Luke xi.

1 Cor. vi.

1 Cor. xi. where every one of us must be guests and not gazers, eaters and not lookers, feeding ourselves, and not hiring others to feed for us, that we may live by our own meat, and not to perish for hunger whilft other devour all. To this his commandment forceth us, faying, Do ye this, drink ye all of this. To this his promise enticeth, This is my body, which is given for you; this is my blood, which is Matt. xxvi.fhed for you. So then of neceffity, we must be ourselves partakers of this table, and not beholders of other : so we must addrefs ourselves to frequent the fame in reverent and comely manner, left as phyfic provided for the body, being mifufed, more hurteth than profiteth; fo this comfortable medicine of the foul undecently received tendeth to our greater harm and forrow. And St. 1 Cor. xi. Paul faith, He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eatethb and drinketh bis own damnation. Wherefore, that it be not said to us, as it was to the gueft of that great fupMatt. xxii. per, Friend, bow cameft thou in, not having the marriage

garment? and that we may fruitfully ufe St. Paul's coun1 Cor. xi. fel, Let a man prove himself, and fo eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; we muft certainly know, that three things be requifite in him which would feemly, as becometh fuch high myfteries, refort to the Lord's table. That is, first, a right and worthy eftimation and understanding of this mystery. Secondly, to come in a fure faith. And thirdly, to have newness or pureness of life to fucceed the receiving of the fame.

But, before all other things, this we must be fure of especially, that this fupper be in fuch wife done and miniftered, as our Lord and Saviour did, and commanded to be done, as his holy Apoftles ufed it, and the good fathers in the primitive church frequented it. For (as that worthy man St. Ambrofe faith) he is unworthy of the Lord, that otherwife doth celebrate that mystery, than it was delivered by him. Neither can he be devout, that otherwife doth prefume than it was given by the Author. We muft then take heed, left of the memory, it be made a facrifice; left, of a communion, it be made a private eating; left, of two parts, we have but one; left, applying it for the dead, we lose the fruit that be alive. Let us rather in these matters follow the advice of Cyprian in the like cafes; that is, cleave faft to the first beginning, hold faft the Lord's tradition, do that in the Lord's commemoration which he himfelf did, he himfelf commanded, and his Apoftles confirmed. This caution or forefight if we ufe, then may we fee thofe things that be requifite in the

worthy

worthy receiver, whereof this was the firft, that we have a right understanding of the thing itself. As concerning which thing, this we may affuredly perfuade ourselves, that the ignorant man can neither worthily esteem nor effectually ufe thofe marvellous graces and benefits offered and exhibited in that fupper; but either will lightly regard them, to no fmall offence, or utterly condemn them, to his utter deftruction. So that by his negligence he deferveth the plagues of God to fall upon him, and by contempt he deferveth everlasting perdition. To avoid then thefe harms, use the advice of the Wife Man, who willeth Prov. xxiii. thee, when thou fitteft at an earthly king's table, to take diligent heed what things are fet before thee. So now much more at the King of kings' table, thou must carefully fearch and know what dainties are provided for thy foul, whither thou art come, not to feed thy fenfes and belly to corruption, but thy inward man to immortality and life; nor to confider the earthly creatures which thou feeft, but the heavenly graces which thy faith beholdeth. For this table is not, faith Chryfoftom, for chattering jays, but for eagles, who fly thither where the dead body lieth. And if this advertisement of man cannot perfuade us to refort to the Lord's table with underftanding, fee the counfel of God in the like matter, who charged his people to teach their pofterity, not only the rites and ceremonies of the paffover, but the cause and end thereof: whence we may learn, that both more perfect knowledge is required at this time at our hands, and that the ignorant cannot with fruit. and profit exercise himself in the Lord's Sacraments.

But to come nigher to the matter: St. Paul blaming the Corinthians for the profaning of the Lord's Supper, concludeth that ignorance both of the thing itself, and the fignification thereof, was the caufe of their abufe: For they came thither unreverently, not difcerning the Lord's body. Ought not we then by the motion of the Wife Man, by the wisdom of God, by the fearful example of the Corinthians, to take advised heed, that we thrust not ourselves to this table with rude and unreverent ignorance, the fmart whereof Chrift's church hath rued and lamented these many days and years? For what hath been the cause of the ruin of God's religion, but the ignorance hereof? What hath been the cause of this grofs idolatry, but the ignorance hereof? What hath been the cause of this mummifh maffing, but the ignorance hereof? Yea, what hath been, and what is

at

Acts i.

at this day the cause of this want of love and charity, but the ignorance hereof? Let us therefore fo travel to understand the Lord's Supper, that we be no caufe of the decay of God's worthip, of no idolatry, of no dumb maffing, of no hate and malice; fo may we the boldier have access thither to our comfort. Neither need we to think that fuch exact knowledge is required of every man, that he be able to difcufs all high points in the Mat. xxvi. doctrine thereof: but thus much we must be sure to hold, that in the Supper of the Lord there is no vain ceremony, no bare fign, no untrue figure of a thing abCor. xi. fent: But, as the Scripture faith, the Table of the Lord, the Bread and Cup of the Lord, the Memory of Christ, the Annunciation of his death, yea, the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord, in a marvellous incorporation, which by the operation of the Holy Ghost (the very bond of our conjunction with Chrift) is through faith wrought in the fouls of the faithful, whereby not only their fouls live to eternal life, but they furely trust to win their bodies a refurrection to immortality. The true understanding of this fruition and union, which is betwixt the body and the head, betwixt Iren. lib. iv. the true believers aud Chrift, the ancient Catholic Facap. 34. thers both perceiving themfelves, and commending to Ignat. Epift. their people, were not afraid to call this fupper, fome Dionyfius. of them, the falve of immortality and fovereign preferOrigen. Op-vative againft death; other, a deifical communion; other, tat. Cyp. de the fweet dainties of our Saviour, the pledge of eternal mini. Atha, health, the defence of faith, the hope of the refurrection; de Pec. in other, the food of immortality, the healthful grace, and fpir. fan&t. the confervatory to everlafting life. All which fayings

ad Ephef.

Cœna Do

both of the holy Scripture and godly men, truly attributed to this celeftial banquet and feaft, if we would often call to mind, O how would they inflame our hearts to defire the participation of these myfteries, and oftentimes to covet after this bread, continually to thirst for this food! Not as especially regarding the terrene and earthly creatures which remain; but always holding faft and cleaving by faith to the rock, whence we may fuck the sweetness of everlasting falvation. And to be brief, thus much more the faithful fee, hear, and know the favourable mercies of God fealed, the fatisfaction by Chrift towards us confirmed, and the remiffion of fin established. Here they may feel wrought the tranquillity of confcience, the increase of faith, the ftrengthening of hope, the large fpreading abroad of brotherly kindnefs, with many other fundry graces of God. The tafte

whereof

whereof they cannot attain unto, who be drowned in the deep dirty lake of blindness and ignorance. From the which, O beloved, wash yourselves with the living waters of God's word, whence you may perceive and know, both the fpiritual food of this coftly fupper, and the happy truftings and effects that the fame doth bring with it.

Now it followeth to have with this knowledge a fure and conftant faith, not only that the death of Chrift is available for the redemption of all the world, for the remiffion of fins, and reconciliation with God the Father; but also that he hath made upon his crofs a full and fufficient facrifice for thee, a perfect cleaning of thy fins, fo that thou acknowledgeft no other Saviour, Redeemer, Mediator, Advocate, Interceffor, but Chrift only; and that thou mayeft fay with the Apostle, that be loved thee, and gave himself for thee. For this is to ftick faft to Chrift's promife made in his inftitution, tó make Chrift thine own, and to apply his merits unto thyfelf. Herein thou needeft no other man's help, no other facrifice or oblation, no facrificing prieft, no mafs, no means established by man's invention. That faith is a necessary inftrument in all these holy ceremonies, we may thus affure ourfelves, for that, as St. Paul faith, without faith it is unpoffible to pleafe God. When a Heb. xi. great number of Ifraelites were overthrown in the wildernefs, Mofes, Aaron, and Phineas did eat manna, and pleafed God, for that they understood, faith St. Auguftine, the vifible meat fpiritually. Spiritually they hun- In Johan. gered it, fpiritually they tafted it, that they might be Hom. 6. Ipiritually fatisfied. And truly as the bodily meat cannot feed the outward man, unless it be let into a stomach to be digefted, which is healthful and found; no more can the inward man be fed, except his meat be received into his foul and heart, found and whole in faith. Therefore, faith Cyprian, when we do thefe things, we need De Cana not to whet our teeth; but with fincere faith we break Domini. and divide that whole bread. It is well known that the ineat we feek for in this fupper is fpiritual food, the nourishment of our foul, a heavenly refection, and not earthly; an invisible meat, and not bodily; a ghoftly fubftance, and not carnal; fo that to think that without faith we may enjoy the eating and drinking thereof, or that that is the fruition of it, is but to dream a grofs carnal feeding, bafely objecting and binding ourselves to the elements and creatures. Whereas, by the advice of

the

Nicen.

miferern.

Concilium the council of Nicene, we ought to lift up our minds by faith, and, leaving thefe inferior and earthly things, there feek it, where the Sun of righteousness ever fhineth. Take then this leflon, O thou that art defirous of this Eufeb. E table, of Emiffenus, a godly father, that when thou de Euchar. goeft up to the reverend communion, to be fatisfied with Ipiritual meats, thou look up with faith upon the holy body and blood of thy God, thou marvel with reverence, thou touch it with the mind, thou receive it with the hand of thy heart, and thou take it fully with thy inward man.

Thus we fee, beloved, that reforting to this table, we muft pluck up all the roots of infidelity, all distrust in God's promiles, that we make ourselves living members of Chrift's body. For the unbelievers and faithlefs cannot feed upon that precious body. Whereas the faithful have their life, their abiding in him, their union, and as it were their incorporation with him. Wherefore let us prove and try ourfelves unfeigned, without flattering ourfelves, whether we be plants of the fruitful olive, living branches of the true vine, members indeed of Chrift's myftical body, whether God hath purified our hearts by faith, to the fincere acknowledging of his Gofpel, and embracing of his mercies in Chrift Jefus, fo that at this his table we receive not only the outward facrament, but the fpiritual thing alfo; not the figure, but the truth; not the fhadow only, but the body; not to death, but to life; not to deftruction, but to falvation: which God grant us to do through the merits of our Lord and Saviour: to whom be all honour and glory for ever. Amen.

The Second Part of the Homily of the worthy receiving and reverent efteeming of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chrift.

IN

N the Homily of late rehearfed unto you, ye have heard, good people, why it pleafed our Saviour Chrift to inftitute that heavenly memory of his death and paffion, and that every one of us ought to celebrate the fame at his table, in our own perfons, and not by other. You have heard alfo with what eftimation and knowledge of fo high myfteries we ought to resort

thither.