I. Point, or Ge­nerall Head.

The words are; Take eat, this is my body, which is broken for you; Where first we must know, why it was that Iesus Christ spake of eating, and why hee proposed this Sacrament vnder the words of Meate, and Drinke. It is not suffici­ent to alleadge that Iesus Christ did this occasi­onally, that is to say, be­cause hee was at Table, as by occasion he found himselfe neer a well, and [Page 12]demaunding water to drinke of the Samaritane woman; that the spake to her of the grace, & effi­cacy of the holy Ghost, vnder the names of wa­ter and drinke. This answere sufficeth, when wee demaund why Ie­sus Christ speaking to the troopes and multi­tude of people, before hee instituted the Sacra­ment of the Eucharist, proposed himselfe as bread descended from Heaven; and his flesh as meat, which gave ever­lasting and eternall life; For it is cleare and appa­rant [Page 13]that Iesus Christ spake so by occasion, answering those troopes and multitudes which asked him for bread, and who followed him for earthly meate, and for this occasion hee there­fore assumed the names of those things, to the which hee saw them affected: But here, where it concernes and de­pends of the Institution of the Sacrament, the answere drawen and de­rived from the occasion to bee at Table, is not sufficient; For we may demaund againe, why [Page 14]Iesus Christ placed and sate himselfe at Table, to institute and celebrate this Sacrament: For an­swere whereof, they al­leadge, and propose three reasons.

I That Iesus Christ ha­ving already instituted Baptisme vnder the si­militude of a Birth; It, was likewise very fit, and expedient, that hee should institute his holy Supper vnder the simi­litude of nutriment, or nourishment; For if the beginning of Grace, and of spirituall life had bin [Page 15]propos'd in the first Sa­crament, by a Birth in comparison of a tempo­rall life: It was very re­quisite and reasonable, that the aduancement, and progresse of Grace, should by the same com­parison, be proposed by a nourishment in the se­cond Sacrament. As then Iesus Christ had in Baptisme given water, which is the principall of the generation of corporall things, to bee a figure of the Holy Ghost, which is the principall, and efficient cause of the regenerati­on [Page 16]of our soules; So he instituted the Sacrament of his blessed Supper, by those things from whēce we have and receiue our temporall nourishment, to wit, Bread and Wine; thereby to represent vn­to vs the life, which our soules receiue of his bo­dy and blood offered on the Crosse, from whence it followes, that the word of eating is no more meant, or taken of the letter in this Sacra­ment, then that of Birth in the Sacrament of Baptisme, and that hee who thinkes or pretends [Page 17]to nourish himself of Ie­sus Christ, by his bodi­ly mouth, commits the same errour which Ni­codemus did, who be­cause Christ spake to him of being borne a­gaine, Iohn. 3.4. Asked, if man, when hee were growen old, could reenter into his mothers bel­ly, and be borne anew.

II. Reason. That our vnion with Iesus Christ, being the foundation of the appli­cation which is made and given vs by the me­rits of Christ (For the death and passion of Ie­sus [Page 18]Christ is not applyed or given, but to those who are one, and the same body with him; according as it is sayd, that Iesus Christ is the Saviour of his body,) It is expedient that this vnion should bee repre­sented vnto vs: But it cannot more perfectly, or lively be represented or figured to vs, then by the vnion of meates with our body, Sith there is nothing which nature doth more strict­ly or efficably vnite to our bodies, then meates by our eating thereof. [Page 19]As then by eating, meats doe become our owne proper flesh and bones, so wee are taught, that by the faith and vertue of Christs holy Spirit, wee become one with Iesus Christ, and are made flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone: And againe, that as by the vnion of meates we receiue our temporall life, so by our vnion with Iesus Christ wee receiue our spirituall and eter­nall life.

III Reason. That Iesus Christ [Page 20]would institute his holy Supper, at the Sacra­ment of Easter, in which Sacrament the Iewes were accustomed to eat a Lambe. And indeed Iesus Christ was at the table for the celebration of Easter, But at the Sa­crament, or Passeouer of Easter, two things were done and performed, first there was a Lambe eaten, and after as for a banquet (and this is ve­rified and recited by those who have written the Iewes Liturgie) the Father of the family tooke bread, to wit, vn­leavened [Page 21]bread, which was held course and poore bread, and in gi­ving it to every one of his family, which were sitting at Table, said. Take, eat, this is the bread of misery, which our fathers have eaten in Egypt, and taking the Cup, blessed it with a solemne prayer, which done, they ren­dered thankes to God, for that he had brought and established them in a Countrey, which abounded with all pros­perity, and plenty of Bread, and Wine, in Comparison of the mi­sery [Page 22]and dearth, wherin their Fathers had lived in Egypt, As in very deed all beleeued and held, That the vnleauened Bread, which God had ap­pointed and instituted for Easter, was a true sim­bole and figure, of the bread of misery and af­fliction, which the Isra­elites had eaten during their captivitie in Egypt. Now Christ Iesus, who would not permit or suffer that Iewish Ceremo­nies should any longer re­maine in the Christian Churches; insteed of the Passeouer or Feast of [Page 23]Easter, placed and insti­tuted his blessed Supper, as hee had formerly ap­pointed and introduced, Baptisme insteed of Cir­cumcision, leaving in all Christian Churches, none but these two fi­gures and Sacraments in place and steed of all that great multitude, which were formerly vnder the old Law. And ac­cording as the seruice of the new Testament was spirituall, It was also conuenient and fitting, those few Ceremonies, which Christ instituted, were likewise simple and [Page 24]easie, as depending and having relation to the Nature and Condition of the Evangelical Law and seruice, which is wholly spirituall, and heavenly, whereunto these Ceremonies were tyed and conioyned; In which regard Iesus Christ in his Supper, tooke no figure of any formerly prepared meat, procured with cost or care, or which could not be hourly provided, and had, as was the Pas­chall Lambe, but tooke simplie Bread, and Wine, as in the same [Page 25]sort and manner that in the Sacrament of Bap­tisme, insteed of the painefull and grievous Circumcision, hee insti­tuted the easie and sim­ple aspersion of water.

Now for that Iesus Christ hath substituted his blessed Supper in­steed of the feast of Easter: It followes of necessitie, that there must bee some resem­blance and conformitie of the Lords Supper to the Feast of Easter, and of the actions of Christians in receiving the same, to the actions of [Page 26]the Iewes in eating of their Paschall Lambe. But as this great Feast and Passeover of the Iewes, was a Sacrament and religious mysterie; so, notwithstanding, it was yet more to feed the mind then the body; wherefore wee must ob­serue and remember, that besides, yea above the eating of the mouth, there was the eating of the mind, which was a holy and religious me­ditation, whereby their soules should be refresh­ed and comforted ac­cording to the quality [Page 27]and Condition of the Churches of their time. That which they did eat with their Corporall mouthes, was a Lambe, some bitter hearbes, and vnleavened bread; And that which their minds and heart ought to me­ditate on, was the grace and favour, which God had bestowed on them, in delivering them from the miserable seruitude and slavery, wherin their Fore-fathers had lived in Egypt; and for bring­ing them to enioy the fruits and fatnesse of the Land of Canaan. So that [Page 28]at the same time, which their bodyes did eate; their soules likewise had their spiritall meate and food, and tasted how good and gratious God was to them, by giving them their deliverance. In the same manner Ie­sus Christ, instituting his Blessed Supper at Easter, proposed to Christians a double forme of eating; the one of the mouth, which was that of Bread; and the other of the Soule, which was the medita­tion of the great good­nesse and mercy of God, [Page 29]whereby Iesus Christ having beene crucified to death for vs, hath victoriously and glori­ously delivered vs from all our miseries.

Now let vs here re­mark & obserue, the ex­cellēt sympathy & con­formitie, wherevnto the Israelites were called at their Passeover, (or Feast of Easter) to the medita­tion wherin our Saviour Christ called Christians in his blessed Supper, to relish the goodnesse of God. The Iewes in their Passeover, considered that by the blood of a [Page 30]Lambe, their Forefa­thers were delivered from the destroying and persecuting Sword of the Angell; the slayen and immolated Lambe, being the Ransome of the first borne; And in the fraction (or breaking) and eating of the Bread of the Eucharist: wee Christians doe consi­der, That the body and blood of Iesus Christ, (as of an immaculate Lambe without spot or blemish) hath beene offered vp to God in Sa­crifice, and that by this Ransome wee are deli­vered [Page 31]delivered from the de­stroying Sword of the Angell, (to wit) from all the power and malice of Sathan. As the Apostle tels the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 5.7. that Christ our Paschall Lambe hath beene sacrificed vp for vs. As then the Iewes considering the Lambe, meditated and celebra­ted the goodnesse of God, for giving delive­rance to their Forefa­thers, by the Ransome of a Lambe: So wee Christians should feast our minds, and refresh our hearts with the me­ditation of Gods singu­lar [Page 32]goodnesse towards vs, which is infinitly greater and more admi­rable, in that hee hath delivered vp his owne, yea his onely Sonne, to death for the Ransome of wee poore and wret­ched Sinners, wherein appeares a dilection and loue, which surpasseth all vnderstanding, and wherein (faithfull Ser­uants of the Lord,) you may apparantly see the excellency of your ad­uantage, and benefits above those of the an­cient Testament: That which they meditated [Page 33]in their Passeover, was a temporall deliverance; That which you medi­tate in the Lords Sup­per, is a deliverance both spirituall and eternall: That which they con­sidered for a Ransome and deliverance, from the Angels Sword of persecution and pesti­lence, was a simple ter­restriall, and carnall Lambe; But that which you meditate on for your Ransome in this sacred Supper, is the proper body of Gods onely Sonne, crucified and slayen for your [Page 34]Sinnes. The Ioy and refreshing which the Is­raelites conceived in their hearts and minds by their meditation, was their delight and con­tentment to have beene delivered from Pharoah, and to bee brought into the promised Land of Canaan: But what is this in Comparison of the Ioy and refreshing, which our soules con­ceiue, to see, and con­template the vnspeaka­ble goodnesse of God, whereby you are deli­vered from eternall death, and conducted [Page 35]and brought into a spi­rituall, and heavenly Canaan; O therefore if those of the Church of Rome, would consider, how great, how excel­lent, & how inexpressa­ble, this feeding and re­freshing of our soules is by this meditation; They would not then say, that wee returne empty from this blessed Sacrament; It is then the Church of Christ, which hath the true ea­ting and true refreshing and sacietie thereof, and there onely it is, where true peace and felicity [Page 36]is to be found; And ther­fore it is, that the word of God teacheth vs con­cerning the ancient Isra­elites, That what con­tent soever they receiued by their Passeover, there yet remayned in their memories a degree of slavery and seruitude, Rom. 1.15. whereof they were still afraid, and the Reason of it was, that the curse of the Law, still echoed and resounded aloud in their eares; and that the promises of remission and pardon for their sinnes, were still concea­led and obscured from [Page 37]them, and the death of Christ crucified for the transgressions of men, was hidden, and over-clouded from them by the vaile of Ceremo­nies. Whereas heere (O ye faithfull Christians,) Iesus Christ calles you to the publicke Medita­tion and Contemplati­on of his death, and of the pardon and remissi­on of your sinnes, to re­fresh and fill your soules with peace and felicity; And for which cause and reason hee saith, in Saint Iohn, Ioh. 6.35. Whosoever comes vnto mee, shall not [Page 38]bee hungry, and those who trust in mee, shall not bee dry, or thirsty.

And, therefore Iesus Christ taking bread, said, Take, eat, and then hee added, thereunto, This is my Body; So that which hee came from taking of, and which he held, (to wit) Bread, he said it was his body, A thing which hee then spake most easily, and clearely; For as there was not the smalest Child among the Iewes, but vnderstood, when the Father of his family [Page 39]said, (Take eat, this is the Bread of misery, which our Fore-fathers, did eat in Egypt) that this Bread was so named and called by the Father of the fa­mily, because it was a Commemoration of the bread of affliction, which their Fore-fa­thers had eaten in Egypt, according as it is said in Deutr. Deut. 16.3. Vnder the Law seven dayes thou shalt eat vnleavened Bread, which is Bread of affliction, be­cause thou didst hastily de­part and fly away from Egypt:) So there was none so ignorant, or [Page 40]simple, but vnderstood well, That Christ said the bread was his body, because hee was the Cōmemoration therof, and as the vnleavened bread had beene yearly or dayned for a Memo­riall, (or Comemorati­on) of the miseries, which the Israelites had suffered in Egypt: That Iesus Christ established Bread to remaine till the end of the world, the signe and Commemo­ration of his Body offe­red on the Crosse: which againe was cleare and evident, because [Page 41]they named the Lambe, which they did eat, Pasque, an Hebrew word which signifieth Passeo­ver, and which every one well vnderstood in that Language; Where wilt thou (said the A­postles to Iesus Christ) Mat. 26.17. that wee prepare for thee, the Passeover. The Lambe which they eat was so called, because it was in­stituted in Memory and Cōmemoration of the Passing over of the de­stroying Angell from above, and beyond the Israelites houses. And in this same sense they [Page 42]easily vnderstood, that the Bread was called the body of Iesus Christ, because it was purpose­ly instituted to bee the Remembrance or Com­memoration of his bo­dy offred on the Crosse, for the sinnes of the world: Now although this were sufficiently cleare and palpable of it selfe, yet obserue heer the singular bounty, goodnesse, and wise­dome of Iesus Christ, to repell, and prevent the errour which hee foresaw; In that he con­ioyned and added there­unto [Page 43](as Saint Luke and Saint Paul affirme it, in expresse tearmes; Doe this in remembrance of me; Is there not heer then, iust cause to admire and wonder, that after all this, That Bread should bee vnderstood by tran­substantiation, to be the body of Iesus Christ, and farre different and otherwise then by Re­membrance, or Commemo­ration; From whence it necessarily results and followes; That in the Church of Rome, a mor­sell of Bread, is adored for the body, and person [Page 44]of Iesus Christ, The Sa­crament and Remem­brance having beene confounded with that, whereof it is the Sacra­ment and commemora­tion.

So then Christ Iesus said, This is my Body, This is my blood, and yet not simply so, but according as Saint Luke tels vs; Luc. 22.19. Which is given for vs, and as Saint Paul affirmes, Which is broken for you, So then Christ repre­senting vs his body, vn­derstands thereby, that hee hath beene delive­red vp for vs to the [Page 45]Crosse, that is to say, that hee hath beene bro­ken, and sacrificed, And likewise for the Cup, he said, This is my Blood which is shed for you, speaking in tearmes of the time present, and not on­ly for regard of what hee knew should befall him the very next day, in respect of the truth thereof; But also be­cause hee gave and rendred in a present figure, that which should bee done on the Crosse, the fraction of Bread being a true, and lively repre­sentation of the fraction [Page 46]of his body, as a canon of the Church of Rome, acknowledgeth it in these words. De con­secr. Dist. 2. Canon Hoc est quod. The immo­molation of the flesh of Christ, which is done by the Priests hands, is tearmed the Passion, Death, and crucifiing of Iesus Christ, but not by the truth of the thing but by the significa­tion of the mystery thereof. From whence, doth clearly result and stream foorth vnto vs two especiall things; The one, that in the same manner, that the brea­king (or fraction) of bread in the Lords Sup­per [Page 47]is the breaking of Christs body. So in the same manner the Bread is the body of Christ: but the breaking of bread in the Lords Sup­per, is the fraction and crucifying of Christs body, not by the truth or realitie of the thing, but by the signification of the mysterie, And so likewise, the bread is the body of Iesus Christ, yet not by the truth or realitie of the thing, but by the signification of the mysterie.

The other branch or point, which results [Page 48]hereof is, That this ho­ly Supper is the sacri­fice of Iesus Christ, not by the truth of the thing, but by the signi­fication of the mysterie, and that it is not a sacri­fice, but a remembrance and commemoration of a Sacrifice; As indeed Christ offered vp no ob­lation to God, but brake the bread and gave it to his Disciples.

From whence (belo­ved in the Lord) you plainely see that, to esteeme and hold the Lords Supper, to bee a reall sacrifice, wherein [Page 49]Iesus Christ hath offered himselfe vp a propitia­tory Sacrifice for the sinnes of the living and the dead, Is a humane Inuention; opposite and contrary to the Institu­tion of Iesus Christ, and to the vse of this Sacra­ment, which was ordai­ned to shew foorth and proclaime his death and passion: And likewise it is contrary to the onely oblation of the crosse; the Apostle Saint Paul affirming to the Hebrewes, Heb. 10.10 That we are sanctified by the oblation once made, of the body of [Page 50]Iesus Christ, and therefore that there is no more obla­tion for sinne.

II Point, or gene­rall Head.

Thus much for the sense of Christs words. And now faithfull Chri­stians, (to whom God hath revealed and made knowen the truth, and puritie of these high and sacred mysteries) come, and meditate on these words of the Sonne of God, all which Heaven hath of most admirable sweet, and delitious; [Page 51]And you (godly soules) who iustly hunger and thirst for this grace and mercy of the Lord; come you to feed and refresh your selues with the fat of the house of God, and to quench your thirst in the River of his delights: But first wee here require two things of you, (that is to say) some Meditations, and then some Functions of the heart proceeding from these meditations, and both which on these words, This is my Body, which is broken for you, This is my Blood, [Page 52]which is shed for you.

This Meditation hath three Points and Ob­iects.

• I. The body and blood of Iesus Christ, in these words. My Body, My Blood.
• II. The Oblation of this Body, and of this Blood, in these words, Which is broken, which is shed.
• III. The Fruit of this oblation, intimated in these words, Broken For You, Shed For Many, for the remission of Sinnes.

In the first of these, when you heare Iesus [Page 53]Christ proposing his body, and his blood, the meditation then re­quired of you is, That it being so, that we have so expos'd our selues to the wrath, and so incur­red the indignation and revenge of God, by rea­son of our sinnes, and transgressions, that the Iustice of God must bee satisfied, & consequent­ly, that either wee must beare Gods wrath and malediction, and so for ever stoop and faint vn­der the heavie burthen thereof, or else that some other thing must bee [Page 54]substituted in our steed and place, to satisfie the Iustice of God; But no­thing could bee found out in the whole world to bee appointed in the place of man, and wor­thily to satisfie for his sinnes. From the be­ginning of the world, beasts have beene offe­red, and these Sacrifices of beasts by the sense and feeling, which our conscience hath ever gi­ven to men of a sufficient & valable satisfactiō for sin, have been practised in all the whole world: In the old Law, a man [Page 55]came and put his hands on the head of the beast which was to bee sacrifi­ced, as putting her in his place and roome, with an intent and hope to discharge and transferre his sinnes on her: but contrariwise natural rea­son sheweth, that that could no way appease or satisfie God; For Gods Iustice being (of it selfe) most perfect, can no way content it selfe, with a payment or satis­faction, so vnequall and imperfect to the Debt, because all the beasts of the Earth, placed and [Page 56]numbred vp together, are not equivalent or to bee compared in valew to one man; Heer then, O here, is the Sacrifice (or Victime) after which (without knowing it) all the world sighed and re­spired, in offering these Sacrifices; and this is the Sacrifice, which all others ought to reverence and looke on; When therefore you heare Iesus Christ say­ing, This is my Body, you must figure, and repre­sent him to you, as proffering and offering vp to God his Father, [Page 57]these admirable words and speeches, recited by the Apostle to the He­brewes; Hebr. 10. Thou wilt have no Sacrifice, or offering, but thou hast given and appro­priated mee a body, Thou hast taken no delight in Sa­crifices, And then I haue said, heer I am, I come; And in the beginning of the Booke, it is written of mee; that I doe thy will O God.

So heer Christ Iesus, comming to present himself in the place and steed of all these Sacri­fices, which had beene offered vp vnder the Law, and which were [Page 58]daily reiterated & con­tinued, because, as the same Apostle said in the same Chapter, Ibid. v. 4. That it was impossible, that the blood of Buls and Goats should take and wash away Sinnes; And therefore (my beloved brethren) obserue heer, the readi­nesse, and favour, which the providence of God makes and provides for you, of a most conue­nient and requisite Vi­ctime and Oblation. When Isaac was to bee sacrificed, there was a Ramme found tyed by the Hornes to a bush, to [Page 59]bee sacrificed for him; But here, O Sinners, be­hold in these words, This is my body, that great Sacrifice and Ob­lation, which the won­ders of Gods divine pro­vidence haue addressed, and sent you: and reioice that heer is the true Sa­crifice (or Victime) which comes to assist and defend you from Gods heauy wrath and Indignation.

But Iesus Christ, as being simply God, could not present him­selfe in a Sacrifice for men, for there wanted a [Page 60]humane Sacrifice, be­cause Sinne had beene committed, and perpe­trated by man, where­fore our Saviour Christ tels you, This is my body, Hee saith not, This I am, but, This is my body, ther­by purposely to conduct and lead you to the mysterie of his Incarna­tion, whereby he is des­cended from Heaven, hath taken and assumed a carnall body, and is made man for vs, so that conioyntly with these words, you at one time see your great Sacrifice taken from Earth, and [Page 61]yet descended from hea­ven; Taken from Earth, for it is a body, descen­ded from Heaven, for it is, My Body, said our Saviour Iesus Christ; (that is to say) of mee true God with the Fa­ther; Heer therefore is the wonder which you ought to meditate on, That nothing being found in all the world, no nor in the infinit mul­titude and infinitie of all Gods Creatures, which could be capable to bee our ransome towards God; Then loe: Iesus Christ himselfe, the only [Page 62]Sonne of God, (descen­ded so low) as he made himselfe man, and a crea­ture, to the end, that hee might bee offered vp a Sacrifice for vs: Hee whose Essence was wholly simple, and spi­rituall, assumed a body, and being materiall, and carnall. Hee who was inuisible to our eyes, hath made him­selfe conspicuous, and visible to vs, permitted and suffered himselfe, to be beaten, tyed and nay­led to a Crosse, yea to bee runne thorow with a Speare, and in a word, [Page 63]capable to be sacrificed. And heer you may know and find, why Ie­sus Christ, holding the Bread, said not, This is my Divinity, but, This is my Body, (That is to say) because not his Divine, but onely his Humane nature could bee offered vp in Sacrifice: The Di­vinity is well conside­red, but still as offering, not as offered, according as the Apostle said to the Hebrewes, Heb. 9.14. That Ie­sus Christ offered himselfe vp to God, by the eternall Spirit; By which means, It is not the eternall [Page 64]Spirit which hath beene offered (For that which was offered was to die) But the body hath been offered by the eternall Spirit.

And here ariseth vn­to vs another wonder (to wit) that although Christs humane nature be offered, neverthelesse it is of as great a price and value, as if his Divi­nity it selfe could have beene offered, and the reason hereof is, because this his humane nature composed not, but one, and the same person with the divine nature. [Page 65]For this body which was crucified, was per­sonally vnited to the eternall Spirit; and this miracle or wonder, is given you for your me­ditation, in that Iesus Christ holding the bread, said not indefinit­ly, This is my Body, which is broken for you, but This is my Body, as if hee said, This is a humane Body, and yet mine; to the end wee might know that this vivifying, or quickning flesh, that is to say, to bee a worthy Ransome for the life of the world. Sith it is the [Page 66]flesh of a man, who is both God and man: In the Leviticall Law Mo­ses sprinkling of blood, when God contracted Alliance with the Israe­lites, said, This is the blood of the Testament, which God hath ordai­ned for you; But this blood was the blood of Beasts; Now heer in the Sacrament of his Sup­per is proposed and pre­sented to you the blood of God, according as the Apostle sayth in the Actes, Actes 20.28. That God hath pur­chased the Church, by his blood. And behold my [Page 67]brethren to what a de­gree of glory of the Gos­pell caries you in the New Testament above his faithfull Seruants of the old: wherefore here revoke to your mind and memory, these passages of Pauls Epistle to the Galathians, Gal. 4.4,5 God sent foorth his Sonne made of a Woman, and made vnder the Law, And writing to the Romanes, againe like­wise said, Rom. 8.3. God sending his owne Sonne in the Si­militude of sinfull flesh, and for sinne, condemned sinne in the flesh.

And before were passe [Page 68]to the Meditation of the ensuing words, I pray obserue heere againe with mee in these, This is my Body, the cleare re­futation of all which Superstition, and hu­mane Inuentions pro­pose of the intercession and meditation of Saints, and of their suffering for the expiation of the [...]emporall paine of our sinnes; which pretended sufferings and satisfacti­ons are partly the trea­sure, whereof the Bishop of Rome, drawes his Indulgences, and Pardons, which makes, that the [Page 69]Saints are a peece and part of our Sacrifice; But Iesus Christ hath designed it, and the price of our deliverance in these words, This is my Body, for hee said not, This is a part of my Body, and part of the bodyes of Saints, who shall suffer for you; If our Aduer­saries consider, that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper presenteth and exposeth to our eyes, our Price, and Ransome (as some of the Ancients for that cause and reason tearme the Sacrament, our Price, and if they [Page 70]likewise consider, that this Sacrament propo­seth not to vs the bodies of men, but the body of Christ, they shall find that there is no other price for our Ransome and Redemption, but this body. And although these people which say, That this Sacrament of the Lords Supper is the Abridgement of the mysteries of the Gos­pell, doe they accuse it of Imperfection not to have proposed or given it all our Price and Ran­some, And those who daily make and create [Page 71]the body of Christ, and who pretend daily to offer him, wherefore doe they not content themselues. But heer let them vnderstand, and hearken to the thun­dring words of the A­postle writing to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1.13. Is Christ divided, hath Paul beene crucified for you? I af­firme that the Bread of this holy Supper shew­eth vs also a Communi­on of the faithfull with Iesus Christ; for as the same Apostle writes a­gaine to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 10.17. Wee who are many, are one [Page 72]Bread and one Body; But it is a Communion with Iesus Christ, To receive, and not To give; To re­ceive (I say) of Iesus Christ the expiation and remission of our sinnes, and not to give or conferre it to other mens merits. A Com­munion to bee freed, bought, and vivified (or quickned) by him, and not to free, buy, and vi­vifie with him.

The second Obiect of our Meditation, is the Oblation of this body in these words, Which is broken; This is my Blood [Page 73]which is shed. In the words, This is my body; you have seene Christ Iesus made capable to be this Sacrifice, but in these latter words, you see him actually to be a Sacrifice, and here is gi­ven, you, to meditate and contemplate first the Immolation, and then the Oblation of the Sa­crifice; The Sacrifice is a soveraigne honour gi­ven and yeelded to God, which consists in an ex­treame vnmaking and dissolution of the Crea­ture, which dissolution and vnmaking, is not nor [Page 74]cannot be extreame, ex­cept by the destroying of the thing which is offered; wherefore all things (heretofore) which were offered vp in Sacrifice to God, were first to be destroy­ed; For it is one thing to bee offered simply, and another thing to be offered vp in Sacrifice; As for example, The Sacrificators, the Levites and the first borne of Israel, were offered vp to God, But how not offered vp in Sacrifice, because they still remai­ned living: All things [Page 75]then offered in Sacrifice ought firs to be destroy­ed, if they were liquid, or wet things without life, they were to bee shed; If solide things, without life, they were to be burnt; Or if living things, they were to bee killed, and for witnesse and Testimony of a true death, there must needs bee an effusion of the Beasts blood, because blood being the seat of the Beasts life, the sepa­ration of blood from the flesh, shewed and fi­gured the separation of life from the body, and [Page 76]consequently an entire death; And in the expia­tory, and propitiatory Sacrifices this was the more requisite and need­full, for that these Sa­crifices were satisfacti­ons for typicall and car­nall sinne; But the abso­lute satisfaction and ex­piation for sinne, must consist in the death and destruction of the thing offered; because the A­postle peremptorily and truely tels vs, Rom. 6.33 That the wages of Sinne, is death, from whence you first see wherefore it was, that of necessity Christ [Page 77]must die, For the wages of Sinne being death, it must needs follow, that he who placed himselfe an Vndertaker for Sin­ners, must vndergoe the punishment ordained for Sinne: Secondly from hence you likewise see, wherefore it was, that the blood of Christ was shed in his death, and se­parated from his body; to wit thereby to ex­presse and shew the truth of the death, and expia­tion of Sinne, as the A­postle to the Hebrewes proves by legall figures, that Iesus Christ must [Page 78]die, and shed his blood in Sacrifice, because saith hee, Heb. 9.22. That according to the Law, all things are purged and purified by blood, and without the effu­sion of blood there is no re­mission. So Iesus Christ, by shedding his blood, hath accomplished the figures of the Law, and given vs this Consolati­on, that the Ransome and expiation of our sinnes is entire and per­fect. And hence (as it were in passing) you learne two things.

I. That it is impossi­ble, that there is any [Page 79]propitiatory Sacrifice without blood, and con­sequently impossible, that the Masse, wherein there is neither death, nor effusion of blood, be a propitiatory Sacri­fice for sinnes, as our Aduersaries call it.

II In the Lords Sup­per, It was needfull that the body and blood of Iesus Christ, was repre­sented to vs distinctly and severally, for that there were two signes, (to wit) The Bread bro­ken, and the Wine filld out, which was the Reason why Iesus Christ did [Page 80]not only say, This is my Body broken, but also takes the Cup and said, This is my blood which is shed, Because without effusion of blood there could be no remission of sinne, From whence it followes, That the ta­king and cutting away of the Cup in the Lords Supper (which shewes the blood of Christ to bee separated from his body) takes away from the mysterie of that sa­cred Supper, it's pleni­tude, power, & perfecti­on, depriving it of the signe of the Condition [Page 81]requisite for the expia­tion of sinnes, (to wit) the effusion of blood.

But this is told you but cursorily, and as it were in passing: Now the chiefe and principall Meditation, which wee require of you in this obiect, is three things.

• I. Of Christs great de­basing, and making him­selfe as it were nothing.
• II. Of the horror, and grievousnesse of sinne, as the direct opposition of the perfect sanctity, and absolute holinesse of God.
• III. Of the immense [Page 82]love and charity of Ie­sus Christ towards vs.

I speake first of Christs great debasing, and esteeming himselfe no­thing; For, (if you for­merly vnderstand and remember) Iesus Christ abased himselfe so low, as to cloath and incor­porate himselfe with our wretched nature, and to make himselfe after the simple semblance of men. But here behold him now, hee makes himselfe lesse then man, as he saith in the Psalmes, Psal. 22.6. I am a Worme, and no man, the shame of men, and the [Page 83]contempt of the People: Be­hold how he makes him­selfe a Sacrifice, and assumes and takes on him the condition of Beasts, which were slain in the ancient Law for the sinnes of men; O Lord Iesus, who can suf­ficiently comprehend the depth of this thy ex­treame humiliation, and making thy selfe as no­thing, who from the heavenly Throne of thy glory, hast been placed, in forme of a Victime, vpon the Altar of the Crosse; And that thou wouldest die, yea die a [Page 84]shamefull and most ig­nominious death for vs, according as it is writ­ten, Gal. 3.13. Cursed is every one, that hangeth on a Tree.

From this, passe wee on to the second thing; which is, the Conside­ration, of the horrour, grieveousnesse, yea and the odiousnesse of Sin: For I pray you, how wicked was it in it selfe, and how execrable in the eyes of God, that the onely Sonne of God must needs suffer such grievous paines and tor­ments; The Law did well shew the odiousnes [Page 85]and abomination of Sin, by the Sacrifices, and Aspersions of blood, which it required for the Expiation thereof; But all that is nothing in Comparison of this which the Gospell shewes vs, because these Sacrifices and Aspersi­ons of the Law were of Beasts, and of the blood of Beasts, but heer it is the onely begotten Son of God, who hath beene given to death, to expi­ate sinne, and to cover the foulnesse and enor­mitie thereof. Behold then, O Sinners, with [Page 86]astonishment, by the greatnesse of the satis­faction; the horrour of this sinne, and thereby to learne to hate and de­test it. Nature, to shew how grievous and odi­ous sinne was, since the fall of Adam, became harried over with thorns and briars, and changed many of her plants into poysons; The aire grew thicke with stormes, and was many times infect­ed, to punish sinners; The Sea impetuously moun­ted her angry waues and surges, and caused infi­nite shipwrackes; A­dams [Page 87]owne person, (and his posterity,) strayed from his temper, and by sicknesse and diseases had drawen the Empire of death into his owne entrailes and bowels; mans wisedome was ob­scured with ignorance, and tormented with ir­regular and extravagant passions; and all this befell and hapned to the world for sinne. But now behold, Heaven, (who against sinne, and to the end, and intent to expiate and destroy it,) delivers vp to death, that which it had and held [Page 88]dearest, and to reproach, and shame, that which it held and possest of most glorious For here God the Father of heauen ex­poseth his sweetest de­lights to the bitter tor­ments of the Crosse. Heere Christ Iesus, his onely beloved Son, who yeeldeth & abandoneth his life, and who to de­stroy sinne, (so extream­ly hee hates it) doth vo­luntarily and willingly destroy himselfe. And heere considering, and meditating further, how odious sinne is to God, let vs admire how per­fect [Page 89]Gods iustice and sanctitie is, & let vs say, that here it is, where this sanctitie manifesteth it selfe at full in her brigh­test Orient; It is in this mysterie, that the Sera­phims crie, Holy, holy, holy, the Eternall of Armies: for if he shew forth his righteousnes and sancti­tie here below, in puni­shing and ruining some of his creatures by his iudgements; how much more doth hee manifest it by the death of his onely beloved Sonne, to whom sinne presented it selfe to be punished.

[Page 90]Come we now to the third mediation which wee require of you, wherein we may behold the exreame debasing & annihilating of the Son of God; to see the im­mense Loue, both of this heauenly Father and Sonne towards vs, for that the Son hath beene so grievously handled and tormented for vs. What Abyssus of affe­ction and mercy is this towards man? Is there any minde or spirit, though angelical, which cannot bee ravished and swallowed vp heereat? [Page 91]Prophane Infidells and Atheists, who are incre­dulous of the mysteries of the Christian faith. Know ye, that it shewes you the highest charity, and perfectest sanctitie, that the heart, or wit of man can possibly com­prehēd or conceiue. And of God bee a soveraigne sanctitie, an immense charity and goodnesse, (as his being cannot bee but all perfection) know that the new Testament sheweth God to men, and reveales them this vnexpressable and in­comprehensible sanctity [Page 92]and charity, which is the same that Saint Iohn said, 1. Iohn 4.16. God is Love, and hee that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God and God in him &c. That God is Charity, and in this is manifested his Charity, For that God hath sent his onely Sonne into the world; to the end that wee live by him, and in this a­gaine is Charity, not that we have loved God, but because hee hath lo­ved vs, and hath given his Sonne to bee a pro­pitiation for our sinnes. And heer it is, that the new Testament, hath [Page 93]many great aduantages and singular benefits, and prerogatives above the old one of the Law, Seeing that herein God fully discovereth the rich Treasures of his goodnesse. In nature we see GODS goodnesse towards man, for that for a time hee enter­taines and maintaines himselfe in life by the death of Beasts, whose flesh serues him for food and sustenance; But here God gives and purcha­seth to man, an eternall life by the death of his onely Sonne, Here hee [Page 94]gives to man not his Creatures, as in the cre­ation, but his onely well beloued Sonne himselfe; yea and to sinfull man. Wherefore it is, that the Apostle affirmes to the Corinthians, 2. Cor. 3.18. We all behold, as in a Mirrour, the glory of the Lord with open face, and Iesus Christ tels vs, That none having ever seene God, it is he that hath revealed him to vs. Faith­full brethren in the Lord, open the eyes of your vnderstandings, and see how God manife­steth himselfe, and how he makes himselfe pal­pably [Page 95]visible to you, by this immense Love and Charity, which this Sa­crament of the Eucharist presenteth and represen­teth to your eyes. If then on these words, This is my Body, you have meditated on the Love, and Charity of Christ humbling himselfe so low, as to cloth himselfe with our weake body and nature, then medi­tate on this greater de­gree of Charity, which hath caused him to as­sume the forme of a ser­vāt for vs (which was al­ready exceeding much, [Page 96]to him who was the Creator, and the King of glory) but also to ex­pose himselfe to death in this forme and shape of a Seruant, yea to the shamefull death of the Crosse, which is the ve­ry meditation of the A­postle to the Philippians, Philip. 2.6,7,8. Iesus Christ, being in the forme of God, thought it no robberie to make himselfe equall to God: But he made himselfe of no Reputation; and tooke on him the forme of a Seruant, and was made like vnto man, and found in the shape of a man, who humbled himselfe, and be­came [Page 97]came obedient to death, yea to the death of the Crosse; And the same Apostle, ravished in this medita­tion, saith in another place, Rom. 8.32 Who spared not his owne Sonne for vs, but gaue him for vs all to death; Hee saith not simply, that he hath given him, but that he hath not spared him, as if he should have said, hee made no diffi­culty, to expose him for vs to extreame paine and torments. A degree of Charity, which the An­gels themselues cannot sufficiently comprehēd, and therefore the A­postle [Page 98]postle requireth in vs, the Spirit of wisedome and revelation, to wit, that the eyes of our vn­derstanding bee so illu­minated, Ephes. 3.13. that wee may know, what is the length, breadth, height, and depth of this love of God towards vs.

In a word, vpon this obiect, let vs briefly col­lect and consider against our adversaries of the Church of Rome, That in this holy Supper and Communion, the body of Iesus Christ is not simply proposed, as vn­derstanding it to bee a [Page 99]body; nor the blood, as taking it for blood, but the body, as vnderstan­ding it to be broken, and the blood, as taking it to bee spilt; Because in that consisteth all the merit of our salvation, and all the cause of our life. From whence it fol­lowes, That the action wherewith wee receiue the body and blood of Christ, cannot choose but bee spirituall, to wit, an action of the soule, and no way of the bo­dy, because the bodie cannot bee taken as vn­derstood, broken; nor [Page 100]the blood, as meant shed, except by Faith: For those forepast, and beti­ded things on the crosse, that is to say, the break­ing of the body, and the effusion of blood, can­not bee giuen or presen­ted to the soule, but by the meditation of Faith.

The third obiect of our Meditation, is the fruit and benefit of this obligation which were re­ceived by Christs body and blood, in these words, Broken for you, Shed for many, for the re­mission of sinnes. And heere two considerati­ons [Page 101]againe present them to vs:

• I. Of the persons, for whome Iesus Christ is offered.
• II. The profit and benefit which it brings them.

Of the persons; vn­derstanding, that he offe­reth himselfe for wret­ched and sinfull crea­tures, who in regard of his excellent being, are nothing but dust and ashes: and as it were for­med but yesterday; but, which is more, for crea­tures infected with sinne, guilty of rebellion a­gainst [Page 102]him, and pro­fessed enemies of his di­vine maiestie, both in their thoughts, and wic­ked workes and actions, which the consideration of the Apostle to the Colossians thus expres­seth; Col. 1.21. You which in times past, were strangers and enemies; because your minds were set in evill workes; he now also hath reconciled, in that body of his flesh, to make you holy, and vn­blameable, and without fault in his sight. And al­so writing to the Romans, saith, Rom. 5.6,7,8. For Christ, when we were yet of no strength, [Page 103]at his time, dyed for the vn­godly, adding againe far­ther, doutblesse one will scarse die for a righteous man, but yet for a good man, but God setteth out his love to vs, seeing that whiles we were yet Sinners, Christ died for.

The other considera­tion, proceeds from the profit and benefit which it brings vs; and Iesus Christ defines it, whē he saith, that it is for the re­mission of sins: And this is the profit and benefit, which to expresse the Prophets aleage, that our sinnes have beene throwen [Page 104]into the bottome of the Sea, and that God remembreth them no more, and that as farre distant, as the East is from the West, so farre from him, the Lord hath cast away our sinnes, and the figures vnder the Law, to wit, that of the Goat Hazazel, teaching, that our sinnes have beene caried in­to a desert and vnhabitable Countrey, never to returne more in Gods sight and Pre­sence; Which beleeving, wee see all evils, as they are paines and torments, to have lost their being in the faithfull righteous man; yea and that death [Page 105]it selfe is swollen vp in victory, and the Law with his curses, (which were as a contrary obli­gation) is quite rased out & defaced by the blood of the Sonne of God, cleare abolished, cancel­led, and fastened to his Crosse, as the Apostle teacheth to the Colosians: Col. 2.14. Likewise Sathan, who per­formed nothing, but as the Executioner of Gods iustice against Sinners, by this alone death found all his power to be vanqui­shed and overthrowen, as the Apostle sheweth vs in the same Chap­ter, [Page 106]of the same Epistle to the Colossians, in these words, Col. 2.15. Christ hath spoyled the Principalities and Pow­ers, and hath made a shew of them openly, and hath triumphed over them on the Crosse: But besides, that our enemies and af­flictions are taken away and defaced, by this ob­lation of Iesus Christ, so likewise all sorts of pro­fits and benefits are put in place thereof; as ma­ny promses as there are; they are so many, Yeas and Amens in Christ Ie­sus; life is given, which is a new, spirituall, and [Page 107]divine life by regenera­tion; and the new hea­venly Sanctuary is ope­ned vnto vs, Heb. 10.19 for there wee have leave and liberty to enter by the blood of Christ: and therefore it is that the earthly vaile of the Templerent in peeces at his death. The Kingdome of God is given vnto vs, and wee are made chil­dren, and heires, to possesse and enioy all the goods and treasures of God, as the Apostle saith, Gal. 4.6,7. That Iesus Christ having beene made subiect vnder the Law, hath re­deemed vs from the Law, [Page 108]to the end, that wee should receive the adoption of children: and that if wee are children, wee are also heires of God by Christ, Iohn 17.11. yea God himselfe is given to vs in his Sonne, to the end, that wee be in him, and he in vs, 1. Cor. 1. and likewise that one day, he be all things in all.

III. Poynt, or gene­rall Head.

These are the Medita­tions, which the words of Iesus Christ in his Supper requireth of vs; And now come wee to see the acts & functions, [Page 109]which these Meditati­ons ought to produce in our hearts, the which likewise result and de­scend from these words of Iesus Christ: These actes and functions are fiue, to wit,

• I. The feeling of our misery, and a godly sor­row for having sinned.
• II. The beliefe and assurance of the remissi­on of our sinnes.
• III. The sanctificati­on of the soule, and par­ticularly, of Loue and Charitie towards our neighbour.
• IIII. Our consolati­on, [Page 110]and patience in affli­ctions.
• V. Our hope of hea­venly felicitie.

I begin with the fee­ling of our miserie, and a religious or godly sor­row for having sinned; that is to say, by consi­dering by the breaking of Christs body, which is proposed and intima­ted to vs in the breaking of bread, the paine and torments which we haue deserved. For my belo­ved Brethren, it is for vs, that Christs body hath been broken with cruell torments on the Crosse; [Page 111]and therefore this sad & wofull spectacle doth both shew and teach vs, that in requitall there­of, wee haue deserved to bee bruised and broken with torments for ever. Christs sufferings, and groanes vnder the bur­then of Gods wrath, is a pourtrait (or mappe) of that miserie, wherein we all should haue perished for our sinnes. Behold then, O sinner, the terri­ble indignation & curse of God, which violently was comming to alight and fall vpon thee. Thou who art insensible of thy [Page 112]misery, here behold and see thy condition in the estate of Iesus Christ on the Crosse. See, I say, thy torments and mise­ry; and when thou seest this Bread in the Sacra­ment of his Supper, bro­ken, say: O Lord, here I am, who haue deserued to bee bruised, & broken with the rodde of thine anger. It was I who had sinned, and therfore me­rited to support and suf­fer thy fierce indignati­on, & from thence there must bee ingendred and borne in our hearts, a holy and a religious sor­row, [Page 113]for that wee haue bin the efficient and re­all cause, that the Sonne of God hath suffered all these vndeserved tor­tures & afflictions. Seest thou, (O Christian) the body of Iesus Christ broken on the Crosse? It is therefore requisite, that thou breake thy heart with sorrow, for that thy sinnes haue pro­duced all this evill, and caused all this calamitie. Therefore behold the drops of blood trickling downe the face of Iesus Christ. Thou who drin­kest and suppest vp sinne [Page 114]as water, loe, thy sinnes are the sharpe thornes, which haue pricked and pierced his head. Thee, to whom thy sinne is so sweet and delicious, be­hold, they are thy sinnes which haue beene the nayles and speare, that haue transpierced thy blessed body. Thou who esteemest thy sins to bee but some indifferent or triviall thing; what deep passions of sorrow should thy heart and soule con­ceiue, to haue beene the cause of the death of thy friend, thy brother, thy father, or thy child, by [Page 115]any action or accident of thine owne. But how much more grief & sor­row then oughtest thou hereto retaine & feele at the remembrance of thy sins, which haue caused thy Creator to be mur­dred, and thy God to be crucified to death.

The II. Act of our hearts, which ought to streame foorth and arise from that which the Lords blessed Supper exposeth and presenteth to our eyes, is the faith and assurance of the re­mission of sinnes. Thou sayest to thy selfe, O [Page 116]Sinner, I have offended God, and broken and transgressed his Law, therefore who shall ran­some and redeeme mee from his furious wrath and indignation: But be cheerefull and couragi­ous, for loe here is thy ransome, which Iesus Christ brings and de­nounceth vnto thee in these words, This is my Body which hath beene bro­ken for thee, This is my Blood that hath beene shed for thee, and wilt thou therefore doubt, when the only Sonne of God is hee who hath satisfied [Page 117]for thee, and that it is not a silly man, but the eternall himselfe, who is both thy righteousnes and thy Redeemer; say then with the Apostle, who is hee, that will con­demne, sith it is Christ that is dead: dost thou doubt of Gods love, where his owne Sonne, the onely beloved of his Father, is the propitiation for thy sinnes. If thou pro­pose to thy selfe, thine owne merits, or the suf­ferings of any other creatures or persons, thou shouldest feare, that God will not receive [Page 118]them for satisfaction, because they are too base money, and of a false and counterfeit mettall, to be approved and received of God: But wee must present him, the body of his onely Sonne broken, and his blood shed, and then hee cannot, but ap­prove thereof as a full and valable satisfaction. God heeretofore knew the blood of the Lambe, vpon the postes of the doores, when he sent his destroying Angell a­gainst Egypt; and will he not then know the blood [Page 119]of his owne Sonne, as of a Lambe without spot, or blemish, where­by you have besprinck­led your consciences. Be therefore bold, and confident, and say with the Apostle to the He­brewes, Hebr. 10.21,22. Seeing wee have a high Priest, which is over the house of God, let vs draw neere, with a true heart in assurance of faith, our hearts being pure, from an evill conscience, that so wee may obtaine mercy and find grace in due time: And here againe O faithfull Christian, two reasons of thy assu­rance [Page 120]and confidence drawen from this Sacra­ment. The one is, that as in Baptisme, it is to thy selfe, to thine owne body, that the water is applyed; that thou may­est thereby know, that thou art washt in the blood of Iesus Christ, so in this Sacrament of his blessed Supper; it is to thee that hee gives his body, yea it is into thine owne hands, which hee commits and puts this Sacrament, to assure thee, that it is onely to thee, which hee gives himselfe, and not to o­thers [Page 121]whom thou may­est hold and esteeme to be better then thy selfe: In which regard, for that this Sacrament is given to thee, and put into thine owne hands, it is because thou must esteeme, and beleeue, that Christs body is thine, as a Ransome which is given into thy hands to present vnto God: wherefore doubt not, but it properly be­longs and appertaines vnto thee, for otherwise thou doest annull and annihilate the Sacra­ment which Christ giues [Page 122]thee, and thou doubtest that he be true in giving it to thee.

The other reason is, That although there hee a great distance betwixt Iesus Christ & vs, as be­twixt the Saint of Saints, and poore and miserable sinners; neverthelesse we learne by this Sacramēt, that wee are incorpora­ted with Christ, and into Christ, and that wee be­come his members, his blood, and his bone, as flesh which wee eate be­comes our blood and bone. But to the mem­bers and body, rightly [Page 123]belongs the power of the Head, which cannot bee denyed her. Thou mayest then inferre, O Christian, that the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ is thine owne, and that it properly be­longs and appertaines to thee.

The third Act of our hearts in the participati­on of this Sacrament, is the sanctifying of our soules, by the loue of God, and the denying and renouncing of our selues, the which is per­formed by three things that are seene, & appeare [Page 124]in this Sacrament, that is to say:

• I. The great Charitie, and loue of God to­wards vs.
• II. The foulenes and odiousnes of sinne.
• III. The example of our owne dutie.

I say first, The great charitie & loue of God: For (my brethren) should not this infinite love of God, in expo­sing and delivering vp his onely begotten Son to death for vs, replenish, inspire, and fill vs with a reciprocall love to­wards him; should wee [Page 125]have such stupid and senseles hearts, that the Lords great compassi­on towards vs, should nothing move, or stirre them vp; and such fro­zen soules, that the bur­ning charity of Iesus Christ, dying for vs, could not heate and in­flame them in his love. Should wee wilfully of­fend so great a goodnes in him, when we see, hee hath spared nothing for vs? Or is it possible, that so great (yea so extream) an ingratitude, hath pos­sessed our hearts, and sei­zed our soules, as to dis­please [Page 126]God, who hath loved vs so infinitely, as not to spare his onely Sonne for vs.

II. I speak of the foul­nesse and odiousnesse of sinne, which appeares in this Crosse: for shal we not hate sinne, which is so displeasing, and odi­ous to the eyes of our heavenly Father, that he would redeeme and ex­piate it with the death of his Son. Of a truth, if we repute & esteeme not Christs blood, for a light and triviall thing, needs must sin bee very odious & grievous vnto vs; and [Page 127]then needes must Iesus Christ crucified, be vnto vs the powerfull motiue to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof, and to mortifie in vs all, that which is of the old man, and of sinne.

III. We haue the ex­ample of our dutie. In this Sacrament (O Chri­stian) thou seest the sa­crifice of the Sonne of God, which is a lesson to teach thee to present thy body vnto God, as a living, holy and pleasing sacrifice. The patterne and modell of thy san­ctification, consisteth in [Page 127]breaking, and chasticing in thee the Old man, as thou seest the body of Christ broken on the Crosse, and consequent­ly, to dye vnto sinne, as thou seest him dead. What, wilt thou now liue vnto that, for which Iesus Christ dyed, and his flesh which he cruci­fied on the Crosse, shall it againe reviue, and as­sume life, and full and perfect vigour in thy members? Rom. 6 5. Must thou not bee made the very same plant with Iesus Christ, conformably to his death, to wit, that the [Page 129]body of sin be destroy­ed in thee, to the end, that thou no more, nor no longer serue sinne.

But amongst the parts of sanctification, Chari­tie and loue towards our neighbours, is particu­larly requisite and requi­red in this Sacrament, according to that of the Apostle: Iohn. 4.10,11. Heerein is that loue, not that we loved God, but that hee loved vs, and sent his Sonne to be a recon­ciliation for our sinnes. Ad­ding likewise thereunto; Beloved, if God so loued vs, we ought also to loue one the other. Wilt thou refuse, [Page 130]O Christian, to loue and assist thy neighbour, for whom thou seest that Christ Iesus refused not to shed his blood? Wilt thou refuse to giue bread to him, to whom Iesus Christ refused not his body? See therefore in this Sacrament, that which thou owest to thy neighbour, to wit, not onely to expose thy goods, but thy life for him; at least, if thou thinke to haue any part in Iesus Christ, according to that of Saint Iohn: 2. Iohn 3.16,17. Heereby have wee percei­ved love, that hee layed [Page 131]downe his life for vs, there­fore wee ought also, to lay downe our lives for our bre­thren: and whosoever hath the goods of this world, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth vp his com­passion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him; Thou therefore, who knowest not what it is, to give vnto the poore, and to comfort the afflicted; art thou not amazed and con­founded in thy selfe, to consider and behold, that Christ died for those, with whose po­verty and misery thou [Page 132]art so little (or rather no­thing at all) moved or touched. Thou also who contemnest thy neigh­bour, as thy inferiour, and vnworthy of thy company: behold how our Saviour Christ pla­ceth him at the same ta­ble with thee, and nou­risheth him with the same meat, and gives him his owne Cup, as to thy selfe; and thou who livest in contention and division, with thy neigh­bours, behold how Christ in this Sacra­ment cals thee to the Communion of one and [Page 133]the same body, and will, that wee who are many, be one onely bread, and one onely body parta­king of the same bread, as the Apostle speakes to the Corinthians, 1. Corint. 10.3..

The fourth Act and duety, which must bee ingendered and propa­gated in our hearts by the meditation of this blessed Sacrament, is pa­tience and consolation in afflictions. Dost thou see Gods Church per­secuted; It is the Body of Iesus Christ, which is a­gaine broken, and his blood which is shed, that which [Page 134]was the condition of this body on the Crosse, and which is presented to thee in this Sacra­ment, the same is the condition of the mysti­call body on earth. What my brethren, doe wee so often see Christs body broken by the Sa­crament, to bee after­wards so strangly af­frighted and astonished, to see the Church, which is the body of Christ, to suffer the like measure and fortune here on earth? Let vs therefore learne by this Sacrament, That Iesus [Page 135]Christ crucified, is our en­signe here on earth, and that wee thereby know, that we are asommoned and called to his Crosse, and that wee are indeed his true body and mem­bers, if wee suffer with him, to the end, that we may likewise be glorifi­ed with him; Say then all yee, who see this Sa­crament; Heb. 13.13 Let vs goe forth therefore to him out of the Campe, bearing his reproach. Col. 1.24. Let vs accomplish and beare the sufferings of Christ in our flesh, for his bodies sake, which is his Church, yea let vs every [Page 136]where, 2. Corint 4.10. beare about in our bodies, the death of Iesus Christ, and that the life of our Lord Christ, may bee manifested in our mortall bodies: and all in general, let vs comfort our selues in our afflictions; and present and figure this beleife to our hearts and minds, that they come not from God, who pu­nisheth our sinnes in his wrath and indignation; sith this Sacrament testi­fieth, that those punish­ments, and revenges have alighted and fallen on Iesus Christ himself, when his body was bro­ken, [Page 137]and his blood shed and spilt on the Crosse; but they proceed simply from God, chasticing, correcting, approving, and teaching vs as a Fa­ther, 1 Cor. 11.32. that wee bee not con­demned with the world; Hebr. 12.10. that here below, being made Partakers of his holynesse; wee may hereafter in heaven bee made Parta­kers of his felicity and glory.

The fifth Function, which the blessed Sacra­ment of the Lords Sup­per should produce in vs, is, our hope of heavenly felicitie, according as [Page 138] Christ Iesus himselfe said to his disciples, at the celebration of this Sa­crament, Mat. 26.29 I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine, vntill that day that I shall drinke it new with you, in my Fathers King­dome: by which words Iesus Christ will now raise, and elevate our hearts from the feast, which he makes vs here below in his favour, to that which he will here­after make vs above in his glory: and whereof he feast (or banquet) which he makes vs here on earth, in his Sacra­ment [Page 139]gives vs the first tastes and relishes, be­cause the peace and ioy of conscience, and the refreshing and replenish­ing of the soule in God, is a true beginning, and a shining ray of the de­lights and felicities of heaven: wherfore faith­full Christian, reioyce thou at these begin­nings, in hope of that happy & heavenly accōplishment, which is promised thee, and through the eyes of thy faith, be­hold cheerefully and ioyfully, the tree of e­ternall life, which is in [Page 140]the Paradice of God, and the hidden Manna (the bread of Angels) which thy Lord and Saviour prepares for thee: and behold the fulnesse and satiety, which is prepa­red for thee, in the sa­cred and glorious face of God, whereof David (in the times of the thickest, and obscurest shaddowes) said, Psal. 16.11 In thy presence, O Lord, is fulnesse of ioy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. And againe in another place, Psal. 65.4. O how blessed is hee whom thou choosest, and causest to come vnto thee, [Page 141]he shall dwell in thy courts, and shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine house and of thine holy Temple: and likewise in another, Psal 36.8 They shall bee satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house, and thou shalt give them drinke out of the River of thy pleasures. Contemne, therefore (O Christian) all earthly pleasures in Comparison of those heavenly delights which passe all vnderstanding; because by this blessed Sacrament thou art in­uited and called to the wedding banquet of the Lambe, where thou [Page 142]halt sit downe with A­braham, Isaac, and Iacob, and where thou shalt be satisfied, and ravished with God.