but as for the thing, which the word, and Sacraments represent, I may refuse it; because I haue not a mouth to take it, nor an eye to per­ceiue it: and therefore, the fault is not on Gods part, but on our part. The wicked get the body, and bloud of Christ offered to them conioyntly, with the word, & Sacra­ments; but the fault is on their part, that they haue not a mouth to receiue him, and God is not bound to giue them a mouth. Mark this: That if it were not of Gods spe­ciall grace, and mercie, that he giueth mee an eye to perceiue him, and a mouth to re­ceiue him; I would refuse him, as well as they. So, this Argument holdeth not: Christ is offered to all; Ergo, hee is receiued of all. Happy were they, if they could re­ceiue him. Thus far for the 3. Argument.

What resteth now for the ful vnderstan­ding of the Sacrament? These things re­main; [Page 48]That we vnderstand the Sacramen­tall speeches, that are vsed in the Sacra­ment: for, we vse to speake of them: God vseth to speake of them: and the Ancients vse to speake of them. Wee vse to say, that the soule eateth the body of Christ, and drinketh the bloud of Christ. How the soule is said to eate the body, and drinke the bloud of Christ. These spee­ches wold be opened to you, how the soule is said to eate the body, & drink the bloud of Christ: these speeches are Sacramental; yet yee are not the wiser: but I will make it plaine, by Gods grace. They are Sacra­mentall; what is that? Ye knowe it is pro­per to the bodie to eate and drink, they are the proper actions of the body only. Now they are ascribed to the soule by a translati­on, by a figuratiue maner of speaking. That which is proper to the body, is ascribed to the soule, and it is said that the soule eateth & drinketh. The eating of the soule, doth resemble the eating of the bodie: then the eating of the soule, is no other thing, but the applying of Christ to the soule; to be­lieue that he hath shed his bloud for mee; that he hath purchased remissiō of sins for me. Wherfore then cal you this an eating? what call you the eating of the body? They body eateth, when thou appliest the meat [Page]to thy mouth. If then the eating of the bo­dy be no other thing, but the applying of meat to the mouth; the eating of the soule is no other thing, but the applying of the nourishment to the soule. Then yee see what is meant by the eating and drinking of the soule: no other thing, but the ap­plying of Christ to my soule, and the ap­plying of his death & passion to my soule; and this is onely done by faith: therefore he that lacketh faith, cannot eate Christ. Thus farre for the eating and drinking of the soule, vvhich are Sacramentall spee­ches.

There remaineth now, of all these great things, Obserua­tion. and of all this doctrine which hath bin taught, but this one lesson: That thou learne to apply Christ rightly to thy soule. Thou art a great Diuine, if thou hast lear­ned this wel: for, in the right applicatiō of Christ, to the sick soule, to the wounded conscience, and diseased heart, heere be­ginnes the fountaine of all our felicitie, & the wel-spring of all our ioy. And I wil tell you, what this application worketh: Ob­serue, what the presence of thy soule with­in thee (suppose thou want Christ in thy soule) doth to this earthly body, to this [Page 49]lump of clay; as by the presence of the soule, it liueth, it mooueth, it feeleth: as the soule giueth to the body, life, mouing, and senses: that same very thing, dooth Christ vnto thy soule. Hast thou once laid hold of, and applyed him to thee? As the soule quickens thy body, so hee quickens thy soule; not with an earthly, or temporal life, but with the life which hee liueth in heauē: he makes thee to liue that same life, which the Angels liue in heauen: hee ma­keth thee to moue, not with worldly moti­ons, but with heauenly, spirituall, & cele­stiall motions. Againe, he inspires in thee, not outward senses, but heauenly senses; he worketh in thee, a spiritual feeling, that in thine own hart & conscience, thou mayst find the effect of this word. So, by the con­iunction of Christ with my soule, I get a thousand times greater benefits, then the body doth by the soule: for the bodie, by the presence of the soule, getteth onely an earthly & temporall life, subiect to conti­nual misery: but by the presence of Christ in my soule, I see a blessed life, I feele a bles­sed life: & that same life, takes daily more & more increase in me. Then the ground of all our perfection, & blessednes, standeth [Page]in this coniunction: & suppose thou migh­test liue Methushelaes yeeres, and wert euer seking; yet if in the last houre, thou get this coniunction, thou maist thinke thy trauel well bestowed; thou hast gotten enough: for if we haue obtained Christ, wee haue gotten all with him. Then the applying of Christ to my soule, is the foūtaine of all my ioy & felicitie. Now, let vs see how we get this coniunction. This is a spirituall con­iunction, a coniunction hard, & difficult to be purchased, obtained, & gotten of vs, How then is this coniunction brought a­bout? which are the means of this cōiunc­tion on Gods part? & which are the means on our part to get Christ, to put Christ in our soules, & to make Christ one with vs? There is one means on Gods part, that hel­peth vs vnto Christ, & there is another on our part. On Gods part, there is the holie spirit, which offereth the body, & bloud of Chr. to vs: and on our part, there must be a means, or else, though he offer, we will not receiue. Therefore of necessity, there must be faith in our soules, to receiue that which the holy spirit offers, to receiue that heauē ­ly food, of the body & bloud of Chr. which she holy spirit offers. Thē faith, & the holy [Page 50]spirit, are the two means of this spiritual, & heauenly coniunction. By these 2. means, by faith, & by the holy spirit, I get the bo­dy of Chr. the body of Chr. is mine, & he is giuen to my soule. Now, heer comes in the question; How canst thou say, that the bo­dy of Christ is giuen, or deliuered to thee, seeing the body of Christ is sitting at the right hand of God the Father? & look how great distance is betwixt heauen and earth, as great distance is there, betwixt the body of Christ, and thy body: how then say yee, that the body of Christ is giuen to you? The Papists vnderstand not this; & there­fore they imagin a gross & carnal coniunc­tion. Except the spirit of God reueale these things, they cannot be vnderstood. The spirit of God must illuminate our mindes, and be planted in all our harts, before wee can come to the vnderstanding of this. Then wouldest thou vnderstand hovv Christ is giuen thee? This ground is true, that the bodie of Christ, is at the right hand of the Father; the bloud of Christ is at the right hand of the Father: yet not­withstanding, though there be as great di­stance betwixt my body, and the bodie of Christ, as is betwixt heauen and earth, [Page]yet Christes body is giuen to me, because I haue a title to his body giuen to mee: the right, and title which is giuen to me, of his body, and bloud, makes me to possesse his body and bloud. The distance of the place, hurteth not my title, nor my right: for if a­ny of you, haue a peece of Land lying in the farthest part of England, if ye haue a good title to it, the distance of the place cannot hurt your title: so I say, the di­stance of place, hurts not my title, and my right, that I haue to Christ. But, though he be sitting at the right hand of the Father, yet the title, and right, that I haue to him, makes him mine; so that I may say trulie, this Christ is my property. Then Christ is not made mine, because I fetch him out of the heauens: but he is mine, because I haue a sure title, & right to him; & hauing a sure title, and iust right to him, the distance of place, how farre soeuer it be, can no wayes hurt my title, nor right; but where-euer he be, he is mine, because I haue a right & ti­tle to him. Yea, not onely haue I a title to him, but this title is confirmed to mee: For, as I gette a title to him in the vvord (and if I got not that title to him in the word, I durst not come to the Sacrament) [Page 51]so in the Sacrament, I get the confirma­tion of my title, I get the Seale, which confirmes my title. Then to come to the point, Christs bodie, is sitting at the right hand of the Father, and yet he is mine, and is deliuered to me, because I haue right to his bodie, be it where it will: hee was borne for mee, giuen to mee, and de­liuered to mee: So distance of place, hurts not the suretie of my title, as propinquitie of place, helpes not the suretie of the same. Though Christ would bow the heauens, and touch thee with his bodie, as he did Iu­das: yet this could not helpe thee, for if thou hast not a title to him, thou darest not call him, thine. So it is not the neer­nesse, nor proximity of place, that makes Christ mine: It is onely the right, that I haue to him: I haue right to him, only by faith: So by faith only, Chr. is made mine. But they thinke, they haue gotten a great vantage of vs, if we be so farre from Chr. as the heauen is, frō the earth; but this shal be answered, by Gods grace: I haue a title to his body, his body is distant frō my body: yet his body is not distant from me, that is, from my soule, I say his bodie and my soule are conioyned. It is a strange ladder, [Page]that will reach from the earth to the hea­uens, yet let me tell you, there is a corde that extendeth from the earth to the hea­uens; Faith is that which couples vs and Christ. and coupleth mee and Christ toge­ther, and this is onely true fayth: By true faith, Christ, though he be in the hea­uens, is coupled, and conioyned with me, who am heere on earth: I will shewe you this by a similitude. Similitude taken from the sunne. Is not the bodie of the sunne in the firmament? It is impossible for you, to touch the bodie of the sun, yet the bodie of the sunne, and yee are conioy­ned, How? By those beames that shine on you; by that light, that shineth vpon you: Why may not the bodie of Christ then, though it be in the heauens, be conioyned with mee, that am on the earth, namelie, by the beames, by the light, and gladnes, that floweth from his bodie? My bodie, & Christs body are conioined, by the vertue, and power, flowing from his bodie: which vertue, and power, quickneth my dead soule, maketh me to liue the life of Christ, to beginne to die to my selfe: and euer the more I die to my selfe, the more I liue to Christ: This coniunction nowe is the ground as I told you, of all our felicitie, and happinesse, and I haue made it cleere [Page 52]to you at this time, so farre as God hath giuen me insight: Alwaies yee see, this con­iunction is brought to passe, by two speci­all meanes; by the holy spirit, and by faith, If there bee no other meanes, but these two, what needest thou a carnall, or a vi­sible coniunction? Faith is invisible, and the spirit is inuisible, therefore thou canst not see it, nor take it vp with the eye of thy bodie: The power of the holy spirit is so subtile, secret, and inuisible, that thou canst not perceiue it, nor take it vppe, with the eye of thy bodie, and it will worke great effects in thy soule, or e­uer thou perceiuest his working: In respect therefore, that the meanes of this coniunc­tion, are so subtill, secret, and spirituall, why thinkest thou to get a sight of this coniunction, with the eye of thy bodie? why imaginest thou, such a carnall con­iunction, as this, which would doe thee no good, if thou hadst it? knowst thou not, that the spirit, that coupleth vs, and Christ, is infinite? so that it is as easie for the spi­rit, to couplevs and Christ, how farre dis­tant soeuer wee bee, as it is easie for our soules, to couple our head and the feete of our bodies, though they be distant. Then [Page]seeing this coniunction is the ground & fountaine of all our happinesse: And seeing this ground of happinesse is so sub­til, and so spirituall, What is your part? Re­moue all your outward senses, remoue al your naturall motions, remoue your na­turall discourses, and your naturall rea­son, and follow the sight and information of the spirit of God: Craue that it would please him, to illuminate your vnderstan­ding, that by the light of his spirit, yee may see cleerely, the spirituall coniuncti­on: Except the eye of the spirit be giuen you, to perceiue this spirituall coniuncti­on. It is not possible, that yee can get any insight in it. But if the Lord of his mercy, will bestowe some measure of his holy spi­rit vpon you; out of question, yee shall soone come to the vnderstanding of it, and yee shall thinke the time happie, that e­uer yee heard this word. Except yee haue some part of this spirit, it is not possible that yee canne bee spirituall.

That which is borne of flesh and bloode, will remaine flesh and bloud, except the spirit come in and make it spirituall.

Therefore yee must bee borne againe [Page 53]of the spirit, yee must bee borne in the bodie of Christ, his spirit must quicken you.

This is called the quickning, and li­uing spirit of Christ, by Iohn. And so soone as this spirit cometh, what doth it? It chaseth away darknesse out of the vnder­standing: whereas before, I knewe not God, now I see him, not onely gene­rally, that he is a God, but that he is my God in Christ: what more doth the holy spirit? It opneth the heart, as well as the minde: and what doth it there? Those things, whereon I bestowed the affection of my heart, and imployed the loue of my soule, are by the working of the holy spirit, made gall to mee, he makes then venome to mee, and to bee as deadly ha­ted of mee, as poyson: Hee worketh such an inward disposition in my soule, that hee makes mee to turne, and flie from those things whereon I im­ployed my loue before, and to imploy it vpon God: This is a great per­fection. Alwayes in some measure, he makes mee to loue God better then anie other thing: Hee changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule, [Page]he changeth the faculties, and qualities of my soule: And though our hearts & minde be made new, yet the substance of them is not changed, but onely the faculties, and qualities are changed, in respect of the which change, wee are called new creatu­res, & except you be found newe creatu­res, Conclusi­on with an exhorta­tion. yee are not in Christ.

Now to come to the poynt. This secret Coniunction is brought to passe, by faith, and by the holy spirit: by faith wee lay hold on the bodie, and bloud of Christ: And though wee bee as farre distant, as heauen and earth are; the spirit serues vs, as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ: As the ladder of Iacob, which reached from the ground to the heauen, to the selfe same vse, serueth the spirit of God, to conioyne the bodie of Christ, with my soule. Then obserue the whole in a word: what makes you to haue anie right, or title to Christ? Nothing, but the spirit: Nothing, but faith. What should bee your studie then? Seeke by all meanes possible, to gett faith: That as Peter, Acts the 15.9. sayeth, your hearts and consciences, may be sanc­tified by faith: And if you endeuour [Page 54]not, as well to get faith in your hearts, as in your mindes, your faith auaileth not. What auaileth the faith, that fleeteth in the fantasie, and brings a naked knowledge, without the opening of the heart, and con­sent of the will? So, there must be an ope­ning of thy hart, and consent of thy will, to doe that thing, that God commandeth, or else, thy faith availeth not: Then striue to get faith in your hearts, and mindes; and doing so, yee doe the duties of Chri­stians: This is not done, without the di­ligent hearing of the word, and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament. Then be di­ligent in these exercises, and be diligent in prayer: Praying in the holy Ghost, that hee would nourish your soules inwardlie, with the body, and bloud of Christ: That hee would increase faith in your hearts, and mindes, and make it to grow vp more and more daily, vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortality: Vnto the which, the Lord of his mercie bring vs; and that for the righteous me­rits of Christ Iesus: To whome with the Father, and the holy Ghost, bee all ho­nour, praise, and glorie, both now and euer: Amen.

WE haue heard (wel-belo­ued in Christ Iesus) in our last exercise, what names were giuen to the Sacra­ment of the Lords Supper, as well in the Scriptures, as by the Auncientes, of the Latine, and East Churches: wee hearde the chiefe ends wherefore, and wherevnto, this holy Sacrament was at first institu­ted: wee heard the things, that were contained in this Sacrament, what they were, how they are coupled, how they are [Page 55]deliuered, and how they are receiued: wee heard also, some obiections, that might bee obiected, to the contrarie of this doctrine: wee heard them propoun­ded, and as God gaue the grace, re­futed: wee heard how the faythfull soule, is said to eate Christs bodie, and drinke Christs blood: Wee heard the manner, how Christ is, or canne bee, receiued of vs: And we concluded in this poynt, That Christ Iesus, the Sauiour of man­kinde, our Sauiour, cannot bee percei­ued, nor yet receiued, but by a spirituall way, & apprehension. Neyther the flesh of Christ, nor the bloud of Christ, nor Christ himselfe, can bee perceiued, but by the eye of fayth; can bee receiued, but by the mouth of faith; nor can be layd hold on, but by the hand of fayth.

Now faith is a spiritual thing: for fayth is the gift of God, poured downe into the heartes and mindes of men, and women, wrought in the soule of e­uery one, and that by the mightie wor­king, and operation of the holy spirit. So, the onely waie to laie holde on Christ, being by faith, and faith of it owne nature, beeing spiritual, it followeth [Page]therefore that there is no waie to lay hold on Christ, but a spirituall way: there is not a hand: to fasten on Christ, but aspiritu­all hand, there is not a mouth, to digest Christ, but a spirituall mouth: The Scrip­tures, samiliarly by all these tearmes, describe the nature, and efficacie of faith. How we are said to eate the flesh, and drinke the blood of Christ.

Wee are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith, and to drink his bloud by faith, in this Sacrament: chiefely in doing of two things: First, in calling to our re­membrance, the bitter death, and passi­of Christ, the blood that hee shedde vpon the crosse, the Supper which he instituted, in remembrance of him, before he went to the Crosse: The commandement which hee gaue: Doe this in remembrance of me: I say, wee eate his flesh, and drinke his bloode spiritually. First in this poynt, in recording, and remembring faith­fully, how hee died for vs, how his blood was shedde vpon the crosse. This is the first poynt, a point that cannot be remem­bred truly, except it be wrought, by the mightie power of the holy spirit. The se­cond poynt of the spirituall eating, stan­deth in this, That I, and euerie one of you, [Page 56]beleeue firmly, that he died for mee, in particular: That his bloud, was shedde on the crosse, for a full remission, and re­demption of me, and my sinnes. The cheefe, and principall poynt, of the ea­ting of Christ his flesh, and drinking of his blood, standeth in beleeuing firmely, that that flesh, was deliuered to death for my sinnes; that that blood, of his, was shedde, for the remission of my sinnes: and ex­cept, euerie soule come neere to himselfe, and firmely consent, and agree, and bee perswaded, that Christ died for him: that soule can not be saued, that soule cannot eate the flesh, nor drinke the blood of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh, and drinking of the blood of Christ, standeth in a faithfull memorie, in a firme beleefe, and in a true applying, of the merits of the death, and passion of Christ, to my owne conscience in particular.

Ther were sundry things obiected, against this kind of receiuing: I wil not insist to re­peat them: But beside all the obiections, which ye heard obiected, against this kind of spiritual receiuing by faith; They say, If Christ his flesh, nor his blood, be not per­ceiued, nor receiued, but by the spirit, by [Page]fayth in the spirit: Then say they, yee receiue him, but by an imagination: If hee bee not receiued carnally, nor corpo­rally, but onely by the spirit, and by faith; Then is hee not receiued, but by way of imagination, conceite, and fantasie. So they account faith, an imagination of the minde, a fantasie, and opinion, fleeting in the hearts of men: I cannot blame them, to think so of faith: For, as none can iudge of the sweetnesse of honnie, but they, that haue tasted of it: So, there is none, can discerne, nor iudge of the nature of faith, but they that haue felt it, and rasted in their hearts, what it is: And if they had tasted, and felt in their soules, what faith brings with it; alas, they would not call that spirituall Iewell, and onely iewell of the soule, an imagination. They call it an imagination: and the Apostle describing it, Heb. 11.1. calleth it a sub­stance, and a substantiall ground: Marke how well these two agree, An Imagina­tion, and a substantiall ground. They call it an vncertaine opinion, fleeting in the braine, and fantasie of man: Hee call [...]th it an euidence, and demonstra­tion, in the same definition; See how di­rectly [Page 57]contrarie, the Apostle and they are, in the nature of faith. Vpon this they in­ferre, that as it is true in generall, hee can not be deliuered, nor giuen, but that same way, that hee is receiued; and looke what way any thing is receiued, the same way it is giuen, and deliuered: So (as they say) hee being receiued by way of Imaginati­on, hee is also in their fantasie, giuen and deliuered by way of Imagination. For if hee bee not giuen say they, to thy hand, to thy mouth, nor to thy stomach cor­porally: hee cannot be giuen, but by an imagination, and fantasticall opinion. The reason that moueth them to thinke, that Christ cannot bee theirs, nor giuen to them truly in effect, and really, except he be giuen carnally, is this: That thing which is so far absent, and distant from vs, as the heauen is from the earth, cannot be said to bee giuen to vs, nor to bee ours: But by your owne confession, say they to vs, Christ his bodie, is as farre absent from vs, as the heauen is, from the earth: Therefore Christ his bodie, nor his flesh, cannot be giuen vnto vs, ex­cept by way of imagination, and so not truely, nor in effect: This argument, [Page]framed in this sorte, would at the first sight, seeme to be of some force. But let vs exa­mine the proposition of it: The proposi­tion is this. That thing which is so farre absent from vs, as the beauen is from the earth, cannot be said to be deliuered to vs, to be giuen to vs, or any waies to be ours.

Now whether is this proposition true or false? I say this proposition is vntrue, and the contrarie most true. A thing may be giuen to vs, & may become ours, though the thing in person it selfe, be as far distant from vs, as the heauen is, from the earth. And how proue I this? What maketh any thing to be ours? What maketh any of you, esteeme a thing to be giuen vnto you? Is it not a Title? Is it not a iust right to that thing? If yee haue iust right giuen vn­to you, by him, who hath power to giue it; and a sure title, confirmed to you, by him, who hath the power; though the thing, that he giueth vnto you, be not de­liuered into your handes, yet by the right and title, which hee granteth to you, is not the thing yours? There is no doubt of it, for it is not the neerenesse of the thing, to my bodie, and to my hand, that maketh the thing mine; for it may bee in my hand, [Page 58]and yet not belong to mee. Neyther is it the distance nor absence: of the thing, that makes it, not to be mine, but it may be farre absent from mee, and yet be mine, because the title is mine, & because, I haue gotten a right to it, from him, who hath the power to giue it. So then, this ground is true, It is a sure title, and a iust right, that maketh a thing, though it be farre di­stant from vs, to bee ours. But so it is, that a liuely, and trew faith, in the blood, and death of Christ, maketh vs to haue a sure title, and a good right to the flesh, and blood of Christ, and to his merits: look what he merited by his death, and shed­ding of his bloud vpon the crosse; all that, together with himselfe also, appertaineth to mee, and that by a title and a right, which I haue gotten to him, of God; which is faith: And the surer that my title is, the more sure am I, of the thing that is giuen mee by the Title. Now this Sacrament, of the Lords Supper, was in­stituted, to confirme our title, to seal vp our right, which wee haue to the bodie, and blood, to the death, and passion of Christ: and so, the bodie of Christ, is said to be giuen to vs, The blood of Christ, is said [Page]to be deliuered to vs, when our title, which we haue of him, of his death, of his bodie, & blood, is confirmed in our hearts. For this Sacrament was instituted, for the grouth and encrease of our faith, for the increase of our holinesse, and sanctificati­on: which fayth, the greater that it is in our hearts, the more sure are wee, that Christ his death appertaineth to vs. I grant as I haue said, that the flesh of Christ, is not deliuered into my hands, his flesh is not put into my mouth, nor entreth in­to my stomacke: Yet God forbidde, that thou shouldest say, Hee is not truly giuen, although Christs flesh, bee not put in­to thy hand, nor mouth of thy bodie: and wherefore should it? Hath hee not appointed breade, and wine, for the nou­rishment of the bodie, and may not that content you? Are they not sufficient to nourish you, to this earthly and temporall life? Hath he not appointed Christ to bee deliuered, to the inward mouth of thy soule, to be giuen into the hand of thy soule, that thy soule may feede on him, and be quickned with that life, wherewith the Angels liue, wherewith the sonne of God, and God himselfe liue?

So the flesh of Christ, is not appointed to nourish thy body, but to nourish thy soule, in the hope, yea, in the growth of that immortall life: and therfore, I say, though the flesh of Christ bee not deliue­red into the hand of thy body, yet it is deliuered to that part that it should nou­rish: the soule is that part that it should nourish, therefore to the soule it is deli­uered.

Yea, that bread, & that wine, are no more really deliuered to the body & to the hand of the body, then the flesh of Christ is de­liuered to the soule, and to the hand and mouth of the soule, vvhich is faith: therefore craue no more a carnall deliue­rie, nor thinke not vpon a carnall recei­uing.

Thou must not thinke, that eyther GOD giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie; or that thou, by the mouth of thy bodie, receiuest the flesh of Christ: For yee must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of GOD; our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ; nor the flesh of Christ, cannot be ioyned vvith our soules, but by a spiritu­all band. Not by a carnall band, of bloud [Page]and alliance; not by the touching of his flesh, with our flesh: but hee is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band; that is, by the power, and vertue of his holy Spirit. And therefore the Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 12.13. That by the meanes of his holy spirit, all wee, who are faithfull men and vvomen, are baptized into one body of Christ. That is, wee are conioyned, and fastened with one Christ; by the meanes, saith he, of one spirit: not by a carnall band, or a­ny grosse coniunction; but onely by the band of the holy spirit.

That same holy spirit that is in him, is in euery one of vs, in some measure: and in respect one spirit is in him, and in vs, therefore, wee are accounted all to be one body, and to bee members of one spirituall, and mysticall body. And in the same verse, the Apostle saith, Wee are all made to drink into one and the selfe same spirit: that is, we are made to drink of the bloud of Christ. And this bloud is no o­ther thing, but the quickning vertue, and power that floweth from Christ, and from the merits of his death: we are made all to drinke of that bloud, when wee drinke of the liuely power and vertue, that floweth [Page 60]out of that bloud.

So, there is not a band that can couple my soule with the flesh of Christ, but one­lie a spirituall band, and a spirituall vni­on. And therefore it is that the Apostle 1. Cor. 6.17. saith, Hee that is ioyned vnto the Lord, is one spirit. And, Iohn saith, That vvhich is borne of the spirit, is spirit. So, it is onely by the participation of the holy spirit, that we are conioyned with the flesh and bloud of Christ Iesus.

That carnall band, vvhether it bee the band of bloud, vvhich runnes thro­rough one race, or the carnall touching of flesh, vvith flesh, that carnall band (I say) vvas neuer esteemed of by Christ. In the time that hee was conuersant heere vpon earth, hee respected nothing that band: for, as hee vvitnessed himselfe, by his owne vvords, hee neuer had that carnall band in any kinde of reuerence, or estimation, in respect of the spiritu­all band.

But, as for the spirituall band, whereby we are coupled with him by one spirit; hee euer esteemed of this band, in the time that he was conuersant on earth, & in his word, he hath left the praise and commendations [Page]of the same.

To let you see how lightly he esteemed of the carnall band of bloud and alliance, which wee esteeme so much; yee may see in the eight of Luke, 20.21. for there they comming to him, say, Master, thy Mo­ther, and thy Brethren stand vvithout, and vvould see thee: ye shall heare his answere vnto them, how little he esteemed of that carnall band; in the 21. verse, in a manner denying that band, hee saith; My Mo­ther, and my Brethren, are those which heare the vvord of God, and doe it. As if he would haue said, It is not that carnall band that I esteeme: it is not that carnall coniuncti­on that I reuerence: it is the spirituall con­iunction, by the participation of the ho­lie Spirit; vvhereby wee are mooued to heare the word of God, to giue reuerence to it, and to obey it.

This carnall band, was neuer profitable, as that in the 8. of Luke doth plainly testi­fie: for, if the touching of Christes flesh had been profitable, the multitude, wher­of mention is made in that chapter, that thrusted, and preased him, had beene the better by their carnall touching. But so it is, that there was neuer any of them the [Page 61]better by their carnall touching; therfore the carnall touching profiteth nothing. Saith not Christ himselfe, Iohn 6.63. (to drawe them from that sinister confidence they had in his flesh onely) My flesh profi­teth nothing; It is the spirit that quickneth? To touch him by the holie Spirit, and by faith in thy soule; this touching by faith, hath euer been profitable, and wee haue a plaine example of it in the same chapter.

Euen so, the poore vvoman, that had long been diseased vvith a bloudie issue, the space of twelue yeeres, and had vva­sted, and consumed the greatest part of her substance, in seeking remedie; shee found no helpe by the naturall and bodily Physition: at the last, by vertue of the holie Spirit, working faith in her heart, shee vnderstands and conceiues, that shee is able to recouer the health of her bodie, and the health of her soule from Christ Iesus, vvho came to saue both body and soule. And vpon this perswasion which shee had in her hart, that Christ could cure both body and soule, shee came vn­to him; and as the Text saith, shee prea­sed thorough the multitude, to come to [Page]him: and when she was come, it is not said that she touched his flesh with her hand (in case the Papists would ascribe the vertue which came out of him, to her carnall touching): but it is said, that she touched onely the hemme of his garment with her hand; and with faith, vvhich is the hand of the soule, shee touched her Sa­uiour, God, and man. And, to let you vn­derstand that shee touched him by saith, hee saith to her at the last, Goe thy way, thy faith hath saued thee.

Shee touched him not so soon by faith, but incontment, there came a power out of him: which power and vertue, shee felt, by the effect of it in her soule; and our Sa­uiour felt it, vvhen it went from him. The effect vvhereby shee felt it, was, the health of her soule: and the effect wherby he felt it, was, the going from him. And so soone as hee felt it goe from him, he saith, Who is it that hath touched mee? Peter (who was euer most suddaine) answereth, and saith, Thou art thronged, and thrusted by the multitude, and yet thou askest, Who hath touched thee.

Our Sauiour answers againe, It is not that touching, that I speake of; it is ano­ther [Page 62]kinde of touching. There is one hath touched me, who hath drawn a vertue and power out of mee: the multitude takes no vertue from me. The poore woman, thin­king she had done amisse, and perceiuing that she could not be hid, came trembling, and said; I haue done it. Hee answered her at the last, and said, Depart in peace; thy faith hath saued thee. Thy faith hath drawn out a vertue, & power from me, that hath made both thy soule & body whole.

So that this touching of Christ, hath e­uer been profitable; is, and shall be profi­table: like as the touching of Christ, with the corporall hand, hath neuer beene, is not, nor euer shall be profitable. And why? Christ is not appointed to be a car­nall head; to be set vpon the necks of our bodies, that he may doe the office of a car­nall head therunto, to furnish naturall mo­tion, & senses to our bodies. No, the Scrip­tures call not Christ a natural head, but the Scriptures call him a spirituall head, to be set on the neck of our soules: that is, to be cōioyned with our soules; that out of him, into our soules may distill holy motions, heauenly senses; and that there may flowe out of him to vs, a spiritual & heauenly life.

Then the Scriptures call him a spiritu-head, as they call vs a spirituall body: and, as the life which wee get from him, is spiri­tuall; so all our coniunction with him, is spirituall. And in respect he worketh that same operation in my soule, vvhich the carnall head doth in my body, therefore hee is called a spirituall head: therefore hee is called the head of his Church, be­cause hee furnisheth her vvith spirituall motion, and senses, vvhich is the life of the Church.

So, to be short, there is nothing in this coniunction, carnall; there is nothing grosse in it; there is nothing that may be compassed, by our naturall iudgement & vnderstanding. And therefore, whosoe­uer would attaine to any small in-sight of this spiritual coniunction, between Christ, and vs; of necessity, hee must humble himselfe, and earnestly pray for the spi­rit; otherwise, it is not possible to get any vnderstanding, no, not the least perseue­rance, how the flesh of Christ, and vve are conioyned, except we haue some light gi­uen vs by the spirit; that is, except our harts be wakened, by the mighty working of the spirit of Christ, this shall remaine as [Page 63]a dead, and closed letter vnto vs. So, Exhorta­tion. yee are to craue, that the Lord in his mercie would waken you; illuminate your vn­derstandings; and make you to haue a spi­rituall light, to discerne of these spirituall things. Next, ye must study, and be care­full to remoue all vaine cogitations, and earthly fantasies: when yee come to heare so high a matter, yee must cast off all fil­thy thoughts, ill motions, and cares of the world; and yee must shake off all things that clogge your harts. Thirdly, yee must come with a purpose to heare the vvord, to giue diligent care to the word, and with a sanctified hart to receiue it; vvith a pur­pose to growe, and increase in holiness, as well in body, as in soule, all the dayes of your life.

And, comming with this purpose, no question, the holy Spirit shall reueale those things to you, which yee want. And though this word passe, and bring no great commodity for the present, yet the holy Spirit heereafter, shall reueale to thee, the truth of that which thou hast now heard. Then this is the end of all; Bee present in your harts, and mindes, and let your soules be emptied of all the cares of the [Page]vvorld, that they may receiue that com­fort, which is offered in the hearing of the word.

Now I come to the defining of the Sa­crament of the Lords Supper. The defini­tion of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. I call this Sacrament, A holy Seale, annexed to the couenant of grace, and mercy in Christ. A seale to be ministred publiquely, alwaies according to the holy institution of Christ Iesus: that by the lawful ministery therof, the Sacramentall vnion, betweene the signes, and the thing signified, may stand: and this vnion standing, Christ Iesus, who is the thing signified, is as truely deliuered to the increase of our spirituall nourish­ment, as the signes are giuen, & deliuered to the body, for our temporall nourish­ment.

Now let vs examine the words & parts of this definition. Why this Sacrament is called a Seale. First of all, I call this Sa­crament, a Seale; because this Sacrament serueth to the same vse to our soules, that a common seale doth to a common Eui­dence. As the seale, which is annexed to the Euidence, confirmes, and seales vp the truth, contained in the Euidence: so this Sacrament, of the body and bloud of Christ, confirmeth, and sealeth vp, the [Page 64]truth of mercy and grace, contayned in the couenant of mercy and grace: for this re­spect it is called a seale.

It is called, A holy Seale. Why? Why it is called a ho­ly Seale. Because it is taken from the profane vse, whereun­to that bread serued before; and that bread is applyed to a holy vse. There is a power giuen to that bread, to signifie the precious body of Christ Iesus, to represent the nou­rishing, and feeding of our soules. And in respect it serueth now in the Sacrament to so holy an vse, therefore I call it an holie seale. This is not my word; it is the Apo­stles, Rom. 4.11. where hee giueth the Sa­crament the same name, and calleth it a seale. And further, if the wisdom of Christ in his Apostle, had been followed, and if men had not inuented new names of their own, for this Sacrament, but contented, & satisfied themselues, with the names which God hath giuen by his Apostle, & that Chr. himself hath giuen to this Sacramēt; I am assured, none of these controuersies & de­bares (which neuer will cease) had fallen out: but where men wil go about to be wi­ser thē God, & go beyond God, in deuising names which he neuer gaue, vpon mens own inuentions, such debates haue faln out. [Page]A lesson by the vvay; that no flesh pre­sume to be wiser then GOD: but let them stoupe, and keepe the names which God hath giuen to this Sacrament.

Thirdly, Why the seale is said to be an­nexed to the coue­nant. I say, annexed to the Coue­nant; annexed, and hung to the Charter: because it cannot be called a seale proper­ly, except it be hung to an Euidence. What it is by nature, the same it remaineth, and no more, if it be not annexed to some E­uidence: it is onely the hanging of it to the Euidence, that maketh men account it a seale; not beeing esteemed, except it be hanged to the Euidence. Euen so it is heere; if this Sacrament be not ministred, and ioyned to the preached vvord, to the preaching of the couenant of mercie, and grace, it cannot be a seale; but what it is by nature, it is no more. As by nature, it is but a common peece of bread; so it is no more if it be not annexed to the prea­ching of the word, and ministred there­with, as Christ hath commaunded. Ther­fore, I say, the seale must be annexed, and hanged to the Euidence, to the preaching of the word, for the confirming of the E­uidence; otherwise, it is not a seale. But, it is not so with the Euidence vvhich is the [Page 65]word of GOD: for yee knowe, any Eui­dence will make faith, though it vvant 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 bee 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 growe vp in faith. But the seale with­out the word, can serue vs to no holievse: 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, Why the Sacrament should be ministred publiquely. that this seale must bee ministred publiquely. Wherefore say I publiquely? To exclude all priuat administration of this Sacramēt. For, if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately, it is not a Sacrament. Why? First reason. Because the Apostle calleth this Sacra­ment, a Communion. If ye administer it to one, yee lose the Communion: there­fore, if yee administer it priuatly, yee lose the Sacrament. For this Sacrament, is a Communion of the body, and bloud of Christ: therefore, of necessity, it must be [Page]by way of communication; and so the ac­tion must be publiquely ministred.

Secondly, this Sacrament must be pub­liquely ministred, Second rea­son. because Christ Iesus, vvho is the thing signified in this Sacra­ment, is no such thing as pertaineth but to one man only: if this were so, he might be priuatly giuen and ministred. But, seeing Christ, which is the thing signified in the Sacrament, is a common thing, belong­ing to euery faithfull man and vvoman, therefore hee ought to be commonly gi­uen to all, in a common action, in a soci­etie, and congregation of the faithfull.

Thirdly, this Sacrament, is a Thanks­giuing to God the Father, for his benefits. Now, it appertaineth not to one, or tvvo, to thanke God onely; but as we are all par­takers of his temporall, and spirituall be­nefits: so we ought all of vs, publiquely to giue him thanks for the same. Therefore I say, in the definition, this seale ought to be publiquely, and not priuatly ministred; as the Papists doe in their priuat Masses.

This Seale must bee publiquely mini­stred, according to Christ his institution. Wherfore say I Christ his institution, more then mans institution, or Angels institu­tion? [Page 66]Why keepe I to Christ his instituti­on? Why this Seale must be mini­stred accor­ding to Chr. his institu­tion. Because man hath not power to insti­tute, or make a Sacrament: because an Angel hath not power to make, or institute a Sacrament. For, none hath power to make, or institute a Sacrament, but he that hath power to giue Christ, vvho is the thing signified in the Sacrament. None hath power to institute a Sacrament, but God onely. But so it is, that none hath power to giue Christ, but either the Father, or himselfe: there­fore, none hath power to make, or insti­tute a Sacrament, but either the Father, or the Sonne: onely God must make a Sacra­ment. Secondly, this Sacrament is a part of Gods seruice, and worship: but so it is that none hath power to appoint any part of his seruice, or prescribe any part of his worship, but onely God himselfe: there­fore none can make a Sacrament, but God himselfe. There is no Prince will be con­tented to be serued after another mans fan­tasie: but he will prescribe his seruice, ac­cording vnto his own pleasure: how much more is it meet, that God should appoint his owne seruice, and worship? There­fore, there is neither man, nor Angel, hath power to institute any part of the seruice of GOD.

The Sacraments are a part of his seruice: therefore there is no Angel, nor man, hath power to institute a Sacrament. The grea­test stile that any man can haue in the mi­nistery of the word and Sacraments, is that stile, which the Apostle giues them, 1. Cor. 4.1. There we are called Stewards, and Dis­pensers of the graces of God; Ministers of those mysteries, and holy things. It fol­loweth then, that we are not Authors, Cre­ators, and makers of them; but onely Mi­nisters, and dispensers of the Sacraments. So, it is euident, that no man, nor creature, hath power to make a Sacrament. Then it must bee according to the institution of Christ, his institution must be kept: looke what he said, what he did, what hee com­manded thee to doe; all that must be said, done, and obeyed. If thou leauest one iote of that vndone, which he commaun­ded thee to doe, thou peruertest the insti­tution: for, there is nothing left in regi­ster of that institution, but it is essen­tiall.

So, in the celebration of Christs instituti­on, wee must take heede, to whatsoeuer he said, did, or commaunded to bee done: Thou must first say, whatsoeuer hee said, [Page 67]& then do whatsoeuer he did. For the Mi­nisterie of the Sacrament must follow af­ter the word. First thou must say, that which Christ commanded thee to say, and thou must teach, that which he comman­ded thee to teach: and then minister the Sacrament: Then to keepe this instituti­on, wee must beginne at the saying, We call the word in the Sa­crament, the whole Institution and say whatsoeuer Christ commanded vs, then after, faythfully to doe all that, which he commanded to be done. Then I call the word, the whole institution of Christ Ie­sus, preached, and proclaimed, denoun­ced distinctly, cleerely, and sensiblie to the people, in such sort, that if wee leaue anie kinde of circumstance, or ceremonie of this institution vndone, wee peruert the whole action.

It is agreed vpon, Word and element must con­curre in the constituti­on of a Sa­crament. and condescended vn­to, betweene vs, who celebrate this insti­tution, and all the sectes in the world, who haue separated themselues from this insti­tution, That two things are necessarie, and must concurre in the nature, and constitu­tion of a Sacrament. To wit, there must be a word, and there must bee an element concurring: There is not a sect, that gran­teth not this, That the word must concur, [Page]with the element, before there can be a Sa­crament. Though they easily admit this generall, wherein wee agree well with them, yet when it comes to the speciall, & that wee enter into particular, in the hand­ling and treating of the word; how well so­euer wee agree in the generall, yet in the particular, wee are as farre asunder. For, when wee come to dispute, and reason on these particulars; First, what wee meane by the word: Secondly, how this word ought to be intreated: Thirdly, what vertue this word hath: Fourthly, how farre the ver­tue of this word, doth extend it selfe: And last of all, to whom the word ought to be directed, and pronounced: In all these particulars, wee are as farre asunder, as e­uer wee seemed to agree in the generall.

I leaue to meddle with any other sect, What wee meane by the word in the Sa­crament. but will deale with the Papists onely, because we haue most to do with them: And first of all we are to vnderstand, what wee meane by the word, & what they meane by it. We by the word (as I haue said) vnderstand the whole institution of Chr. Iesus, whatsoeuer he said, or did, or cōmanded to bee done, without adding, or diminishing, or altera­tion of the meaning, or sense of the word: This we mean by the word in the Sacramēt

Now, What the Papists vn­derstand by the word in the Sacra­ment. what vnderstand the Papists by the word? They preach not the institution of Christ, nor take the whole institution, as he left it. But in place thereof, they select, and chuse out of his institution, foure, or fiue words, & they make the whole vertue of the institution, to consist in the foure, or fiue words. And it were nothing, if they would content themselues with these words, be­cause they are the words of the institution. But they adde to the words, they take from the words, & alter the meaning of the same words, at their pleasure. That yee may knowe this; In their Masse, which they call the Lords Supper, I will let you see the sub­stance of it: I will diuide their Masse, into substantiall, & accidentall things. To the substance of the Masse, there are three things required. There must of necessitie be a priest .i. such a one, as takes vpon him the office of our Mediator, Chr. Ies. to in­tercede between God, & man. Secondly, to the substance of the Masse, is required, that the Priest offer the bodie, and blood of Christ. We come here to receiue the same things: There the priest offers them to God the father. Thirdly, by this worke (say they) they obtaine al good things: by [Page]this work wrought, they obtaine remission of sinnes, as well to the dead, as to the quicke; but in speciall, they obtaine re­mission of sinnes to the priest, who is the distributer, and to him, to whom, the priest applieth that sacrifice: And as for the rest of the Church who are absent, they obtaine this remission of their sinnes, by this work generally. These three things are necessarie, to the substance of the Masse: As for the accidents, that must concurre to the making of a Masse, They are of two sorts: Some of them are alwaies necessarie, without the which, that acti­on cannot bee: againe, some are not ne­cessarie, and the action may bee without them, but not without a deadlie sinne: These things that are necessarie, concerne partly the priest, and partly the action it selfe. The accidents that are necessarie to the priest, are of two sorts: One sort are such, as without the which, hee cannot be a priest; The other sort such, without the which, hee cannot bee free from deadly sin. The things without the which he can not be a priest, are these: Except he haue a power giuen of his Bishop to consecrate, which power is iustified by the vnction, & [Page 69]shauing of his crowne: Except again, he haue power to speake, and that the roofe of his mouth be whole, that he may speak, hee cannot bee a priest: These two are al­waies necessarie, and concurre to the per­son. Other things againe, are not so neces­sarie; as, that the priest must be free from suspension, from cursing, deadly sinne, and all Ecclesiasticall pain, & censures. These things are necessarie to the person. There are again, two things necessary to the acti­on: One sort, without the which the action cannot bee; without the Lords prayer it cannot bee, without the fiue words of the institution, it cannot bee: Other things a­gaine, are not so necessarie; as, the conse­cration of the place, where the Masse is said, The Altar stone, The blessing of the Chalice, The water, The singing, he that should helpe to say Masse, and the rest. So they and wee, in no sort agree concerning the word, what is meant by it. The second point is, how this word ought to be intrea­ted, wherein wee are as farre asunder: we say, the word taken as hath beene said, for the whole institution, ought to be intrea­ted, after this manner. First, there ought to be a lawfull pastor, who hath his calling [Page]of God, to deliuer it. And this pastor ought to deliuer the word lawfully; what is that? hee ought to preach it, to proclaime it pub­likely, with a plaine speech to denounce it: hee ought to open vp, and declare, all the parts of it, what is the peoples part, and what is his owne part, how he ought to de­liuer, and distribute that bread, and that wine, how the people ought to receiue, at his hands, that bread, and that wine, to informe their faith, how they ought to receiue Christs bodie, and bloud, signified by that bread, and that wine. As also, hee ought to teach them, how they shuld come with reuerence, vnto that Table, and com­municate with the pretious bodie, and blood of Christ: This hee ought to doe, in a familiar language, that the people may vnderstand him, that they may heare him, that they may perceiue, and lay vp in their hearts, the things that hee speakes. For what auaileth it you, to heare a thing whispered, and not spoken out: or if it be spoken out, what auaileth it you to heare it, if yee vnderstand it not? For, ex­cept yee heare Christ, in a familiar, and plaine language, yee cannot vnderstand: and except ye vnderstand, it is impossible [Page 70]for you to beleeue: and without beleefe, there is no application of Christ: and ex­cept yee beleeue, and apply Christ to your selues, your comming to the Sacrament is in vaine. So of necessitie, if this Sacrament be lawfully handled, The pastor must preach the institution of Christ, that it may be heard; and in a familiar language, that it may be vnderstood, in such sort that the faithfull people may be informed how to receiue, and the Minister may knowe his part, how to deliuer, and distribute. This I say, should bee the right handling of the holy institution of this Sacrament.

Now what do they? in place of a Mini­ster, pastor, or Bishoppe (call him as you please) who is lawfully called of God; they substitute a priest, surrogate an hierling, who hath no calling, or office now, in the church of God. For the office of a priest, as they vse their priesthoode, is no other thing, but the office of Christ Iesus, the office of the Mediator, betwixt God and vs: for they make their priests dailie to offer vppe Christ Iesus, to the Fa­ther. Now this is the Mediator, Chr. his office, that he did it, once for all, once for euer, saith the Apostle: so that they haue no [Page]entrance, to doe this ouer againe: And in respect, that their priests do this againe, which Christ hath done alreadie, they doe it without cōmand, they haue no warrant in the word of God. And if they had war­rant, for their calling, in the word of God, yet they handle the Sacrament amisse: for whereas they should speake forth cleerely, they whisper, and they coniure the Ele­ments, by a certaine kind of whispering. Wheras they should speake it, in a knowen language, that the people may vnder­stand; They speake, in an vnknowen lan­guage: and though they spake it, in a known & familiar tongue, yet in that they whisper it, the people cannot be the bet­ter. And what shall I say? Seeing they thus handle the word, though it be the ve­rie in stitution it selfe, yet they so spoile it, in the handling, that it is not a holy Sacra­ment. Then wee differ as much in the se­cond poynt, how that word ought to bee handled, and intreated.

Now the third point is, The third head in controuer­sie. what vertue this word hath, how farre the vertue of this word extendeth it selfe: In this point, we grant & acknowledge, that the word hath a vertue: and the word taken, as hath bin [Page 71]said, worketh somewhat, euen towards the same elements, of bread, and wine; for wee acknowledge, that those elements, by the vertue of this word, are changed, not in their substance, and naturall proper­ties: But wee grant, that the elements are changed, in a quality which they had not before; In such sort, that these elements, are taken from the common vse, where­vnto they serued before, and by the insti­tution of Christ, they are applied vnto an­other holy vse. Marke, how farre the ho­ly vse differs from the common vse, there is as great difference, betwixt the elements, this day in the action, and the thing that they were yesterday: For I grant, that the elements are changed; & yet this change, proceedeth not, of the nature of the ele­ments, from an inclosed vertue, supposed to bee in the words, nor from the whispe­ring of the words: but it proceeds, from the will of Christ, from the ordinance, & appointment of Christ, set downe in his owne institution: for that thing is holy, which God calleth holy; and that thing is profane, which God calleth profane.

To let you vnderstand, how these signes are made holy, it is necessarie, that these [Page]two things bee considered. How the elements are sancti­fied. First, what hee is that makes them holy, whether God, Angell, or man. Secondly, whoeuer he bee, that maketh them holy, by what mea­nes, & way, he maketh them holy. And by the consideration of these two, wee shall come to the consideration, and right view­ing of the sanctification of the Elements.

For the First, wee say, that God is onely hee, that may make a thing which was cō ­mon, to be holy. So we say, that God by his will and ordinance, declared, and set downe, in his word, hath made the things, that were common, by his appoyntment to bee holy. As for the way, and meanes whereby they are made holy, it is the word of God, the institution of Christ, the will of Christ, declared in his institution, that maketh them holy. For the preaching, and opening of the word, and institution of Christ, letteth vs see, that god hath made these things holy: and not onely, that hee hath made them holy, but let­teth vs see an holy manner, how they should be vsed, in what place, at what time with what heart, & to what end. So it is the wil of Christ, declared in his institution, wherby the things that were common be­fore, are now made holy. There are two o­ther [Page 72]things also, which make the same ele­ments, holy: & these two, are vsed in this institution. There is praier, & thanksgiue­ing, which make the creatures of God to our vse, holy: whereas otherwise, if we re­ceiue the good creatures of God, like dogs, & thank him not for them, it is a sure token that they were neuer sanctified to our vse.

By prayer we obtaine grace, & strength from God, to vse the creatures, and this whole action, holily & lawfully, as it shold be. And therefore not onely, in this holy action, should we begin with God, with in­uocation of his name, but in all actions in the world, we should begin in the name of God. So it is the wil of God, praier, and thanksgiuing, conioined with the elemēts, that make them holy. All these three, con­tained in the action of the Lords Supper, make the Seales holy: For, beside the wil of God, declared in the institution, In the Lords Supper, we vse inuocation; and in this inuocation, we vse thankesgiuing. The elements are not made holy, by the word of God onely, but by the vse of prai­er & thāksgiuing, which three, are the one­ly means, wherby these things are sāctified.

Now, to expresse, and laie-foorth, [Page]the sanctification of the Elements: The word of bles­sing and thanks­giuing vsed indif­ferently, the one expressed by the o­ther. The Euangelists, and the Apostle Paul, vse in­differently the word, To blesse, and to giue thankes, and commonly they put, the one for the other: For yee may see, that Marke, and Paul, vse the word Blesse: Mathew and Luke, vse the word to giue thankes, and all in one signification: And Marke himselfe in the 14. of his Gospell, 22. verse, speaking of the same action of the Lords Supper, vseth the word to Bless, and in the 23. verse, he vseth the word to Giue thanks, and both in one significati­on, to let you see, that the Apostle, Christ himselfe, and the Euangilists, vse the word to Blesse, and to Giue thankes, indifferent­ly, to signifie the sanctification, and con­secration of the elements. Except, ye take the one for the other, it will bee hard to gather anie good meaning out of the Apo­stles words: for I remember the Apostle, 1. Corin. 10.16. sayth: The Cup of bles­sing, which we blesse, what is that? I take the word to signifie, as I haue said, which wee blesse, that is, which wee sanctifie, and pre­pare by blessing. So, to blesse, and to giue thankes in the Lords Supper, signi­fie no other thing, but to sanctifie: other­wise, [Page 73]if ye take the word, in another signi­fication, yee shall fall into an error: and and why? God is sayde to blesse, and man is said to blesse: God is said to blesse, when hee giueth good things vnto his creatures, for Gods blessing is e­uer effectuall; and therefore hee is said to blesse, when he giueth good things. Man againe, is said to blesse either priuately, or publikely, when hee craueth blessing, at the hands of God, to anie man; when hee blesseth, in the name, and at the comman­dement of God, anie person, or people: Now, if yee ascribe blessing, in any of these two significations to the cuppe, it is amisse: for wee vse neyther to craue a blessing, to insensible elements; nor yet to blesse them, in the name of God: And God vseth to giue good things, to the sonnes of men, and not to insensible creatures: Therefore we must needes vse the word, Blesse, in the third signification. The cuppe of blessing, which wee blesse, that is, which wee sanctifie, and prepare by blessing: Thus farre wee vn­derstand, for the sanctification of the e­lements.

Now let vs see, how they sanctifie the [Page]elements, & what is the forme of their con­secration, so far as I vnderstand of it, it con­sisteth in these fiue words: Hoc est enim corpus meum: It stādeth in these fiue words, and in the whispering of them; for if you whisper them not, ye lose the fashion of in­cantation: for the thing which we call san­ctifying, they call whispering: And the whispering of those fiue words, they call the consecratiō of the elements: And whē the words are after this manner whispered, they presuppose, such a secret, & mōstrous vertue, to be inclosed in the syllables, That the vertue, & power which floweth from the words, is able to chase away wholly, the substance of the bread, so that the very bread, & substance of it, is altogether de­stroied, by this power: Secondly, that this power which floweth from these words, is able to fetch, & pull downe an othersub­stance, to wit, the flesh, & blood of Christ Iesus, that fitteth at the right hand of his father, & is able to put it within the com­passe of that bread: This is a strange and a great vertue, that, not only wil ouerthrowe that substance, but put it within the com­passe of that bread. The same fiue words, whispered in this maner, haue such a mon­strous [Page 74]operation, say they, that they are a­ble, both to chase a way the one substance, to pull downe an other, and to put it, with­in the compasse of that bread. We altoge­their denie, That there is such a vertue in these words: for, as I haue said before, wee denie not, that the word hath a vertue, but denie that there is such a vertue inclosed in the words; wee denie the qualitie of the vertue, or that it floweth, from such a foun­taine. For, we grant, that the word hath a vertue; there is neuer a word, that God speaketh heere, but it hath a vertue ioyned withit: but wee deny, that this vertue is in­closed in the syllables, in the whispering, or pronouncing of the words: for if there were such avertue, and power inclosed in the syllables, by the same reason it should follow, that there were avertue in the fi­gure, and shape of the letter, that makes vp thewords. Now, there is noman wil think that there is any vertue in the figure, or shape of the letter: and there is as little vertue in the syllables or pronoun­cing of the words themselues. So wee denie, that there is anie vertue in­closed in the syllables, or resident in the word. But wee say, that there is [Page]a power conioyned with the word, and this power is not resident in the word, but is resident, in the eternal word, in the essential Word wherof Iohn the Euangelist makes mention. Cap. 1. The word which was from the beginning, that is, the sonne of God Christ Iesus: wee say, there is not a dram weight of this vertue, and power resident in any creature that euer God created, but it is onely resident in Christ Iesus: And therefore there floweth no vertue from the sillables, nor from the words that are spoken, but from Christ, and his spirit, who giues the vertue to those words. So wee differ in this; we say that there is not anie vertue resident in the sillables, wee say that the sillables, and pronouncing of the sillables, work nothing: but wee say that the vertue is resident in the person of the sonne of God, and heeworkes by his owne word.

Now wee say that there cannot be such a monstrous change, as to say the whispe­ring of so manie wordes, should change the owne substance of the bread, pull down the substance of the bodie of Christ, and put his bodie in so narrow a compasse, wee say that cannot bee. And this I shall [Page 75]proue by these three rules; namely, Refutation of the doc­trine of trā ­substantia­tion, by 3. sorts of ar­guments. By the veritie of the flesh of Christ Iesus; By the articles of our Beliefe; And by the true end of the institution of this Sacrament. And so we shall see, by Gods grace, the in­finite absurdities that follow vpon their opinion.

The first principle that I lay, is this; The first sort of ar­gument. See­ing that Christ Iesus, the Sonne of GOD, in the time appointed, tooke true flesh of the wombe of the Virgin, and vnited him­selfe with our nature in one personall vni­on; to the end that our nature, which fell altogether from integritie in the first A­dam, might recouer the same in the second Adam: yea, not onely the same, but so much the greater, as our second Adam ex­cells the first in all de grees: And in respect hee tooke on him a body, like vnto ours in all things (sinne excepted) of necessity it must follow, that the definition of a true body, and the inseparable properties ther­of, must be competent to him. But these are the inseparable properties; namely, to be in one certaine place, to be finite, cir­cumscribed, visible, and palpable: for all these concurre ( quarto modo, as the Logi­cians say) to a body; so that they cannot [Page]be separate from the subiect, without the distraction thereof. Then Treason on this manner; A true humane body, is in a cer­taine place; Christ Iesus body, is a true, hu­mane body: therefore it is in a certaine place. I call a place, a certaine condition of an instrumentall bodie, whereby it commeth to passe, that where-euer the body be, of necessitie, it is limited within that place; and vvhile it is there, it cannot bee else­where.

If you would haue the probation of my Proposition from the Doctors, read Au­gustine to Dardanus, speaking of this same body of Christ. Take avvay a certaine roome from the bodies, and they shall be in no place; and if they be in no place, they are not. The same Augustine, writing vpon Iohn, in his 30. Treatise, saith, The body in the which the Lord did arise, of necessity must be in a place; but his di­uine efficacie and nature, is diffused eue­ry where. And in his third Epistle, he saith, How much soeuer the body be, or how little soeuer the body be, it behoues to oc­cupy the bounds of a place. And, besides these, the history of the Acts proueth most euidently Christ his body to be in a certain [Page 76]place: as Acts 3.21. the words are these; Whom the heauens must containe, vntill the time that all things be restored, vvhich God had spoken by the mouth of all his holie Pro­phets. Though I need not to insist in the probation of these things, yet I proceede. Secondly then I reason after this manner; A humane body is finite, and circumscri­bed; but the body of Christ is a humane body. What warrant from the Doctors haue I for this? I leaue many purposely, & will alleage onely Augustine, who writing to Dardanus, Belieue (saith he) Christ to be euery where, in that he is God; but onely to be in heauen, according to the nature of a true body.

And in his 146. Epistle, I belieue, saith he, the body of Christ to be so in heauen, as it vvas on the earth, vvhen hee vvent vp to heauen. But it was circumscribed in a cer­taine place on the earth. Ergo, it is so in the heauen. And consequently, it cannot be in the Masse-bread, and in heauen both at one time. The last reason is this: A humane bodie is visible, and palpable; but Christ hath a humane body, and hee is corporally present, as they say: therefore Christ his body is visible, and palpable.

I proue my Proposition, by Christ his owne words, taken out of Luke 24.39. In the which place, to perswade the Apostles of the verity of his body, and to proue e­uidently, that it was not fantasticall, heev­seth the argument taken from these tvvo qualities, and he commands his Apostles to feele, and see; giuing them thereby to vnderstand, that as these two senses are the most certaine of all the rest: so are they most able to discerne, whether hee was a body, or a spirit. As if he would haue said, If I be visible, and palpable, ye may be out of doubt that I haue a true body. For as the Poet saith, which Tertullian citeth al­so to this same purpose; Tangere enim, et tangi, nisi corpus, nulla potestres.

By these arguments, it may be euidently seen, how this Transubstantiation, may no way stand with the verity of the bodie of Chr. Iesus: And as it fights with the flesh of Christ Iesus; so it repugnes directly, the articles of our faith. For, in our Beliefe, we professe, Second sort of argumēt. that Christ ascended out of this earth, to the heauen, where hee sits at the right hand of the Father, vvhere hee go­uerns, and directs all things in heauen and earth; from the which place, he is to come [Page 77]at the last day, to iudge the world.

This article teacheth vs, that hee hath changed his dwelling vvhich hee had a­mongst vs, on the earth, and is ascended into the heauens, where he sits at the right hand of his Father, and shall remaine there (according to the testimony of Peter, which I cited out of the Acts 3.21.) vntill the last day. If hee sit at his Fathers right hand, and be to remaine in heauen vntill the last day, thē is he not corporally in the bread. But the article of our Beliefe, saith, That he sitteth at the right hand of his Fa­ther: and Peter saith in that place, that the heauens must containe him vntill the last day. Therefore, this Transubstantiation, is directly against the articles of our Beliefe, & the manifest place of the Scripture.

Thirdly, it is opposite vnto the end, Third sort of argumēt. wherefore this Sacrament was instituted, & this is most euident: for the end of the Sa­crament is spirituall, as the effect that floweth thereof, is spiritual, and the instru­ment, whereby this spirituall food is ap­plyed to vs, is also spiritual. But from a naturall, and corporall presence, a spiritu­all effect can neuer flowe: therefore the corporall, and naturall presence of the [Page]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 stomack, is neuer able to feed my soule to life eternall. So this cor­porall presence, must euer tend to a cor­porall end; which is directly contrarie vn­to the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted.

Further, Other argu­ments vnto the same effect. 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 yee haue heard, is a signe. Now, to say that the accidents of true bread, as the co­lour, and the roundnesse of it, that they may serue as signes, that is more then fol­ly: for, between the signe, and the thing signified, there must be a conformity: but there is no conformity between 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 Iesus, is appointed to nourish vs spiritually.

Againe, if the bread become the body and bloud of Christ Iesus, it should follow, that he had a body without bloud; for hee hath instituted another signe besides, to represent his bloud. Also, if there had been such a wonderfull thing as they speak of, in this Sacrament, there would haue been plaine mention made thereof in the Scripture: for, God himselfe works neuer a notable worke, but he declares it, either openly, or more secretly in the Scripture, that thereby hee may be glorified in his wonderfull works. As yee may read in the Euangelist [...]ohn, 2.8. where the vvater 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 bin such a monstrous change in these elemēts of the Supper as they affirm, the Scripture would not haue concealed it, but expressed it: but in respect there is no mētion made of this change in the Script. therfore 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 [Page]the same words be spoken. If the change be before the words of the cōsecration be spoken, the consecration is superfluous, & 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 moe 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 be­tween 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 hee, seeme to commaund a vvickedness, or mischeife, on to forbid any happinesse, or any vvelfare, it is not proper, it is then figuratiue. And he adds for an example, a place out of Iohn 6.53. Except, saith our Sauiour, ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, yee haue no life in you. Whereunto Augustine addeth: This speech, saith he, sesmeth to cō ­maund [Page 79]a mischiefe; therefore it is a figura­tiue speech; vvhereby wee are commanded to cōmunicate 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 lavv) 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 sacramētall 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 Lamb is called the Pass­ouer; and Math. 20.22. the Cup is cal­led his Bloud; and Luke 22.20. the Cup is called the new Testament; and 1. Cor. 10.4. the Rock is called Christ. All these [Page]speeches are sacramentall, and receiue a kinde of interpretation: yet they malici­ously prease to deny vs this, in these words (Hoc est corpus meū) which they are com­pelled to grant, in the rest, as especially, where Paul calleth the rock, Christ.

Now, when they are driuen out of this Fortresse, they flie as vnhappily to the se­cond: namely, That God by his omnipo­tencie, may make the body of Christ, both to be in heauen, & in the bread, both at one time. Ergo, say they, It is so. If I denyed their consequent, they would bee much troubled to prooue it. But the question standeth not heere, 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 hee may many things which hee will not, yet it is as true, that there are many things, vvhich hee may not will; of the which sort this is: and these are reduced to two sorts.

First, hee may not will those things vvhich are contrarie to his nature: as to be changeable; as to decay; and such o­thers; for, if hee might will these things, [Page 80]they should not be arguments of any pu­issance, or of any power; but rather, cer­taine arguments of his impotencie, and infirmitie. And therefore, though hee may not will these things, hee ceaseth not to be omnipotent; but so much the rather, his constant and inuincible power is knowen.

Secondly, GOD may not vvill some things, by reason of a presupposed con­dition: as, such things, whereof hee hath concluded the contrarie before; of the vvhich sort, is this, which is now contro­uerted. For, seeing that GOD hath con­cluded, that a humane bodie, should con­sist of instrumentall parts, and therefore to be comprehended, and circumscribed within one, & the owne proper place: and also, seeing hee hath appointed Christ Ie­sus to haue the like bodie; and that, not for a time, but eternally: in respect of this determined will (I say) God may not will the contrarie, now; either to abolish this bodie, which he hath appointed to be eter­nal, or yet to make it at one time, in respect of one thing, a body, & not a body, quan­tified, & not quantified, finite, and infinite, locall, & not locall: for to wil these things, [Page]which are plaine contrary in themselues, he may not, no more thē it is possible for him to will a lye. So, it may be seene of all men, that wee preserue the omnipotencie of God; & with reuerence from our harts, acknowledge him onely, to be onely om­nipotent: and we desire all men, to esteem them as Calumniators, who abuse the eares of the simple ones, to perswade them the contrary of vs.

They are not content with this: but they say, That God may will a contradiction, & make both the parts to be true at one time. And to proue this, they wold bring in the Miracles which God works: as if they wold say, Euery Miracle includes a contradicti­on. As for example; God made a Virgine to beare a sonne, they thinke this vvorke brings with it a contradiction. To beare a sonne, say they, is the one part of the con­tradiction; and to be a virgine, is the other part of the contradiction. This worke is a miracle, but it implieth no contradicti­on: for, concerning the holy virgins con­ception, therein is no contradiction. There was a miracle indeed, that a virgine should beare a son, contrary to the course of nature: for, to be a virgine, and yet to [Page 81]haue a child, are not contradictory, if shee haue conceiued, and brought forth by mi­racle, as did the blessed virgin: But to be a virgine, and not a virgine, at one time, this is the contradiction. So Christ his body, to be visible and inuisible, locall and not locall, at one time, is in euery respect the like contradiction; and therefore impos­sible to be true.

Their other example, of Christ his en­tering in, the doores beeing closed, and shut, vvhat appearance of contradiction hath it? Can they proue that hee entred through the doores? And if he did, then was there an alteration of qualities, & that by miracle, either in Christ his body, or in the doores; but no contradiction in na­ture, vnlesse you knowe not what a con­tradiction is.

Their third and last example, of the fire in Nabuchadnezzers Ouen, which consu­med the ministers, but hurt not them that were in the midst of it, appeares to be of no weight, by that which hath already beene answered. They imagine, as appeareth, that in euery miracle, a contradiction is implyed: vvhich is absurd. If they can proue, that this fire was both hot & cold, [Page]then they say something to the purpose: but that it burnes vp some, and hurts not others, is no contradiction; because by miracle the force therof was repressed. So this second ground is sure; God may not will that thing, which implyeth a contra­diction. But so it is, that the reall presence of the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament, implyeth a contradiction; for, it makes the body of Christ, visible, and inuisi­ble; compast, and not compast, at one time: therefore, GOD may not will such a thing.

VVhen they are driuen from this they make their last refuge a peremptorie de­fence in their owne opinion: Their last refuge. for, they say, Christ his bodie is freed from physicall rules: for, Theologie is not subiect to physicall rules. It is a very ill gathered consequence, to say, that vvee subiect Theologie to Physick, because that vvee (first, according to Theologie, vvhich is the law of GOD; and next, according to Physicke, vvhich is the law of Nature) defend the naturall properties, of the true, and naturall bodie of Christ Iefus. Then I grant this, that Theologie is not subiect vnto Physick; vvhat of this? Ergo, Christ [Page 82]his body is freed from physicall rules. How followes that I pray you? By vvhat law may yee free, or can yee free the bo­die of Christ? By the law of Nature, yee cannot; for hee was made of the seede of Dauid, and tooke on him true flesh, of the vvombe of the Virgine: And farre lesse by the law of GOD, which is Theo­logie: for yee knowe, that Christ was ap­pointed from all eternitie, to take on him our nature, & to becom true man.

Indeed it is true, that the law of GOD, cannot be subiect to the law of Nature; for the law of Nature, floweth from the law of GOD, as out of the owne spring: but it is as true, that if yee take Christ his body, from the law of Nature, yee shall free it also from the law of God. For, I af­firme, that the Scripture, so consents with the law of Nature, that if yee denie the one, yee shall denie the other; and if yee admit the one, yee shall admit also the other. Therefore, if they looke vvell about them, they shall finde the beame to bee in their ovvne eye: for, they per­uert, both the lawe of GOD, and the law of Nature, by a nevv inuented phy­sick of their owne.

For, whatsoeuer he be, that attributes to one, and the selfe same body, naturall, and vnnaturall properties, vvhich directlie fight against themselues; I say, that man peruerts both true Theology, and Phy­sick. But they, to one and the selfe same body of Christ Iesus, attribute naturall, & vnnaturall properties: therefore it is they, that peruert both the vse of true Theolo­gie, and the order set downe, and establi­shed in Nature.

Would you knowe the reason of my Proposition? I say, it behoueth as well in Theology, as in Physick, of necessity, one of the contrary enunciations to be false. But once to make an end vvith them, I will aunswere their last refuge. Thus they reason; A glorified body, is not subiect to physicall rules: but Christ his body is glorified; therfore it is not subiect to phy­sicall rules. First of all, before wee answer directly, wee must consider wherein stan­deth the glorification of a body, and then the answer will be easie.

The Apostle Paul, 1. Cor. 15.42. spea­keth after this manner; So also, saith hee, is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sowen in corruption, and is raised in incorruption: [Page 83]It is sowen in dishonour, and is raised in glo­rie. It is sowen in weaknesse, and is raised in power. And a litle after: This corruption, must put on incorruption, and this mortalitie, must put on immortalitie. By this cleare Antithe­sis, Paul plainly describeth the glorifica­tion of a bodie; for he opposeth these two, the vnglorified, and the glorified bodie: And to the vnglorified bodie, hee ascri­beth corruption, ignominie, infirmitie, carnalitie, and mortalitie: To the glori­fied bodie, hee attributes incorruption, glorie, power, spiritualitie and immorta­litie: Of this opposition, we may gather easily, what the resurrection, and glorifi­cation, brings to the bodie. In a word, by them, wee see, That the bodie is onely spoyled of corruption, shame, infirmitie, naturalitie, and mortalitie. And it becomes onely spoyled of all the infirmities of our nature, that it may be clothed, with a more glorious apparell: as, with incorruption, power, glorie, spiritualitie, and immorta­litie. Wee see then, That this glorificati­on imports a chaunge indeed; but I be­leeue no man will bee so mad, as to thinke this change to bee made in the substance: for if that were so, the old substance be­houed [Page]to decay, and a new should arise: but wee heere no such thing in this discription, and as little is the change made in the quā ­titie: for wee find no word, eyther of aug­mentation, or diminution of any substāce, which behoued to be, if it were in the quan­tie: The most that we can perceiue, This mutation consistes in the qualities, by the which, the bodie casteth off the old coate of infirmitie, and cloatheth it selfe, with the coate of glorie: for Christ after hee did arise, hee both went, and came, was seene, and touched. Of the things before deduced, it cleerely followeth, That in re­spect the glorie of the bodie of Christ, hath wrought nothing in his nature, and sub­stance, and consequently in his naturall dimensions, neyther yet in any other es­sentiall propertie, That therefore the glo­rification of his bodie, freeth it not, frō the rules of Physick: For, so long, as that na­ture of a true bodie remaines, there are no supernaturall gifts, whereby it may be glo­rified, were they neuer so high, so farre as they may be gathered out of the scriptures, that may hurt eyther the nature, or the na­turall propertie of it: For there is no gift nor qualitie, that may hurt nature, [Page 84]but that gift, that is against nature. But the supernaturall gift, is neyther vnnatu­rall, neyther yet against nature: There­fore it cannot hurt, nor impaire nature: And my reason is this; Those gifts that de­core, and beautifie nature, they cannot hurt, nor impaire nature: But all superna­turall gifts, beautifie, and decore nature; Therefore, they cannot take away, ney­ther nature, nor yet the naturall property.

They leaue vs not so: but out of this doctrine of Paule, concerning the glori­fication of the bodie, they drawe an obiec­tion to presse vs withall. Paul grants, that a glorified bodie, is a spirituall bodie: but a spirituall bodie, is an inuisible bodie; Therefore a glorified bodie, is inuisible: and by consequence, the bodie of Christ is inuisible.

Though the argument be not formall: yet to be short, I denie their assumption: for if there were no more but that word, bo­die, that word might be an argument, that the spiritual bodie, is not inuisible. But yet to open the matter more cleerely, accor­ding to the meaning of Saint Paul in that place: Saint Paul in a word as it were, in the 44. vers. of that Chap. sheweth the change, [Page]that shall be in the qualities of the bodie, by the resurrection: For he saith, that our naturall bodies, shall become spirituall bo­dies: and then, in the next verse immedi­ately following, hee expoundeth these two qualities: for in the 45. verse, That is cal­led a naturall bodie sayeth hee, which is maintained, and quickned by a liuing soule onely, such as Adams was. And againe, that is said to be a spirituall bodie, which together besides the soule, is quickned with a farre more excellent vertue, to wit, with the spirit of God, which descendeth from Christ the second Adam, vnto vs: Then according vnto this ground, I an­swere with Augustine ad Constantium: As the naturall bodie is not a soule, but a bo­die: Euen so, the spirituall bodie, is not said to bee a soule, but a bodie. And by consequent, it is not inuisible:: For the further explaining of this head, I will giue them onely one knot to loose, and so ende this point. Then I reason: Yf therefore Christs bodie, is naturally, and really in the Lords Supper, because that it is glori­fied: It followeth consequently, That when it was not glorified, it could not bee really present. But it was not glorified [Page 85]when this supper was first instituted: Ther­fore it was not really present in the bread, at Christs first Supper. Yf his bodie was not really present, in the bread, at the first supper, it cannot be naturally present now. For whatsoeuer they vse now in the admi­nistration of their Supper, or of their Masse, (call it as you will) according to their owne confession, they vse it accor­ding to the ordinance, forme, and maner, that Christ Iesus himselfe vsed, in his first Supper: For they say plainely, in their dis­putation at Poyssie, and in all the rest of their works, That Chr. Iesus, first, of all ob­serued that forme, which they vse in their Masse, & left it to his Apostles, and to their successours, that they should doe the like. And so by their owne words, they haue in­tangled themselues, and crucified their Masse: what can they answere to this? They will not stand dumbe, I am sure: for maintenance of their religion, they must say some thing. Thus they say, That though the body of Christ, which was locally present with the rest of his disci­ples, was not glorified, yet the body which hee exhibited in the bread, was glorified. They might as well haue held their peace, [Page]and say nothing. For marke the words of the text, as they are written, Luke 22.19. where it is said, And he tooke the bread, and when hee had giuen thankes, hee brake it, and gaue to them saying, This is my bodie, which is giuen for you: and Saint Paul, 1. Cor. 11.24. hath these words, Take, eate, this is my bodie, which is broken for you. This relatiue, which, is relatiue to the bodie, which was exhibited in the bread: for ac­cording to their owne confession, those words are pronounced vpon the bread, & directed vnto it: But that same bodie was giuen, and broken for vs, that is to say, crucified, and broken with anguish and do­lors. Then I reason after this sort: To be crucified and broken with anguish and dolors, canne no waies agree and conuene, with a glorified bodie: But the bodie that Christ exhibited in the bread, is said of the Euan­gelists, to be crucified, and broken for vs: Ergo, that bodie was not glorified.

Now last of all, they are not yet content, but say, Christ can make the bread his bo­die; And therefore, his bodie is really pre­sent. That Christ can make the bread his bodie, wee grant: for Christ being God, canne doe whatsoeuer hee will: onely let them shewe, That Christ will make of reall [Page 86]bread, his reall flesh, and then this contro­uersie will ende. Christ indeede, makes the bread his bodie, not really, but Sacra­mentally: For Christ hath not a bodie, made of bread; his bodie was made once of the pure substance of his blessed Mo­ther: Another bodie then this, or oftner made then once, hath hee none: where­fore, all doctrine that teacheth Christs bo­dy to be made of bread, is impious, & here­ticall. The Papists doctrine of reall pre­sence, teacheth, That Christs bodie in the Sacrament, is made of bread, by chang­ing the bread, into his bodie; through con­secration: wherefore we may boldly, and and truly conclude; That their doctrine, of reall presence, is both wicked, & heretical. Now to cōclude this head: I beseech them, seeing that reason fails thē, That they fight not against God, for maintenance of a lie, how old soeuer it bee (for the diuel is olde enough, & yet he could neuer change his nature) But let them rather glorifie God, in cōfessing these speeches to be Sacramēetal.

Then what is the reason, & ground, where­fore the Papists pull downe the substance of the body of Christ and the blood of Christ, and make the verie substance, [Page]to be corporallie, The rea­son that moues the Papists to thinke that Chr. bodie can­not be present in the Sacra­ment, ex­cept it be really, car­nally, and substanti­ally pre­sent. reallie, and substantial­ly in the Sacrament. The reason is this, Because they cannot see, by their naturall iudgement, nor can vnderstand, by their natural wit, the truth of this, to wit, how Christs flesh, and blood, can bee present in the Sacrament, except hee bee present to their corporall hand, to their corporall mouth, and stomacke. If they had the light to informe them, That Christ might bee present, in the Sacrament, and not to the hand, to the mouth, or stomack, they would neuer thinke of such a monstrous presence, as they imagine to be there. But beeing destitute of the spirituall light, they follow their naturall reasons, & make a natural, Obserua­tion. & carnal presēce: So that ye haue this lesson to note from hence: There is no man, that hath not the spirit of God, to vnderstand this word, This is my bodie, but out of question, hee will doe as the Papists doe, that is, hee will vnderstand it carnally: And so they mis-knowing the right meaning of it, it is no maruaile, though they and we differ in this matter.

For will you aske of a Papist, first if the true bodie of Christ be there, or if the true flesh, and blood of Christ be there: hee [Page 87]will say, it is there: The di­uerse opi­nions con­cerning the pre­sence of the bodie of Christ in the Sa­crament. will you aske him wherein? hee will say, in, and vnder the accidents of the bread, & wine, vnder the hew, and roundnes of the bread: will you aske him againe, by what instrument it is receiued? Hee will tell you, by the mouth, and stomacke, of the bodie: So, this is their grosse vnderstanding of the bodie, and blood of Christ. Will you aske of the Vbiquiter, if the true bodie of Christ be present? hee will say it is: will you aske, if it it be in, with, or vnder the bread? hee will answere, it is in the bread, conten­tiuè, that is, the bread containes it: will you aske him, to what instrument, it is offered? hee will answere, that the bodie of Christ is offered, to the mouth of our bodie, and that the blood of Christ, is of­fered to the mouth of our bodie, as the Papists doe: Will you knowe of vs, how Christ Iesus his true bodie, and blood is present? wee will say, that they are spiritu­ally present, really present, that is, present in the Lords Supper, and not in the bread: wee will not say, that his true flesh is pre­sent to the hand, or to the mouth of our bodies. But we say it is spiritually present, that is, present vnto thy spirit, and fayth­full [Page]soule: yea, euen as present inwardlie, vnto thy soule, as the bread, and wine are present vnto thy bodie, outwardly: Will you aske then, if the bodie, and blood of Christ Iesus, bee present in the Lords Sup­per? Wee answere in a word; They are pre­sent, but not in the bread and wine, nor in the accidents, nor substance of bread, and wine. And wee make Christ to be pre­sent in this Sacrament, because hee is pre­sent to my soule, to my spirit, and fayth. Also, we make him present in the Lords Supper, because I haue him in his promise, This is my bodie; which promise, is present to my fayth: and the nature of fayth is, to make things, that are absent in them­selues, yet present: And therefore, seeing he is both present, by fayth in his promise, & present by the vertue of his holy spirit, who can say, but that hee is present in this Sacrament?

But yet the word would be explained, How a thing is said to be present and absent. what we mean by the word, present, how a thing is said to be present, & absent. And knowing this, yee shall finde all the matter easie. I say, things are said to be present, as they are perceiued, by anie outward, or in­ward sense, & as they are perceiued, by any [Page 88]of the senses, so are they present, & the fur­ther they be perceiued the further present: and by what sense any thing is per­ceiued, to that sense, it is present: As if it bee outwardly perceiued, by an out­ward sense, that thing is outwardly present. As for example, if it be perceiued by the outward sight of the eye, by the outward hearing of the eare, by the outward feeling of the hands or taste of the mouth, it is outwardly present. Or if any thing be per­ceiued by the inward eye, by the inward taste, & feeling of the soule, this thing can not be outwardly present, but it must bee spiritually, & inwardly present to the soul: So I say, euery thing is present, as it is per­ceiued. So that if you perceiue not a thing outwardly, it is outwardly absent: and if ye perceiue not a thing inwardly, it is inward­ly absent. It is not distance of place, that makes a thing absent, nor propinquitie of place that makes a thing present: But it is onely the perceiuing of any thing, by any of thy senses, that makes a thing present; & the not perceiuing, that makes a thing absent: I say, though the thing it self were neuer so far distāt, if thou perceiue it by thine outward sense, it is pre­sent vnto thee. As for example, my body, [Page]and the sunne are as farre distant in place, as the heauen is, from the earth; and yet this distance stayeth not the sunnes pre­sence from mee: why? Because I perceiue the sunne by mine eie, and other senses; I feele it, and perceiue it by the heate, by the light, and by his brightnesse: So if a thing were neuer so farre distant, if wee haue sen­ses to perceiue the same, it is present to vs. Then the distance of place, makes not a thing absent from thee, if thou hast sen­ses to perceiueit: likewise the neerenesse of place makes not a thing present, be it neuer so neere, if thou hast not senses to perceiue it: As for example, if the sunne shine vpon thine eyes, if thou bee blinde, it is not present to thee, because thou canst not perceiue it. A sweete tune will neuer be present to a deafe eare, though it be sung in the eare of that man, because hee hath not a sense to perceiue it: And a well told tale, will neuer bee present to a foole, because hee cannot vnderstand it, nor hath no iudgement to perceiue it: So it is not the neerenesse, nor distance of place, that maketh any thing present, or absent, but only the perceiuing, or not perceiuing of it.

Now the word being made cleere, How the bodie of Christ is present. aske you, how the bodie of Christ is present? To giue our iudgement in a word, as yee haue heard from time to time, hee is pre­sent, not to the outward senses, but to the inward senses, which is fayth, wrought in the soule. For this action of the Sacrament, and of the Lords Supper, is partly corporall, and partly spirituall: I call this action, partly corporall, not in respect onely, that the obiects, that is, That bread, and that wine, are corpo­rall, but also in respect, my mouth, where­unto these things are offered, the in­strument whereby, and the manner how, these things are receiued, are all corporal, and naturall: I call the same action againe, partly spirituall, not onely in respect of Christ Iesus, who is the heauenly, and spi­rituall thing of the Sacrament, but also in respect of my soule, whereunto, Chr. is of­fered, and giuen, in respect the instrument whereby, and the manner how, hee is re­ceiued, are all spirituall: for I get not Christ corporally, but spiritually: So in these respect, I call this action, partly corpo­rall, and partly spirituall.

Now, confounde not these two sorts of [Page]actions, The corporall, and naturall signes, with the spirituall thing, signified thereby: againe, confound not the mouth of the bodie, with the mouth of the soule. Third­ly, confound not the outwarde manner of receuing, by the hand of the bodie, with the spirituall manner of receiuing, by the hand of the soule: And so it shall bee exceeding cleere to see, that each thing shall bee present, to the owne instrument; that is, The bodie of Christ, which is the spirituall thing signified, shall be present to the spirituall mouth, and hand: and the bread, and wine, which are the corporall signes, are present to the corporall mouth and hand. Then how is any obiect pre­sent? A corporall obiect, is corporally present: and an inward obiect, is inwardly present. Of what nature is the thing signi­fied? It is of an heauenly nature. Then aske you, how is he present; He is spiritually, and heauenly present to the soule, and the mouth of the soule, which is faith, For it were a preposterous thing, to make the thing signified present to thy belly, or to the mouth or eye of thy body; for if that were so, it should not be spiritually present: because euery thing is present as it agreeth in it owne nature. Is it a bodily thing? it is [Page 90]bodily present: & if it be a heauenly thing, it is spiritually present: So I thinke no man can doubt, how the bodie of Christ is pre­sent: hee is not carnally present, but spiritu­ally present to my soule, and to faith, in my soule: Thus far concerning the manner of his presence.

Now the last part of our difference is this: The last point in contro­uersie betwixt vs, and the Papists. wee haue to consider to whom the words ought to be directed, & pronounced: For we & the Papists differ in this last point; we say, that the words ought to be directed, & pronounced vnto the people, to the faith­full communicants. They on the contra­ry say, that the words ought not to be dire­cted, nor pronounced to the people, but to the elements, & not to be cleerly pronoun­ced, but whispered on the elements; So that if they be spoken to the people, or spoken openly, their charme auailes not. Now, I say, that as this holy action, is peruerted by them in all the rest, so they peruert it in this point also, in speaking that, to the dumbe elements, which they should speak to the people of God: For, I shall proue it cleerely, by three arguments taken out of the Scriptures, that the words ought not to be spoken, to the bread, but to the people of God.

And first I say, The promises of mercie and grace, ought to be directed, and pro­nounced to them, in whom the Lord per­forms them, & makes them effectual: But so it is, That the promises of mercie and grace, are performed, and made effectu­all, not in bread, and wine, but in fayth­full men & women: Therefore these pro­mises should be directed, to faythfull men & women. Now here is the promise of mer­cy & grace: This is my bodie which is broken for you: and this promise is made to no o­ther thing, but to the faithfull, and so to them onely, it ought to bee directed. Se­condly, wee haue to consider, That this Sacrament, seales vp a couenant of grace, and mercie. Now, with whom will God make his couenant of mercy, and grace? will hee make a couenant with a peece of bread, or any dumbe element: There is no man will enter into couenant with his seruant; much lesse, will enter into coue­nant with a dumbe element: So in respect this Sacrament seales vp a couenant, this couenant, of necessitie, must bee made with a faithfull soule, and in no wise with the dumbe element: and therefore, these wordes cannot bee directed to the [Page 91]elements. Thirdly, looke to the end wher­fore this Sacrament vvas appointed. Is it not to lead vs to Christ? Is it not to nou­rish my faith in Christ? Is it not to nourish me in a constant perswasion, of the Lords mercy in Christ? Was this Sacrament ap­pointed to make the elements, Gods? No: for if ye marke Gods purpose in this insti­tution, yee shall finde, that Christ hath not ordained this institution, to nobilitate the Elements, to fauour and respect the Ele­ments, which were Bread, and Wine, ye­sterday, to be Gods to day. Wee on the contrary, say plainely, that the institution of Christ, respecteth not the elements, to alter their nature. Indeed, it is appointed to alter vs, to change vs, and to make vs more and more spirituall, and to sanctifie the elements to our vse. But the speciall end, is this, To make vs holie, and more & more to growe vp, in a sure faith in Christ, and not to alter the Elements, nor to make them gods. And therefore, by all these three Arguments, it is euident, that the words ought not to be directed to the Ele­ments, but to the people, and faithfull Communicants.

Now, to come to an end: There is one [Page]thing, Conclusi­on, with an exhortatiō. without the which wee cannot pro­fit, let vs discourse neuer so long vpon the right vnderstanding of the Sacrament. Ye see now, how all that is spoken concerning the Sacrament, is grounded, and depen­deth vpon faith. Let a man haue faith, be it neuer so little, hee shall get some hold of Christ, and some insight, in the vnderstan­ding of this Sacrament: but wanting faith, though a man endeuour himselfe to make the Sacraments neuer so sensible, it is not possible that hee can gette any hold of Christ, or any insight of him. For, with­out faith, we cannot be Christians: we can neither get a sight of God, nor feele God in Christ, without faith.

Faith is the onely thing, that translates our soules, out of that death and damna­tion vvherein vvee vvere conceiued and borne, and planteth life in vs. So, the vvhole studie, and endeuour of a Chri­stian, should tend to this; To craue, that the Lord in his mercie, vvould illumi­nate his minde vvith the eye of faith, and that hee would kindle in his heart, a loue of faith, and vvorke in his hart, a thirst, and desire of the obiect of faith, & more and more, to thirst, and hunger, for the [Page 92]foode of faith, that nourishes vs to life eternall.

Without this faith, (hovv-soeuer the naturall man, vnderstanding naturally, would flatter himselfe) surely, there is no blessednesse; but all his life is more then terrible misery. For, what-soeuer it be that flatters, and pleaseth thee now, be it a thought, or motion of the minde, or an action of the body, that pleaseth thee now, without faith; the same very motion, cogitation, or action, shall torment thee heereafter.

So, vvithout faith, it is not possible to please GOD; and vvhatsoeuer pleaseth not GOD, is done to torment thee: Therefore craue mercie, for whatsoeuer motion, cogitation, or action, vvherein thou hast offended GOD; or, for the same, God shall offend, and torment thee. And to eschevv the offence of God, there is no meanes, but by true faith; therefore the studie of a Christian should be, to grow in faith.

Now, by hearing of the vvord, thou gettest faith; and by receiuing this Sacra­ment, thou obtainest the increase of faith; and hauing faith, the receiuing of the Sa­crament [Page]shall be fruitfull: but, vvithout faith, thou eatest thineowne condemnati­on. Then the whole study of a Christian is, to get faith; and this faith cannot be ob­tained with idlenesse, but by earnest pray­er: therefore, let euery one of vs fall downe, and craue earnestly this faith, and the increase of it, whereby we may be wor­thy Receiuers of this blessed Sacrament; and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus. To whom, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honour, praise, and glory, both now, and euer, Amen.

THough the doctrine of our triall, and due examination (well-belo­ued in Christ Iesus) ought to goe before the doctrine, and recei­uing of the Sacrament: yet notwithstan­ding, seeing that preparation is alwaies, at all times, as well necessary for the hearing of the simple word, as for the receiuing of the visible Sacrament; (for no man can heare the word of God fruitfully, except in some measure he prepare his soule, and prepare the eares of his hart, how to hear) therefore the doctrine of preparation, and due examination, must come in it ovvne [Page]place, and be very necessary for cuery one of you. The Apostle, in the words vvhich we haue read, deliuereth his counsaile, and giueth his aduise; and not onely giues his aduise, but giues his admonition, and commaund, That we should not come to the Table of the Lord, That we should not come to the hearing of the word, rashly: but that euery one of vs, should come to this holy worke, with reuerence; that wee should prepare, and sanctifie our selues in some measure. And seeing we go vnto the King of heauens Table, it becomes vs to put on our best array. In a word, hee deli­uereth the whole doctrine, and matter of this preparation, when he saith; Let euery man, and let euery woman, try and examine themselues. As if he would say, Let euery one of you, try and examine your soules. That is, try the estate of your owne harts, and con­dition of your owne consciences. Marke and behold, in vvhat estate you heart is with GOD, and in what estate your con­science is with your neighbour.

He bids not your neighbour to try you, hee bids not your companion to try your hart; but he biddes your selfe, in person, to try your owne conscience; hee biddes [Page 94]your selfe, try your owne hart; because none can be certaine of the estate of your hart, or of the condition of your consci­ence, but your selfe.

Now, he excludes not others from the tryall of you neither (for it is lawfull for the Pastor to try you) but others cannot try you so narrowly, as ye your selues may; for no man can know so much of mee, as I know of my selfe. No man can be certaine of the estate of your hart, and condition of your conscience; & yet you your selues may be certaine of it. As for others, men may iudge of your hart, and conscience, according to your works, and effects; and except your works & effects bee very wic­ked, and altogether vitious, we are bound in conscience, to iudge charitably of your harts and consciences. Therefore, there is none so meet to try the spirit of a man, to try the hart, or conscience of a man, as is the man himselfe.

Now, The heads to be intrea­ted in this Sermons. that this tryall may be the better made, ye haue first to vnderstand what it is that ye should try: What ye call a consci­ence, which the Apost. commands you to try. Next, ye are to consider, for what rea­sons & causes ye shold try your cōsciences.

Thirdly, and last of all; ye are to knowe in what chiefe points yee should try, and examine your consciences. Then, that wee speake not vnto you of things vnknowen, it is necessary for euery one of you (seeing there is none of you that lacketh a con­science) to vnderstand what a conscience is: and as neerely as GOD shall giue mee grace, I will bring you to the vnderstan­ding, and knowledge of a conscience.

I call a conscience, Definition of consci­ence, with the exposi­tion of the paits therof. a certaine feeling in the hart, resembling the iudgement of the liuing GOD, following vpon a deed done by vs, flowing from a knowledge in the minde, accompanied with a certaine mo­tion in the hart, to wit, feare, or ioy, trem­bling, or reioycing. Now, we will examine the parts of this definition. I call it first of all, a certaine feeling in the hart; for, the Lord hath left such a stampe in the hart of euery man, that he doth not that thing so secretly, nor so quietly, but hee makes his owne hart to smite him, and to strike him: hee makes him to feele in his owne hart, whether he hath done well, or ill.

The Lord hath placed this feeling in the hart; why? Because the eyes of God, looke not so much vpon the outward counte­nance, [Page 95]and exterior behauiour, as vpon the inward hart. For he saith to Samuel, in the first booke, 16.7. The Lord beholds the hart. So, 1. Chron. 28.9. hee saith to Salo­mon, The Lord searcheth all harts, and vn­derstands all imaginations, and thoughts. Also Ieremy 11.20. The Lord tries the reins and the hart. And the Apostle, 1. Cor. 4.5. saith, The Lord shall lighten things that are hid in darknes, and make the counsels of the hart manifest. So, in respect that the Lord will chiefely haue to doe with the heart, therefore in the hart hee placeth this fee­ling, which is the chiefe part of consci­ence.

I say next, that this feeling resembleth the iudgement of God: for, this feeling was left, and placed in our soules for this end and purpose, that we might haue a do­mesticall, and familiar iudgement within our selues, to resemble, and describe, the secret, and inuisible iudgement of the high God; A particular iudgement, to goe before that generall iudgement, in that generall and great day, where euery man shal be iustified, or condemned, according to the particular iudgement, that is within his owne conscience. In the meane time, [Page]this conscience is left in vs, to arrest vs in this life; thereby, as it were, to ease the li­uing God, at that last Iudgement. For the bookes of our own consciences, in that last day shal be opened; & euery man shal re­ceiue, according to the report of the de­cree that is within his ovvne conscience: therefore I say, that our conscience re­sembles the iudgement of GOD.

The third thing that I say, is this; It fol­loweth vpon a deed done by vs: our con­science, nor our hart strikes vs not, before the deede be done; our hart strikes vs not, before the euill deed be committed: no, it goes not before the deed; but the stroke of the conscience, and feeling of the hart, fol­lowes immediatly vpon the deed, in such sort, that the deed is no sooner done by thee, but thy conscience applyes it to thy self, and giues out the sentence against thy selfe: therefore, I say, It is a feeling, fol­lowing vpon a deede done by vs.

And next I say, flowing from a know­ledge in the minde; for except the con­science haue information, and except the heart knovve, that the deede vvhich is done, is euill; the hart, nor the conscience can neuer count it to be euill: therefore [Page 96]knowledge must goe before the stroke of the conscience: thy hart can neuer feele that to be euill, which thy minde knoweth not to be euill.

So, knowledge must euer goe before feeling, and according to the measure of thy knowledge, according to the nature, and qualitie of thy knowledge, according­ly shall the testimonie and stroke of thy conscience be. For a light knowledge, a doubting, and vncertaine knowledge, makes a light, and small stroke: as on the other part, a holy and solid knowledge, drawne out of the word of God, maketh a heauy stroke of the conscience. So the conscience must answere to the knovv­ledge. If we haue no other knowledge, but the knowledge which wee haue by nature, and by the light & sparks which are left in nature, our conscience will answer no fur­ther, but to that knowledge: but if beside the light of nature, we haue a knowledge of God in his word, & a knowledge of God by his holy spirit, working in our harts; our cosciences wil then go further, & excuse, or accuse vs, according vnto the light that is in the word. So that the conscience is not acquired, or obtained, at what time we are [Page]enlightened, by the working of the holie Spirit, and hearing of the word of GOD: but, our conscience is borne with vs, is na­turall to vs, and is left in the soule of euery man & woman: & as there are some sparks of light left in nature, so there is a consci­ence left in it; and if there were no more, that same light that is left in thy nature, shall be enough to condemne thee. So, the conscience is not gotten, or begun at the hearing of the word, or at that time, when we begin to reforme our selues, by the assi­stance, and renuing of the holy Spirit: but euery man by nature hath a conscience, & the Lord hath left it in our nature; and ex­cept that this conscience be reformed, ac­cording to the word of God, that same na­turall conscience shall be enough to con­demne thee eternally: therefore, I say, flowing from a knowledge of the minde. Last of all, I say, accompanied with a cer­taine motion of the hart: and wee expresse this motion, in feare, or ioy, trembling, or reioycing. In very great feare, if the deede be exceeding heynous, and the stroke of the conscience be very heauy; then the conscience neuer taketh rest, for guilti­nesse will euer dread. But if the deede be [Page 97]honest, godly, and commendable, it ma­keth a glad hart, and maketh the hart euen to burst out into ioy. So, to bee short in this matter (for I purpose not to make a common place of it) yee see, that in euerie conscience, there must be two things: First, there must be a knowledge; & next, there must be a feeling: whereby, accor­ding to thy knowledge, thou applyest vn­to thine owne hart, the deed done by thee. So that, as the word it selfe testifieth, it ari­seth of two parts: of knowledge, accor­ding whereunto it is called science; and of feeling, according whereunto, the Con is added, and it is called Conscience. Then the word cōscience, signifieth knowledge, with application.

This conscience, To what v­ses the Lord hath ap­pointed the conscience to serue in the soule of of man. the Lord hath appoin­ted to serue in the soule of man, for many vses: to wit, he hath appointed euery one of your consciences, to be a keeper, a way­ter on, a carefull attender vpon euery ac­tion done by you. So that, that action can not be, so secretly, so quietly, nor so close­ly conueied, but will thou, nill thou, thy conscience shall beare a testimonie of it; thy conscience shall be a faithfull obseruer of it; and one day, shall bee a faithfull re­corder [Page]of that action. So, the Lord hath appointed thy conscience to this office, that it attends; and waits vpon thee in all thy actions. 2 Likewise, the Lord hath ap­pointed thy conscience, and placed it in thy soule, to be an accuser of thee; so that when thou doost any euill deed, thou hast a domesticall accuser within thine ovvne soule, 3 to finde fault with it. Hee hath also placed it in thy soule, to be a true and sted­fast witnesse against thee; yea, the testimo­nie of the conscience, resembles not onely a testimony, or witnesse; but the consci­ence is as good as tenne thousand witnes­ses. 4 The conscience also is left in the soule, to doe the part of a Iudge against thee, to giue out sentence against thee, and to con­demne thee: and so it doth; for our parti­cular iudgement, must goe before the ge­nerall, & vniuersall iudgement of the Lord at that great day. 5 And what more? Hee hath left thy conscience within thee, to put thine owne sentence in execution a­gainst thy selfe. This is terrible: hee hath left it within thee, to be a very torture, and tormenter to thy selfe; and so to put thine owne sentence in execution vpon thy selfe. Is not this a matter more then won­derful, [Page 98]that one, and the selfe same consci­ence, shall serue to so many vses in a soule; as to be a continuall obseruer, and marker of thy actions; an accuser; tenne thousand vvitnesses; a Iudge; a Sergeant, and Tormentor; to execute thine ovvne sentence against thy selfe? so that the Lord needs not to seeke a Sergeant, out of thine owne soule to arrest thee, for thou shalt haue all these within thy selfe, to make a plaine declaration against thy selfe. Take heede to this: for there is neuer a word of this shall fall to the ground; but either yee shall finde it to your comfort, or to your euerlasting woe. And this secret, and par­ticular iudgement, that euery one of you carries about you, abideth so sure, and so fast within you, that do what ye can, if yee would imploy your whole trauaile to blot it out, thou shalt neuer get it scraped out of thy soule. If ye were as malicious, and were becom as wicked, as euer any incarnate di­uell vvas vpon the earth, yet shall yee ne­uer get this conscience altogether extin­guished out of thy soule: but will thou, nill thou, there shall as much remaine of it, as shal make thee inexcusable in the great day of the generall Iudgement.

I grant, thou maist blot out all know­ledge out of thy minde, and make thy selfe become euen as a blinde man. I grant al­so, that thou maist harden thy hart, so that thou wilt blot out all feeling out of it, so that thy conscience will not accuse thee, nor finde fault with thee, but thou shalt haue a delight in dooing euill, vvith­out a remorse: but I deny, that any de­gree of wickednes in the earth, shall bring thee to this poynt, that thou maist do euill without feare; but still, the more that thou doost euill, and the longer that thou con­tinuest in euill dooing, thy feare shall bee the greater: yea, in despight of the diuell, & in despight of all the malice of the hart of man, thy feare shall remaine. And though they would both conspire toge­ther, they shall not be able to banish that feare, but that gnawing of the conscience, shal euer remaine, to testifie, that there is a day of Iudgement. I grant also, that there shall be a vicissitude, and that feare shall not alwayes remaine, but shall be some­times turned into securitie; neyther shall that security alwayes abide, but shal be tur­ned againe into feare: so that it is not pos­sible, to get this feare wholly extinct; but [Page 99]the greater that the securitie is, the greater shall thy feare be, when thou art wakened. Thirdly, I grant, that this feare shall bee blinde; for from that time, a man by euill dooing, hath banished knowledge out of the minde, and feeling out of the heart, what can remaine there, but a blind feare? When men haue put out all light, and left nothing in their nature, but darknesse, there can nothing remaine but a blinde feare. So I grant, that the feare is blinde: for neither knowe they from whence that feare commeth, vvhat progresse it hath, whereunto it tendeth, where, nor when, it shall end: therefore, they that are this way misledde in their soules, or all men in the earth, they are most miserable. For as long as thou maist keep in thy mind, a spark of this knowledge, & spirituall light, in the which thou maist see the face of GOD in Christ, wherein thou maist see a remedy, in the death and passion of Christ, & wherein thou maist see the bowels of mercy, offred in the bloud of Christ; if thou haue anie sparke of this light (albeit it were neuer so little) to direct thee, and albeit this know­ledge were neuer so much wounded, yet there is mercy enough for thee in Christ: [Page]but if thou close vp all the windowes of thy soule, and of thy hart, and make them to become palpable darknes, that thou ney­ther knowest frō whence the terror comes, nor yet perceiuest any remedy, that is the misery of all miseries.

We haue many things in generall to la­ment, concerning the estate of this our Country, Applicatiō. wherein we liue. Also particular­ly, There is not one of you, but haue great cause to take heed to your consciences now, while yee haue time; that yee banish not altogether this light, which is yet of­fered vnto you, and whereof some sparks yet remain. For I see the most part of men, runne headlong to banish the sparke of light that is in them, and will not rest, so long as there is any sparke of it left, vntill it be vtterly banished. And when they haue done so, alas, what can follow, but a blinde and terrible feare in their consciences, vvhich they can neuer get extinguished; a feare vvithout remedie; a growing feare, and not a decaying feare; a feare that will deuoure them wholly at the last. There­fore, euery one of you be carefull of this light that is within you; take heede, that the foule affections of your harts, dravve [Page 100]not your bodies after them; see, at the least, that those affections banish not this light. And, so long as the Lord offers you this light, in time craue, that of his mer­cy, hee vvould giue you the grace to im­brace it, to take a nevv course, and yet to amend your liues, vvhile time is gi­uen you.

The body shall leaue the soule, and the soule shall leaue the bodie; but the consci­ence shall neuer leaue the soule: but vvhe­ther so-euer the soule goeth, to the same place shall the conscience repaire; and looke in vvhat estate thy conscience is, when thou departest out of this life, in the selfe same estate shall it meet thee in the great Day. So that if thy conscience was a tormentor to thee at the time of thy death, if thou gette it not then pacified, it shall be also a tormentor to thee, in that generall Iudgement. Therefore, this matter vvould bee vvell vveighed, and euerie one of you should studie to haue a good conscience, that vvhen the soule is seuered from the body, leauing your conscience at rest, and peace with God, it may be restored vnto you, & meet you a­gaine, with as great peace and quietnes.

Thus farre concerning conscience, what it is. I beseech the liuing Lord, so to sancti­fie your memories, that ye may keep these things; and that euery one of these things may be so imprinted in your harts, that ye may be mindful of them, all your liues.

The second thing that we are to speake of, is this: We are to consider wherfore we should try our consciences; for what cau­ses we should examine our own soules and cōsciences. I wil declare the reasons brief­ly. It behooueth euery one of you to try your conscience. Why? Because the Lord will make his residence, in no other part of the soule, but in the conscience: Hee hath appointed his dwelling to be in the hart of man, and in the will, and conscience of man; and therefore it becomes you, to make his dwelling place cleane, & to take heeed vnto your harts.

Next; though the Lord of heauen made not his residence there: yet, in re­spect the eye of GOD is an all-seeing eye, and able to pearce throgh the very thick­nesse of mans flesh, how darke and grosse soeuer it be, and to enter into the very se­cret corners of thy conscience; (for vnto the all-seeing eye of GOD, the most se­cret [Page 101]corner of the conscience, is as cleare and manifest, as any outward, or bodily thing in the earth, can be to the outward eye of the body): In respect therefore that this eye is so pearcing, and that hee casts his eye onely vpon our harts, it be­hooueth vs to try our harts.

Thirdly, hee is the Lord of the consci­ence. There is no Monarch on earth, that hath any soueraigntie or lordshippe ouer the conscience: onely the GOD of hea­uen, onely Christ Iesus, King of hea­uen and earth, is Lord of the conscience, hee hath power onely to saue and lose. Therefore, vvhen thou commest to this Sacrament of the Lords Table, thou ough­test carefully to looke vnto thy consci­ence, to try and examine the state of it.

Last of all, vvhich is a chiefe reason; It behooueth thee to prooue thy consci­ence, because the welfare and health of thy soule, dependeth vpon thy conscience. If thy conscience that is within thy soule, be well, if it be at peace and rest, thy soule is vvell; if thy conscience be in a good estate, thy soule must needs be in a good estate; if thy conscience bee in good health, of necessity thy soule must be in [Page]good health; for the good health, & hap­pinesse of the soule, dependes vpon a good conscience: therefore, it concer­neth euery one of you, to try well your consciences.

There vvas neuer any lavv made, or deuised, that forbade vs to haue a care of our healths; it is lawfull for vs to seeke such things as may procure, and pre­serue it: but the health of thy soule, stan­deth in the health of thy conscience, and in preseruing thereof: therefore, by all lawes, thou oughtest to attend thy con­science. If thou keepe thy conscience wel, thy soule is in health; and if thy soule be in health, let troubles come what will vpon thy bodie, thou wilt indure them all; but if thy soule be diseased with an euill con­science, thou shalt not be able to beare out the least trouble that shall come vn­to thy bodie: vvhereas, if the conscience were at rest, and in good health, that trouble could not happen vnto thy bo­die, but the strength of a good consci­ence vvould beare it out. Then haue yee not reason, and more then reason, to take heed to your consciences, to try, and ex­amine your consciences, in vvhat estate [Page 102]and disposition they stand?

Now, Certaine lessons to be learned, by which a man may preserue health in his soule & cō ­science. because it is a fruitlesse thing to tell you, that health is necessarie, and not to shew the vvay how this health may be obtayned and preserued; therfore to keep your consciences in quiet, & good health, I will giue you these few lessons. First of all, bee sure, that yee retaine stedfast, a perswasion of the mercie of GOD, in Christ Iesus; examine vvhen thou lyest downe, and examine when thou risest vp, in what estate thou art with God; whether thou maist looke for mercy at his hands, or not.

Art thou perswaded of mercy? Assure thy selfe thy conscience is in a good estate, thou hast health in thy soule; for, by the keeping of faith, the conscience is pre­serued, as saith the Apostle, 1. Tim. 1.19. Keepe this perswasion, preserue it vvhole and sound, hurt it not, bring not thy soule into doubting, stay not, nor hinder thy perswasion, if thou desire to keep health in thy soule: for, if thou doubt, or any way diminish thy perswasion, and assurance, assuredlie, thy assurance cannot so soon be hindered, nor diminished, but at that very instant, shall follow the diminishing of the [Page]health of thy soule; yea, it cannot be, but in that very article of time, shall follow the hurt of thy conscience; for faith will not dwell, but in a whole conscience. There­fore, at what time thou doost any thing a­gainst thy conscience, at that very time, thou losest a degree of thy perswasion of the mercy of God: and vntill such time as thou fall downe at the feet of Christ, and obtaine mercie for that wicked deed, pur­chase peace at his hands, and repaire thy persvvasion, thou shalt euer doubt of mercie, and vvant health in thy consci­ence. Then this is the first lesson, to keepe health in your soules, To be perswaded of mercie.

The second lesson to keepe a good con­science, or to keepe health in thy soule, is this; Yee must flie, eschew, and for­beare, vvhatsoeuer may trouble the health of your soule, whatsoeuer may trouble the quietnesse, & peaceable estate of your conscience: cast it out, forbeare it, and eschew it. This generall is good. But let vs see vvhat it is that troubles the quiet e­state of the conscience. Onely sinne; no­thing but an euill nature. Therefore vvee must of necessitie, to keepe health in our [Page 103]soules, forbeare and eschew sinne; we must flie and auoyde sin. It is not possible, that ye can both keepe a good conscience, and serue the affections of your hart: & there­fore, to keepe peace & health in thy soule, thou must take leaue of thy lusts; thou must renounce the lusts, and affections of thy hart, and thou must not doe as thou wast wont to doe: thou must not be giuen to the seruice of thine affections, and of thine appetite, to put them in execution, as thou hast formerly done. But in-case thine affections, or lust commaund thee to doe any thing, what is thy part? Thou must try, how far this may stand with the good will of God; and how far that affec­tion which commaunds thee, may agree with the law of God. Is there such a har­monie, as that, that thing which thine af­fection commaunds thee, may stand with Gods law, and holy will? Then no questi­on, it is a sanctified affection, thou maist put it in execution. But after this tryall, if thou finde thine affections to be exorbi­tant, & out of rule, carying thee from God, & against his law, beware of it, resist it, put it not in execution; for if thou fulfill the will of thine affections, what pleasure can it [Page]bring with it? It may well bring a flattering pleasure in the entrie, but it closeth euer with a bitter remorse in the end. Then to eschew this bitter remorse, should yee not all try your affections? Yee must examine and try them by the square of Gods lavv; yee must see how farre they agree with his law, and how fatre they dissent from it; & so farre as they are dissonant from that law, let euery man deny himselfe, re­nounce his affections: and so, this triall beeing taken in this manner, by thy selfe, it sanctifieth thine affections, maketh Christ to lodge in thy soule, maketh thy conscience to be at rest. And the holy Spi­rit this way, maketh both bodie, and soule, to bee in good health, and to reioyce. Then flie from sinne. This is the second lesson.

The third lesson is this; Studie to doe well. Wouldest thou keepe health in thy soule? Study to do better and better conti­nually: At the least, haue a purpose in thy soule & hart, to doe better daily; which is the last lesson. Seeing that when we studie to do best, & that the iust man, that is, the most holy man, falleth so often as 7. times a day, yea rather, 70. times seauen times, [Page 104]what is thy part in these slips, and snares? Though thou fal, as thou canst not eschew to fall, lie not still there; sleepe not there where thou hast faln: it is a shame to sleepe there, therefore arise againe. And hovv shouldest thou rise? By lifting vp thy soule, and running to the Fountaine of grace and mercy; by repayring to Christ Iesus, to obtaine mercy for thy soule; and to craue, that hee would send out of him­selfe, that measure of peace, that may put thy conscience at rest, & restore thy soule to health. So, lie not where thou fallest, but incontinent arise, & craue mercy; and in obtayning mercy, thou shalt repaire thy fal, thou shalt amend thy life by repētance, & by repentance thou shalt get peace, thou shalt haue thy conscience at rest, and get health to thy soule. Now keep this rule, if thou desirest to keepe thy soule in health: look that thou sleep not in sinne, as Dauid did: lie not still vvhen thou art faln, and so fall from one sinne, to another; as from adultery, to murther, from murther, to the next, &c. As commonly, if a man sleepe in sin, and rise not in time, one sin wil draw on another; for there is no sin alone, but al­waies the greater, and more heynous that [Page]the sinne is, it hath the greater, and worse sinnes wayting on it. Therefore, when yee fall, delay not to arise, but repaire to the fountaine of mercie, and seeke grace in time: runne to prayer, run to the Church of God, wheresoeuer it be, whether in the fielde, or in the towne: runne to Christ Ie­sus, and craue mercy of him, that yee may haue peace in your consciences; and so by these meanes, euery one of you shall pre­serue health in your soules. By these meanes, ye shall learne what difference is, betwixt this liuing word of mercy, and grace, which sounds in our religion; and that slaying letter, that kills the soule of e­uery one that heares it; I meane that Ido­latrous doctrine, of that dumbe Mass.

I mention this vnto you, because I see, that many in these dayes are fallen to it, and the Lord is beginning to abstract his grace, and mercy from this Country, for the contempt of this quickning vvord, which hath so cleerely sounded heere, & which our country-men, for the greatest part (running headlong to the diuell in a dumbe guise) trauaile vtterly to banish. Is not this a miserable thing, that so fevv of you haue eyes to consider, and discerne, [Page 105]of the time of peace, mercy, and grace, which is so aboundantly offred? The Lord of his mercy, giue you eyes in time.

Thus far concerning the reasons, where­fore euery one of you should try and exa­mine your owne consciences: and this triall ought not to be for a day, or for a yeere; but it ought to be euery day, and e­uery yeere of thy whole life. For that con­science that should rest for euer with the li­uing God, that conscience, which must e­uer behold the face of the Sonne of God, it cannot be ouer-well cleansed; wee can­not looke ouer-narrowly to it. The more curious we be in searching out of this con­science, we are the better occupied: I speak of our own consciences, I speak not of our neighbours.

Thirdly, I come to the points, In what points wee should exa­mine our consciences. wherein euery one of you should try and examine your selues. Euery one of you ought to try & examine your cōsciences in two things: First, whether thou be at peace with God, who is the Lord of heauen, or not. Next, examine thy conscience, whether thou art in loue & amity with thy neighbor, or not. Wouldest thou know, whether thy consci­ence be at vnity & peace with God, or not? [Page]Thou shalt know it this way; The God of heauen, can haue no societie nor compa­ny with that soule, which is alwaies vn­cleane, that is euery way defiled; no, hee cannot.

Now, I speake not so precisely, that I make a soule to be fully sanctified, & per­fectly holy in this life: no, in this life, there are wonderfull iniquities, grosse sinnes, & great faults, where-with, euen the righte­ous are defiled: but this is my meaning; There is no soule can be at any peace with God, or wherewith the Lord can haue any societie, but in some measure it must bee sanctified, and made holy. For God can­not make residence in a soule, that is al­waies as a slinking dunghill; and therfore of force, in some measure it must be sanc­tified: there must be so much made cleane in one corner, or other, of that soule, wher­in the Lord of heauen, by his holy Spirit, may make his residence.

Now, let vs see wherby the soule is sanc­tified. Peter, Act. 15.9. saith, That the soule of man is purified by faith; that the hart of man is purged by faith. So, faith openeth and purgeth the hart. By faith in Chr. Ie­sus, and in the merits of his bloud, we haue [Page 106]peace with God: Beeing iustified by faith, we haue peace towards God, through our Lord Iesus Christ, saith the Apostle, Rom. 5.1. Now then, this point commeth in, That yee are to proue your selues, whether ye be in the faith, or not; as the Apostle saith, 2. Cor. 13.5. Proue your selues, vvhether ye are in the faith. Examine if your soules be seasoned with this faith; for if ye haue not faith in Christ, Christ is not in you; and if Christ be not in you, yee are in an euill state, ye are in the estate of the reprobate, and damned. So euery one ought to looke carefully, and see if he haue a beliefe in the bloud of Christ, or not: whether hee be­lieue to obtaine mercy by his merits, and sanctification by his bloud, or not. For if thou haue no measure of this faith, thou hast no measure of peace with GOD, by reason our peace with God, is ingendered and groweth dailie more and more by true faith in Christ.

Novv this faith, vvhere it is true, where it is liuely, and couples the heart vvith GOD, as I haue alreadie said, it must breake foorth in voord and deede, it can by no meanes bee held in, but it vvill break forth. It must breake out in word, in [Page]glorifying the God of heauen, who hath forgiuen vs our sinnes; it must break forth in word, by giuing a notable confession of those sinnes wherein vvee haue offended him. It must breake out in deed, in doing good works, to testifie to the world, that thing which is within thy hart; to testifie to the world, that thou, who hast this faith, art a new man; that by thy good example of life and conuersation, thou maist edify thy brethren, the simple ones of the Church of God; and that, by thy holie life, thou maist drawe sinners to repen­tance; that they seeing thy good light, may bee compelled to glorifie GOD in thee.

Then, in the first poynt of triall, let vs looke to these three; to the hart, to the mouth, to the hand. Take heed that there be a harmonie betwixt these three; for, if the hart be inwardly coupled with God, there is no doubt, but the mouth vvill outvvardlie glorifie him; and if thy hart and mouth bee renevved, and bee one, of necessitie thou wilt expresse it in thy conuersation. There must bee an agree­ment betwixt the heart and the hand, thy conuersation must bee changed with [Page 107]the heart, and be holy, honest, and god­ly, as the heart is: So that if thy conuer­sation be good, it is a sure token, that thou art at one with God: but if thy conuersatiō bee not good, speake what thou wilt, thy heart is but defiled; this true, and liuelie faith, hath no place in it. Then wouldest thou know, when thou art at one with God? When thy conuersation, thy heart, and thy mouth say all one thing, then without question, thou hast the worke of fayth, wrought by the holy spirit in thy heart, which maketh thee to bee at peace with God. This is the first poynt, wherein yee should trie your selues.

The next point, is loue: yee must trie, whether ye be in loue, and charitie with your neighbours, or not: for, as thou art not coupled with God, but by the hand of faith; so thou art not coupled with thy neighbour, nor ioyned with any member of Christ in this world, but by the hand of loue, amitie, and charitie. Take away loue, thou art not a member of this bodie: for loue is the maister sinnowe, and couples all these members of Christs bodie together, and makes them to growe vp, in a spiritual, and mysticall vnitie: loue, is the onely [Page]marke, whereby the children of Christ, and members of Christs bodie, are knowen from the rest of the world: loue is that ho­ly oyle that refresheth our soules, & makes vs like vnto God; and the more we growe in loue, the more God by his spirit dwel­leth in vs, for God is loue: So that except in some measure, loue towards thy neigh­bour, dwel in thy heart, thou canst haue no societie with thy neighbour, and far lesse with God. If the manners of men were examined by this rule, wee should finde a multitude of godlesse people in this coun­trie, who haue their hearts raging with ma­lice, one against another: and where the diuell and the malicious spirite dwell, there is no place for the holy spirit. And although the Lord hath gone about by all meanes possible, early, and late, to instruct them, and to infuse into them this preti­ous loue, and amitie towards God, & their neighbour, and so to alter their conditi­ons: Yet they will not suffer themselues to be wakened, vntil the great vengeance, and malediction of God fal vpon them: This loue, this honest, and godly conuer­sation floweth alwaies from the roote of fayth. So that if thy heart haue faith in any measure, be it neuer so little, in that same [Page 108]measure, thou must haue loue towards thy neighbour: & this loue is neuer idle, but is vttering it selfe, in one effect or other: And in respect that faith is the ground whereupon all the rest dependes, and in re­spect, that this fayth is such a Iewell, as without the which it is not possible for any of you to please God, without which, all your deedes are abhomination before him, without the which you are in the greatest miserie (w ^th miserie is so much the more terrible, in that you are ignorant of it) Is it not good reason, that ye know, and vnderstand, how this faith is first wroght & thē nourisht, in your souls, by the holy spi­rit? that seeing how it is created, & the mā ­ner how it is brought about, ye may exa­mine your cōsciences, & see whether ye be in the faith or not. My purpose was to haue insisted longer on this matter, then this time will suffer. Now therefore, as time wil permit, and GOD shall giue grace, I will let you vnderstand, how the H. spirit imployes his trauaile in the heart & minde of man, & what paines the holy Ghost ta­keth in creating, and forming this Iewell of fayth in your soules: Yet, before I enter this work, to let you see the trauailes [Page]of the spirit of God, in working of this fayth in your hearts: It is necessarie, and more then necessarie, that yee vnderstand, first your owne miserie, and infirmitie: and that yee knowe, how the Lord was induced to recouer you, out of your old estate, and to recreate you, who were lost, by the fall of your father Adam.

Then to consider of this matter more deepely, I offer to your remembrances this ground: That man vniuersally, and euery one particularly, being corrupted, being lost, and that by our first fathers fall (for if there were no more, but that same first faulte and sinne of his, wee are all of vs iustly condemned, to a double death both of bodie, and soule for euer) Man, thus vniuersally, and particularly, being vtterly lost, without any hope at all of recouery left in his soule, without any sense of the recouery of that fro­mer estate, or repairing of that Image which hee had lost through sinne, long before; hee beeing I say lost by this sinne, and left in this desperate estate in himself: what doth God? The euerliuing God, on­ly wise, whose waies are vnsearchable, hath found out a way, how that man, this way [Page 109]lost, yet hee may bee saued: heerein hee sought counsell, from whom? Not from any creature, but hee counselled with him­selfe; The persons of the Trinitie tooke counsell of them selues, one God was mo­ued to seeke counsell from himselfe, only moued in himselfe: for hee had not an ex­ternall principall without himselfe to in­duce him. So, he seeking this counsaile at himselfe, and being moued in himselfe thereto: As Ephes. 1.9. what doth hee? when all men should haue died for euer, it pleased him of his infinite mercie, to se­lect out of all, and to elect a certaine num­ber, out of the lost race of Adam, that should haue perished for euer. In this his counsell and decree, moued I say of himselfe, and seeking counsell from him­selfe only, he selects a certaine number, out of this rotten race, which certaine num­ber, hee will haue sanctified, hee will haue iustified, hee will haue glorified: And therefore to bring to passe the worke of their saluation: what doth hee? hee ap­pointes his owne naturall sonne (for hee had but one naturall sonne) hee appointes the second person of the Trinitie, his owne naturall sonne, God, in power, glory, and [Page]maiestie, as high as himselfe, equall with God the father in all things, hee appoints him to worke this worke, to bring to passe this worke of our redemption, and eter­nall saluation (This is but the mysterie of it, in some measure disclosed). And there­fore in the fulnes of time, (for hee dispen­seth all things according to his wisdome) at such time as hee appointed, hee makes his sonne to come downe, to seise himselfe in the wombe of the Virgin, to take on our flesh, to take on the likenes of sinne; hee tooke not on sin, but he tooke on the likenes of sinne: what call I that likenes? our flesh is the likenesse of sinne: he tooke on our flesh, and nature, the likenes of sin, which was perfectly sanctified, the verie moment of his conception, in the verie wombe of the Virgin: Hee tooke on this flesh, that in this flesh, and nature, sin might be banished, and cast out of vs fore­uer: And whereas we should all of vs haue gone one way (for there was no exception of persons by nature) Chr. Ies. our sauiour, hath elected vs: & according as his father in his secret election, before the beginning of the world, had elected vs; the same Chr. Iesus in his owne time, calleth vs, and ma­keth [Page 110]vs partakers, of that saluation, which he hath purchased, & he repaires not only that image which was lost in our forefather Adam: he placeth vs, not in a terrestriall pa­radise, where Adam was placed at the be­ginning (and what more could haue bin sought by vs?) but he giues vs a far more excellent image, thē we lost, he placeth vs in a more high, & in a more celestial para­dise, thē we lost: For so much the more hea­uēly is the paridise w ^ch he giues vs, as the 2 ^d Adam is more excellent then the first, and as the son of God, & God himselfe, is farre aboue any creature, that euer was; man, or Angell. Therfore it comes to passe, that by the benefit of the second Adam, Chr. Iesus our Sauior, the son of God (whereas had we remained in that Image, wherin our forefa­ther was first created, wee should haue set­tled our selues in the earth for euer, wee could not haue craued a beter paradise then an earthly paradise, for earthly Ta­bernacles) By benefit of the sonne of God, I say, it commeth to pass, that we are pluc­ked vp, out of the earth, to the heauen & to a heauenly paradise. And what haue wee to doe with heauen? Are wee not made of the earth, to returne to the earth? Be­comes not an earthly paradise an earthly [Page]bodie? yet the Lord in his mercy, sendeth downe his sonne, to draw vs vp, out of the earth, to the heauen. This is so high a thing that it cannot bee easily considered. For this drawing of vs, to a heauenly pa­radise, is a thing, more then could haue beene thought on. That wee should liue the life of Angels in heauen: how could the heart of man, thinke on this? yet it pleased the liuing Lord, in the great riches, and bowels of his mercie, and in the ex­ceeding greatnes, of the power of his mer­cie towards vs (The Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians, cannot get words enow to expresse this, he knowes not how to be­gin, nor how to end, when hee speakes of the riches of that mercie. And if yee looke well into that Epistle to the Ephesians, yee shall finde more high, and excellent stiles, giuen to the riches of that mercy, in that Epistle, then in any other part of the Scrip­ture) It pleased him I say, of his own mer­cy, not to giue vs simply the Image which wee lost, nor to leaue vs, in this earth: but it pleased him, to giue vs a better I­mage, and beside that, to place vs in hea­uen, there to remaine with him for euer.

Now, resteth his mercie and grace [Page 111]heere? No: But that this saluation, which hee hath alreadie purchased, and brought about, by his sonne, our Sauiour, Christ Iesus, that it might be wholly accomplish­ed, hauing nothing wanting in it: As hee redeemed vs, in his owne person perfect­ly; So, he makes this same redemption to come to our knowledge, and make vs sure of it in our consciences: and to this end, what doeth hee? As by his death, he purchased our full redemption, so hee makes it knowen vnto vs, hee intimates it vnto vs; by our inward calling, letting vs both finde, and feele in our hearts, what hee did in his bodie for vs. For our Lord when hee makes his seruants, to proclaime this redemption, and to intimate it to our consciences, hee workes this Iewell of faith in our soules, which assures vs, that the son of God, hath died for vs: For what could it auaile vs, to see our redemption, to see our saluation, and our life, a farre off, if a way were not found out, & a hand, and meanes giuen vnto vs, whereby wee may apprehend that saluation, and applie it to our selues. What can it auaile a sicke man, to see a drugge in an Apothecaries shoppe, except hee may haue it, and apply [Page]it to his sicke bodie? So, to the ende that this worke of our redemption, and saluati­on, may bee fully, and freely accompli­shed: looke, how freely, hee hath giuen his onely sonne, to the death of the crosse for vs; as freely hath hee found out this way, and meanes, and offered vs this hand, whereby wee may take hold on Christ, and applie him to our soules: This meanes, to conclude, is faith: There is not a way, nor an instrument in the Scriptures of God whereby we can applie Chr. to our soules, but only the instrument of faith: therfore, fayth cannot be enough cōmended. Turn to faith, & it will make thee turne to God; & so, conioyne thee with God, & make all thine actions, well pleassing vnto him: There is no good actiō that we do, though it seeme neuer so good, before the world, but it is abhomination before God if it be not done in fayth, and will forward our condemnation: hauing fayth, all the creatures of god, are seruiceable vnto vs, they must all conspire to the furtherance, of the worke of our saluation: As on the contrarie, wanting fayth, there is none of the creatures of God, but shall bee ene­mies vnto vs, and conspire to our dam­nation: [Page 112]For fayth conioynes vs, with the God of heauen, and makes vs heauenly: This Iewell of faith, seasons all the gifts, & graces, which God giueth vnto vs: All the riches of the earth, is of no value to my soule, without fayth. And what auailes it any man, to haue all the knowledge, and wisdome in the earth, without fayth? For the diuell hath all this knowledge, and is not the better. What auailes it me, to con­quer all the Monarches, kingdomes, and whole riches in the earth: what can all these auaile my soule? Nothing but accuse mee, if I want fayth. Therefore, all the be­nefits, and gifts of God, without faith auail nothing, but to augment our misery: All the gifts, and graces of God are abused, without fayth: Fayth onely makes thee to vse the benefits, and graces of God right­ly: Fayth onely should bee sought, kept, and intertained, heere in this life: hauing fayth, all the rest of Gods graces, are profi­table vnto thee, for this Iewell keeps them al in order, & makes them al fruitful; where­as, wanting this iewel, there is nothing here on earth, but it wil testifie against thee.

Let vs then speak of this faith, how it is wroght in you: I take my groūd out of the [Page]Euangelist Iohn, How faith is created in our soules. 6.44. where our Saui­our saith, No man canne come to me, except the Father which hath sent mee, drawe him: In the which words, we see cleerely, that ex­cept wee bee drawen, except wee bee com­pelled, except we be thrust, except of vn­willing, wee bee made willing, by God the father, it is not possible for vs to come to his sonne: What is the reason of this, that the spirit of God must drawe vs, and make vs willing, or euer wee come to God? Be­cause, by nature wee are, not only woun­ded, and launced by sinne, and iniquitie, but as the Apostle sheweth, Ephes. 2.1. wee were wholly dead, in trespasses and sinnes: yea, obserue, how voide any dead bodie is, of a naturall life, so voide are our soules (though they be liuing the naturall life) so voide are they, of the life of God, of that heauenly and spirituall life, whereun­to, wee in this life doe aspire: vntill such time, that the spirit of God draw our harts, and mindes, that is quicken, our harts, and mindes. No, it is not a drawing as wee commonly speake, it is a very quickning of a dead thing: It is a quickning of that thing, which was voide of the life of the spirit. Then except the spirit of God [Page 103]drawe vs, that is, quicken vs, with that spi­rituall, and heauenly life, it is not possi­ble for vs, to come to heauen. And except hee nourish this life, which hee hath be­gunne, it is not possible, that wee canne stand in this life: So the spirit of God, is said to drawe vs, that is, to beginne this life in vs, and by the same holy spirit, to continue, and nourish this life in vs. Now by the drawing of the spirit, our soules are quickned: and by the drawing of the spi­rit, I vnderstand no other thing, but the framing, and creating of fayth in our soules which makes vs new creatures. Now let vs see, what order the spirit of GOD keepeth, in drawing vs, and informing, and creating this faith, in our soules: First of all, I diuide the soule, into no more parts then commonly it vseth to bee diui­ded, that is, into the heart, and the minde. Our minde then being a cloud of dark­nesse, altogether blinde naturally, there being nothing in that minde of ours; but vanitie, error, and ignorance, whereby wee vanish away, and can neuer long con­tinue in any good resolution, or purpose; What doth the spirit of God? The first worke, that euer the spirit of God doth, [Page]he taketh order with the minde: and what doth hee to the minde? he banisheth dark­nesse, he chasethout vanitie, and blindnes, that naturally lurketh in the mind; and in­steed of this darknes, he placeth in the minde, a light, a celestiall, and a heauenly light, a light which is resident in Christ Iesus only: Then, the spirit chaseth out that cloude of miste, & darknes, and placeth light in the minde. And what worketh he by this light? We getting this inward, and heauenly light in the minde, & a sanctified vnderstanding, incontinent hee makes vs to see God: not only as he is God the cre­ator of the world; but also as hee is God the redeemer, and hath redeemed vs in his son Christ Iesus. Now before I obtaine this light, what is my heart, & mind doing? There is not one of you, but haue experi­ence, as I my selfe haue, in what estate the heart, and minde is, before that this light enter: The minde lieth drowned in blind­nesse, and the heart is hardned, and they both conspire together in vice, to sette vp an Idoll in stead of God, a dome­sticall and inuisible Idoll: what sort of Idoll is that? No doubt, some world­ly, or fleshly affection, or other: this [Page 114]is sette vp, in the throne of thy heart; and on this Idoll, thou bestowest the seruice of thy whole heart, of thy whole minde, of thy whole soule, and bodie: So, that the seruice both of the soule, and bodie, which should be bestowed vpon God on­ly, is imployed vpon that Idoll, which is set vp in thy heart, that is, in the place of God, in the steed of the most high God: And thou art more addicted, to the ser­uice of that Idoll, then euer thou wast, to the seruice of the liuing God: yea, vn­till such time, that this Idoll of ours bee banished, and that this blindnes, whereby this Idoll is serued, be taken away, there is not one of you, but are seruants to one lust or other; & thy soule, that should bee consecrated to the seruice of the liuing GOD, is imployed vpon one affecti­on, or other, vpon some worldly or fleshly lust, of thine owne: But from the time, that the Lord beginneth to scatter the cloudes of our naturall mindes, and vnderstandings, and beginneth to chase away this thicke mist, of the darke soule, and placeth therein, some sparke of heauenly light, which floweth out of Chr. and whereas we were children of the [Page]night, and darknesse before hee makes vs to be light in the Lord, and to be children of the light, and of the day. Then we see, that all the things in the world, besides the liuing God, are vanities, deceiueable al­lurements, vnconstant shadowes, fleeting, and flowing without any abiding: and and then wee see, that our hearts, and our mindes, were sette on euill continually. Then wee beginne to abhor that Idoll, and to seeke to serue God only. Now except the Lord of his mercie, and goodnes, place in vs this light, vntill such time as we get some glimmering of this light, wee canne neuer see our own vanitie, nor yet see God.

This then is the first worke of the spirit, hee banisheth darknesse, and errors, and placeth light in our mindes. Now this first worke of the spirit, is tearmed oftentimes in the Scripture, vnder the name of fayth: for the minde hath it owne assent, and per­swasion in the owne kinde, as well as the heart hath: and therefore the minde bee­ing illuminate, & seasoned with this light, the assenting, and knowledge in the same minde, is called faith. The Apostles, and Euangelists, giue to this knowledge, the name of fayth: for from the time, that [Page 115]thou once hast an eye to see God, & whom he hath sent, Christ Iesus, when once thou gettest a sight of him, and accesse to him, if it were no more then in the minde, it is called faith.

But wee must not stand still heere: If faith goe no further then the minde, it is not the faith that wee are seeking. For the faith that iustifieth, and doth vs good, must open the hart, as well as it openeth the minde; it must banish that Idol and af­fection out of the hart, and in steed therof, place a throne for Christ Iesus. So, that except the good spirit of God, goe further then the minde, and banish this Idol, as vvell out of our hearts, as out of our mindes, we haue not that iustifying faith, wherby we may looke for mercy. Yea, the spirit of GOD must not onely stay at the inlightening of thy mind, but it must mol­lifie this hart of thine, and change thine affections. And vvhereas thy affections were wicked, and euill, Gods Spirit must change thy will: and he neuer can change thy will, except he make the ground of thy hart good, that it may be set on God, and bring forth good fruit aboundantly to the owner.

And what teacheth this? This teacheth you to seeke for an honest hart, and to seeke instantly, while yee obtaine it. For, what auaileth it any man, to knowe vvhat is good, or what is euill, except hee haue a way shewed him, how hee shall eschew the euill, & a meanes giuen him, to make him­selfe partaker of the good?

Is not this an idle, and vnprofitable knowledge to mee, to see a farre off, and to knowe that this is good for me, when I finde not a meanes, how to be partaker of that good, that it may be especially good to mee? Is it not an idle knowledge also, to perceiue that this is ill for mee, that it vvill doe mee hurt if I doe it; and yet, that same verie thing I vvill doe, and no other?

So the Spirit of GOD, linketh these two together in this worke; and as hee re­formes the minde, hee reformes also the hart, and makes you to be partakers of that good, which yee see; and to eschew that euill which ye perceiue. And this is the second worke of the Spirit, Not one­ly to present a thing to thee, but to make it thine in effect. For, howbeit the minde would doe his part neuer so well, and let [Page 116]thee see that Christ is thine, and present him to thee neuer so often; yet if thy hart be not reformed, that will, and crooked affection that is in thy hart, will preferre it selfe to Christ, and vvill make thee to account all but folly, in respect of that Idol.

And therefore, it were an idle, and a foo­lish thing for mee to see my saluation, ex­cept I get grace to be partaker of it: and what auailes it thee, to see the works of the diuell, to see thine owne sinnes, that slay thee, except thou get grace to eschew them? And so the second worke of the spi­rit, is this, Hee enters into the hart, hee daunteth the hart, and wonderfully chan­geth it, making the wil of it obedient: hee mollifies the affection, which was hard be­fore, in such sort, that it is made to poure out thy affection in som measure, on the li­uing God, wheras it was poured out on one Idol or other of thine owne before. Then, except the hart will do his part, as the mind doth his part, the whole soule is not conse­crate to God: for God hath not made the soule, that the hart should serue thee, and the mind only shold serue him; but thy ser­uice is then only acceptable to God, when [Page]thou consecratest thy hart, as well as thy minde to him.

Now, A simili­tude of the apprehen­sion of the corporall foode, to il­lustrate the spirituall. this matter is so cleare, that it nee­deth not to be illustrated by similitude: yet to make it more plaine vnto you, I vvill shew you by a similitude, that the appre­hension of the minde is not enough, ex­cept yee get the apprehension of the hart also. In corporall things, in meat & drink, which serue for the vse of your bodies, there must be of this meat and drinke, two sorts of apprehensions: and as there is two sorts of apprehension, of the meat and drinke, that is the foode of the body: so there is two sorts of apprehension of the body, and bloud of Christ Iesus, which is our meate and drinke spirituall. Of meat and drinke corporall, there is an appre­hension by the eye, and by the taste: that while the meate is present vnto you on the Table, your eye taketh a view of that meat, discerneth it, and maketh choice of it: and not onely the eye, but also the taste discerneth the meat, and the taste ap­proouing it, that is called the first appre­hension.

Now, vpon this which is the first, the se­cond apprehension followeth: that is, af­ter [Page 117]that ye haue chewed that meat, swal­lowed it, & sent it to your stomack, where it digesteth, and conuerteth into your nou­riture; then in your stomack, ye get the second apprehension. But if your eye like not that meat, neither your taste like it, the second apprehension followeth not; for thou wilt spet it out againe, or reiect it, pre­ferring some other meat vnto it, that thou likest better. That meat which thou likest not, enters neuer into thy stomack, and so it can neuer be conuerted into thy nou­rishment: for, it is onely the second ap­prehension of the meat, that is the cause of the nourishment of the body, in our cor­porall foode; so that if yee chew not this meat, and swallow it, it feeds you not; then it is onely the second apprehension that nourisheth our bodies.

It is euen so in spirituall things (so farre as they may be compared) in the foode of Christ Iesus, who is the life, and nouriture of our soules and consciences. There must be two sorts of apprehension of Christ Ie­sus. The first apprehension is, by the eye of the minde; that is, by our knowledge, & vnderstanding: for, as the eye of the bo­dy, discerneth by an outward light; so the [Page]eye of the minde, discerneth by an inward, and renewed vnderstanding, whereby wee get the first apprehension of Christ.

Now, if this first apprehension of Christ like vs well, then the next followeth: Wee beginne to cast the affection of our harts on him; we haue good will to him: for all our affections proceed from our will, and our affections beeing renewed, and made holy, wee sette them wholly vpon Christ. We loue him; and if we loue him, we take hold on him, we eate him, and digest him; that is, we apply him to our soules: and so, of this loue, and liking of him, the second apprehension doth follow. But if we haue no will to him, if wee haue no loue, nor li­king of him, what doe we? Then we reiect him, and preferre our owne Idol, and the seruice of our own affections, to him; and so the second apprehension followeth not. Wee cannot digest him; and if wee digest him not, that spirituall life cannot growe in vs: for marke, in vvhat place the eye serues to the bodie, in the same roome, serueth knowledge, and vnderstanding to thy soule: and looke in vvhat place, thy hand, and thy mouth, thy taste, and thy stomack, serue vnto thy body, in that [Page 118]very place, serue the hart, and affections to thy soule.

So that, as our bodies cannot be nouri­shed, except our hands take, and our mouthes eate the meate, whereby the se­cond apprehension may follow: likewise, our soules cannot feede on Christ, except we hold him, and imbrace him hartilie, by our wills, and affections. For we come not to Christ, by any outward motion of our bodies, but by an inward motion, and ap­prehension of the hart. For God finding vs all in a reprobate sense, he brings vs to Christ, by reforming the affection of our soules, by making vs to loue him. And therefore, the second apprehension, wher­by wee digest our Sauiour, will neuer en­ter into our soules, except, as hee pleaseth the eye, so he please the will, and the affec­tion also.

Now, if this come to passe, that our wills & affections, are wholly bent vpon Christ; then, no doubt, vvee haue gotten this Iewell of faith. Haue yee such a liking in your minds, and such a loue in your harts of Christ, that ye will prefer him, before all things in the world? then, no question, faith is begun in you.

Now, How faith is nourished and enter­tained in vs. after a thing is begunne, there is yet more required: for though this faith be formed in your mindes, in your harts, and soules, yet that is not enough; but that which is formed, must be nourished; and hee who is conceiued, must be entertained and brought vp: or else, the loue that is begunne in mee, by the holy spirit, except by ordinary meanes it be daily entertained and nourished, it will decay: except the Lord continue the working of his holie Spirit, it is not possible that I can continue in the faith.

And how must we nourish, and continue faith in our soules? Two manner of waies. First, wee nourish faith begunne in our soules, by hearing of the word; not of eue­rie word, but by hearing of the vvord of God preached: and not by hearing of eue­ry man, but by hearing the word preached by him that is sent. For this is the ordina­rie means wherunto the Lord hath bound himselfe; hee will work faith, by the hea­ring of the word, and the receiuing of the Sacraments. And the more that thou hea­rest the vvord, and the oftner that thou receiuest the Sacraments, the more thy faith is nourished.

Now, it is not onely by hearing of the word, & receiuing of the Sacraments, that we nourish faith. The word, and the Sacra­ments, are not able of themselues to nou­rish this faith in vs, except the working of the holy Spirit be conioyned vvith their ministery. But the word, and the Sacra­ments, are said to nourish faith in our soules, because they offer, and exhibite Christ vnto vs, who is the meat, the drink, and life of our soules: and in respect that in the word and Sacraments, wee get Christ, who is the foode of our soules, therefore the word and Sacraments, are said to nou­rish our soules. As it is said, Acts 2.42. The Disciples of Christ, continued in the A­postles doctrine, and fellowshippe, and brea­king of bread, and prayers; by these means, entertaining, augmenting, and nourish­ing the faith that was begunne in them. Then the holy Spirit begets this faith, works this faith, creates this faith, nou­risheth, and entertaineth this faith in our soules, by hearing of the word preached, and by the receiuing of the Sacraments: which are the ordinary meanes, whereby the Lord nourisheth vs, and continueth this spirituall foode with vs. For, obserue [Page]by what meanes the spirituall life is begun, by the same meanes, it is nourished, and entertained; as this temporall life is en­tertained and nourished, by the same meanes, whereby it is begun.

Then seeing by these meanes, Conclusi­on, with an exhortatiō. the holy Spirit begets this vvorke of faith in our soules: It is our dutie to craue, that hee would continue the worke which hee hath begunne. And for this cause, we should re­sort to the hearing of the vvord, when it is preached, and to the receiuing of the Sa­craments, when they are ministred, that we may be fedde in our soules to life euer­lasting.

But alas, wee are come to such a loa­thing disdaine, or reiecting of heauenly foode in this Countrey, that where men in the beginning, would haue gone, some twentie miles, some fortie miles, to the hearing of this vvord: they vvill scarce­lie novv, come from their houses, to the Church, and remaine there but one houre to heare the vvord, but rather abide at home. VVell, I say, too much vvealth vvith-drawes their hearts; and the aboun­dance of this vvord, ingenders such a loathsomnesse, that it is a rare thing to [Page 120]finde out any, that haue that thirst, and desire to heare the vvord, as they vvere wont to haue in the beginning.

And for those that are in higher places, they will heare it sildome, or not at all: for they cannot indure to heare the thing that accuseth them, and conuicts them, and therefore they auoyde it. But they should not doe so, they should not shunne Christ, nor abstaine from [...]is vvord that accuseth them: but they should heare the vvord; and as the vvord accuseth them, they should accuse themselues al­so; that thereby, they may come to a con­fession of their sinne, and obtaine mercy for the same.

So, vvhen Christ accuseth thee, thou shouldest not runne from him; but thou shouldest draw neere to him; thou shoul­dest threaten kindnesse of him, and, as it vvere, make a breach, and forcible en­try into his kingdome. It is not the way, vvhen thy sinnes touch thee, and when Christ accuseth thee, to runne from him: no, thou shouldest then turne to him, thou shouldest confesse thy sinne, cry Pec­caui, and seeke mercy: and after that thou hast obtained mercy, this word shal becom [Page]as pleasant to thee, and thou shalt take as great delight to come to the hearing of it, as euer thou delightedst to flie from it be­fore. But alas! our lothsomnesse and dis­daine is growen to such an height, that tru­ly, I am moued to belieue firmly, that the Lord hath concluded, that we shal not en­ter into his rest, & that onely for the great contempt of his mercy, and grace, which is now so richly offred. For why? God can not deale otherwise with vs, then hee dealt with our fore-fathers, the Israelites, for the negligence of his vvord, vvhich was but then obscurely preached: for then it was farre from the incarnation of Christ; and the farther that it was from his incarnati­on, the vvord was euer the more obscure­ly preached, vnder darke types, and sha­dowes. Yet notvvithstanding, the Fa­thers that heard that word preached, and belieued it not, they perished all in the Wildernesse, except two; as ye haue some­time heard out of this place.

And if they, for the contempt of so dark a light perished: much more must yee, that are their children perish, for the con­tempt of the sunne of righteousnes, who is risen so plainely, and shineth so cleerely [Page 121]now, in the preaching of the Gospell; ex­cept the Lord in his mercy preuent you; and except ye preuent his Iudgements, by earnest seeking; and except ye seeke a fee­ling, and seeke inward senses, that ye may see, & feele, the grace that is offered; craue againe, that he will sanctifie your harts by repentance, that yee may repent you of your sinnes, and lead an honest, & a godly conuersation, in all time to come; that both body and soule may be saued in the great day of the Lord. The Lord worke this in your soules, that ye may seeke mer­cie; and seeking mercy, yee may obtaine mercy; and in mercy, ye may lay hold on Christ, and that for his righteous merits. To whom, with the Father, and the holie Ghost, be all honour, praise, and glorie, both now, and euer. Amen.

IN the doctrine of our triall, and due examination, the Apostle, as ye haue heard (vvel-beloued in Christ Iesus) gaue vs a speciall commaund, that e­uery one of vs, should try, and examine narrowly our selues: that is, that euery man should condiscend, and enter into his owne conscience, try, and examine the e­state of his own conscience, in what estate he findes it with God; and in what estate he findes it with his neighbour. Hee inioynes this triall to our selues, and cōmands, that euery one of vs should take pains vpon the true examination of our consciences. Hee inioynes this work to vs, why? Because no [Page 122]man knoweth so much of me, as I doe my selfe; because no man can be sure of the e­state of my conscience, but I my selfe; be­cause no man can so diligently, nor so pro­fitably try my conscience, as I my selfe. Therefore, chiefely it behooueth euery man, and woman, before they enter to the hearing of the word, before they giue their eare to the vvord, or their mouth to the Sacrament; it behoueth them to try, and examine their owne consciences. Not, that the Apostle vvould seclude the triall of other men: for, as it is lawfull for mee, to try my selfe; so, no doubt, it is lawfull for my Pastor to try mee. It is law­full for other men, that haue a care ouer mee, to try, and examine me: but no man can doe this so profitably to mee, as I my selfe. And though wee had neuer so many tryers and examiners, all is nothing, if wee try not our selues. So, whether there be a second, or a third tryer, and examiner, let our selues be one, and the first. And no doubt, the Apostles minde was this, To let vs see clearlie, that hee that commeth to that Table, and hath not that knowledge, [...]or is not of that ability to try him-selfe, is a profane commer, cōmeth vncleanly; [Page]and therefore, must needs come to his owne destruction. Let euery man there­fore growe in knowledge, growe in vnder­standing, growe in the spirit, that hee may be the more able, to try, and examine his owne conscience.

To the end that ye may goe forward, & proceed in the worke of this triall, with the better speed, and with the better fruits; in this examination, we laid down this order. First of all, I shewed, what that is which we call a conscience, and what is meant there­by. Next, I declared, for what causes yee should put your consciences to this triall, and narrow examination. And thirdlie, so farre as time suffered, I entred into the points, wherein euery one of you should try, and examine your owne consciences. As for conscience, that yee may call that definition to your memory, I will resume it shortlie. We call a conscience, a certain feeling in the hart, resembling the righte­ous Iudgement of GOD, following vp­on a deed done by vs, flowing frō a know­ledge in the mind. A feeling, accompanied with a motion in the hart; a motion, either of feare, or ioy, trembling, or reioycing. I leaue the opening vp of these parts, to [Page 123]your memories, and I pray God, that they may be well sanctified. I come next, to the causes, wherefore euerie one of you should bee carefull in trying, and exami­ning your owne consciences. The first cause is, because the Lord of heauen, hath his eye continually vpon the conscience: the eye of God, is neuer from the consci­ence, and heart of man, as I proued to you by diuerse places. Next, because this God hath chosen his lodging, and hath set downe his throne, to make his resi­dence in the conscience: Therefore, that hee may dwell in cleanenesse, yee ought to haue a regard to his dwelling place. Thirdly, he is the Lord, yea, the only Lord of this conscience, who hath power onely to controle, who only hath power to saue, or to cast away: therefore, that it may doe good seruice, to thy owne Lord, thou oughtest to take heed to thy conscience. And last of all, in respect that the health of thy soule, standeth in the e­state of thy conscience, and if thy soule be in good health, thy bodie cannot bee ill: Therefore, in respect that the soule, and bodie, depend vpon the estate of the cons­cience, euery one of you, should careful­ly [Page]looke to your consciences: I will not amplifie this, but leaue it to your memo­ries: how the health of the soule, and wel­fare of the soule, should be kept. Next, I come in the third, and last place to the points, in the which, euerie one of you, should trie, and examine your consciences. And as yee may remember, I set downe two points, wherein ye ought to put your cons­ciences in triall: First, to know whether your consciences were at peace with God, or not: Secondly, whether your consci­ences, were in loue, in charitie, and in a­mitie with your neighbour, or not: In these two points cheefly, yee must trie, and ex­amine your selues. To know, whether ye bee at peace with God, or not, ye must first trie, whether yee be in the faith or not (as the Apostle saith) whether yee bee in the faith of Christ, or not: For being in the faith, and iustified thereby, on necessitie, yee must haue peace with God. Then the next care must bee, to try your faith, and to see whether ye haue faith, or not. Faith can no waies be tried, but by the fruits: faith cannot be iudged on by me, that looke vp­on it only, but by the effects. Therefore, to try whether ye be in the faith or not, mark [Page 124]the fruits; Take heed to thy mouth, take heed to thy hand, take heede to thy words, and to thy deeds: for except thou glorifie God in thy mouth, and confesse to thy sal­uation, & except thou glorifie him also in thy deedes, & make thy holy life, a witnes of thy holy faith, all is but vaine, all is but meere hypocrisie: How a sin­cere faith is knowen. Therefore to knowe the sinceritie of thy faith, thou must take heede, that there be a harmonie, between thy hand, thy mouth, and thy hart, that there be a natural consent, that thy doings preiudge not thy hart, that thy mouth pre­iudge not thy heart, but that mouth, and hand may testifie, the sinceritie of the hart: If the heart, the hand, & the mouth, con­sent, & agree in one harmonie together; No question, that heart that breakes forth into so good fruits, is coupled with God; There is no question, the light of thy actions, the beames and shining of thy life, shall make the name of thy good God, to bee glorified.

Therefore, the whole weight of our triall, standes cheefely vpon this point, to see whether wee bee in the fayth, or not; to trie and examine, whether Christ dwell in vs by fayth, or not: [Page]for without fayth, there canne be no cou­pling, or conioyning betwixt vs, & Christ; without faith, our hearts cannot bee sanc­tified, and cleansed; and without faith, we cannot worke by charitie: so all depends, on this onely. And therefore that yee might the better vnderstand, whether yee haue fayth, or no: I was somewhat the more exact in this matter, and I beganne to let you see, how the holy spirit createth faith, & works faith in your soules, hearts, and mindes: I began to shewe you, what order the holy spirit kept, in forming, and in creating this notable instrument, in your hearts, and mindes. Not onely, how hee ingenders, and begins fayth, but also, how he intertaines it, how he nourisheth it. And I shewed you, the externall means, and instruments, which hee vseth to this effect: To beget faith in our soules, the ho­ly spirit vseth the hearing of the word, preached by him that is sent, & the mini­sterie of the Sacraments, as ordinarie meanes, and instruments: which ordinary meanes, are onely then effectuall, when as the holy spirit, concurs inwardly in our hearts, with the word striking outwardly in our eares, and with the Sacrament out­wardly [Page 125]receiued: And except the holy spirit grant his concurrence to the word, and Sacrament; word, and Sacrament both will not worke faith. So, all depends, vp­on the working of this holy spirit: The whole regeneration of mankind, the re­newing of the heart, and of the consci­ence, depend on the power of the holy spirit; And therefore it behoueth vs, care­fully to imploy our selues, in calling vpon God for his holy spirit. By the same means, and no other, that the holy spirit beg [...]ts faith in vs, by the same meanes, hee nou­risheth, and augments that, which hee hath begotten: And therefore, as we got faith by the hearing of the word, so by continuall, and diligent hearing, we haue this faith augmēted, & nourished in vs. And from hence I tooke my exhortation, That if yee would haue that spirituall life nou­rished in you, and if yee would haue a further assurance of heauen; of neces­sitie, yee must both continually, and dili­gently, heare the blessed word of God.

Now it resteth, that euery one of you carefully apply this doctrine to your owne soules, and enter into the triall of your owne consciences, To see if this faith, [Page]as I spake, be begunne in your hearts, and mindes, or not: how farre, or how little, the holy spirit hath proceeded in that worke, trie with mee, and I with you. The first effect of the holy spirit, whereby yee may trie your mindes, whether yee be in the faith, o [...] not, is this: Reuolue in your memories, and remember, if at any time, it pleased the Lord, in his mercie, to turn the darknesse of your mindes into light, to cause that naturall darknesse, which was within you, to depart: Through the which darknesse, neyther had yee an eye, to see your selues, what you were by nature, nor yet had ye an eye, to see God in Christ, nor anie parte of his mercie. Examine I say, whether this darknesse of the natu­rall vnderstanding, bee turned into light, by the working of the spirit, or not: If thou art become a childe of the light, a childe of the day; If thou art become (as the Apostle speaketh) light in the Lord: If there bee this alteration made in thy minde; That whereas naturally before, it was closed vp in darknesse, whereas it was filled with vanities, and errors, wherens it was closed vp, in blindnes: If the Lord hath at anie time, inligh­tened [Page 126]the eye of thy minde, and made thee to see thine owne miserie, to see the vglinesse of thine owne nature, to see the heinous sins, in the which by nature thou liest; If hee hath granted to thee, an in­sight of thy selfe, in some measure; and on the other side, if hee hath granted thee the remedie, and hath giuen thee, an insight of the mercie of God, in Christ Iesus, if thou hast obtained an insight of the riches of his grace in Christ; No doubt, the holy spirit hath begunne a good worke worke in thee: A worke, which will bring forth repentance, which in his owne time, hee will perfect: So this is the first care, which yee ought to haue, and the first point, wherein yee ought to examine your minds, To see, if there bee any light in it, whereby, yee may know your miserie, and haue an insight of the free mercie of God, in Christ Iesus. This being done, that thou findest a sight of these two in thy minde, from thy minde goe to thy heart: and as thou hast tryed thy minde, so try thy heart: And first, examine thine heart, if it bee altered, or not, that the will of it, bee framed, and bowed to GODs [Page]obedience, that thy affection bee turned into the life of God, and bee poured out on him, as it was poured out on vani­ties, on filthinesse, and on the world before. Try, whether the ground of thy heart, and the fountaine from whence thy motions, and affections proceede, bee sanctified, or not: for from a holy fountaine, holy wa­ters must distill: from a holy fountaine, ho­ly motions, holy cogitations, and sancti­fied considerations, must flowe.

Trie then, and examine your hearts, if the spirit of God hath wrought any such reformation, as I speake of in your harts, or not. And that ye may perceiue the wor­king of the holy Spirit the better in your hearts, and consciences (for the holy Spi­rit hath his chiefe residence in your hearts) I will declare vnto you, the first effect, that euer the holy spirit bringeth forth in the heart, in framing it, in molli­fying it, and in bowing it, vnto the obedi­ence of God: You shall knowe the work­ing of the holy spirit, by this effect: name­ly, if your mindes see, and behold, what is ill; see, and behold what is good; perceiue, and discerne your owne miserie, and your sinnes, which haue brought this miserie [Page 127]vpon you; and withall perceiue, and be­holde, the riches of the mercie of God in Christ Iesus: If as your mindes see these two, your hearts be reformed & prepared to loue the sight of them: and as you see in your mindes the mercy of God, and that in Christ, if yee haue hearts, to desire mer­cy, if ye haue a thirsting, and earnest desire, to be partakers of mercy; where this de­sire, and thirst is, there the holy spirit is, hee hath no doubt, opened the heart: On the other side if, as thou seest mercie, thou seest thy miserie; if, as thy mind seeth thy miserie, it seeth also the fountaine, from whence thy miserie floweth, to wit, from thine owne sinnes; if then, thy hart also hate this, the holy spirit is there; if as thou seest sinne, which is the cause of thy mise­rie, with the eye, which is giuen thee in the minde; thou hatest this sinne with thy heart, no question, the holy spirit is there: And as thou hatest it, if also thou sorrowe for it (for it is not enough to hate it, if thou lament not the committing of it, and with a godly sorrowe deplore it) the holy spirit is there. And thirdly, if with thy lamen­ting, thou hast a care, and a study to es­chew that sin, (for what auailes it to lament, [Page]if, like a dogge, returning to his vomit, thou fall into that same gulfe againe?) Therefore, where there is an hatred of sinne, a sorrow for sinne, a care, and a stu­die to eschewe sinne; no question, the ho­ly spirit, hath opened the heart, and is working out that pretious instrument. Ob­serue all this in a word, all the operation of the holy spirit, and working in the hart, and by this, examine thine heart: See, and perceiue, if the holy spirit hath entred so farre in thee, to worke in that hard heart of thine, an earnest, and a diligent stu­die, a carefull solicitude, continually to bee reconciled with the great God, whom thou hast offended: Is there such a thing, as a thirst, as a desire, to bee at amitie with him, whom thou hast offended, to bee reconciled with the God of heauen, whom thou hast offended by thy manifold transgressions? where this care and study of reconciliation is, if this care, and study, of reconciliation bee in the heart, there is no doubt, but the heart that thirsteth for this reconciliation, is heartily content not onely to renounce sinne, to renounce all the impieties, that separated thee frō God; but, the heart that is indued with this thirst, [Page 128]wil be hartily content, to renounce it selfe, to cast downe it selfe, as stubborne as it was before, to cast downe it selfe, at the feete of the mightie God, and be wholly content, at all times after, to be ruled by his holy will: Not to follow it owne lust, it owne will, and appetite, as it did before, but to resigne it selfe, wholly into the handes of the mightie God, to bee ruled by his will, at his pleasure, and to obey his commaundes. And except yee finde this disposition in your owne hearts, To acquite your selues, to renounce your selues, it is a vaine thing for you to say, that yee haue a thirst to bee reconciled: So, the greater thirst of reconciliation that we haue, & the more that the care, & study ther of groweth, the greater that the appre­hension of my miserie, of the deep gulfes, and very hels (whereunto my soule is sub­iect) increaseth in my soule the more ear­nest would would I be, to bee reconciled: And to bee reconciled, I would not stand, for the renouncing, of the lusts of my heart, but I wold renounce my hart, & the obedience of the wil, & desire: why? Because I see I must die for euer except the Lord reconcile himself with me: I see the huge [Page]deepes, and oceans of all miserie, into the which I shall [...]al in the ende, except in mer­cie, the Lord reconcile himselfe with me. To eschewe these miseries, and inconueni­ences, is there any question, but the hart, that hath any sense, and is touched with them, will most willingly endeuour, to ac­quite it selfe? Againe, seeing the Lord hath taken paines, to deliuer mee out of that deepe miserie, in the which I had drowned my selfe, and hath purchased my redemption, by so deere a price, not with golde, nor with siluer, or any drosse on the earth, but by such a wonderfull means, by such a pretious price, and rich ransome; Looking to the greatnesse of our misery, and to the greatnes of the price, whereby hee hath redeemed vs, What heart is it, but would willingly renounce it selfe, to get a part of that redemption, and to be deliuered out of that hell, wherein wee are presently, and wherein wee shall be in a greater measure heereafter, except wee bee reconciled? So then with this, there is ioyned a di [...]position in the heart, whereby the heart is willing in some measure, to renounce it selfe.

This lesson is often taught vs by [Page 129]our Sauiour Christ, wee must both take vp the crosse, and renounce our selues also, before that wee canne follow him. The more that this thirst groweth in the heart, the more this renouncing of our selues groweth in the heart: the more that this thirst decayeth, and is diminished in the heart, the more, wee cleaue to the world, the more wee loue the flesh, and the more are wee ruled and guided by them: So, eyther wee must nourish a thirst of righteousnesse, a hunger of life euerla­sting, a thirst of mercie, a hunger after that iustice, that is in Christ, or it is not possi­ble, that in any measure, wee can bee his disciples.

Now to proceede: The heart, that after this manner is prepared, that with a thirst to bee reconciled, is resolued also to re­nounce it selfe, This heart, in the which there remaineth so earnest a thirst, is ne­uer frustrate of the expectation, is neuer disappointed; But as the Lord hath imprin­ted in it, an earnest studie to be reconciled, and to lay hold on Christ: So in his mer­eie, hee grants vnto that heart, the pos­session of mercie; hee puts that heart in some measure in possession of mercy, [Page]which it seeketh, in possession of Christ Iesus himselfe, whom it seeketh: The which apprehension which it hath of Chr. the heart sensiblie feeleth, and apprehen­deth in that peace, which hee giueth to the conscience: So that the conscience, which was terrified, exceedingly gnawen, and distracted before; by the appro­ching of this peace, & of Christ with his graces, incontinent it is quieted, and pa­cified, there commeth a calmenesse, and soundnesse into the heart, and all troubles, and stormes are remoued: with this peace, is conioyned a taste of the powers of the world to come; The heart gets a taste of the sweetnesse that is in Christ, of the ioy, which is in the life euerlasting, which tast is the onely earnest pennie of that full and perfect ioye, which soule, and bodie in that life shall inioye: And the earnest pen­ny (as yee know) must bee a part of the summe, & of the nature of the rest of the summe: And therefore that earnest penny of ioy, assures vs, that when wee shall get possession of the whole summe, it it shal be a strange ioy: And these documents lift vp the heart, and make it, not to linger, nor wearie in the expectation of that life: [Page 130]but being refreshed now, and then, there­with, by so many earnest pennies, they assure vs, of the full fruition of that ioye, for the which in patience wee will sustaine all troubles: So, as the holy spirit wor­ket a thirst in vs, to bee with Christ, a thirst of mercy, and reconciliation with him; The same holy spirit disappointeth not that same expectation, and thirst, but putteth the soule and heart in possession of Christ, by the which the conscience is pacified, the heart is reioyced, and we get a taste of the sweetnes, and of the pow­ers of that life to come: The sensible fee­ling of the which taste, that passeth all na­turall vnderstanding, what doth it in my heart and conscience? It worketh a won­derfull assurance, and perswasion, that God loueth mee: The feeling of his mer­cie, in the bowels of my heart, in the bot­tome of my conscience, worketh a cer­taine assurance, and perswasion that he is my God, that he will saue me, for Christs cause, that the promise of mercie, which I durst not apply vnto my consciēce before; now, by the feeling of mercy I dare bold­ly applie, and say mercie appertaineth to me; life, & saluation belongeth to me: [Page]For the conscience being exceedingly ter­rified, and seeing nothing in God, but fire, and wrath, it is not possible, but it must she from him, it cannot approche to a con­suming fire. But from the time, that the conscience getteth a taste of this peace, mercy, and sweetnes; how fast soeuer it fled from the presence of God before, now af­ter this reconciliation, it will runne as fast to him, and will possesse him, more and more fully. So the assurance, and perswa­sion of mercie, ariseth from the feeling of mercie, in the hart, and conscience. And except the heart feele it, and taste it in some measure, no conscience dare apply God and his mercie, to it selfe: I may be sure in generall, that all my sinnes are remis­sible, and that I may obtaine mercie, be­fore I feele it: But, to applie this mercy, particularly to my selfe, vntill I feele a taste of it, I dare not: So, this particular ap­plication, whereby wee claime God, and Christ, as a propertie to vs, as if no man had title to him, but wee, and to call him my God, my Christ; and to claime his promises, as if no man had interest in them, but wee; This commeth of the sence, and feeling of mercie, in the hart: [Page 131]and the more that this feeling grovv­eth, and the greater experience that we haue in our owne harts of this peace and mercy, the more increaseth our faith and assurance. Our perswasion becom­meth so strong, that wee dare at the last say with the Apostle, What can separate vs from the loue of GOD? Neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate me, from the loue of GOD, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord.

This particular application, which a­riseth (no doubt) vpon the feeling, and sense of mercie, is the speciall difference, the chiefe mark, and proper note, wher­by our faith, vvho are iustified in the bloud of Christ, is discerned from that generall faith of the Papists. Our faith, by this particular application, is not onely discerned from the generall faith of the Papists, but it is discerned from all the pretended faiths of all the Sects in the world. For, the Papist dareth not apply the promise of mercie to his owne soule: he accounteth it presumption, to [Page]say, I am an elect, I am saued, and iu­stified. And from whence floweth this? Onely from hence; That in their con­sciences, they haue neuer felt mercie, they haue neuer tasted of the loue, fa­uour, and sweetnes of God. For, looke hovv fast the conscience flieth from GOD, before it gette the taste of his sweetnesse; it runneth as diligently to him, and threatneth loue on him, after that it hath gotten that taste.

So, they, miserable men, content themselues with this generall faith, which is no other thing but an histori­call faith, which groundeth onely on the truth of GOD; whereby I knowe, that the promises of God, are true. But the Papists dare not come, and say, They are true in mee. Why? Because they haue not felt it; and their harts are not opened. But our iustifying faith, as I told you, consecrateth the whole soule, vnto the obedience of God, in Christ.

So that it resteth not onely vpon the truth of GOD, nor it resteth not onely vpon the power of God, (though these be two chiefe pillars of our faith also) [Page 132]but especially, and chiefely, it resteth vpon the mercy of God, in Christ. It re­steth also, vpon the truth, and power of God; but especially, vpon the promise of grace, and mercy in Christ. The soule of the Papist, beeing destitute of the fee­ling and taste of mercy, dare not enter into this particular application, & so he cannot be iustified. Yea, no doubt, so ma­ny of them, as are iustified in the mercy of God, get a taste of this mercy & kind­nesse, before they depart this life. Thus farre concerning the effects.

Then yee haue onely this to remem­ber; The opening of the hart, the paci­fying & quieting of the conscience, they worke an assurance & a strong perswasi­on of the mercy of God, in Christ. The more that the hart is opened, the more that the conscience is pacified, the more that the taste of that sweetnes continu­eth, and remaineth, the more art thou assured of Gods mercy. So then, woul­dest thou knowe whether thy faith be strong, or not, vvhether thy perswasion of Gods mercy be sure, or not? Looke to thy conscience.

If thy conscience be wounded, assu­redly thou vvilt doubt: and if thou doubtest, thou canst not haue such a strong perswasion, as otherwise thou wouldest haue, if thy doubting were re­mooued. Not, that I will haue faith to be so perfect in this life, that there be al­waies no doubting ioyned with it; I re­quire not that perfection: but, I say, that a wounded conscience must euer doubt; and the more wee doubt, the lesse is our perswasion. So, the more that thou woun­dest thy conscience, the lesse faith thou hast. Then thou must come to this poynt; Keepe a sound conscience; en­tertaine peace in thy conscience; & thou shalt keepe faith, and shalt haue thy per­swasion in that same measure, that thou hast of rest and peace in thy conscience: and the more that thy conscience is at peace and rest, the greater shal thy faith and perswasion be.

So, this ground is certaine; A doubt­ing conscience, causeth a weake faith; and the more the doubting in thy con­science is, the weaker is thy faith. Then true it is, that the Apostle faith, That [Page 133]faith dwelleth in a good conscience; that faith is locked, and closed vp in a good conscience. So that if yee keepe a good conscience, ye shall keepe a strong faith: and if yee wound your consciences, yee shall wound your faith.

Novv, to make this more sensible; How can I be perswaded of his mercie, whose anger I feele kindled against me; and against whom, my conscience shew­eth me, that I am guilty of many offen­ces. No question, so long as the sense of his anger, & feeling of my offences re­maineth, I cannot haue a sure perswasi­on, that hee will be mercifull vnto mee: but, when I get accesse vnto his presence, and a sight that hee hath forgiuen mee, then I begin to be surely perswaded. So then, keepe a good conscience, and thou shall keepe faith; and the better that thy conscience is, the surer vvill thy faith be.

Then, Exhorta­tion. the whole exhortation that we gather from this point, dependeth vpon this; That euery one of you, in vvhat rank soeuer ye be, take heed vnto your consciences: for losing it, yee lose faith; [Page]and losing faith, yee lose saluation. Are ye in the ranke of great, and rich men? yee ought to take heed vnto your con­sciences: especially, in respect that the Lord hath placed you in a higher cal­ling. Ye haue many things wherein yee ought to controle your consciences; ye ought to craue the aduise of your con­sciences, before yee attempt any great worke, in respect that yee are bound in manifold duties to God, & to your infe­rioure.

And no doubt, if some great men had aduised well with their consciences, such dissolutions had not fallen out in their owne houses, such oppressions of the poor, deadly feudes with men of their own rank, would not haue burst forth in so high a measure. But the Lord, seeing them take so little care vnto their con­sciences, depriueth them of faith, and of the hope of mercy; and their end will be miserable. Yee shall see, that the GOD of heauen, will make those who liue so dissolutely, spectacles of his iudgements vnto the world; for, the Lord leaueth not such men vnpunished.

By their examples, it vvere very ne­cessarie, that men of inferiour ranke should take heede vnto their consci­ences: and therefore, iet euery man, according vnto his calling, examine his calling, by the rule of his consci­ence.

Let the Iudges, before they giue, and pronounce foorth Iudgement, ad­uise vvith their consciences, & the lavv thereof; and in Iudgement, not to fol­low their affections, but to follow the rule of their consciences. Likevvise, they that are of inferiour degree vnto Iudges, let them controle their dooings, by their consciences; and giue not the poore subiects iust cause to complaine on them. Let them not terrifie them, from the pleading of Iustice, by exor­bitant prices, and extraordinarie kinde of dealings: but let them moderate all their actions so, that they agree vvith the rule of their consciences; that so far as in them lyeth, Iustice cease not. Like­wise the Merchants; let not them looke so much, to this, or that, as to the consci­ence that is in them; what in conscience [Page]they may doe, according vnto the mea­sure of knowledge, that GOD hath pla­ced in them; and whatsoeuer they doe, let them beware that they doe not a­gainst their knowledge.

I grant their knowledge, will not be so learned as it should be; and this maketh many deformed actions: yet, let no man doe against his knowledge; but let euery man doe, according vnto the measure of knowledge wherewith God hath indued him. And, though it be not well refor­med, yet do not any thing by guesse, but aduise well with thy conscience, and fol­low thy knowledge: for, that which is done doubtingly, is sinne. So, whatso­euer thou doost, let not thy eye, thy hand, nor any member of thy body, doe against thy knowledge: for this is a steppe to that high sinne against the ho­lie Ghost.

This is the ready way to put all know­ledge out of your mindes: for if men do against knowledge, and continue in do­ing against knowledge; at the last, they will become a masse of darknesse, the Lord will scrape out all knowledge out [Page 135]of their mindes, and all feeling of mer­cy out of their harts. Therefore let eue­ry man follow his knowledge: and ac­cording to the measure of his knovv­ledge, let his actions proceed.

It hath pleased the Lord, Faith is the free gift of God. to poure this liquor, this precious ointment into vs: though we be earthly, and fraile vessels, miserable creatures, yet it hath pleased our gracious God, to poure such a pre­cious liquour into our harts and minds; and to credit such a Iewell in our kee­ping, that by vertue thereof, wee may take hold on Christ; who is our iustice, our wisedome, sanctification, & redemp­tion.

Though vvee be miserable creatures, yet the Lord of his mercy hath a respect to vs, in Christ, in giuing vs this preci­ous liquour, whereby our soules may be seasoned to life euerlasting. In this, that he poures it into our harts, we see cleer­ly, that it growes not in our harts, nor breedes not in our nature. No, this gift of faith, is not at mans commaund, nor vnder his arbitrement, as if it were in his power, to belieue, or not to belieue, as [Page]hee pleaseth. It is the gift of God, pou­red downe freely, of his vndeserued grace, in the riches of his mercie in Christ. That it is a gift, yee see clearlie, 1. Cor. 12.9. vvhere the Apostle saith; And to another, is giuen faith by the same spirit. As also, Philip. 1.29. For, vnto you it is giuen for Christ, that not onely yee should belieue in him, but also suffer for his sake. So faith is the gift of the holie Spirit: and this gift is not giuen to all men and women, as the Apostle plainly declareth; All haue not faith.

This gift, though it be giuen, it is not giuen to all, but is onely giuen to the E­lect: that is, to so many as the Lord hath appointed to life euerlasting. This gift, where-euer it is, and in what hart soeuer it be, it is neuer idle, but perpetuallie working; and working well, by loue, and charitie, as the Apostle affirmeth, Ga­lat. 5.6. This gift, vvhere-euer it is, is not dead, but quick, and liuely, as the Apostle Iames testifieth, in his second chapter.

And, to let you knowe whether it be liuely, and working, or not, there is no [Page 136]better meanes, then to looke vnto the fruites, and effects that flowe from it. And therefore, that yee, by your owne effects, may be the more assured of the goodnesse of your faith, I will giue you three speciall effects to obserue, by the which yee may iudge of the goodness of your faith.

First, looke to thy hart, Certaine effects, whereby we may know if wee haue faith. and cast thine eye on it: If thou hast a desire to pray, a desire to craue mercy for thy sinnes, to call vpon Gods holy Name for mercy and grace: if there be such a thing in thy hart, as a desire to pray, if thy hart be in­clined, and hath a thirst to seeke after mercie, and grace; though the greatest part of thine hart repine, & would drawe thee from prayer, yet assuredly, that de­sire, that thou hast in any measure to praier, is the true effect of the right faith. If thou haue a hart to pray to GOD, though this desire be but slender, assure thy selfe, thy soule hath life: for prayer is the life of the soule, and maketh thy faith liuelie. And why? Prayer is Gods ovvne gift; it is no gift of ours; for if it vvere ours, it vvould bee euill: [Page]but it is the best gift, that euer God gaue man; and so it must bee the gift of his owne holy Spirit; and beeing his owne gift, it must make our faith liuely. With­out this, thou art not able, nor thou da­rest not call vpon him, in whom thou belieuest not, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 10.14. For if I intreat him by prayer, I must trust in him. Then prayer is a cer­taine argument of iustifying faith, and beliefe in GOD: for I cannot speake to him, much lesse pray to him, in whom I trust not. And though the hart be not fully resolued, and well disposed, yet if there be any part of the heart that in­clineth to prayer, it is a sure gage, that that part belieueth.

The second effect, wherby thou shalt knowe, whether faith be in thee, or not, is this: Obserue, & aduise with thy selfe, if thy hart can be content to renounce thy rancour, to forgiue thy grudges, and that freely, for Gods cause. Canst thou doe this? And vvilt thou forgiue thy neighbour, as freely as God hath for­giuen thee? Assuredly, this is an effect of the right spirit; for Nature could ne­uer [Page 137]giue that. There is nothing where­vnto Nature bendeth it selfe more, then to rancour, and enuy; and there is no­thing, wherein Nature placeth her ho­nour more greedily, then in priuy re­uenge.

Now, if thy heart bee so tamed and brought downe, that it will vvillinglie forgiue the iniurie, for Gods cause, this is the effect of the right spirit. This is not my saying, it is the saying of Christ himselfe, in the Euangelist Math. 6.14. where hee thus speaketh; If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses, your heauen­ly Father vvill also forgiue you. And in the fifteenth verse, But if yee doe not forgiue men, their trespasses, no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses.

So that Christ saith, Hee that forgi­ueth wrongs, shall haue wrongs forgi­uen him: but hee that will reuenge his wrongs, wrong shall be reuenged vpon him. Therefore, as thou wouldest bee spared of thy wrongs done vnto the mightie GOD, spare thou thy neigh­bour. I will not insist; examine vvhe­ther [Page]yee haue faith, or not; examine it by prayer, examine it by the discharge of your owne priuie grudges: for, if yee want these effects, a hart full of rancor, a hart voide of prayer, is a hart faithless, and meet for hell.

The third effect of faith, is compassi­on. Thou must bow thy hart, & extend thy pitty, vnto the poore members of Christ his body, and suffer them not to want, if thou haue: for, except yee haue this compassion, yee haue no faith. Ex­amine your selues, by these three ef­fects; and if yee finde these in any mea­sure, though neuer so small, you haue the right faith in your harts; the faith that ye haue, is true, and liuely: and as­suredlie, GOD vvill be mercifull vnto you.

This faith of ours, Our faith must be cō ­tinually nourished, because it is ioyned with doubting. though it be liuely, yet it is not perfect in this world; but eue­ry day, & euery houre, it needeth a con­tinuall augmentation, it craueth euer to be nourished: for the which increase, the Apostles thēselues, Luk. 17.5. said, Lord increase our faith. And Christ himselfe, commandeth vs to pray, and say, Lord [Page 138]increase our faith: I belieue, Lord help my vnbeliefe. Then by Christ his own com­maund, we plainly see, that this faith needeth continually to be nourished, & helped; and it cannot be helped, but by prayer: therefore should we alwaies con­tinue in prayer. That this faith should be helped; and that we should be perpe­tually vpon our guarde, in feare & trem­bling, to get it augmented, the terrible doubtings, the wonderfull pits of de­speration, into the vvhich the dearest seruants of GOD are cast, doe dailie teach. For the best seruaunts of GOD, are exercised with terrible doubtings in their soules, with wonderfull stamme­rings; and they shal be brought at some times, as appeares in their owne iudge­ment, to the very brinke of despera­tion. These doubtings, & stammerings, lets vs see, that this faith of ours, would be perpetually nourished; and that wee haue need continually to pray for the increase of it. It pleaseth the Lord at som­times to let his seruaunts haue a sight of them-selues, to cast them dovvne, and to let them see how vgly sinne is: [Page]It pleaseth him to let them fall, into the bitternesse of sinne; And to what end? Not that hee will deuoure them, and suffer them to be swallowed vp of de­struction.

Though Hezekiah cryeth out, That like an hungry Lyon, the Lord is like to deuoure him, and bruise him in pce­ces; yet the Lord suffers him not to de­spaire. And though Dauid cry, I can­not away with this consuming fire; I cannot endure the fire of the Lords Ielousie; yet hee despaireth not. But the Lord casteth his seruants very lowe. To what end? To the end that they may feele in their harts, & consciences, what Christ suffered for them on the Crosse, in soule and body. Yea, we would think, that there had been plaine collusion, be­twixt the Father, and the Sonne, & that his sufferings had been no suffering, ex­cept we felt in our soules, in some mea­sure, the hell vvhich hee sustained in full measure.

So, to the end that wee might cleerly vnderstand the bitternesse of sinne, that vvee might knovve how farre wee are [Page 139]indebted to Christ, who suffered such torments for our sinnes, and that vvee may be the more able to thank him, and to praise his holie Name, hee suffers his owne seruants to doubt, but not to de­spaire; hee forgiues their doubtings, he forgiues their stammerings, and in his owne time, hee supports them, & brings vs vnto the waters of life.

These doubtings, Doubting and faith may lodge in one soule. as I haue often said, may lodge in one soule, with faith; for doubting, and faith, are not direct­lie opposite: onely faith, and despayre are opposite; and therefore, faith, and despaire, cannot both lodge in one soule. For, despaire ouerthroweth the pillars of hope; and where there is no hope, there can be no faith. But as for doubting, it may lodge, it vvill lodge, and hath lodged, in the soules of the best seruaunts that euer God had. Mark the speech of the Apostle, Wee are al­waies in doubt, saith hee, but wee despaire not. So doubting, and faith, may lodge in one soule.

And from whence floweth this doubt­ing? VVee knowe, that in the regenerate [Page]man, there is a remnant, corruption: for we haue not our heauen in this earth; though wee beginne our heauen heere, yet we get it not fully heere. And if all corruption vvere avvay, vvhat should there vvant of a full heauen heere? So, it is onely begunne in this life, and not perfected: therefore, there re­maines in the soule, a great corruption, which is neuer idle, but continually oc­cupied.

This corruption, is euer bringing foorth the birth of finne, more, or lesse; euery sinne hurts the conscience: a hurt conscience impaireth the perswasion, and so comes in the doubting. For, there is not a sinne that we commit, but it banisheth light, and casteth a myst ouer the eye of our faith, whereby wee doubt, and stagger in our sight: and were it not, that the Lord in his mercy taketh vs vp, giueth vs the gift of re­pentance, and maketh vs euery day, as oft as wee sinne, to cry as oft for mercy, and so to repaire the losse that wee haue of faith, to repayre the losse that vvee haue of the feeling of mercie, we would [Page 140]wholly put out that same light. But it pleaseth the Lord, though wee be eue­ry day sinning, to giue vs the gift of re­pentance; and by repentance, to re­paire our faith; to repaire the sense, and feeling of mercie in vs, and to put vs in that same state of perswasion wherein wee were before. Therefore, if GOD beginne not, continue not, and end not with mercie, in that very moment that hee abstracts his mercy from vs, wee will decay. So wee must be diligent, in calling for mercy; wee must be in­stant continually, in seeking to haue a feeling of mercie. Thus much for the doubting.

Novv, howsoeuer it be sure and cer­taine, A doubting and weake faith, is faith, & shal neuer de­cay. that the faith of the best children of GOD, is often subiect to doubting; yet it is as sure and certaine, that it is ne­uer wholly extinct: albeit it were neuer so vveake, yet it shall neuer vtterlie decay, and perish out of the hart, where­in it once maketh residence. This com­fort & consolation, the Spirit of God hath sette downe in his vvord, to sup­port the troubled hart; That hovvso­euer [Page]faith be weake, yet a weake faith is faith: and where that faith is, there will euer be mercie.

Yee haue in Romans 11.29. that The gifts, and calling of GOD, are vvithout repentance. But among all his gifts, that are of this sort, faith is one of the chie­fest: therefore it cannot be reuoked a­gaine.

Yee haue in Iude 3. That faith vvas once giuen vnto the Saints. Once giuen, that is, constantly giuen, neuer to be changed, nor vtterly taken from them. The Lord will not repent him of this gift: but the soule which he hath loued once, he will loue perpetually.

It is true and certaine, that the spar­kles of faith, which are kindled in the hart, by the Spirit of GOD, may be obscured & smothered for a long time; they may be couered with the ashes of our owne corruption, and with our own ill deedes, and wickednes, into which we daily fall. It is true, that the effects of a liuely faith will be interrupted, and that thy lusts and affections will preuaile for a long time: so that when thou lookest [Page 141]on thy selfe, vpon the Iudgements of God, that hang ouer thy soule and bo­dy, and when thou lookest vpon thy dissolute life, and on the anger of God, against this dissolute life: In the minde, in the hart, and conscience of him, that hath so smothered, and oppressed his faith, it will oft times come to passe, in his owne iudgement, hauing his eyes fixed on himselfe onely, that hee vvill thinke himselfe to be a reprobate, to be an out-cast, and neuer able to recouer mercy.

Where this corruption bursteth forth in this grosse maner, after that the Lord hath called thee; looke how soone the Lord beginneth to vvaken thee againe, incontinent, thou fixest thine eyes vpon thine owne life, and entrest into a deepe consideration, as well of the weight of thy sinne, as of the weight of the wrath of GOD, which thou seest following thereupon, and art loath to remit these cogitations, to thinke vpon the deepe­nesse of the mercie of God.

Resting on these considerations, it cannot but come to passe, that in thine [Page]owne iudgement, thou art an out-cast. And yet GOD forbidde it were so; for though these sparks of the Spirit, be co­uered by the corruption that is vvithin thy soule, yet these sparkles are not wholly put out.

And to let you see that they are not ex­tinguished, The spar­kles of faith though they be smothe­red, they are not wholly put out, nor are idle. though they break not forth in the outward effects, that the world may knowe thee to be a faithfull man, as heeretofore; yet these sparkles are not idle, and thou shall finde them not to be idle in thee. As for confirmation of my Argument, that howsoeuer our bodies are let loose to all dissolution, after our effectuall calling within vs in our soules: that yet the sparkles are not idle; ye see, that though the fire be co­uered with the ashes, yet it is a fire: there is no man will say, that the fire is put out, though it be couered. No more is faith put out of the soule, though it be so couered, that it neither giue heat, [...]or light outwardly.

An example of this, we haue cleere­ly in the Prophet Dauid, after his la­mentation, in that Psalme of Repen­tance, [Page 142] Psalme 51.11. hee prayeth to GOD in these words, Cast me not away from thy presence. And what addeth he? And take not thy holy Spirit from mee. Had he not lost the Spirit, by his adul­tery and murther? No: for he would not haue said then, Take it not from mee: But, Restore it to mee.

It is true, that he vseth the like in the verse following, Restore mee to the ioy of thy saluation. Not that hee wanted the spirit wholly; but that the spirit lacked force in him, and needed strengthening and fortification: it would be stirred vp, that the flame of it might appear. Ther­fore I say, in that Dauid speaketh so plainely, after his adultery and mur­ther, Take not that Spirit from mee; it is a certaine argument, that the faithfull haue neuer the spirit of God alwaies ta­ken from them, in their greatest disso­lutions. The second point is this: How proue I that these sparkles are not idle, though the outward effects be interrup­ted? As Dauid felt this in his conscience, so euery one of you, may feele it in your owne consciences.

The Spirit of God, in mans hart, can not be idle; but these sparkles, during the time that the body is let loose to all dissolutions, these sparkles are accusing thy dissolution, are finding fault vvith thy manners: these sparkles, suffer thee not to take the pleasure of thy bodie, without great bitternesse, and continuall remorse. And these sparkles, where they are, will make the soule vvherein they dwell, to vtter these speeches at one time or other, once in the twenty-foure houres; Alas, I am dooing the euill, vvhich I vvould not doe, if I had power or strength to resist my affection: and if I might be maister of my affections, I would not for all the world, doe the euill which I doe. Againe, if I had power, to doe the good vvhich I vvould doe, I vvould not leaue it vndone for all the vvorld.

So, these sparkles, though they haue not such force and strength presentlie, a [...] to resist the affection, and abstaine from dooing euill deedes, yet perpetually in the hart, they are finding fault with thy corruption, and suffer thee not to take [Page 143]thy pleasure without paine: but last of all, force thee to vtter these speeches; If I had strength to resist, I vvould not doe the euill vvhich I doe. Where these speeches are, no question they are the words of a soule vvhich the Lord hath begunne to sanctifie: and beeing once sanctified, in despight of the diuell, and of the corruption that is in vs, this faith shall neuer perish: but if the whole soule, without contradiction, vvith a greedie appetite and pleasure, be carried to euill, and hath no sorrow for it, that soule is in an ill estate; I can looke for nothing in such a soule, but death, except the Lord of his great mercy preuent it.

But where this remorse, and sorrow, and such speeches are in the soule; that soule, in the time that God hath appoin­ted, shall recouer strength. The Lord shall neuer suffer those sparkles to bee vvholly taken away; but in his own time he shall fortifie them, and make them to breake out before the world, in good works. The Lord, in his owne time, will sanctifie them, hee will scatter the ashes of corruption, stirre vp the sparkles, & [Page]make them to breake out into a better life then euer they did before; as ye may cleerely see, that Dauids repentance hath done more good to the Church of God, then if hee had neuer fallen. Thus far concerning the effects.

Though the effects of repentance bee interrupted, Similitudes, shewing that the sparkles of faith, thogh they be co­uered, are not extin­guished. yet those sparkles are not extinguished. For, there is no man will thinke, that the fire, vvhich is couered with ashes, is extinguished; but beeing stirred vp in the morning, it will burne as cleerely, as it did the night before. There is no man wil think, the trees, that now in the time of Winter want leaues, fruit, and externall beauty, to be dead. There is no man will thinke, the Sunne to be out of the firmament, though it be ouershadowed with a clowd of dark­nes and mist. There is great difference between a sleeping disease, and death: for men are not dead, though they be slee­ping; and yet there is nothing liker vnto death, then sleep. As there is great diffe­rence betwixt a drunken man, and a dead man; so there is great odds, betwixt the faith that lieth hid for awhile, & vttereth [Page 144]not it selfe, and the light that is vtterly put out.

When we breake not forth into out­vvard deedes, GOD forbid that vvee shold think, that these sparkles are whol­ly extinguished. Indeed, the soule which is visited, after foule and heinous back­slidings from his calling, and against his knowledge, before this foule recouer the former beautie, it is in a strange danger. For if the Lord suffer thy corruption to get loose, in such sort, that it cary thee, as it will, and by all meanes possible, ma­keth thee to labour, to put out the spar­kles of regeneration; vvhen the Lord beginnes to challenge thee, or to make thee render an account of this life past, the soule of that man, when it is chal­lenged, is in great danger.

So that, no question, when the Lord beginnes to lay to your charge, your dissolute life, the contempt and abuse of your calling: assuredly, your soules are so neere to the brinke of desperation, that there can be nothing neerer. For, vvilt thou looke to GOD? thou vvilt see nothing, but his anger kindled, [Page]as a fire against thee: wilt thou looke to thy selfe, thou wilt see nothing but sinne prouoking his anger: thou wilt see the contempt, and abuse of thy calling, en­larging his anger; thou wilt see nothing but matter of despaire.

And what is the best pillar, and surest retreat, whereupon such a soule, that is so neere to the brinke of desperation, may repose? A sure re­treat, to re­pose on in highest ten­tations. I will shew you the helpe whereupon. When thou art assaulted, by all the greatest tentations thou canst imagine; when there is nothing before thee but death; when thou seest the di­uill accusing thee, thine own conscience bearing him witnes against thee, thy life accusing thee, and the abuse of thy cal­ling accusing thee: whither shalt thou goe? Looke back againe to thy forepast experience, cast ouer thy memorie, and remember, if God at any time, and in a­ny measure, hath loued thee; if euer thou hast felt the loue and fauour of GOD in thy hart and conscience. Re­member if euer the Lord hath so dispo­sed thy hart, that as hee loued thee, thou louedst him, & hadst a desire to obtaine [Page 145]him. Remember this, and repose thine assurance on this, that as hee loued thee once, he will loue thee euer, and will as­suredly restore thee to that loue, before thou departest this life. The hart that felt once this loue of God, shall feele it againe: and looke vvhat gift, or grace, or what taste of the power of the world to come, that euer the Lord gaue to his creatures in this life, to that same degree of mercy, hee shall restore his creature, before it depart this life.

So the soule that is tossed with high assaults, and great dangers; where pre­sent things will not helpe, it is necessary, that it haue recourse vnto things past, and keepe in memory the afore-past ex­perience of mercy, which the Lord hath freely shewed towards that soule. This same memory shall be so pleasant to the soule, that it shall stay it presently from desperation, and vphold it vnto the time the Lord pacifie that hart, & giue com­fort to that soule: which beeing done, that soule shall see, that hovv-soeuer GOD was angry, hee was angry one­ly for awhile.

I speake these things, not that I think that euery one of you hath tasted of them; and yet in some measure, the seruaunts of GOD must taste of them: and yee that haue not tasted of them, may taste of them before yee die. And therefore, whether ye haue tasted, or not tasted of them, it cannot be but profita­ble for you, to look vp this lesson in your harts, and remember it faithful­ly, that if the Lord at any time strike at your harts, yee may remember, and say with your selues, I learned a lesson, To looke backe vnto my fore-past experi­ence, A lesson. and thereon to repose.

And though yee be not touched pre­sently your selues, yet when yee visite them that are troubled in conscience, let these things be proposed to them as cō ­forts; and vse them as medicines most meet to apply to the griefe of the in­ward conscience, & so ye shal reape fruit of this doctrine, and possesse your soules in a good estate. Thus farre for the first poynt, vvherein euery one of you ought to try and examine your ovvne consciences.

The second point is this, Of loue, which is the secōd point of our triall. Try vvhe­ther yee haue loue towards your neigh­bour, or not. For as we are coupled with God, by faith; so by the band of loue, we are coupled with our neighbour; and if yee want loue, yee can haue no societie with your neighbour: for, loue is the chiefe & principall branch, that springs from the root of faith. Loue is that ce­lestiall glew, that conioynes all the faith­full members, in the vnity of a mysticall body. And seeing that religion was insti­tuted of God, to serue as a path-way, to conuey vs to our chiefe felicity: and happy we cannot be, except wee be like vnto our GOD; like vnto him we can not be, except we haue loue (For, as it is 1. Iohn 4.8. GOD is loue.) So, seeing God is loue it selfe, who-soeuer will re­semble him, must be indued vvith the oyle of loue. This onely one argu­ment, testifieth to vs, that this loue is a principall head, vvhereunto, all things that are commaunded in religion, ought to be referred.

To spend long time in the praise of loue, I hold it not necessarie, seeing the [Page]holy Scripture resounds, in blasing the commendations of it: but that we speak not of any thing ambiguous, I will let you see, how this word is considered, & taken in the Scriptures. How the word loue is taken in the Scrip­tures. Loue is conside­red, either as a spring or fountaine, from whence the rest proceedes; that is, for the loue, whereby we loue God. And as loue commeth first from God, and is poured by his holy Spirit into our harts: So it first redownds vpward, and strikes backe vpon himselfe: for the loue of GOD, must euer goe before the loue of the creature.

Next, we take this word, for that loue whereby wee loue Gods creatures, our neighbours; and especially them that are of the family of faith. And thirdly, It is taken for the deeds of the second Table, which flowe from this loue.

Now, when I speake of loue, I speake of it, as in the second signification; to wit, as it is taken for the loue of our neighbour. The defini­tiō of loue. And taking it so, I call loue The gift of God, poured into the harts of men and women: by the which gift, we first loue God, in Christ our Sauiour; [Page 147]and next, in God, & for Gods cause, we loue all his creatures, but chiefly our bre­theren, that are of the family of faith, the children of one common father with vs. Wee will examine this definition; I say, Of our loue toward God. first the loue of God, as it commeth frō GOD, it returneth to God; as it comes downe from him, so it strikes vpward to him againe. And is it not good reason? And why? Let thy hart fix thy loue as long as thou wilt vpon the creatures, thou shalt neuer be satiate, nor thy af­fection shall neuer be content, except thou lay hold on God: but if once thou loue God in thy hart, and cast thy affec­tions vpon him, & once takest hold on him, the longer thou louest him, the greater satietie and contentment shalt thou haue; thou shalt not thirst for any other. For, as to the creatures, there is neuer a creature that God hath created, but it is stamped with his owne stamp, & euery creature beareth his Image: and looking to the Image of God in the crea­ture, should it not draw thee to him, that thou fix not thy hart vpon the creature? for his owne Image, in his creature, [Page]should lead thee to himselfe. And there­fore, the more that thou knowest the creatures, and the greater varietie of knowledge that thou hast of them, the more shold euery particular knowledge of them, draw thee to God: & the more shouldest thou wonder at thy God, and knowe thy duty towards him. And, see­ing that delight flovveth from know­ledge, & euery knowledge hath his owne delight; as the variety of knowledge, that ariseth from the creatures, should make the minde to mount vp, to the knowledge of God: so the variety of de­lights, that arise vpon the diuersitie of this knowledge, should moue the hart vpward, to the loue of God: and the hart getting hold of God, and beeing seised with the loue of God, and the minde be­ing occupied with the true knowledge of God; so soone as hart and mind is full of God, the hart is quiet, and the minde is satisfied. So that, the more this know­ledge groweth in thy minde, the greater contentment thou hast; and the more the loue of God groweth in thy hart, the greater ioy & reioycing hast thou in thy [Page 148]soule. And why? In God ye haue not on­ly all the creatures, but ye haue himselfe, besides the creatures: and therefore, in God, ye haue all the knowledge and de­light, that can arise of the creatures; and beside the creatures, yee haue God him­selfe, vvho is the Creator. And so I say, The mind of man, can neuer quiet it selfe in the knowledge, nor the hart can neuer settle it selfe in the loue of naked crea­tures; in respect they are flowing, & va­nity, as Salomon calls them: But in the in­finite God, rightly known, and earnestly loued, the mind shal finde a ful rest, and the hart shall haue a perfect ioy. For our affection is so insatiable, that no finite thing thing will satisfie it; nor there can be no solide settling vpon the thing that is transitory. So, the loue ought to moūt vpward, first to God; in whose face, the hart shal find full and perfect ioy.

The second Argument that I vse, is this; Seeing there is onely one precept left by our Master, in recommendation to be obserued by vs; namely, Of loue to­wards our neighbour. That eue­ry one of vs should loue another: there­fore our wise Master, vnderstanding wel, that where loue vvas, there needed no [Page]more lawes: that the life of man, by loue onely, behooued to be most happy; left onely the same, in chiefe recommenda­tion, and takes vp the whole Law & Go­spel, in one word, Loue. And if the hart of man were indued with loue, his life might be most happy, and blessed: for, there is nothing maketh this life happy, but the resemblance, and likelihood that we haue with God. The neerer we drawe to God, the more blessed is our life; for there cannot be so happy a life, as the life of God. In the first Epist. of Iohn, 4.8. God is loue: therefore, the more we are in loue, the more neer we are to that hap­py life: for we are in God, & partakers of the life of God. When I speake this, yee must not thinke, that loue in God, and loue in vs, is one thing: for, loue is but a quality in vs, and it is not a quality in God. There is nothing in God, but that which is God; so loue in God, is his owne essence: therfore, the more that ye grow in loue, the neerer ye draw to God, & to that happy, & blessed life. For there is no­thing more profitable, more agreeable, and cōuenient vnto nature, then to loue; and aboue all things, to loue God. And [Page 149]therefore it is, that God, & his Angels, are most happy & blessed, because they loue all things, & desire euer to do good. On the other side, there is nothing more vn­happy, nothing more noysome, more hurtfull, and that eates vp nature more, then to burn with enuy and hatred: and therfore it is that the diuells are most mi­serable, who torment themselues vvith continuall malice and hatred; burning with a vehement appetite, to be noysom to all creatures. So, as the life of the diuel is most vnhappy, because he is full of en­uy & malice; so our life wil be most hap­py, if we be full of loue. I will no further speake of loue: Onely, if yee haue loue, mark the effects of it, set down, 1. Cor. 13.4.5.6.7. verses, which effects, if ye haue not in some measure, yee haue not true loue.

I end heer. Conclusi­on, with an exhortatiō. Ye see in what points eue­ry one of you ought to be prepared: Yee must be indued with this loue; & ye must be indued with faith; & if ye haue these, in any small measure, goe boldly to the hearing of the vvord, & to the receiuing of the Sacraments. This is the preparati­on that we allow of. I grant, the Papists [Page]haue a preparation, farre differing from this, and therfore they can haue no war­rant from the word of God. Last of all, seeing that we are commanded to try our selues; He that lacketh knowledge, can­not try himselfe; A mad man cannot try himselfe; A child cannot try himselfe; therfore they ought not to come to the Lords Table. All these things being con­sidered aright, he that hath faith, & loue, in any kinde of measure, let him come to the Table of the Lord: And all these things serue, as wel for the hearing of the vvord fruitfully, as for the receiuing of the Sacrament. Therefore, the Lord of his mercy illuminate your mindes, and work some measure of faith, and loue in your harts, that yee may be partakers of that heauenly life, offered in the vvord, and Sacraments; that yee may beginne your heauen heere, and obtaine the full fruition of the life to come: and that in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus. To whom, with the Father, and the holie Ghost, be all honour, praise, and glory, both now, and for euer, Amen.