Commentary on Numbers

Gal. 6, ver. 14. He felt in his soul the wrath of God, the terrors of death, and the torments of hell for us, Isaiah 53, 10, 11, 12. John 12, 27. Math. 26, 38. which made him cry out, that he was forsaken, Math 27, 46. This was figured out by the roasting of the Lamb with fire: for the wrath of God due to us and our sins was kindled as a furnace made seven times hotter then it was wont to be made, and he was cast into the burning fiery furnace. He trode the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with him, Isaiah 63, verse 3. In him we have the remedy for all evils, and can have salvation from none other, Acts 4, 12. and therefore we must all come unto him. Whosoever is sick, I speak of spiritual sickness, let him make haste to Christ, for he is the Physician of our souls, Math. 9, verse 12. He that is hungry, let him go to him, for he is the bread that came down from heaven, John. 6, verse 33. He that is dry through heat, and thirsty, let him make haste and run with speed unto him, for he is a well of water springing up to eternal life, John 4, verse 14. He that is covered with the dark mists of ignorance, let him seek to him, for he is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, John 1, verse 9. If we be pressed down with our unrighteousness and our sins, he is our righteousness and sanctification, 1 Corin. 1, verse 30. If we be in bondage, he is our redemption: if we find our own folly and simplicity toward all good things, he is our wisdom. If we fear death, he is our life: if we desire to ascend up to heaven, he is the way: if we would be delivered from error, he is the truth, John 14, ver. 6. If we would come unto the Father, he is the door, no man can come unto him but by him. This should move all impenitent persons to turn from sin unto righteousness, and from the kingdom of Satan, unto God; and this will move us, if anything in the world will. Every man is by nature the servant of sin & bondslave of Satan. Christ Jesus, to heal us of this plague-sore, when no other physic could cure us, made a plaster of his own blood: the pain which he took in the making of it, caused him to sweat drops of water and blood, and cost him his life: then woe be to us, if we lay not this precious plaster to our harts which will draw away the corruption of thē, and work a speedy and certain cure: forasmuch as by continuing in sin, we frustrate the death of Christ, and as much as lieth in us, crucify the Son of God afresh unto our selves, and put him to an open shame, Hebr. 6, 6. For our sins are the nails that nailed to the Cross his hands and his feet, and as the spear that thrust him to the heart. When the Israelites did eat the Passover in Egypt, and sprinkled the blood of the Lamb upon the posts of their doors, the Angel, sent to destroy, passed over their houses, and destroyed them not: but the Egyptians, whose doorepostes were not sprinkled, were destroyed by the destroyer. So if we feed on Christ by a lively faith, and sprinkle the doors of our harts with his blood, the judgments of God in this life, and the terrible curse of death with the fearful sentence of condemnation, and all punishments rightly due to our sins shall pass over us, and shall not come near to us, so much as to touch us. But contrariwise, if we lay not hold on Christ, all these curses shall come vpō us & overtake us. For as it was not enough for the Israelites to kill the Lamb, but they must sprinkle the blood thereof upon the posts of their own doors, not of other men; so must we by a lively faith apply his merits. And as the blood of the Lamb did figure out the blood of Christ, so the sprinkling of it upon the door posts representeth the sprinkling of it upon our hearts, to deliver us from eternal death, without which it can profit us nothing at all.

Secondly observe, that as the Passover [Use] was an ordinary Sacrament of the Old Testament, so it is a type answering fitly and fully to the Lord's Supper, a Sacrament of the New Testament. For that which the Passover was to the Jews, the same is the last Supper of Christ to Christians, and came in place of it. This is the cause why the Lord Jesus delivered his last Supper at the evening, immediately after the eating of the Paschal Lamb, to show that it came in place thereof: to which circumstance of time the church is not bound, and therefore instead of the evening, we use the morning, and for the day we make choice of the Sabbath before other days, and touching the time of y ^e day, we do it before meat, not after supper.

Now consider the resemblances between these Sacraments. As one is called the Lord's Passover, Exod. 12.12. so this is called the Lord's Supper, 1 Cor. 11 20. God calleth the Lamb the Paschal Lamb, because the Angel in the common destruction passed over the houses of the Israelites: so Christ calleth the bread by the Name of his body that was broken for us, Luke 22.19. The Lord speaking of the ends of the rites used in the Passover, saith, This shall be for a memorial, Exod. 12.14. and a sign unto them, Exodus. 13.9. so Christ saith, Do this in remembrance of me, Luke. 22.19. God saith of the Lamb, Take ye, Exod. 12.5. Christ saith of the bread, Take ye, Matth. 26.26. God saith of the Paschal Lamb, Eate ye, verse 11. Christ saith of the bread in the Supper, Eate ye; and of the Cup, Drink ye. Thus we see there is a notable coherence between both these. Wherein we must mark, that the Scripture speaking of the Sacraments, giveth to y ^e outward Sign the name of the thing signified, so that they have the names of those things given to them which they seal and represent, Gen. 17.10.1. Cor. 10, 4, 16. and 11.24. Luke 22.22. Both because to all the faithful and true believers, the things themselves are given with the signs, and because our affections should be lifted up from earth to heaven, from the elements to Christ and his blessings, represented, offered, and exhibited by them; and because we are full of doubting and unbelief like to Thomas one of the twelve, we will not believe the promises until in some measure we feel them in our hearts. Whereby we see clearly and evidently, that the ground of transubstantiation, & of the real presence, is weak and tottering, built upon the sand of man's invention, not upon the infallible • ocke of the word of God. The Church of Rome will have the words taken li • erally, and not figuratively: but this overthroweth the certainty of our faith, fighteth against the grounds of right reason, and implieth sundry gross contradictions. For at the first institution and celebration of the Supper, it maketh two Christ's, one that giveth, another that is given: one at the Table, another in the mouths and stomachs of the disciples. In which of these shall we believe? in both we must not, forasmuch as we are commanded to believe in Christ, as in one, not in Christ's, as speaking of many; as it was said to Abraham, in his seed, not in his seeds, Gal. 3.16.

Secondly, it overthroweth the Sacrament, consisting of two parts, a visible sign and an invisible grace signified: but if the bread were really the body of Christ, then there could be no outward sign to represent the inward grace.

Thirdly, it maketh the body of Christ to be in moe places then one at one time, which destroyeth the nature of a true body.

Fourthly, the Apostle calleth it bread oftentimes, even after consecration, 1 Cor. 10.16. and 11.26, 27, 28.

Lastly, the wicked as well as the godly should receive Christ, nay Mice and Rattes as well as they; which is horrible blasphemy to imagine and determine. But of this I have spoken more at large elsewhere. But they object, that men in their last Wills speak plainly that they may be understood. It is true indeed, and so did Christ speak plainly; but they make him speak absurdly. To speak plainly, and yet withal, figuratively, are not contrary one to another. For it is plain, that at the same time Christ himself used as figurative a speech as this, John. 14.6. and 15.1. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: I am the true Vine, ye are the branches: yea, in the institution of the Supper, we must of necessity acknowledge a figure, Luke 22.10. The Cup is the New Testament. And there is oftentimes more plainness and evidence in a figure, then in a proper speech uttered without a figure: as also these words, This is my Body, are much more comfortable to us, then if it had been barely said, This is a figure of my body, because they manifest the near conjunction of the sign with the thing signified in so much that they which partake the one, shall be assured to receive the other

To proceed a little further in this point of y ^e Passover and the Supper, we have somewhat to observe, touching our obedience. The Jews were to go to the celebration hereof far and near, to the place that the Lord should choose; and therefore nothing should be so carefully esteemed as these exercises of o • r religion, which by the ordinance of God, represent, seal, and apply unto us the benefits of Christ's death and Passion. The Passover under the Law, was frequented of all Israel, albeit it were done with long journeys and tedious travels and troubles: So ought this Sacrament of Christ's Supper, it should be oftentimes received, 1 Cor. 11.26. Things that are sweet and comfortable, dear and pleasant to a man, are oftentimes remembered and used. If our bodies be hungry, we shall delight to refresh and repast our selves; and if we have hungry souls, that long after Christ the Bread of Life and the food of them, (fo • he is meat indeed and drink indeed) we will often desire to feed upon him, which bringeth with it eternal life. If a man have no desire to his food, it is a sign of an evil stomach, and a forerunner of death, when the appetite is gone and cannot be recovered: so when we have no desire at all to the bread of life, neither feel how greatly we stand in need thereof, we have little strength of the Spirit and of the life of God in us, we draw near by little and little unto death, I mean the death of our souls, which is nothing else but a separation of us from GOD and from his kingdom.

Thirdly, they which celebrate the memorial [Use 3] of their redemption and deliverance from hell & damnation by the sufferings of Christ, must purge themselves of their old leaven, that is, ought by unfeigned and renewed repentance to be purged and washed from their wickedness and uncleanness, & bring with them a clear and good conscience, an holy & resolute purpose to serve the Lord in truth and sincerity, in holiness and righteousness.

The Israelites must have no leaven in any of their houses and habitations while the Passover lasteth; whosoever kept any, was to be cut off from his people, Exodus 12, verses 8, 15. and 13, 3, 7. Leviticus 23, verse 6. Numbers 28, verse 17. Deuteronomy 16, verse 4. Joshua 5, verse 11. 2 Chronicles 30, 13, 21. and 35, 17. Ezra 6, verse 22. Ezek. 45, verse 21. Math. 26, verse 17. &c. The Apostle expresseth the meaning hereof, 1 Corin. 5. ver. 7, 8. Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malicioiusness and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth: purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. We therefore that profess our selves to be true Christians, should at all times, but then especially, when we celebrate the remembrance of Christ's death in the use of the Sacraments, prepare our selves in a most religious and holy manner, that so we may come aright, to his glory, and our comfort. When Jacob was appointed by God to offer sacrifice at Bethel, he sanctified and prepared all his people, Gen. 35, verses 2, 3. All that came to the Passover were commanded to sanctify themselves, 2 Chron. 35, 4. The Priests were commanded to sanctify themselves, and to prepare their brethren, verse 6. This consisteth in two things, in purging out of the old leaven of sin, and in being a new lump endued with the gifts of sanctification, that is, to leave off to do evil, and to learn to do good. And we must in doing good things prove our selves in these few particulars, what our knowledge, faith, repentance, and charity is.

Knowledge is the ground and foundation of all the rest, and therefore it is required of all, to understand the grounds and principles of our Christian Religion, especially we must be acquainted with the doctrine of this Sacrament, both with the signification of the signs and the graces sealed up by them. Faith also we must have in us, which is in truth the first saving grace, it is the hand which we stretch out to touch Christ, in whom all fullness dwelleth; of whose fullness we all receive, and grace for grace, John 1, 16. without whom we can do nothing that is good, John 15, 5. and without faith it is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11, 6. This is the root, the fountain, the mother of all graces; they are as the branches, the streams, the daughters of faith. Hereby we apprehend God's infinite love and mercy in Christ Jesus, and are persuaded that all our sins are pardoned, and that Christ, together with all his benefits is received. Repentance, which is a consequent of faith, is a changing of the mind, an earnest loathing of that which is evil, and an earnest loving of that which is good. We must learn to hate our particular sins, we must mourn and lament in our inward bowels for them, and we must judge our selves, lest the Lord enter into judgment with us, and so we provoke his wrath against us and those that belong unto us, and stir him up to bring grievous plagues and fearful judgments against us, 1 Cor. 11, 28, 31. Wherefore, nothing ought to bring greater grief to us then this, to consider that we have so heinously offended the Majesty of God: and as our sins pierced him, so let us pierce our own hearts with this spear of repentance, that we have so wickedly misspent our time, abused his benefits, contemned his patience, abused our creation, calling, redemption, baptism, soul, body, word, Sabbaths, yea, all the gifts and graces of God: that we have in deed and in truth joined and even conspired with Herod, Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas, Pharisees, Soldiers, passengers, Judas, & the rest of the Jews, in crucifying the Lord of life.

If any ask, how can these things be? The Prophet telleth us, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, Isaiah 53, verse 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed: so that we must acknowledge that our iniquities were the nails that pierced him, and our transgressions the spear that wounded him. We must labor to feel the greatness and horror of our sins, & withal strive to fashion our selves after the image and likeness of God, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives. Let us prepare our hearts and bodies to be his Temple to dwell in, and not make them as sinks for Satan and all foul spirits. Thankfulness is the next duty that is required, that we may be able to say unfeignedly with the Prophet David, considering how great things the Lord hath done for us, Psalm 116, verses 12, 13. What shall I render unto the LORD, for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. And undoubtedly, if they be no better then thieves & robbers which receive their corporal food and never lift up their eyes to heaven, which cannot be sanctified unto them but by y ^e word and prayer: if such, I say, be usurpers that take the creatures of God without thanksgiving, how much rather ought we to give thanks to God for this heavenly food, the nourishment of our souls? The Israelites in remembrance of their Egyptian deliverance were commanded to continue the Passover forever; should not we then much rather keep our Christian Passover for our spiritual deliverance from our spiritual bondage of spiritual enemies? and say with the Prophet in a sweet feeling & medi • ation of these mercies, Bless the Lord, O my soul? &c. The last duty is charity toward our brethren: the former cannot be truly in us without this. By this shall all men know that we are his disciples, if we love one another. The effects and fruits of it are described, It suffereth long, it enuyeth not, it is bountiful, &c. It is required in so strict a manner, that if our gift be ready in our hands to offer unto God, yet if we be at ods with our brother, we must set it by, until we be reconciled. God is love, 1 John. 4.16. Satan is nothing but malice and envy. If we come in love, we come to God's Table; if we come in hatred, we come to the devils; we cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: we cannot be partakers of the Lord's Table, and of the Table of devils. Let us not therefore deceive our selves in thinking & persuading our selves we come to the Lord's Table, when we are far from it. For as God hath his Church, so the devil hath his Chapel: and as there is the Table of the Lord, so there is the table of devils. We must therefore take heed that we do not sacrifice to devils, while we purp • se to sacrifice to God, and I would not y ^t ye should have fellowship with devils. To conclude, let this preparation always go before this holy action, let there be a ransacking of all the corners of our hearts and spirits, and a cleansing and clearing of them by true repentance. Let all governors of families prepare these that belong unto them, & fit themselves and them of their house to this work. Let us consider the mystery of the death of Christ to make it the means of our life: the cause of it, our sins: the merit of it, our redemption: the ende of it, the apprehending of Christ with all his benefits: the fruit of it, reconciliation to God, increase of faith, and newness of life.

[Use 4] Fourthly, as no unclean persons that were defiled, Num. 9.6. and no uncircumcised persons whose foreskin was not cut away, Exod. 12.48. might eat of the Passover: so no profane person uncircumcised in heart, and unclean in his soul and conscience, hath any interest in the Lord's Supper. If he come unto it, and present himself at the Lord's Table, he is like to that guest that came to the feast, but had not on him his wedding garment, Matth. 22.11. as he followeth him in the sin, so he shall follow him in the punishment also. I deny not but such may partake of the bread, but they cannot receive the body and blood of Christ: and they shall not only bear the loss of the benefit, but also incur the danger of damnation. For as no unclean person might come to the Passover of the Lord, so no unclean person may come to the Supper of the Lord. Holy things may not be cast to dogs, neither pearls before swine, Matt. 7.6. These have no right to this Communion. Children are barred, because they cannot examine themselves: profane persons because they do not, because they will not. And how many are there that come in worse manner then children would do? For if infants and children were admitted, it is presumed they would come with greater reverence, their greatest sin would be their ignorance. Ignorance therefore is a bar against them: but are there not many in very many places that presume and present themselves at this Table, who besides their ignorance as great and as gross as that in children, do add profaneness of heart, make little conscience of the Sabbath and show small love to the word of God, and therefore do shut out themselves from this feast by a twofold bar?

Lastly, we saw before that bitter herbs were [Use 5] added to the Passover, it must not be eaten without them: which signifieth, that as the Passover was eaten with sour herbs, so Christ and the Cross are never severed one from the other: because all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution, 2. Tim 3.12. if we will be the disciples of Christ, we must deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow him, Matth. 16.24. Everyone would be partaker of the Passover, but they desire not the sour herbs: we would willingly taste of the sweet, but we care not for the bitter. We seem all ready to embrace Christ, but we shun the Cross, it is as bitter unto us as gall and wormwood. We must all therefore frame our selves to suffer afflictions as the good servants and soldiers of Christ for the faiths sake, and be content to drink of this cup which he hath begun unto us. Paul lived in great credit among the Pharisees before his conversion, but so soon as he was called to preach y ^e Gospel, by and by they fought to kill him. It is a great comfort to suffer for righteousness sake. A good cause doth sweeten the bitterness of the Cross. Such are pronounced blessed by Christ. The Apostles went from the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of Christ. It is no less honor to suffer for Christ's cause, then to believe in his Name. Our Master Christ Jesus found no better entertainment: the world hated him before it hated us, they called him a Samaritan, and said he had a devil; they reproached him to be a glutton, a wine-bibber, and a friend of Publicans and sinners, he was despised of men, and esteemed as smitten of God; he came to his own, but his own r • ceiued him not. If they have done this in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? The servant must not look to have a better estate and condition then his Lord, nor the disciple then his master: if they have persecuted him, they will also persecute us, he that is sent must not look to be greater then he that sent him. It is enough for the disciple to be as his master, and the s • ruant as his Lord: if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? God's children shall be molested and afflicted, even in times of public peace. When the enemies of Daniel could find no matter against his person, they began to quarrel about his religion. To serve God in truth and sincerity is an heinous crime in the eyes of the world, who shall in the end give an account to him that will judge uprightly.

[Verse 6. And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead, &c. ] Here is a description of the second Passover for such as were unclean; unclean, not by any sinful pollution, but by a legal or ceremonial uncleanness: not by any willing choice of their own, but by an inevitable necessity: and not by coming near those that were dead in spirit, but by touching the dead body of a man. In this, observe three things, a question, a consultation, and a resolution. The question is of the people: the consultation of Moses, the resolution of God. The people inquire at the mouth of Moses: Moses inquireth at y ^e mouth of God: and God determineth the doubt and resolveth both the people & Moses. The question is, wherefor may we not receive y ^e Passover with the rest of our brethren? wherefor are we kept back? this is amplified by the occasion, they were defiled by a dead corpse. The consultation is with God, which is the second point, Moses willeth them to be quiet & stand still, until he knew the mind of the Lord, ver. 8. he would determine nothing rashly, but he doubted and held them in doubt, until he knew of God what was to be done. A religious example of modesty, humility, and wisdom in the matters of God. He did not glory to have in his own breast an oracle to answer all doubts, nor challenge any power of freedom from error, as the man of sin in the pride of his own heart boasteth of himself. The third part is the resolution and determination of God, deciding the question, and making some laws extending to them and their posterity; first, if any were unclean, they had respite given them unto the second month: they have not liberty until the next year, but to the next month they are dispensed withal. Secondly, the man that is clean and refuseth to come, he shall be cut off, that is, excommunicated from the people. Thirdly, if a stranger desire to be partaker of the Passover, he must embrace the true religion, & be circumcised, Exod. 12.49. and then he may come.

Touching the question and the occasion thereof, it appeareth that those good men, which were shut out from this part of God's service by reason they were defiled by touching a dead body, were much grieved at heart, and troubled in mind, that they were barred and as it were banished from the Passover, having as great a desire as others to come unto it. Hence it is, that they make earnest moan and complaint to Moses for their separation: and therefore desire to be eased and relieved by him. The doctrine from hence is, that it is a great cause of sorrow and grief to God's dear children, when they are by any just occasion, or by the hand of God upon them, withheld and kept back from the parts and exercises of his worship. We see this in Hezekiah, in his sickness, his chief lamentation and complaint was, that he should not see the face of the Lord in his Temple. David often complaineth and lamenteth that he was driven by his enemies from his worship. He maketh the condition of the sparrow & swallow better then his, which might come nearer to the altar then he, his soul panted and thirsted after God. The Church wept by the rivers of Babylon, when they remembered Zion and the songs they had sung in the Temple; and in another place, the Church, being by captiui • y deprived of the Temple, of their Synagogues, of their sacrifices, of their Sacraments, and of the exercises of their religion, maketh bitter complaint to God, O Lord, they have cast thy Sanctuary into the fire, they have defiled thy dwelling place. The incestuous Corinthian, being by excommunication put from the fellowship of the Saints, and the use of the Ministry, became comfortless, and was almost swallowed up with sorrow. 2 Cor. 2.7.

And can it be otherwise? The godly find [Reason 1] such sweetness, such comfort, such spiritual joy in the presence of God, where the exercises of his worship and religion are performed, as nothing in this life is more pleasant and delightful unto them. The Prophet crieth out, as if he were ravished with an holy contemplation of the excellency of this, How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! my soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord, &c. The word is sweeter to them then the honey and the honey comb, and more to be desired then much fine gold. They feed upon the bread in the Sacraments, as upon the fatness of his house, & drink of the cup as of the rivers of his pleasures, they offer up prayers as sweet incense and lift up their hands as the evening sacrifice. How then can it be, but y ^t the loss & want of all these brought upon thē, should strike them to the heart, and minister matter of much grief and mourning unto them? Secondly, the great love and mercy of God toward his people doth appear in the exercises of religion and the place of his worship to them that are not altogether blind and deaf, and past all sense and feeling of good things, then in all other things throughout the whole world besides, Prov. 9.1.2. And indeed a man or woman that hath once tasted y ^e comfort of his adoption and salvation in Christ, taught in the word, and confirmed in the Sacraments, will think it one of his greatest losses, to lose and leave these exercises, and the greatest plague to be deprived of them, and by them of the pledges of his goodness and favor. Thirdly, when these are gone, they know and consider the greatest stays and helps of their standing in the grace of God are utterly taken away from them, & therefore they have cause to lament, as Psal. 74.9. We see not our signs, there is no more any Prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. When he taketh away his word, he lifteth up his standard and goeth away. And can there be greater cause to mourn then when God departeth from his people?

[Use 1] This reproveth such as can lament bitterly and mourn heavily for the least earthly losses and troubles, but never trouble themselves for loss of spiritual things. It was not so with the wife of Phinehas, she had many causes of mourning met together by heavy tidings that were told unto her, her father in law had broken his neck, her husband was killed, the host of God discomfited, and the Ark of God was taken; howbeit among all these none went nearer, none so near unto her as the taking of the Ark: and therefore she doubleth this which she could not put out of her mind, and did after a sort put out all the rest, The glory is departed from Israel, for the Ark of God is taken. But there are many in our days, that account it no loss at all, to lose Sermon after Sermon, Sacrament after Sacrament, and one meeting in the house of God after another: they can do this easily, and never mourn for it. Nay, they are vexed and tormented as if they were upon the rack, that they are constrained to come so often to the word, to the Sacraments, and to the house of prayer. See herein the great diffrence between the godly and ungodly. It is the voice of the faithful, When will the Sabbath come: but the unfaithful say, When will the Sabbath day be done, Amos 8.5. It is the voice of the faithful. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house Psal 84.4. but the unfaithful hold it a misery and bondage to be tied so strictly and straitly to the public exercises of religion. It is the voice of the faithful, When shall I come and appear before God? but the unfaithful say, When shall we depart out of Zion, it is time we be gone. It is the faithful man's voice complaing. Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar, but y ^e unfaithful think thenselves unhappy, that they must sojourn in the Tabernacle of God, and dwell in his house. If then they be the children of God, y ^t mourn because they cannot meet with the rest of their brethren in the Temple, and at the Table of the Lord, certainly they must be the children of the devil, that mourn and lament because they are at them, and such as do willingly and willfully, contemptuously and presumptuously absent themselves from them. It is noted of Christ our Savior, that he earnestly desired, or as it is in the Original by doubling the word, with a desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: whereby he showeth his fervent affection to join with them in this duty. So should it be with us: when one Sabbath is ended, we should long for the next: when one Communion is done, we should be ready to inquire after another: when one Sermon is ended, we should prepare for another; and account no day in the week so gracious, so welcome, so comfortable unto us as the Lord's day; then let us cheer up our spirits and refresh our souls with such provision as God hath appointed for us.

Secondly, it is a great judgment of God [Use 2] upon men, howsoever they account of it, and whatsoever they esteem of it, when they are given over to their own ways, and regard not at all the ways of God. Nay, it is an evident token of God's heavy judgment to be deprived of the Word and Sacraments, of the exercises of religion and of the meetings of the godly, as Psal. 74, 1. the church crieth out, O God, why hast thou cast us off forever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? We all confess, that dearth and famine is a grievous plague, howbeit commonly we know no other then the famine of the body, when the tongue cleaveth to the roof of the mouth for thirst, and when the children say to their mothers, Where is corn & wine? but God threateneth a greater judgment then the famishment of the body, to wit, y ^e pining and consuming away of the soul, through the famine of the word. It is accounted a great reproach for a subject to be denied the presence and protection of his Prince, and the freedom of his country; but these banish themselves from the presence of God. We should be all voluntary Communicants, but many are voluntary excommunicants: they exclude thenselves from the Church, and execute the censures of the Church upon themselves. The Church complaineth (as we heard before) that y ^e Lord cast them off: but these cast off themselves frō the Church, from God, from his ordinances. It is an evident sign of most strange profaneness and deadness of heart, when men have no delight, no feeling, no comfort, no sweetness in the exercises of religion, when they cannot feed heartily of the fatlings, and drink greedily of the wines that are prepared by God fo • his family, the most delicat & delightful souls food that can be in the world, to wit, the hearing of the word, and the receiving of the Sacraments, of w ^c more afterward. Esau is a pattern of this profaneness, who esteemed of these precious things more vilely then of a mess of meat, of the good of his soul then of the filling of his belly, of future happiness then of a present and momentary pleasure. Many such Esau's we have in our days, as wretched and profane as he.

Lastly, it ought to be the first and chiefest [Use 3] thing in all our wishes and desires, & we should carefully express it in our love and zeal, to have the pleasure and profit of God's house in greatest account for our good forever. This made the Prophet say, O Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth. I have desired this one thing above all other, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, one day in thy courts is better then a thousand elsewhere. O what will be their portion in this life, and what will be their punishment in the life to come, who have banished these desires out of their hearts, and renounced them in their practice, accounting the time tedious, and the day lost that is spent this way. O that such could consider betimes the fearful end and fall that waiteth for them, so long as they grow more and more weary of the heavenly Manna that would fall upon their souls as a gracious rain upon the tender herb. And as for us y ^t thorough the goodness of God live under the Ministry of the word and have y ^e Sacraments rightly ministered unto us, let us know & confess y ^t it is our duty to render all praise & thanksgiuing unto God, to labor to walk worthy of our calling, to express the power of them in our conversations, & to pray unto him earnestly for the continuance of them among us and our posterities, lest thorough our great unthankfulness and the abuse of them, they be taken from us, & given unto another people that will bring forth the fruits thereof.

[Verse 8. And Moses said unto them, Stand still, &c. In these words we have Moses his consultation with God: for here seemed to be a kind of contrary or Antinomy, that is, one law against another. The unclean might not come to the sacrifice; and besides, it was an heinous offense to omit this exercise of their faith, and profession of their religion, no less then excommunication. As for the touching of a dead body, or burying of the dead, it is a duty of charity, of humanity, and of necessity; should a work of such due respect and importance that might not be avoided, debar them from the Passover? These therefore seemed to be in a distress on both sides, and knew not which way to turn themselves in this maze; they might not come, and yet they might not well abstain: they must bury the dead, and yet the burial of the dead did exclude them. What shall they do between these two rocks that threaten shipwreck? if they do not bury the dead, they show want of charity: if they do, they bar themselves from a duty of piety, and could not partake of the Passover until the next year. Moses confesseth himself in this case after a sort entangled, & knew not what to resolve, therefore for his and their satisfaction he resolveth to refer the matter wholly to God; forasmuch as he had no authority to institute for them a new Passover. [Doctrine.] This teacheth us, in all matters of doubt, to ask counsel at the mouth of God. But how may this be? for we cannot ascend up to heaven to speak unto him. I answer, he speaketh unto us at this day, and that two ways, both in his word and by his Ministers; The Spirit speaketh evidently in the Scriptures, by it he resolveth the Church, no less then by an oracle from heaven: besides, for our farther direction, he giveth the knowledge of his word to the Ministers, who draw all their light from the word, and do thereby ask counsel as at the mouth of God.

The reasons are very evident. First the Scriptures [Reason 1] are all sufficient to improve and correct, to teach and to instruct, to give patience and comfort, that we may believe & have eternal life, and to make us wise unto salvation. Secondly, such as will not believe them and reply upon them, will believe nothing else, no although one come from the dead. It is therefore the foundation of faith to resort to these means to be resolved, as to the oracle and ordinance of God, Psal. 85.8.

Observe from hence that all questions in [Use 1] Religion must be decided and determined by the Scriptures. All doctrines are to be proved by them, and all errors to be convinced by them. The Scripture is the supreme judge of all councils and controversies: it sendeth not the Church to the general consent of the Pastors of the Church, nor turneth them over to expect a general council, nor posteth them over to Rome, as the Gentiles resorted to Delphi to consult with the Oracle of Apollo. It is in vain to neglect the straight & direct way, to seek out by-paths and uncertain passages. It never taught the Pope and his Cardinals to be the highest court and supreme Judges of Scripture, who oftentimes are ignorant of Scripture. It cannot be interpreted but by the same Spirit by which it was written. It is required of the supreme Judge and interpreter of Scripture, that he cannot err, that no appeal be made from him, that he be no way partial, and that he have power to compel y ^e parties dissenting to yield obedience. These properties agree not to the Bishop of Rome, he is not free from error, for many of thē have fallen into heresy, have taught contrary things one to the other, have made many foolish interpretations: he is a mere man and can compel no man's will to yield unto him; he is partial in his own cause, and therefore to appeal to him, is to ask ones fellow if he be a thief.

Secondly, the Scripture containeth all [Use] things necessary to salvation; to withstand temptations, Matth. 4. and to build us up in all truth. So that it is simply and absolutely necessary. The doctrine of salvation cannot be learned but from it. The knowledge of the law is necessary, Rom. 7.7. the knowledge of the Gospel is necessary, Tit. 2.11.12. Neither let any object, that the Church wanted Scripture along time, even from the creation to the days of Moses; for the Question is not, what was necessary in the beginning, but what is now necessary. The mothers milk is sufficient for the infant, while it is a child, but it is not sufficient afterward, when once it is grown up. Neither is it true which the Jesuit objecteth, that Christ commanded not anything to be written, but is overthrown by many testimonies of Scripture, 2. Pet. 1.21.2 Tim. 3.16. Revel. 1.11. and 14.13.

[Use 3] Thirdly, it teacheth that the Ministers ought to be ready to answer the questions and doubts that trouble the people any way. Therefore they must be faithful in their places, and skillful in the Scriptures, Hag. 2.12.13 they must not be blind guides & dumb dogs, Ezek. 34.4. their lips must preserve knowledge, and the people seek the Law at their mouths. Again, it is required of them to be resident upon their flocks, attending on them as watchmen watch the city always in danger of enemies, to discover the approach of them; and as shepherds attending their flock for fear of devouring wolves. The people are as a prey in the jaws of all heretics where teachers are not attending and residing. The Israelites fell into horrible idolatry, when Moses was absent from them, Exod. 32.1. But how shall the Ministers be consulted withal, being absent from the people?

[Use 4] Lastly, it serveth for instruction for the people. They are not to consult with witches and wizards, but to resort to the Ministers of God Deut. 18.15. and to the word, to the law and to the testimony, Isaiah, 8.19.20. Princes therefore must not contemn them, nor respect thē as the lowest and basest of the people. And all people, high and low, rich and poor, must search the Scriptures, who think to have eternal life in them, John. 5.39. They are greatly commended that were diligent in the reading of them, Acts 8.30. and 18.11. David did exercise himself in them day and night, Psal. 1.2. None are to be forbidden the reading of them, forasmuch as the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to all that believe, Rom. 1.16. They are greatly reproved and rebuked • hat were ignorant in them, Mar. 12.24. that were slow of heart to believe them, Luk. 24.25. Every man therefore must seek to be assured & persuaded in his heart of that which he doth, and seek to warrant his own work. All things must be done in faith, Hebr. 4.2. Mar. 11.24. I am. 1.5. without which no man can please God. This reproveth the ignorance that is in the greatest sort, who think it enough to do as others do, to hear the word, because others do so: to receive the Lord's Supper, because they see their neighbors do so: and to come to Church, because the most do so. These think it enough to be present at divine duties, albeit they be indeed far from doing their duties. There are many that come and hear prayers, who do never offer up any prayers: as if there were some hidden virtue in the place or in the prayer, albeit they never lift up their hearts to God. These have not, neither can have any comfort in that which they do. They are without faith, because they are without knowledge. They have no assurance whether they please God or not, but do all things with doubtful hearts and wavering minds, and therein condemn themselves, and sin against God, being like a wave of the Sea tossed with the wind.

[Verse 9.10. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children, &c. The determination of the question is here set down, and upon occasion thereof perpetual laws established for the direction of the Church. The unclean are put off to the 14. day of the second month: the clean must keep the Lord's Passover at the season appointed. There are two causes alleged, wherefor a man may for a time be excused for not coming to the Passover, and is allowed as unblameable to defer the celebrating of it together with others; one is uncleanness, the other is a journey, both of them must be understood as grounded upon necessity. For to thrust himself into the uncleanness here meant without a calling, or to absent himself by a journey upon every trifling occasion, thereby omitting the business of God, because he would further his own business, is rather to be cēsured very sharply, thē to suffer an excuse vpō necessity; of whom we may say with Solomon, As a bird that wandreth from her nest, so is a man that wandreth from his place. For there are very many in all places, that had rather leave the Lord's work undone, then spare one day of their own. It is a great matter with them to lose a days work, but they regard it as a matter of nothing to rob God of his day that he hath kept for himself. They had rather go to a drunken feast abroad, thē to feast with God in his house. They had rather go speak to others in their own affairs, then either to God by prayer, or hear him speak to thē in his word, on the Sabbath day. But to leave this, and to return to the matter in hand, by uncleanness in touching the dead, is meant by proportion all other kinds of legal uncleanness whatsoever, which signify the defilements of sin continued without repentance, the Lord leading his Church in the minority of it by outward things to inward, by earthly to spiritual, by the shadow to the body. The dead body is accounted unclean, because death which hath seized upon it is the fruit of sin. whereby men are truly made unclean. The Passover was to the Israelites, the same that the Supper is to us, the equity therefore and truth of that which is here described, and directed to the people, remaineth to us forever and teacheth, That necessity brought upon any by the hand of God, [Doctrine.] or by an inevitable duty of a man's calling, do for that time free him from the public exercises of religion and of God's worship. If it be to save a man's life, or to preserve his house and goods from destruction, it giveth liberty, a toleration, and dispensation for the present, to leave the immediate worship of God. Such is the immediate hand of God in sickness, as we see in Hezekiah, Isaiah 38. Such was the case of David in persecution, Psal. 84. Such is the case of those that are in a long journey, as in this place. Likewise whensoever the public means are for a time taken away through persecution, Psa. 74 In time of sickness God requireth another duty of us, to wit, to look to our health: in danger of life to look to our safety: in danger of our goods, to look to our wealth.

[Reason 1] For whensoever God denieth the means, his will is that the things themselves should cease. For other means, may not be invented, or any other form then that which he hath ordained; as Joel 1.19. he threateneth that the meat offering and drink offering should cease. Whensoever the will of God is, that these things shall be done, he will offer unto us, and put into our hands the means, he will give us the time and opportunity to do them.

Secondly, it is God's pleasure to accept of mercy rather then sacrifice. Mat. 12.7. Hence it is, that to save from fire and water, to preserve life, to visit the sick, and to look to them, is to be preferred and more to be respected then going to the Church, or hearing of the word. What man shall there be among you (saith Christ, Mat. 12.11.) that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? how much then is a man better then a sheep? for the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; God ordaining it for our good, not for our hurt.

[Use 1] Hence it followeth that it is not simply the omitting of • he Sacraments, but the neglect and contempt of them is dangerous to neglecters and contemners. They shall bear their sin, as they justly deserve, whose default it is. The Israelites in the wilderness were forty years together uncircumcised, yet were they to be holden the people of God, because they cannot be charged with negligence, nor reproved for any contempt, in as much as they wanted leisure being in their journey, or daily expecting the sign of removing. All the people that came out of Egypt were circumcised, but all the people that were borne in the wilderness by the way, them they circumcised not, and it is excused or defended by necessity. For the Sacraments do not confer grace, neither are they absolutely necessa • y to salvation, as if without them a man could not possibly be saved. Hence therefore are the Romanists reproved, that do teach, that children are damned that die without Baptism; as though all the Israelites that died in the wilderness, which were borne there and were not circumcised, were condemned; no, doubtless: no more then that all which were circumcised, were saved. True it is, Moses was reproved and was near to death, because he circumcised not his son, who had time and leisure to do it, Exod. 4.24. and we must take heed of contempt, which deserveth a cutting off from the people of God, Gen. 17.14. because he hath broken the Covenant. Howbeit, as it is said in the proverb, Necessity hath no law. The grace of Christ taketh away all the sins of all believers, and therefore the general guilt brought in by original sin, Rom. 5. This grace is not tied to outward signs, but dependeth upon the free pleasure of God. This is received by faith only, as appeareth in the example of Abraham, and farther confirmed by the Sac • aments. Nevertheless, we acknowledge a necessity in respect of the commandment of God, and of the proper end, and therefore is with all reverence and conscience, and obedience to be yielded unto.

Secondly, where the ordinary and precious [Use 2] means of salvation, the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments, are taken away and removed, as the standard out of the campe, or the light out of the candlestick, there the extraordinary and more weak means are to be used of us, and God's blessing in such cases is to be hoped for and looked after. In the days of persecution, private reading, meditation, and conference are blessed of God, and his Church maintained, continued, and increased thereby: yea, the beholding of the constant suffering of the holy martyrs was a forcible means to work the conversion of many, and made them in love with that doctrine for which they suffered and gave their lives In times of famine when there is no bread left in a city, and the inhabitants are constrained to fare hard and short, yet it pleaseth God to preserve life by very weak means, to show that man liveth not by bread only: so is it in the famine of spiritual things. In the days of Ahab, when the Temple was forsaken by the ten tribes, and idolatry was erected in Israel, the altars digged down, and the Prophets slain, yet God reserved seven thousand that never bowed the knee to Baal, 1 King. 19.18. Rom. 11.4. There were very few laborers in the days of Christ among y ^e Jews, ignorance had covered y ^e land that they were as sheep without a shepherd; and yet in those barren times, when the seed of the word was thinly sown, there was a plentiful harvest ready to be gathered, for loe the fields were white unto the harvest, John. 4.35. Thus doth God bless what means soever it shall please him to use; let them be never so weak in themselves and little in our eyes, yet they shall have force and strength enough, when he will employ them: which serveth as a great comfort to those that have not the best means to bring them to faith and repentance.

[Use 3] Lastly, we must take heed we put not slight and unnecessary excuses for urgent and necessary causes. They that were bidden to the wedding pleaded by way of excuse for themselves, I have hired a farm, I have bought five yoke of oxen, I have married a wife, I cannot come, Luke 14.18. Matth. 22.5. Many in our days would account these good excuses, honest pretences, & lawful defences: & indeed it cannot be denied, but they justify them by their own practices, as Jerusalem did Samaria. For they go further in their wicked ways, and account it a sufficient color to warrant their absence from God's ordinance, saying, I have a bargain to make, I have work to take, I am bidden to a feast, I must go speak with such a man, it is rainy weather, there is an yeueall at the next Parish, I must walk about my ground to see my corn and cattle, I am otherwise busy, and therefore I cannot come. Others, that think themselves more wise, yet show themselves more wicked, because they pretend greater love to the truth and liking to Religion then the other, they can read good Sermons, and use good prayers at home, and therefore what need they come? Let all these take heed (to bind them together in one bundle) lest it be said unto them hereafter, as it was said to such as made such like slight and sleeulesse excuses, that none of those that were bidden should taste of that Supper. Necessary causes of absence are such, as require present doing, that could not be dispatched before, neither can be put off until afterward. Heat and cold, rain and shine, hunger and thirst, poverty of estate, or tediousness of journey could not keep the people of God from the Passover, Psal. 84.6. They go from strength to strength, everyone of them in Zion appeareth before God. These can excuse no man to his Prince, no not to the ordinary judge and justice. When a man is cited and summoned by word or writ, to appear at the bar of an earthly judge, will it be taken for currant answer to say, O sir, I was willing and desirous to appear, but it was hot weather, or cold weather, or rainy weather: will such frivolous and fruitless excuses be admitted? and shall we think that the king of kings, and the judge of judges will receive them at such times as he summoneth us to appear before his presence? Let us not therefore offer and perform less duty and service unto God, then we do unto men: nor suppose that God will content himself with less attendance then man doth.

[Ver 10. If any of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body. ] Here is another cause of being kept from the Passover, to wit, uncleanness. The doctrine is, that open offenders and impenitent persons ought not to have any access to the Lord's Table, but are to be kept from it as unclean birds from the Sacrifice. A stranger uncircumcised had nothing to do with the Passover, Exod. 12.48. The incestuous person was excommunicated from the Church, and the privileges of it, 1 Cor. 5. as Cain was from the face of God, Gen. 4. When Adam had sinned against God, and eaten of the forbidden fruit, he was put out of the ga • den, that he might not eat of the fruit of the tree of life, Gen. 3.22, 23, 24. this was as a Sacrament unto him of life, so long as he continued in obedience. The Sacraments are holy things, but holy things must not be given to dogs: the Sacraments are precious pearls, but pearls must not be cast before swine. Now obstinate offenders and notorious sinners are dogs and swine.

The reasons are, as Christ saith, they will [Reason 1] trample them under their feet; Matt. 7.6. they place no holiness in them, they do not esteem them as any pearls, or value them at any rate. Hence it is, that the Prophet saith, If any that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, it shall be unclean, Hag. 2.13 if then the person be defiled. he defileth whatsoever he toucheth, the holiness of the sacrifice cannot make him holy, but the wickedness of the person shall make the sacrifice unholy.

Again, such as come to the Lord's Supper, must show y ^e Lord's death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26. That is, he must publish with praise and thanksgiving unto God, the memorial of the greatest wonder and mystery that ever fell out in the world, to wit, the propitiatory sacrifice and precious death of the eternal Son of God. But this can never be done by a wicked man. Praise in the mouth of a fool is not comely nor commendable, neither God will accept of them any such sacrifice.

Thirdly, they are guilty of the body and blood of Christ, and therefore it must needs be a fearful wickedness to come in such a wretched and profane manner, 1 Corinth. 11.27. They are despisers of the most precious thing in the world, Heb. 10.29. They tread under foot the Son of God, and account the blood of y ^e New Testament a profane thing, which caused the Angels of God & the whole frame of nature in heaven and earth to wonder at it, and to be dismayed at the death of the Son of God contemned by these wicked wretches No sin, murder, incest, treason, comparable to this sin.

Fourthly, they have no fellowship with the Church in these holy things; there is no communion between light and darkness, between righteousness and unrighteousness, and therefore Simon Peter said to Simon Magus, Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this business, Acts 8.21. Such therefore as are scandalous & profane are to be separated by the Church from others, as •• ule and filthy beasts are to be kept from fair springs, lest with their feet they defile the water.

Lastly, the seal belongeth to such only as have the covenant or testament belonging unto them, but open offenders have nothing to do with them. It will be said, Judas was admitted by Christ, [Object.] and therefore wicked persons may be so. I answer, [Answ.] Judas was not known to be a wicked person, no more then he was known to be a reprobate. He was a thief, but not known to be a thief: but they must be known wicked persons that are to be exempted and excluded. Again, it may appear that Judas was not at the Supper, John 13, 30. So soon as he had received the soppe, he went out immediately; but the soppe was in the Passover, so that he was at the Passover, not at the Supper.

[Use 1] The uses follow. First, there ought not to be a general admission of all that offer to come to the Sacraments without difference and distinction. A Turk or Jew if they would desire baptism, may not be received before they make open confession of the faith. When the Eunuch desired baptism, and said, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip answered, If thou believest, thou mayest, Acts 8, 36, 37. Such only are allowed to have the benefit of the Sacraments, and to be admitted unto them, that are of the number of believers. None were to be baptized but such as were within the Covenant, 1 Cor. 7, 14. and in that respect are called holy. None are meet guests to be at the Lord's Table, but such as know & believe, and practice the doctrine which is according to godliness, as no uncircumcised person and unbeliever was received to the Passover. Thus then we see who have right to the Sacraments, and who have not.

[Use 2] Secondly, this giveth direction and instruction to the Ministers, not to keep back whō they please, or to bar from the communion any vpō spleen or private grudge or revenge, but must take heed they do not mingle their private affections with the public exercises of religion. It reproveth therefore all such justly as turn away those that desire to communicate, through hatred, envy, and malice to their persons, because they have some way offended them, whether it be in deed or in conceit. They have power and authority only to exclude public offenders, and scandalous livers; as for others, they have no jurisdiction to deny them or bar them the Communion. The Disciples reproved those that brought little children to Christ, but they are reproved themselves, for Christ was much displeased with them, and would not have them forbidden, Mark. 10, 14. So ought we to suffer the people to come unto Christ, yea, to exhort them and stir them up and encourage them, not discourage them, nor forbid them, nor hinder them that would come. If there were a public well for all to draw water out of it, what inhuma • ity and cruelty were it to keep back any from drawing out of it? These are like to the Philistines that stopped the welles and filled them with earth, which Abraham's servants had digged, that none could have benefit of them, Gen. 26, 15. When Moses was fled out of Egypt, and came into the Land of Madian, and that he saw the froward Shepherds drive away the daughters of Revel frō the well, that they could not water their fathers sheep, he stood up and helped them and watered their flock, Exod. 2, 17. If we be the Shepherds of the Lord's flock, we must not be like to these Shepherds that would not suffer the sheep to be watered, we must be rather like to Moses to help them. It is a sign of much envy, and little piety, to hinder those that are willing to come. These are worse thē the woman of Samaria, and have less mercy, pity, & compassion then she had; for though she refused to give drink to Christ, because he was a Jew, and the Jews had no dealing with the Samaritans, yet she never assayed to keep him from the well, as these do many of their brethren, more indeed to their own reproach, then to the shame of those whom they turn away; this ought not so to be.

Thirdly, to exercise any part of God's worship [Use 3] profanely, to hear the word unreverantly, and to come to the Table of the Lord unworthily, deserveth a great and grievous plague, 1 Cor. 11, 30. For this cause many were weak, and sick, and stricken with death among the Corinthians. Woe therefore to those that are profane, and profane the holy things of God. This is a most fearful sin, they conspire against God, and commit high treason against his Majesty, and therefore God will arm himself against them, and pursue them as his enemies with fire and sword, that is, with his wrath & vengeance at their heels. The wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon, who so provoketh him to anger, sinneth against his own soul, Prov. 19, 12, and 20, 2. His anger conceived is present death, 1 Sam. 22, 18. Ester 7, 9. Mat. 2, 16, and 14, 10. What shall we say then of God, who is a consuming fire? Heb. 12, 29. If his wrath be kindled but a little, blessed are all they that trust in him, Psal. 2, 12. We have no defense for our selves, but to say, Enter not into judgment with thy servants, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified, Ps. 143, 2. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: whither shall we fly, to be able to escape his hand, but that he will find us out? His displeasure is like himself, that is, infinite, and cannot be expressed.

Lastly, we learn that such as come to the [Use 4] Table of the Lord, should seriously prove and thoroughly prepare thenselves to this so weighty and religious work. It standeth us therefore upon to know wherein this trial and examination standeth, especially considering that many do much deceive themselves therein. Some place it in outward things, as if they fast before they come, if they hang down their heads like bulrushes, if they prepare the body and outward man touching their apparel, and for the present time show humility and abstinence, although presently after they return again to their former conditions and vices, as to their vomit, making only an intermission of them for a short space, but assuming them again with no small advantage. But this is a vain thing. For our sins must be left quite and clean, so as we never return to them again. It is an easy matter to conceive in our selves that we have faith. But if it be a true & holy faith, it purifieth the heart, Act. 15.9. & worketh by love, Gal. 5.6. First, therefore everyone must labor to be a repentant sinner, which consisteth in unfeigned sorrow for sin, purposing never to fall into it again, & an ardent love toward that which is good. We must confess our sins of omission and commission, of ignorance and knowledge, of weakness and presumption, how we have provoked our good God to anger, in soul and body, abusing our wit, our memory, our authority, our health, our liberty, our riches, our heart, our tongue, our feet, our hands, and all other members, to infidelity, blasphemy, swearing, lying, whoredom, cruelty, injury, theft, gluttony, drunkenness, pride, wantonness, slanders, and such like: making them filthy dungeons and stinking sinks for the devil, which should be the Temples of God. Wherefore we must have earnest grief and sorrow and trembling, that we have hereby not only broken in pieces, and torn in sunder by our sins all the laws of God, but we have also by them crucified upon the Cross, and put to a shameful death the Lord of Life. We commonly lay the whole and only fault upon Herod and Pilate, upon the high Priests, upon Judas, and the Jews, & who is not displeased with these for their cruelty herein? howbeit we should be more displeased with our selves who are as deep by our sins in this sin as ever they, as we have shown before out of the Prophet. And here I summon all profane persons before God, that have no delight in good things, and all such as with greediness and without shame wallow in all sin and wickedness, giving by their lewdness continual and grievous offense to the children of God. If they dare presume to present themselves at the Lord's Table having their hearts & hands gored with the blood of the Son of God. I would have them answer what they promised to God and his Church in their Baptism, and what they now profess. They promised to forsake the devil and all his works: but sin is one of the chief and principal works of the devil. What, I pray you, could the Lord Jesus have done for us, that he hath not done? and shall we so reward him and requite him for all his pains, his agony and bloody sweat? If a kings son finding us in a filthy sink or miry puddle should help us out with his hands, and wash us in water, and put his precious robes upon us, and after all this, we thrice miserable wretches should presently cast our selves into the same again, what unthankfulness were this? what indignity? Christ Jesus hath redeemed us from the bondage of sin, and washed us in his blood, Revel. 1.5. shall we defile our selves again with worse then mire and dung, and serve Satan and sin, his and our enemies? Again, we must seek to approve our hearts and consciences with love and charity to our neighbors. For we can never come with a good conscience toward God, except also we show the fruits of love to our brethren. We must have peace with all men, without which no man shall see God to his comfort, Heb. 12.14. We are but one bread & but one body, 1 Cor. 12.12. There should be a communion among all the Saints of God, which also we profess to believe. We meet all in one place as it were in one house, we have one head, we hear one word, we eat the same spiritual meat, we drink the same spiritual drink: we are utterly unworthy of all these, if we be infected and poisoned with the bitter roots of hatred, strife, rancor, debate, contention, quarrelling, and such like vnfauory & unsanctified fruits, which show that we are carnal and faithless men, not fit to be called the servants of Christ, whose love was great even toward his enemies.

[Verse 13. But the man that is clean, &c. and forbeareth to keep the Passover, even the same soul shall be cut off, &c. ] The meaning is, he shall be shut out from the fellowship of the Saints. Whosoever through mere negligence and carelessness did put off this duty, and would not with the rest of the people of God keep the Passover, is judged for it, and beareth his sin, that is, is guilty of a great wickedness before God. [Doctrine.] We learn hereby that they which negligently and carelessly omit the parts of God's worship, and the exercises of religion, whensoever they are celebrated in the meetings of God's people, committeth a great iniquity, and lieth under the wrath and judgments God. The uncircumcised male that purposely breaketh the Covenant of God shall be cut off from the people, Gen. 17.14. Moses carelessly omitting the circumcision of his son, was near to be slain of God, Exod. 4.24. He that did not conscionably and religiously keep the Passover, was also to be cu • off, as we see in this place: and afterward, he that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day, was stoned with stones that he died, chap. 15.32, 36. Such then as bring not the offerings of God in their season, and are careless in his worship, lie under his wrath, and deserve the sentence of excommunication.

For they neglect the homage and service [Reason 1] due to God, and observe not the seasons appointed of God, as we see in this 13. verse. There is an appointed season for every work under the Sun. God also hath his times and seasons, who hath all times in his own hands, which being neglected, cannot be recalled.

Secondly, all such as contemn the means, are profane contemners of those excellent things that are offered by the means; and the contempt of the word, is the contempt of God. The contempt of this Baptism is the contempt of the remission of sins; the Pharisees, that were not baptized of John, rejected the counsel of God against themselves, he that contemneth the Supper, refuseth the merits of Christ's death and passion, and is guilty of the body & blood of Christ, 1 Cor. 11. and maketh a mock of the Son of God. Thirdly, such despise the wisdom of God, accounting that simple, weak, and foolish, which he in his infinite wisdom hath appointed to be the ordinary means of his strong arm and mighty power. His ways are not as our ways, his ways are foolishness to foolish men, 1. Cor. 1.23. and our ways are foolishness to the most wise God, 1 Cor. 3.19. and that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God, Luke 16.15. as that which is oftentimes least regarded of us, is in greatest price and account with him.

[Use 1] Conclude from hence, that the state and condition of all reckless hearers of the word, and of negligent receivers of the Sacraments, is most wretched & accurst. Shall we be so sottish and simple to imagine that God hath ordained these things for nothing? or that he will see his writings and seals trodden under foot, and not punish these rebels and enemies? Is not he that maliciously and contemptibly defaceth the Princes broad seal, a traitor against his Prince? Are these then any better that reject both word and Sacrament? we see this in Ahaz, when he had a sign offered unto him from the Lord in the depth beneath, or in the height above, to assure him of deliverance, he contemned and rejected the same, Isaiah 7.12. howbeit, he never prospered after, but grew worse and worse, 2 Chron 28. True it is, he pretendeth he would not tempt God by asking a sign, but the refusing of a sign when God offereth it, is no better thē a tempting of God. All that refuse the Sacraments tempt God, for they will make trial whether God can or will save them without them. But take this as a certain rule, and build ye upon it, whensoever God granteth his Sacraments, he will never save without them. [Objection] If any ask, cannot God save without these, such as believe? I answer, [Answer.] the question is not what God can do, but what he will do: he hath made no such promise to any man to save without them, [Object.] while we have them. If any farther reply, Is is not enough to believe? is not faith sufficient to save and to join us to God? I answer, [Answer.] such deceive themselves to think they do believe, and yet neglect the use of the Sacraments. And therefore Christ saith, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he saith not, he that believeth only. Take this therefore as another rule, whosoever truly believeth, is careful to frequent the Sacraments, because when he hath faith, he desireth earnestly the confirmation of it. And whosoever rejecteth the Sacraments as needless and superflous, or despiseth the counsel and commandment of God, that requireth the coming unto them, doth evidently declare that he never had true faith. Thus then we see the woeful condition of all such as refuse the comfortable use of God's Sacraments. The Prophet pronounceth everyone of them accursed that do the work of the Lord negligently. Alas, alas, how many among us lie under this curse! how many are like to perish thorough the heavy, yet just wrath of God! O that these wicked and slothful servants could consider these things! The Lord is near in mercy to those that hear his word diligently, that pray to him earnestly, and frequent the exercises of religion carefully. Cornelius was often in prayer, for he prayed God continually, and therefore an Angel is sent to tell him that his prayers were come up in remembrance before God. So it is said of Hannah, for which she is highly commended. Let this be our praise and commendation.

Secondly, everyone is bound to prepare [Use 2] himself for such times, to lay all lets and businesses aside, to cut off from us all hindrances and encombrances, except we will our selves be cut off, that so we may join in the solemn exercises of God's people. And as we ought to perform this in all our meetings, so then most especially, when all the helps of faith and furtherances of our instruction meet together, when we have both the Scriptures read, and prayers offered, and the word preached, and the Sacraments administered, together with giving of thanks, and singing of Psalms, and such like. Al Israel far and near came to the Passover, and all nations under heaven professing y ^e same faith joined with them. Should not therefore everyone within a small precinct of ground and in a parish give this honor to God? But we have such dissolute and disordered persons in most of our congregations, that think they have done a notable work, and begin to commend their own wisdom, if they can handsomely and cleanly shift off the time of the celebration and participation of the Lord's Supper: Nay, as cunning beggars delight to keep their wounds always bleeding, and their sores ever fresh and running, so commonly these corrupt fellows will have of set purpose some brabling and brawling with their neighbors, just at the time of Easter when it is required they should communicate, and when they know the eyes of all are upon them more then at other times, then I say they will have some quarrel and contention, that so they may escape and go away. And if they can defer and delay the matter for that time, they think themselves safe by this ungodly shift, as the Fox in his burrow, until Easter shall come again. But these are not so to be suffered to escape scot-free. Let them be called upon to come the next time. They that were unclean by the dead, or in a journey, that they could not keep the Passover, were they exempted and freed unto the next year? No, t • ey were commanded to come to it the next month, and that under the pain and censure of excommunication, as we see verse 12, 13. of this chapter. And so was the Church in former time wont to excommunicate all such willful and wicked offenders: and never was there more need to take up this course again, against such as seek to slide away slily as it were in the dark that they might not be espied.

[Use 3] Thirdly, it reproveth such as pretend their defects and imperfections as reasons and warrants to bar them from the Communion, of whom we hope better things then of the former. They espy many corruptions in themselves, that they dare not presume to come, and therefore think it best utterly to abstain. They pretend the danger to come unworthily, and seem afraid to offend by their coming. But let not such deceive themselves. For first, no man for his weakness must forbear the Lord's Table. It was instituted for such as feel their wants. If you feel no weakness of faith, I charge you come not thither, for you cannot be fit receivers. Come to me (saith Christ,) all that are weary, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you, Matth. 11.28. Secondly, the absenting of our selves from the Sacrament can be no good means to better our estate. For no man can reap any good by abstaining. Do we find much evil in our selves that we cannot come? let us persuade our selves of this, as of a certain truth, that forbearing the Lord's Supper will make us much worse. Suppose we find much hypocrisy, much self-love, much corruption, and much hardness of heart in us: yet to keep our selves from this Sacrament, is the ready way to increase and nourish these in us, and so to make us much worse then we were before, but better it cannot make us by any means. Thirdly, this corrupt practice doth closely and secretly accuse God of cruelty and severity, as if he were a rigorous judge that would accept of none but of such as had attained to absolute perfection; or else with that evil servant in the Gospel, they say, We knew thee to be an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, & gathering where thou hast not strewed, Matth. 25.24. yea, in effect they tax him with hatred and envy, whereas he is well pleased with sincerity of heart, though it be accompanied with imperfection of the work, and accepteth the will for the deed, 2 Cor. 8.12. When Hezekiah prayed for the people, that the Lord would pardon everyone that prepared his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers, though he were not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary, the Lord heard him, and hearkened unto him, and healed the people, 2 Chron. 30.18, 19, 20. If there be in us a willing mind, God accepteth us according to that measure of grace which we have, not according to that we want. A good heart shall never be rejected▪ though some evil cleave unto it, and hang about it. Sincerity and truth in the inward parts shall never go away unrewarded. Job fought a sore combat as it were hand to hand with Satan, and received many blows and wounds, in the encounter whereby he was sore weakened, and brake out into many unadvised words which he would not and should not utter; yet God laid them not to his charge, but spared him as a man spareth his only son that serveth him, and setteth him forth as a worthy pattern of patience and of obedience. If then we labor to be upright in heart, the Lord will pass over our infirmities; he wi • l look upon the good we do, and pardon the evil. Lastly, our abstinence giveth evil example unto others, for which also we must give an account. Woe unto them that give offense, and therefore let no person with draw himself when the Lord doth solemnly invite him to such a solemn banket. This we shall do, if we labor to find sweetness and comfort in these holy things of God, & avoid all loathsomeness and tediousness, whereby we incur the wrath of God, which fell upon the Israelites that loathed the Manna, Chap. 11.6. We must come to this heavenly feast, as a man would do to a bodily feast, and feast our souls as we do our bodies, that is, we must bring with us a good appetite, We must hunger and thirst after righteousness, Matth. 5.6. We see how men that would buy and sell do long after Fairs and Markets. These holy assemblies are the Fairs and markets of God, they are the great feast-days of God; let us therefore desire them with an earnest desire, that we may be stored at them, and all our wants be abundantly supplied.

[Verse 14. And if a stranger shall sojourn, &c. ] The third law is set down, binding the stranger among them that embraced the Jewish religion, to partake the Passover. We learn hereby, [Doctrine.] that it is necessary for all Christians that are of age and discretion, to partake the Sacraments of the Lord; so he saith, Take ye, eat ye, drink ye, for the remission of the sins of many, Matth. 26.26. Again he saith, Drink ye all of this: and all of them drank of it, Mar. 14.23. and the Apostle, 1. Cor. 10. showeth that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized under Moses, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink; do we not hear how many alles the Apostle repeateth, all passed, all were baptized, all did eat, all did drink, and that none were freed and exempted from this general and common duty? Christ sending out his disciples, willeth them to go teach all nations and baptize them, Matth. 28.19. So then, there is a necessity laid upon everyone to come to the Lord's Table, without exception of any estate, degree, or person that is of age and discretion.

[Reason 1] For to abstain purposely is a contempt of the seal of our redemption, and consequently both of redemption it self, and of the redeemer himself. For as he that despiseth baptism, despiseth that which is represented by it, namely, the washing away of his sins: so is it in the Supper, they that despise it, do despise the work and price of their redemption, Luke 22, 19. This is my body, do this, &c.

Secondly, they despise the commandment of Christ, nay an heap of commandments multiplied together to enforce this duty; wherefore doth the Lord Jesus say, Take ye, eat ye, do ye this, drink ye, do ye this? is it not to teach us that it belongeth unto us to obey?

Thirdly, we have the examples of the faithful as a cloud of witnesses to enforce us to yield obedience. All have submitted themselves to this duty, and all have accounted thenselves bound to this practice, as we shown before out of the Apostle. And the people complained that they were kept back from the Passover, testifying that it was their desire to be admitted unto it.

Fourthly, such as do not come, do set light by the happy and holy remembrance of the death and passion of the Son of God, (wherein standeth the comfort of all his children) who teacheth that the faithful celebrate the Supper in memorial of him, as Luke 22, 16. If then we willingly and willfully abstain, we declare plainly, that we receive no benefit by the death of Christ, and care not if the memorial thereof were forgotten. An horrible sin.

Fifthly, the Supper is a notable means to strengthen faith: if then all have need of such helps as God hath left for us and appointed unto us, it followeth necessarily, that they must carefully resort to the sacraments, which serve for that end and purpose.

Lastly, they despise the Church and the union thereof, and do of their own accord after a sort excommunicate themselves from the fellowship of their brethren, and of Christ Jesus the author and appointer of this Supper: and in this respect the Apostle willeth them to come together, and reproveth them that were herein slack or singular, saying, Despise ye the Church of God? in this I praise you not.

[Use 1] The uses follow. First, we must confess from hence, that it lieth upon all men to be frequent and forward in performing of this duty, & to come often to this exercise of our faith. It should never be celebrated in the Church, but all should come together. He that maketh a feast looketh that all which are bidden should come it. All the Disciples of Christ met together: and therefore Paul, who delivered that to the Church which he had received of the Lord, v. 23. chargeth them, y ^t when they come together to eat, they should tarry one for another, v. 23. This is a general fault in our assemblies, and a disorder that we must never cease to reprove, which if it were found in our daily dinners that we make for others that are invited, and serve but to feed the belly, of which Paul saith, Meats for the belly, and the belly for the meats, but God shall destroy both it and them: Who would not think himself wronged to furnish his table, and to provide for his guests, & then none vouchsafe to come but cause him to lose all his cost, and labor, and expectation? We come not to the Lord's house and to the Lord's Table with that zeal and diligence which becometh us. It is said of the Church after Christ's ascension, that they continued daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread, &c: and a little before it is said, All that believed, were together. But we, as if our brethren that stay to communicate, were not of the Church, or we did not belong to that fellowship, do shuffle away and scatter our selves abroad, as if this business did not belong unto us. If it be said, [Object.] It is a dangerous thing to receive unworthily: we may make our selves guilty of the body of Christ, and bring judgment upon our selves: I answer, [Answer.] it is not enough for careless men and women to hold out this buckler as if it could defend thē against the stroke of God's word, which cannot serve our turn. These are like to the sluggard in the Proverbs, that saith, There is a Lyon in the way, I shall be slain in the streets: or as it is before: A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. The sluggard never wanteth some defense for himself, he thinketh himself wiser then seven men that can render a reason. This is in his conceit a sure defense for his offense in abstaining, Seeing it is so dangerous to receive unworthily, I will not receive at all, and so I shall escape the danger. But there is a necessity laid upon all that may and do come, and if they will be saved, they must come. For the danger is no less to abstain willfully, then it is to receive unworthily. These are like to those unskillful Mariners, who while they are busy & careful to shun one rock, do run themselves upon another, & there suffer shipwreck. [Object.] But they will farther say for themselves, they hear the word, and tarry so long as the Sermon lasteth, and the word is y ^e chiefest means. I answer, [Answer.] it skilleth not which is more principal and which is less, but it importeth us to know what is God's commandment. As he hath said, Hear ye the word of the Lord, so he hath said of this Sacrament, Take ye, and eat ye, &c. Will we give ear to one commandment, and not to another? Would any man, if he had some covenant to seal, content himself with the writing, and depart before he hath the seal to it? Or when one is bidden to a dinner or a supper, and hath tasted of one dish of meat, will he rise up and be gone? No, he will be sure to sit down with y ^e first, & rise with the last. Or if he should start up and go his ways, will not the master of y ^e feast think himself wronged and injured? And we must make no other account in this holy work, but that if we behave our selves in this rude and disordered manner, we shall highly offend the master of the house, and the author of the feast. Wherefore as the Apostle denounceth a woe against himself, if he preach not the Gospel, because a necessity is laid upon him, so he might denounce a like woe if he did not administer the Lord's Supper: so we must know that the same woe hangeth over our heads, if we do not carefully and oftentimes receive the Supper of the Lord, because a necessity is laid upon us, and therefore we must deal faithfully with God and our own souls in the discharge of this duty.

Secondly, this serveth as a comfort to all [Use 2] those that come as they ought, to wit, reverently and advisedly, and therefore it meeteth with sundry abuses w ^c quench this comfort. Such are justly to be reproved, who depart the congregation in time of the administration of it, as though it were no part of God's worship, or did nothing at all concern themselves. Again, there are many that take a lawless liberty to themselves, to receive y ^e Lord's Supper as often & sildom as they list, as though it were a thing indifferent, that might be done or not be done, at their own discretion. The common excuse that hindereth men is, y ^t they say they are not in charity. But why do they not make hast to reconcile themselves to their brethren? why do they sit still, and never desire to be at unity? The Prophet telleth us it is our duty not only to be at peace with others, that if it be possible as much as lieth in us, we should live peaceably with all men; but also, that we should seek peace and ensue after it. If it fly from us, we must pursue it, and never give over until we have overtaken it, and laid hands upon it. But we are like to a man fallen into a deep pit, that hath no desire or purpose to come out of it. We should not suffer the Sun to go down upon our wrath, least thereby we give entrance unto the devil. If we entertain the one, we can by no means exclude and shut out the other, as the example of Cain may teach us, who was of that evil one, and therefore first he hated, and then slew his Brother, 1. John 3, 12.

[Use 3] Lastly, seeing we are bound to come to the Sacraments, let us labor to feel the power, virtue, & grace offered unto us by them. Nothing in the world should be so often remembered of us as the death of Christ. This should be a Christian man's treasury, nothing should more rejoice our hearts, Gal. 6, 14. and therefore if we desire to feel the benefit of it, and to be transformed into a likeness of it, it should effectually move us to be often present, and often to use these pledges & remembrances of his death. In this Sacrament, we do after a sort see him crucified upon the cross. And to show that we do truly remember his death, let us labor to express the power of it, and answerably bear the like mind toward him. A conformity unto his death, is to die to sin, Rom. 6, 1. They that return to their own vomit, never came with a good conscience. What bitterness of the cross did he patiently endure for us? and shall we with our sins, as with nails and spears, pierce his hands, nay his heart again? These make a mock of the Lord's Supper, which representeth his death, nay they set at naught his death and passion. Others that day, so soon as they have been partakers of this seal, run up and down in rioting and sporting, and Ale-house hanting, and thereby make it evident, what reckoning they make of his death. Do these labor to die to sin, and to be like him? If we do no better die with him then in this profane manner, let us take heed of the second death, for it is to be feared such shall never live with him. If we be not like to him in this life, let us not look to be like unto him in the life to come.

[Verse 15. And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up, &c. ] The second part of y ^e chap. followeth, to wit, the removing from Sinai, when once the Tabernacle was erected. I will from hence observe before we pass farther, [Doctrine.] one point from the building and erecting of the Tabernacle, a place for the congregation to meet together for the worship of God, that Christians also in the time of the gospel should have churches and Temples built, and fit places appointed to meet together for God's service. True it is, in time of persecution, when free liberty of public meetings is restrained, it sufficeth to meet in private houses (if those houses may be called private which are separated for such a purpose;) yet even they ought to be decent and fitted to so holy a work, and sanctified to so holy an end. God commanded Moses to set up a Tabernacle for the assembling together of the congregation, Exod. 25 David prepared to build an house to God, & would give no sleep to his eyes, nor slumber to his eielids, until he had found out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob, Ps. 132 4, 5. Solomon afterward built him an house, w ^c was called the house of prayer, because chiefly it served for that purpose, Acts 7, 47. Immediately after the captivity, when Solomon's Temple was ruinated, it was the principal care of the Jews to build it again; and though they were hindered a long time in the work, John. 2. yet being reproved for their negligence, and stirred up to diligence by the Prophets, they finished the work. The Apostle speaking of the abuses among the Corinthians touching the Lord's Supper, showeth, that they came together into one place, 2 Cor. 11, 20. and therefore it is needful to have fit places, by what name soever they be called, wherein the church is to assemble, Psal. 74, 8. Luk. 4, 16.

And so much the rather, because y ^e Lord hath [Reason 1] promised his presence in them, and to dwell in them by his grace & Spirit. Exod. 25.8. Let them make me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell among them; for wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his name, there will he be in the midst of them, Math. 18. Secondly, prayers that are made jointly together by the whole congregation, are always more effectual: they send up a stronger cry, and therefore they are sooner heard. The best melody is of more voices then one: and moe sticks laid upon the fire make the heat the greater. We ought therefore to have fit places for this purpose, that we may as it were with one mind, & with one mouth glorify God.

[Use 1] Is this the end for which Churches are instituted and appointed? Then it reproveth such as invert the right uses of them, to wit, that in them we should come together to hear the word read and preached unto us, to make prayers and supplications, to receive the Sacraments, to sing Psalms, & to offer up praise and thanksgiving to almighty God: of which the Romanists have set up false ends, and established their own devices. They will have them erected for the external sacrifice of the Mass, for their Altars and Images, & such like trumpery; for which they allege the saying of the Apostle, Heb. 13, 10. but the Altar there spoken of is Christ himself, on which every faithful man must offer. The true ends of them we noted before, for the reading of the Scriptures, Acts 15, 21. for the preaching of the word, Luk. 4. for prayer, and for the receiving of the Sacraments, Acts 20, 7. Again, they teach that churches are of themselves more holy ground then other places, and in regard of the holy nature thereof, more available to pray there thē anywhere else. The place is to be accounted holy for the present, while the exercises of religion continue, but the congregation once dissolved, there is no inherent holiness remaining in it more then in any other place. Churches therefore we acknowledge to be holy places, nor in regard of the building and the beauty of them, not in regard of the ground or seat of them, but of the end & holy use for which they serve, and for the holy assemblies that there are made. Here then is the difference between them & us, they make churches to be holy in respect of the place, we in respect of the people. The people make the place holy, not the place the people. We are not therefore to pray to God with any opinion of holiness in one place, rather then in another, John 4, 21. Every place hath God's presence, and everywhere we may lift up pure hands, and therefore is alike sanctified for prayer in it self considered. Furthermore, whereas su •• places should be dedicated and consecrated to the honor of God, they will have thē also built to the name and honor of the Saints, and make them to be Patrons and protectors of them: there they pray unto them as to their mediators and intercessors. But no divine worship is to be given unto them. This is no better then flat idolatry, to pray to those that cannot help us. But to let these go, let us see how these religious places are otherwise profaned. Do we come to them as to God's house? Do we use there that reverence which is fit in his presence and dwelling place? So did the people, while Zachariah was burning incense, the multitude were without in prayer. But we commonly come thither rather to talk & trifle, then to pray and hear. In former times men's houses were their churches, but now the churches are turned into their houses, being ordinarily profaned with babbling, & laughing, and sleeping, and what not? Many come hither for no other cause but to buy and bargain, and to meet with others for their earthly profits and worldly business. Where have we commonly more brauling and brabling then at the church? will not the least penny or occasion make us iar and almost set us together by the ears? We should come hither to please God, but when we are come we displease him, and forget God, and our selves, and the word, and the place and all. There is an Article, and it is a good one, to inquire of Church-abuses, whether there be any plays and interludes, any feasts and banquets kept in our churches, any suppers or churchales, drinkings and tiplings, musters & profane usages in churches, chapels, or churchyards? and whether the parishioners behave themselves rudely and disorderly in time of divine Service or Sermon, as by walking, talking, ringing, or any noise whereby the Minister or preacher is hindered and disturbed? These abuses are committed, and yet continue in many places. Christ would not suffer a vessel to be carried through the temple; He went into the Temple, and cast out all thē that bought and sold in the Temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold Doves. He purged the Temple of these Merchants, and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he scourged them out, he poured out the changers money, and overthrew the tables, as it is written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. And he said unto them, Take these things hence, make not my Fathers house an house of merchandise, ver. 16. This house was the house of prayer by divine institution, but they had made it a den of thieves by profane custom and corruption. Let us therefore all of us remember to what end and purpose Temples were built, that God may be honored, not dishonored of us, and consider y ^e presence of God and his angels in such places, to procure the greater reverence unto them.

Secondly, it is required that these places be [Use] kept in good order, that they may be accounted of as the houses of God. Is it meet that a Prince should rest in a simple cottage, or dwell in a sty or in a stable? and shall we entertain the King of kings in a soul and unfit place? There is no man that goeth about to entertain a friend, but he will make clean his house, and purge it of all uncleanness. Shall we have less care to receive the Lord then man? and of the house of God then of our own houses? It is the will of God that all congregations should have a convenient place to resort & come together to perform divine duties. Their zeal & diligence is greatly commended, that have restored and repaired the decays of such places, as we see in the examples of Jehoash & Josiah. As then it is required that the people have a convenient place to meet together for public prayer, for it is a good work to set up such places. The Jews commended the Centurion that had built them a synagogue, and made it an argument of his love to their nation: so like wise, such places should be decently kept for public preaching and prayers, that the holy things of God may be reverenced, & not contemned. Hence it is that the Lord doth sharply reprove, and grievously plague the Jews after their return from captivity, that they could find time to dwell in their settled houses, & yet suffer the Lord's house to lie wast: whereby it came to pass, that they had sown much, but had gathered little; they did eat, but were not satisfied; they did drink, but were not filled; they did clothe themselves, but were not warmed; they did earn wages, but were not enriched, ver. 6. If a man have his private house (wherein he dwelleth) any way decaying and standing in need of repairing, he is ready to redress and re-edify it: yea, he will do it to his barn for his corn, to his stable for his horse, and to his sty for his Swine. Nevertheless, how many think you are there that take themselves to be the people of God, & would be accounted notable good Christians, and think thenselves greatly wronged if any should make any question of it, who suffer the houses of God to run to ruin, and to lie pitifully complaining, so wast and desolate, as if some foreign enemy had made havoc of them by a sudden invasion. Thus do many places lie open to wind and weather, and more deformed, defiled, and disfigured, then any poor Cabin or simple cottage whatsoever. Christ our Savior would not celebrate the Passover, but in a chamber trimmed and prepared for y ^t purpose, Mar. 14, 15. True it is, the Lord standeth not in need of any man's riches, the whole earth is his with all the frame and furniture thereof, yea, the whole world with all that dwell therein. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts, Hag. 2.8. our goods cannot extend unto him, Psal. 16, 2. yet it is his pleasure to use men as his instruments, to erect & edify to his honor, places fit for his service, and to bestow part of that which he hath bestowed upon them, toward the maintenance of his house, where the word may be preached, and the Sacraments administered unto the praise of his name, and the salvation of our own souls, & the souls of our families, and of our brethren. Again, observe that the Oratories and places of prayer do not necessarily require or admit exceeding beauty and sumptuous costs to delight the eye, whatsoever the Papists teach, neither doeth superfluity of garnishing stand with the simplicity of the Gospel, to have Churches glister with gold and silver, and precious stones in gay and gorgeous manner, as the Jewish Temple did. Indeed the P • ophets do foretell in many places of the glory and beauty of the church, that the glory of Lebanon should beautify the place of his Sanctuary, he will make the place, of his feet glorious, Isaiah 60, 13. He will lay the stones of it with Carbuncle, & the foundation with the Sapphires, the windows with Emerauds, and the gates with shining stones, Chap. 54, 11.12. But we must understand this of the spiritual beauty, not of any earthly bravery; of the inward glory, not the outward garnishing of the walls and windows. And therefore it is said, Psa, 45, 13. The kings daughter is all glorious within. The faithful that believe in Christ are this Temple of the living God, 1 Cor. 3, 16, 17. & 6, 19. 2 Cor. 6, 16. and the house of God, Heb. 3, 6. So then, we must consider, that there is an outward and an inward beauty of the church: & we must esteem of the glory of the church by the better part. We have an article to inquire, whether the church, chapel, chancell, and steeple be sufficiently repaired, in covering, walls, glasing, pauing, seats, & bells. And the enquiry is needful, and not without just and good cause. Neuertheles, this is not the principal defect and decay to be repaired and amended. This must be done, but better things must not be left undone. There are in all places almost fair pulpets, but very many places want good pulpetmen. There be bells more or less, but many of them want their clappers, they cannot be heard. The Priests under the Law were to come into the Tabernacle with their bells, that the sound might come to the ears of the people: but the sound of the Ministers in many places is not to be heard, they are tongue-tied and cannot teach the people, like Idols that have mouths but cannot speak. Bernard in his time complaineth of superfluous cost bestowed upon churches, & showeth that holiness becometh God's house, which is rather delighted with unpolluted manners then with polished marble. It is a better work to relieve the needy, to feed the hungry, and to clothe the naked, then to garnish churches with gold and silver. It is said, y ^t in former times when the church had wooden cups, it had golden Ministers: but now when as they had golden cups they had wood̄ Ministers. What shall it avail to hang the walls of the church with costly and curious ornaments to have pillars shining with Marble, and the covering glistering with gold, whilst in the mean season there is no good choice of the Ministers that may attend on holy things▪ and preach the Gospel in truth and sincerity? Whatsoever the natural man esteemeth of glory and garnishing, whose vain imagination like the child that is delighted with toys and babies, is carried away with goodly shows to the eye, with pleasant smells to the nostrils, and with pleasing sounds to the ear, yet when we have learned to judge aright, & to esteem of things by the virtue and value of them, not by the sight and appearance, we will confess that among all others that is the goodliest Temple, and hath the most glorious ornaments and monuments in it, where the word is most soundly preached, and the Sacraments in the best manner delivered. This we ought to account the beauty and ornament of a Temple; and doubtless without these, it wanteth much of his luster, it is as a ruinous and ragged building, let it be otherwise never so richly garnished. This appeareth evidently at the building and erecting of the second Temple after the captivity, when the people that had seen the surpassing glory of the first house, to wit, the Temple of Solomon, the mirror of the world, saw also the simple beginnings and weak foundation of this, they wept with a loud voice, Ezra 3, 12. yet the Prophet telleth them, that the glory of the second house should far exceed & surmount the Temple of Solomon: as Hag. 2, 3. Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory, and how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet he biddeth them be of good comfort, and telleth them that the glory of the latter should be greater then of the former house. But wherein stood this glory? or in what did it consist? not in the building, not in the stones, not in the vessels; it wanted the Mercy-seat, the Ark, the Tables, the Vrim and Thummim, and such like: herein therefore consisted the greatness of the glory of it, that while this stood, Christ Jesus should come to be the light of the Gentiles, and the glory of the people of Israel, Lu. 2, 32. And this doth Haggai teach, Chap. 2, 27. that the Desire of all nations should come, and so the Lord would fill that house with glory. A notable argument to convince the Jews, who have seen with their eyes this Temple long since destroyed, and not one stone left upon another that was not thrown down, Math. 24, 42. and yet they do foolishly to this day, look for another Messiah. So likewise the Evangelist Matthew speaketh of Bethlehem, that it was not the least among the Princes of Judah, because out of it should come a Governor which should rule his people Israel, Math. 2, 6. Yet the Prophet Micah (out of whom the sentence is taken) showeth, That it is little among the many thousands of Judah, chap. 5, 2. This may seem to imply a contradiction, to be little, and yet not little: howbeit we must understand, that this place which is in it self▪ or compared with others small and little, yet through the birth of Christ it should be made famous and preferred before many other in Judah. Behold therefore wherein the glory of any place or people consisteth, to wit, in giving entertainment unto Christ, and in embracing the Gospel, which bringeth salvation to all men. And this is the glory of particular persons (not to surmount in strength, nor to abound in riches, nor to excel in wisdom, but to know the Lord, and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ, and him crucified, John. 17, 3. It is our glory to seek the glory of God, & if we have learned Christ, we have learned the way unto true glory. So then to conclude, we receive & practice whatsoever is fit and decent in setting up and adorning of churches, but we refuse and reject all excess, curiosity, and superfluity, as nothing at all furthering the worship of God, nothing fitting the Gospel of Christ, nothing auailing the salvation of mā, nothing helping to the kingdom of heaven; the folly whereof is so palpable and apparent, that the wiser sort among the Gentiles reproved it, and inueyed against it, and saw that gold in God's worship auailed nothing at all.

Lastly, this putteth us in mind of a necessary [Use 3] duty belonging to all, to assemble men, women, and children, all that are of understanding for the hearing of the word, and other duties of faith & religion. For wherefore is it y ^e will and pleasure of God, that houses and places of purpose should be built? Is it for show or for the name? It were vain and foolish so to surmise, as if he delighted to put his people to idle expenses. No, it is for preaching, for prayer, and for the Sacraments. Therefore was the Tabernacle erected, until which time was no certain place assigned: afterward, they had the Temple at Jerusalem, and Synagogues in all parts of the land, that God in thē might be publicly served and worshipped. Great was the zeal of David to these gracious assemblies. His soul longed for the Courts of God, as the Hart desireth the water brooks. His soul was athirst for God, for the living God, to appear before his presence. His tears were his meat and drink, while he was kept from these places, and while they daily said unto him, Where is now thy God? He poured out his very heart, when he remembered how he had gone with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God in the voice of praise and Thanksgiving. He was glad when they said unto him, We will go into the house of the Lord. And as it was with him, so was it with other the faithful. They were earnest to come unto these assemblies, they were loath to depart from them, they were grieved at their own absence that they could not be at them, being driven away by the enemies. The commandment of the Lord is general, that their Captains, their Elders, their Officers, and all the people should gather together. Who is it then shall plead an immunity or dispensation from this duty? May Women or Children? No, they are expressly charged to assemble themselves, Deut. 31, 12, 13. and ch. 29, verses 10, 11. Men, Women, and Children, from the hewer of thy Woode, unto the drawer of thy Water, even all of them must come together, that they may hear, and learn, and fear the Lord their GOD, and observe to do all the words of the Law. But is then the stranger exempted? No, he is willed to meet together with the rest. Are the old freed from this duty through their age? It is noted of Hannah, that she was an old woman that had been a widow fourscore and four yea • es, yet she went not out of the Temple, that is, all her delight was to be there; she was never well and at hearts ease, till she was in God's house; she made the Temple as her own house to dwell in; she made the word & worship of God her meat and drink to feed on, serving him with fasting and prayers day and night, Luke 2, 37. So Simeon came into the Temple by the motion of the Spirit, when the Parents brought the babe Jesus to do for him after the custom of the Law, verse 27. Peter and John might have prayed at home in their houses, as many pretend they can and yet do it not; but they went up together into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer. The Lord giveth commandment, Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my Sanctuary, I am the Lord. Such then as show no love to the Sanctuary of God, have no care of sanctifying the Sabbath, but do defile it and profane it; yea they never consider that they contemn the Lord himself, neither with whom they have to do in this business. Christ our Savior when he could be found nowhere else, by his parents seeking for him, he was found in the temple. Thus we see the practice of David, of Hannah, of Simeon, of the Apostles, and of Christ himself touching the public service of God. But behold the difference between those times and ours, or rather between them and us. David longed to be in the house of God, our souls long and faint to be out of it. Hannah dwelt in the temple, and could hardly be gotten out of it: we had rather dwell in the tents of wickedness, & with much ado are brought to come unto the Temple. Simeon was old as well as Hannah; we think our selves too old, and plead weakness and faintness that we cannot go so far, and yet we can stretch out our limbs to go farther at other times, and for other occasions. Simeon came into the Temple by the motion of the Spirit; by whose motion do others keep themselves from the Temple? and what shall we say ruleth in them? surely not the Spirit of God: what other spirit then it can be, I had rather leave it to themselves to consider, then declare it to them. Christ Jesus could be found nowhere but in the Temple; if one would inquire for these, yea upon the Sabbath day, yea in time of divine Service, you shall have them rather in the Tavern then in the Temple, or sitting upon an ale-bench rather then in place where it were more meet they did show their presence, even where God hath promised to show his presence. True it is, he hath said, that heaven is his throne, and the earth his footstool, & that he dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, Isaiah 66, 1. But the meaning is, that he is not included or as it were imprisoned in them, his power is not tied to any place; nevertheless, he hath made a special pro • i • e t • at where two or three are gathered together in his name, there is he in the midst of them. Wherefore, great sh • uld be our zeal toward the house of prayer, we should much desire to be at it, we should more and more be in love with it, and with great reverence remain in it. He that findeth not the Lord here where his honor dwelleth, let him never look to find him elsewhere. For whosoever despiseth in the pride of his heart the place of God's worship, & • e • useth to yield his presence there, deceiveth himself if ever he think that God will make himself known unto him any other way.

[Verse 21, 22. And so it was when the Clowd abode, &c. ] Here we have the cause of their marching and resting declared, to wit, the cloud, which was upon them by day when they went out of the campe, Numb. 10.34. When that stayed over them, whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, they abode in their tents, and iournied not; but when it was taken up, they journeyed. This cloud had the nature of a Sacrament, and signified the presence of Christ conducting them. The doctrine [Doctrine.] from hence is this, that Christ Jesus is the substance of the Sacraments both of the old and New Testament. Whatsoever the signs were, and howsoever they varied, yet he was signified by them all. This appeareth in this book plentifully by the cloud in this place: by Manna, chap. 11. and the rock ch. 20. all which were Sacraments unto them, all were the same with our baptism and the Lord's Supper, and all of them were figures of Christ, as appeareth not by some probability, but by the express testimony of the Apostle, I would not have you ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, & were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea: and did all eat the same spiritual meat, & did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. First, touching the cloud & passing over the sea, if we consider the letter of the history, there was a great miracle in them both. The cloud in the day time defended them from y ^e heat of the Sun, their passage through the Sea gave them safety and security frō the tyranny of Pharaoh, and frō the danger of present death. Nevertheless, this is not all which we are to mark, nor the chief thing which we are to consider, because there lay hid as it were under a veil a greater mystery, inasmuch as both the cloud and the sea served them instead of a certain kind of baptism, representing and performing that unto them w ^c our baptism doth unto us. For as baptism is a sign and signification of the grace of God, a Sacrament of regeneration, and a certain passage from death to life, so the Cloude was in effect to them as much, to wit, a tokē and testimony of the presence of God; & their passing through the sea was as a passing frō death to a new life. For while they were in the depth and bottom of the sea, where were they but in the midst of death? and when they had escaped to the farther shore, did they not after a sort rise from death to life? So then the Apostle teacheth, that both the Cloud and the Sea were as a certain Sacrament unto the Jews, & that common to them all, because all were covered with the cloud, & all of them passed through the sea, even as we that profess Christ are all washed with water, which signifieth our washing with his blood, and our partaking of his righteousness, Rom. 6, 3. Galath. 3, 27. Hence it is that many are said to be baptized in y ^e name of Christ, Act. 2, 38. & 19, 5. which noteth not the form, but rather the end or effect of their baptism. It may be said, we read no such signification of the cloud or of the sea in the old Testament: how then did the Fathers understand them to be Sacraments? True it is, this is not expressed, but the Apostle the best interpreter of the Scripture giveth us a good warrant so to understand them, and to conceive of them. And there is no doubt but Moses and Aaron, and others instructed by them and by the Spirit of God, thus understood these mysteries. For how can we think that they which dealt faithfully in the house of God, would be silent in these things, & not teach the people? Neither may we admit of the gross conceit of Illyricus, who noteth that the Apostle inflectit paulo violentiùs ipsum simile, that is, doth somewhat violently, wrest this similitude. God forbid that we should think that Paul would lay violent hands upon the Scriptures, or wrest any part of the word of God from the natural meaning. The unlearned and unstable wrested the writings of Paul as they did also the other Scriptures: would Peter have complained of such, if his beloved brother Paul had done the like? Now it cannot be denied, that they were true Sacraments, because they signified Christ Jesus. True it is, they were not ordinary, nor perpetual, but extraordinary, and temporal, and transitory, howbeit they had a spiritual signification. The cloud was instead of the outward element and visible sign, neither was the word of grace wanting, and therefore it is called the Lord, and the Cloud of the Lord, Exod. 14. Numb. 14. & 19. If then the word joined to the element do make a Sacrament, this also must be acknowledged to be a Sacrament, forasmuch as it was a sign to them of the protection and preservation of God. The like we might say of their passing through the sea; they had this word of promise, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord which he shall show you today, &c. These indeed were outward blessings, but they pointed out spiritual blessings to the faithful, to wit, the favor and grace of God, and led them as it were by the hand to Christ, in whom is the accomplishment of all promises. True it is, all were partakers of the temporal benefits, but all did not partake of the eternal, howbeit this came to pass thorough their own fault & infidelity, inasmuch as they wer offered by God, albeit not received by them. For all have not faith, 2 Thes. 3, 2. and therefore all have not Christ, the pith and marrow of the Sacraments. If any ask why the Apostle maketh choice of these two, [Objection] the cloud and the sea, and calleth them by the name of a Baptism, and doth not rather remember circumcision, which was to the Jews instead of our baptism, forasmuch as their circumcision is our baptism, and our baptism is their circumcision, Phil. 3, 3. Coloss. 2, 11. and both of them are a Sacrament of our regeneration and adoption: The answer [Answer.] is, that in the cloud and the sea is a more plain and evident resemblance and proportion with the water in baptism, and the passage from death to life, was more lively and clearly shown and shadowed in them then in the circumcision. For they that stood under the cloud (as of all them did) what did they in a manner, but stand under death, because the cloud hanging over their heads, seemed ready in a minute and moment to fall upon them, and overwhelm them? So to go down into the bottom of the Sea, what was it to them but a kind of death? and to pass to the other shore, what was it but a rising again from death to life? And this doth the Apostle speak of baptism, as we have heard. So then the cloud and the sea were as a baptism to the Jews, and our baptism is as the cloud and the sea to us Christians; all looked at Christ, all signified grace, life, salvation, remission of sins, and regeneration thorough him. To these we must join Manna, and the rock; the one was spiritual meat unto them, the other was spiritual drink, and both of them the same with the Lord's Supper, and therefore they were not inferior unto us. Our Supper is spiritual meat, and spiritual drink, they also had their spiritual meat and Manna, and their spiritual drink out of the rock, and all these had reference to one and the same Christ; and therefore Paul saith, verse 4. The Rock was Christ. So the Manna was Christ, for he is the hidden Manna, Revel. 2, 17. These are called spiritual, because they had a spiritual signification. Thus are y ^e Jews made equal to us in the other Sacrament also, which is a sign and seal of the nourishment which we have by Christ. The Sacraments were diverse in the outward signs, but in the thing signified, they are one and the same. This Manna & the rock were as the Supper of the Jews: so the Supper of the Lord is as the Manna and rock of us that are Christians. Thus then we see, that the cloud was Christ, the red sea was Christ, the Manna was Christ, as the Apostle expresseth that the rock was Christ, & as Christ showeth that the bread was his body, & the cup is the New Testament in his blood, the breaking of bread is the communion of the body of Christ, and the cup of blessing is called the communion of the blood of Christ, 1 Corin. 10, 16. So that we see all Sacraments whatsoever did figure out Christ, and point him out as with the finger.

[Use 1] This showeth the agreement between the Sacraments of the old & New Testament, they are the same in regard of the grace represented and signified by them. The same Christ is in both: the one figuring him out to come, the other pointing him out as already come in the flesh. Hence it is, that their Sacraments were dark and obscure, ours do serve more plainly and clearly to confirm our faith and to seal up our salvation. For as the Apostle teacheth that the Israelites were baptized as well as we, and did all eat spiritual meat, and drink spiritual drink as well as we: so he showeth that we are circumcised, and have a Passover sacrificed for us, and therefore it followeth that they had the same spiritual communion with Christ that we have. Out of this we have three things to be considered of us. First, that the Covenant of God with man hath evermore been in substance the same: forasmuch as it is a free contract between the Lord and a sinner, concerning the pardon of sin, and life everlasting through faith in Christ Jesus. This covenant he made with Jews and Gentiles. This was made with sinful man immediately after the fall, Gen. 3, 15. This succeedeth the former, which is of works, so soon as it was broken: for the latter which is the covenant of grace, had not been made, if the former had not been broken, and so made insufficient and impossible, Heb. 8, 7. Rom. 3, 23. Gal. 3, 21. True it is, the new Covenant which offereth salvation unto a sinner, is but one in substance, but in regard of circumstances it differeth. For in the Old Testament it was shadowed out by types, by figures, and by shadows before Christ's coming in the flesh. This yoke was taken away when Christ was exhibited, and all these ceremonies abolished, to the great manifestation of God's love toward us, and the special comfort of all the faithful. Secondly, that dishonor is done to God, violence to the Sacraments, and injury to the Fathers, by such as hold, that the Sacraments of the Old Testament were only significative and mere shadows. For the Apostle speaking of the Fathers, saith, Acts 15, 11. We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they: but they were not saved by shadows of grace: for how can the rock be accounted a mere shadow and nothing else, seeing the Apostle calleth it Christ? If it be Christ, then doubtless they drank Christ himself which drank of that rock; even as if the bread be the body of Christ, and the cup the blood of Christ sacramentally, it cannot be denied, but that all they which eat the bread and drink of the cup of the Lord worthily, must necessarily eat the body & drink the blood of Christ spiritually. If any object, that Christ had not yet taken flesh of the virgin Mary, neither was exhibited to y ^e world. I answer, [Answer.] it is true; but nothing to the purpose, because faith is the substance of things hoped for, & the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11, 1. This made the flesh of Christ present, though he had not yet taken our nature upon him, neither were partaker of flesh and blood, Heb. 2, 14, And thus they did find salvation in the flesh of Christ, who was the Lamb slain from the beginning of y ^e world, Revel. 13, 18. because God had promised even in the garden, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head; so that we may say with the Apostle, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever, Hebr. 13, 8. And how could the Fathers under the Law have eternal life otherwise, forasmuch as this was evermore a true saying, Except ye▪ eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you? &c. John 6, 53, 54. So then the Israelites did seek & obtain salvation in the flesh of Christ which he was to give, whē the fullness of time came, for the redemption and salvation of the world. And through faith they received Christ, not only in the word, but also in the Sacraments. Thirdly, from hence it appeareth, that the eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ, is merely and wholly spiritual, for by faith it is that we are united unto Christ, as branches to the vine, and draw from him everlasting life, and by faith he dwelleth in our hearts, Eph. 3, 17. This communion is common to the Fathers and us: but the Fathers could not communicate with Christ any otherwise then by faith in the Word and Sacraments, seeing he had not taken our flesh upon him: and therefore so it is with us, our communion is not carnal but spiritual. And such a communion did Christ himself teach, John 6, where he overthroweth and destroyeth the carnal eating of his body, both by telling them of his ascending into heaven, verse 62. What if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? as if he should say, I will carry up my flesh with me into heaven, whither your mouth cannot reach nor enter: and by showing that such kind of carnal eating can profit nothing, v. 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing, the words that I speak are spirit, and they are life. This only is necessary & sufficient unto saluatiō, the corporal & carnal eating, which is now maintained and defended by the Church of Rome and others, i • neither necessary, nor profitable, nor sufficient, nor any way available unto salvation. Nay, to many it is hurtful, dangerous, deadly, and damnable. These are like to the Capernaites, that did adhere servilely to the letter, & will seem to stick closely to the words of Christ; howbeit he saith not, in the bread or under the species of the bread is the body, but This, that is, this bread which I have blessed, broken, and delivered into your hands to be eaten with the mouth of the body, is my body to be broken for you upon the Cross. But if the bread it self be the body of Christ, thē cannot the body of Christ be said to be in the bread. Wherefore the words of institution do not teach, or require, or confirm the carnal presence of the body of Christ in the bread.

Secondly, if the body and blood of Christ had been really in the bread and wine, Christ should have eaten himself even his own body, and drunk his own blood which was not yet really and actually shed, but rested & remained within the veins. For it is holden that he did eat of the bread and drink of the wine with his Disciples, and therefore he saith, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdom, Math. 26, 29. And as he was circumcised for us, not for himself, and was baptized for us, not for himself, and did eat the Passover also with his Disciples, so it may well be thought that he did partake of the Supper, as well as of the other Sacraments.

Moreover, Christ is ascended really into heaven with his body, which must contain him until his coming again, Acts 3, 21, and 1, 11. When he ascended, he left this world with his body, John 16.28. We have the poor ever with us, but him we shall not have ever, Math. 26, 11. It will be said, that Christ saith, Loe, I am with you to the ende of the world, Math. 28. It is true in respect of his Deity: for the promise is made to the Church of his perpetual presence, providence, and protection by his Spirit. Again, if he were always upon the earth, he could not be our Priest to make intercession for us, as Hebr. 8, 4. If he were on earth, he could not be a Priest, &c. but he is our Priest and sitteth at the right hand of his Father. Besides, if Christ were present bodily in the bread, he were to be worshipped in the bread, and in the mouths and stomachs of these that receive and eat the bread; but that cannot be without committing idolatry. He will come from the heavens to judge the quick and the dead, not from the bread or from the Altars. His body is visible and may be felt, and hath flesh and bones, as our natural bodies have, Luke 24.30. We are forewarned by our Savior, not to believe or give any credit to such as will show him on the earth, and say, Loe here is Christ, or loe he is there, before his coming again, Math. 24, 26. If they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the Desert, go not forth: Behold, he is in the secret Chambers, believe it not: and shall we believe them that tell us he is in the bread, or in the pyx or on the Altar? but of this I have spoken elesewhere.

Secondly, it is not enough to come to the [Use 2] Sacraments and to be partakers of the outward signs, the chief part that we must look after is Christ Jesus. It serveth therefore to beat down all confidence that we may have in the outward sign. Simon Magus was baptized as well as the rest in Samaria, Acts 8, 13. but what did that avail him, forasmuch as he remained in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity? verse 23. therefore he had no profit by it, for though his body were washed with water, yet his soul was not cleansed by the blood of Christ. It is noted of the Israelites by the Apostle, that they were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, all did eat the same spiritual meat, and drank the same spiritual drink; yet with many of them was not God pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. What did it advantage thē to be partakers of these benefits? They might bring some good to their bodies, but they brought no comfort to their souls. Al were partakers of the outward signs, but all received not the grace signified, for many of them were destroyed. It hath always been even from the beginning a vain opinion and presumption to ascribe too much to the outward work of every ordinance of God. We know how much the Jews gloried in their circumcision, and preferred themselves before the Gentiles whom they contemned, as if, to have the foreskin of the flesh cut off, were enough to make a man to be undoubtedly the true child of Abraham, nay the child of God, although he did never labor to express the true circumcision, which is the power of it in their hearts. Hence it is, that the Prophets call them back continually from this foolish confidence, and will them to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts, and be no more stiff-necked. Stephen putteth them in mind, notwithstanding the outward circumcision, that they were uncircumcised in heart and ears, Acts 7, 52. As then there is a double circumcision, one outward or of the letter, the other inward or of the Spirt: so may we say of baptism. And as the outward circumcision, notwithstanding all their vain boasting, could not profit, so must we conceive no less of our outward baptism, if we do not labor, when we are come to age and years of discretion, to be washed and cleansed from sin in our souls, as we were washed with water in our infancy. Again, they gloried not a little in the Temple and in the sacrifices offered in the Temple, Ier. 7, 4. they cried out, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, this is the Temple of the Lord; yet the Prophet faileth not to tell them, that they trusted in lying words, which should not profit, so long as they did not amend their ways and their works. Thus they rested in the deed done, as if they had done a meritorious act, that must needs deserve the love and favor of God. So is it with the ignorant multitude among us, if they come to Church, they think they have done a great work, as much as God can justly or possibly require at their hands. But our coming to our Temples or Churches, shall little help us, except we hear & obey, and become new creatures. This corruption (whereof we speak) we have even drawn from the loins of Adam, and sucked it from the breasts of our first mother. When Adam and his wife had fallen from God, the Lord cast them out of the garden, lest they should put forth their hand, and take hold of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, Gen. 3, 22. Had the tree any such virtue in it, that if they had eaten of it again, it could restore them to life, and make them live forever? No, but God discovereth the corrupt judgment of degenerate man; they had an opinion that they. should recover their former estate again, if once they could lay hold of the tree of life, they thought all would be well, if they might taste of that fruit. Thus it is with many in our days, if they receive the Supper of the Lord, they think it hath an hidden virtue inherent in it, as a medicine that serveth for the body, and that they are as sound Christians as the best. The like we see in the Israelites at another time, when they had received an overthrow by the Philistines, & their forces defeated that they brought into the field against them, they trusted in the Ark rather then in the living God, saying, Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. They deemed & dreamed that the bare bringing of the Ark into the host, should defend them and discomfit their enemies. They had a vain confidence in that outward sign of God's presence, but they had polluted the worship of God, and no Ark can save a profane people. So if we be ungodly, profane, & rebellious, though we receive the Supper every day, it should do us no more good then to trust to a broken reed, forasmuch as it will rather serve to further our condemnation by abusing of it.

[Use 3] Lastly, we must take heed how we come to the Sacramens, and bring with us the hand of faith, that we may lay hold upon Christ as well as upon the bread and the cup. With the hand of the body we receive these, but with the hand of the soul we receive Christ. Here is great comfort ministered to all those that come to the Lord's Table aright. For as they that rest in the outward signs, wherein pride and ignorance meet together, depart without any benefit to themselves: so all such as communicate aright, do receive Christ and all his benefits, then which there cannot be a greater benefit. God the Father offereth and assureth his own Son, whom he hath sealed to be the Mediator of our redemption, & he deludeth and deceiveth no man that cometh to the Supper as a guest prepared for the marriage feast. For as the word turneth to be the savor of death unto death to the irreverent and vnregarding hearer; so in truth is the Sacrament the savor of death unto death to the unworthy and unwise receiver. Let us therefore thoroughly examine and prove our selves, whether we be in the faith or not, and consider diligently what is set before us, and hunger and thirst after Christ, that we may obtain this hidden Manna. This we shall never do, except we observe these few rules. First, we must try our selves by y ^e law of God, whereby cometh the knowledge of sin, Rom. 3, 20, & 7, 7. It is a clear glass to show us our faces or rather our hearts, I am. 1, 23. From hence we must frame an editement against our selves.

Secondly, we must labor to understand and believe the common corruption of all mankind, standing partly in original sin, and partly in the fruits thereof, wherewith all are tainted as with an unclean leprosy from the crown of the head to the soale of the foot, Rom. 3, 9.

Thirdly, we must feel the curse of everlasting death due to us, Gal. 3, 10.

Fourthly, we must learn what covenant God hath made with us touching grace and mercy, that we may be raised up to comfort in the Son of God our Redeemer.

Fifthly, we must desire to be made partakers of the Lord's Supper, and feel how much we stand in need of it; which will follow necessarily upon the former.

Lastly, we should fit our selves the better unto the work, by considering the proportion between the signs and the things signified. The beholding of the breaking of the bread, & the pouring out of the wine, should enforce us to remember the body of Christ broken and his blood shed for us.

When we look upon the Minister coming to us and reaching forth these elements, We should consider that the Lord Jesus himself cometh to us, and offereth himself with all his mercies and merits unto us, if we have faith to receive him. And as we lay hold upon the bread and wine, and take them in our hands, so we must stretch forth the hand of a lively faith to lay hold of Christ; for with him we shall entertain all his saving benefits to our endless and everlasting comfort.