AN

HOMILY

OF THE

Worthy receiving and reverent esteeming of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ.

THE great love of our Saviour Christ towards mankind, good Christian people, doth not only appear in that dear-bought benefit of our redemption and salvation by his death and passion, but also in that he so kindly provided, that the same most merciful work might be had in continual remembrance, to take some place in us, and not be frustrate of his end and purpose. For as tender parents are not content to procure for their children costly possessions and livelihood, but take order that the same may be conserved and come to their use; so our Lord and Saviour thought it not sufficient to purchase for us his Father's favour again, (which is that deep fountain of all goodness and eternal life) but also invented the ways most wisely, whereby they might redound to our commodity and profit. Amongst the which means is the public celebration of the memory of his precious death at the Lord's table. Which, although it seem of small virtue to some, yet being rightly done by the faithful, it doth not only help their weakness, (who by their poisoned nature readier to remember injuries than benefits) but strengtheneth and comforteth their inward man with peace and gladness, and maketh them thankful to their Redeemer, with diligent care and godly conversation. And as of old time God decreed his wondrous Exod. x. benefits of the deliverance of his people, to be kept in memory by the eating of the passover, with his rites and ceremonies; so our loving Saviour hath ordained and established the remembrance of his great mercy expressed in his passion, in the instituuon of his heavenly supper,

1 Cor. xi.

Lnke xi. 1 Cor. vi.

Matt. xxvi.

1 Cor. xi.

Matt. xxii.

1 Cor. xi.

wat

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 perish for hunger whilst other devour all. To this his commandment forceth us, saying, 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 shed for you. So then of necessity we must be ourselves partakers of this table, and not beholders of other so we must address ourselves to frequent the same in reverent and comely manner, lest as physic provided for the body, being misused, more hurteth than profiteth; so this comfortable medicine of the soul undecently received, tendeth to our greater harm and sorrow. And St. Paul saith, He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation. Wherefore, that it be not said to us, as it was to the guest of that great supper, Friend, how camest thou in, not having the marriagegarment? and that we may fruitfully use St. Paul's counsel, Let a man prove himself, and so eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; we must certainly know, that three things be requisite in him which would seemly, as becometh such high mysteries, resort to the Lord's table: That is, first, a right and worthy estimation and understanding of this mystery. Secondly, to come in a sure faith. And thirdly, to have newness or pureness of life to succeed the receiving of the same.

But, before all other things, this we must be sure of especially, that this supper be in such wise done and ministered, as our Lord and Saviour did, and commanded to be done, as his holy Apostles used it, and the good fathers in the primitive church frequented it. For (as that wor thy man St. Ambrose saith) he is unworthy of the Lord, that otherwise doth celebrate that mystery, than it was delivered by him. Neither ean he be devout, that other wise doth presume than it was given by the Author. We must then take heed, lest of the memory, it be made a sacrifice; lest, of a communion, it be made a private eating; lest, of two parts, we have but one; lest, 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 cases; that is, cleave fast to the first beginning, hold fast the Lord's tradition ; do that in the Lord's commemoration which he himself did, he himself commanded. and his Apostles confirmed. This caution or foresight if we use, then may we see those things that be requisite in the

worthy receiver, whereof this was the first, that we have a right understanding of the thing itself. As concerning which thing, this we may assuredly persuade ourselves, that the ignorant man can neither worthily esteem nor effectually use those marvellous graces and benefits offered and exhibited in that supper; but either will lightly regard them, to no small offence, or utterly condemn them, to his utter destruction. So that by his negligence he deserveth the plagues of God to fall upon him, and by contempt he deserveth everlasting perdition. To avoid then these harms, use the advice of the Wise Man, who willeth thee, when thou sittest at an earthly king's table, to take diligent heed what things are set before thee. So now much more at the King of king's table, thou must carefully search and know what dainties are provided for thy soul, whither thou art come, not to feed thy senses and belly to corruption, but thy inward man to immortality and life; nor to consider the earthly creatures which thon seest, but the heavenly graces which thy faith beholdeth. For this table is not, saith Chrysostom, for chattering jays, but for eagles, who fly thither where the dead body lieth. And if this advertisement of man cannot persuade us to resort to the Lord's table with understanding, see the counsel of God in the like matter, who charged his people to teach their posterity, not only the rites and ceremonies of the passover, but the cause and end thereof; whence we may learn, that both more perfeet 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 signification thereof, was the cause of their abuse : For they came thither unreverently, not discerning the Lord's body. Ought not we then, by the motion of the Wise 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 smart whereof Christ'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 gross idolatry, but the ignorance hereof? What hath been the cause of this mummish massing, but the ignorance, hereof? Yea, what hath been, and what is

Prov. xxiii.

at this day the cause of this want of love and charity, but the ignorance hereof? Let us therefore so travel to understand the Lord's Supper, that we be no cause of the decay of God's worship, of no idolatry, of no dumb massing, of no hate and malice; so may we the boldier have access thither to our comfort. Neither need we to think that such exact knowledge is required of every man, that he be able to discuss all high points in the 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 sign, no untrue figure of a thing absent: But, as the Scripture saith, 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, whick by the operation of the Holy Ghost (the very bond of our conjunction with Christ) is through faith wrought in the souls of the faithful, chereby not only their souls live to eternal life, but they surely trust to win their bodies a resurrection to immortality. The true understanding of this fruition and union, which is betwixt the body and the head, betwixt the true believers and Christ, the ancient Catholic Fathers both perceiving themselves, and commending to their people, were not afraid to call this supper, some of them, the salve of immortality and sovereign preservative against death; other, a deifical communion; other, the sweet dainties of our Saviour, the pledge of eternal health, the defence of faith, the hope of the resurrection ; other, the food of immortality, the healthful grace, and the conservatory to everlasting life. All which sayings both of the holy Scripture and godly men, truly attributed to this celestial banquet and feast, if we would often call to mind, O how would they inflame our hearts to desire the participation of these mysteries, 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 fast and cleaving by faith to the rock, whence we may suck the sweetness of everlasting salvation. And to be brief, thus much more the faithful see, hear, and know the favourable mercies of God sealed, the satisfaction by Christ towards us confirmed, and the remission of sin established. Here they may feel wrought the tranqui lity of conscience, the increase of faith, the strengthening of hope, the large spreading abroad of brotherly kindress, with many other sundry graces of God. The taste

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 spiritual food of this costly Supper, and the happy trustings and effects that the same doth bring with it.

Now it followeth to have with this knowledge a sure and constant faith, not only that the death of Christ is available for the redemption of all the world, for the remission of sins, and reconciliation with God the Father; but also that he hath made upon his cross a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee, a perfect cleansing of thy sins, so that thou acknowledgest no other Saviour, Redeemer, Mediator, Advocate, Intercessor, but Christ only; and that thou mayest say with the Apostle, that he loved thee, and gave himself for thee. For this is to stick fast to Christ's promise made in his institution, to make Christ thine own, and to apply his merits unto thyself. Herein thou needest no other man's help, no other sacrifice, or oblation, no sacrificing Priest, no mass, no means established by man's invention. That faith is a necessary instrument in all these holy ceremonies, we may thus assure ourselves; for that, as St. Paul saith, without fuith it is impossible to please God. When a great number of Heb. xi. the Israelites were overthrown in the wilderness, Moses, Aaron, and Phineas did eat manna, and pleased God, for that they understood, saith St. Augustine, the visible meat spiritually. Spiritually they hungred it, spiritually they tasted it, that they might be spiritually satisfied. Hom. 6. And truly as the bodily meat cannot feed the outward man, unless it be let into a stomach to be digested, which is healthful and sound; no more can the inward man be fed, except his meat be received into his soul and heart, sound and whole in faith. Therefore, saith Cyprian, De Coena Do when we do these things, we need not to whet our teeth; but with sincere faith we break and divide that whole bread. It is well known that the meat we seek for in this Supper is spiritual food, the nourishment of our soul, a heavenly refection, and not earthly; an invisible meat, and not bodily; a ghostly substance, and not carnal; so 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 gross carnal feeding, basely objecting and binding ourselves to the elements and creatures. Whereas by the advice of the council of Nicene, we ought to lift up our minds by faith, and leaving these inferior and

In Johan.

mini.

)