Sermons Upon the Lords Supper

THE FIRST SERMON, UPON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENErall: Preached the first of February. 1589.

T HAIR is nothing in this world, nor out of this world, mair to be wished of every ane of you, mair to be craved & sought of every ane of you; nor to be cōjoined with Christ Jesus, nor anis to be maid ane with the God of glory, Christ Jesus. This heavenly & celestial conjunction is purchased & brought about, be twa special means: It is brought about be the mean of the word, & preaching of the gospel: & it is brought about be the mean of the Sacraments and ministration thairof. The word leads us to christ be the ear: the sacraments leads us to Christ be the eye; Twa senses of all the rest, whilk God hes chosen, as mayest meet for this purpose to instruct us, and bring us to Christ. For that doctrine mann be mayest effectual and moving, that walkens and steirs up moniest of the outward senses: that doctrine that walkens not only the ear, bot the eye, the taist, the feeling, and all the rest of the outward senses, mann move the heart mayest, mann be mayest effectual and piercing in the saul: Bot sa it is, that this doctrine of the Sacraments mouis, steirs up, & walkins moniest of the outward senses; Therefore it mann be (gif we cum weil prepared to it) mayest effectual to steir up the inward senses of the dull heart. But their is a thing, that ye mann ever remember; Thair is na doctrine, nather of the simple word, nor yet of the sacraments, gif Christ abstract his holy Spirit, that is able to move. Therefore, when ever ye come to hear the doctrine, whider it be of the Sacraments, or of the simple word: crave of God, that he wald be present be his holy Spirit, or vtherwais all the doctrine in the earth will not avail you. Always, this doctrine of the Sacraments, steires up, and walkens moniest of the outward senses, and therefore there is na questioun, but it is ane effectual and potent instrument to walken, prepare and steir up our harts.

Then to lat you see, what the word Sacrament meanis: and to remove the ambiguity of it; It is certain, and out of all questioun, that the Latin Theologs, wha were mayest ancient, did interpret the Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , be the word Sacrament, & they used the Greek word, not only to signify the hail action, as the hail action of Baptism, & the hail action of the Supper of the Lord: but they used the word mystery, to signify whatsoever is dark, & hid in itself, & not frequented in the common use of men: as after this manner, the Apostle callis the vocation of the Gentiles a mystery. This conjunction whilk is begun heir betwixt us & Christ, is called a Mystery, and the Latin interpreters, callis it a Sacrament, and to be schort, ye will not find in the book of God, a word mair frequent, nor the word Mystery. But as to the word Sacrament, whereby they signify the Greek word, we find not this word be the same Theologs to be tane sa largelie: nather is it tane sa largely in ony pairt of the book of God. Alwayis, the word Sacrament, is very ambiguous in itself, and there raise about the ambiguity of this word, many tragedeis, whilke are not yet ceased, nor will not cease, while the world lasts: where vtherwais, gif they had keeped the Apostles words, and called thame as the Apostle callis tham, signs and seals: all this digladiatioun, strife and contention, appearandly had not fallen out. But where men will be wiser nor God, & give namis to things beside God, upon the wit of man, whilk is but mere folly: all this cummer fallis out. Weill than, to come to the purpose. The ancient Theologs, took the word Sacrament, as we may perceive, in a fourfauld manner. Somtime they took it for the hail action, that is, for the haill ministry of the Elements. Somtime, they took it not for the haill action: but for the outward things, that are used in the action of Baptism, and of the Supper, as they took it, for the water and sprinkling of it: for the Bread and Wine, breaking, distributing, and eating thereof. Thirdly again: they took it not for the hail outward things, that are used in the action; but only for the material and earthly things, the Elements: as for Bread and Wine in the Supper, and water in Baptism. And after this sort, says AUGUSTINE: The wicked eats the body of our Lord, concerning the Sacrament only, that is, concerning the Elements only. Last of all: they took it not only for the Elements, but for the things signified be the elements. And after this manner, IRENEE says, that a Sacrament stāds of twa things, the ane earthly, the other heavenly. The ancients then, taking the word after thir sorts, na question, all thir wayis they took it rightly.

But leuing the ambiguity of the word, I take the word Sacrament, as it is tane and used this day in the Kirk of God, for a holy sign and seal, that is annexed to the preached word of God, to seal up and confirm the truth, contained in the same word, in sick sort, that I call not only the seal separated fra the word, a Sacrament: For as there cannot be a seal, but that whilk is the seal of ane evident, & gif the seal be separated fra the evident, it is not a seal; Bot look what it is be nature, it is na mair: sa there cannot be a Sacrament, except it be hung to the evident of the word; Bot look what the Sacrament was be nature, it is na mair. Was it a come mō piece bread, it remains common bread except it be hung to the evident of the word. Therefore the word only cannot be a Sacrament; nor the element only cannot be a Sacrament; bot word & element con iunctly man make a Sacrament: & sa AVGYSTINE said well, lat the word come to the element, & sa ye sal have a sacrament: in sick sort, that the word mann come to the element, that is the word preached distinctly, and all the parts of it opned up, man ga before the hinging to of the sacrament, and the Sacrament, as a seal mann follow and be appended therefter. Then I call a Sacrament, the word and seal coniunctlie, the ane hung to the other.

It is without all controversy, and there is na debait in it, that all Sacraments are signs. Now gif a Sacrament be asign, as the sign is in a relation, in that Category; for saw man speak it: Sa the sacrament man be placed in that same Categorie of relation. Now every relation again man stand of force betwixt twa things, for an thing cannot be the correlatiue of itself: but in a lawful relatioun, of force there man be twa things, whilk twa, hes ever a mutual respect, the ane to the other. Therefore in every sacrament that hes a relation, their man be twa things, whilk twa hes ever a mutual respect the an to the other. Take me away ane of thir twa things fra the Sacrament; ye tine the relation, & tyning the relation, ye tyne the Sacrament. Confound me ane of thir twa, with the other: make ather a confusion or permixion of tham, ye tine the relation, & tyning the relation, ye tine the sacrament. Turn me over the an into the other, sa that the substance of the ane, starts up and euanishis in the other: ye tyne the relation, and sa ye tyne the Sacrament. Than as in every sacrament, there is a relation, sa to keep the relation, ye man ever keep twa things severally in the Sacrament.

Now for the better consideration and understanding of thir twa diverse things whilk are relative to vthers, we sal keep this order by Godis grace: First, we sal lat you see, what is meaned be a sign in the Sacrament. Nixt we sal let you understand what is meaned be the thing signified. Thirdly, howe thir twa are coupled, be what power and virtue they are conjoined, and wherfra this power and virtue dost flowe. Fourtlie, and last of all; we sall let you understand, whither ane and the self same instrument, geuis the sign and the thing signified or not, whither they be geuin in ane action or twa, whither they be offered to ane instrument or twa, or gif they be given after a manner or twa to baith the instruments. Mark thir diversities, the diverse manner of receiving, the diversity of the instruments, and the diversity of the geuaris: and ye sall find little difficulty in the sacrament.

Now to begin at the signs: Seeing all sacraments ar signs, what call we the signs in the sacrament? I call the signs in the Sacrament, whatsoever I perceive and takis up be my outward senses, be mine eye especially. Now ye see in this Sacrament, there is twa sortes of thing is subject to the outward senses, and to the eye especially; ye see the elements of bread and wine are subject to mine eye: Therefore they man be signs. Ʒe see again, that the rites and ceremonies whereby thir elements are distributed, broken and given, are subject to mine eye also. Then I mann mak twa sortes of signs, ane sort of the bread and the wine, and we call thame elemental: ane other sort of the rites and ceremonies, whereby thir are distributed, broken and given, and we cal thame ceremonial. Be not deceived with the word ceremony, think not, suppose I call the breaking of the bread, the eating of the bread, and drinking of the wine ceremonies, think not that they are vain, as ye use that word ceremony for a vain thing, whilk hes na grace, nor profit following after it: na, suppose I cal thame ceremonies, there is never a ceremony whilk Christ instituted in this supper, but it is als essential as the bread and the wine are, and ye cannot leave a jot of thame, except ye pervert the hail institutioun. For what ever Christ commanded to be done, what ever he spake or did in that hail action, it is essential and mann be done, and ye cannot leave a jot thereof, but ye will pervert the hail action.

The reasoun, wherefore I call thame signs, is this: I call thame not signs, be that reason that men commonly call is thame signs: because they signify only, as the bread signifies the body of Christ, & the wine signifies the blood of Christ. I call thame not signs, because they represent only, but I call thame signs because they have the body and blood of Christ conjoined with thame, ye sa truly is the body of Christ conjoined with that bread, and the blood of Christ conjoined with that wine, that als soon as thou receauis that bread in thy mouth, (gif thou be a faithful man or woman) als sone thou receuest the body of Christ in thy soul, and that be faith. And als soon as thou receauis that wine in thy mouth, als sone thou receauis the blood of Christ in thy saul, and that be faith. In respect of this exhibitioun cheiflie, that they are instruments to deliver, and exhibit the thing that they signify, and not in respect only of there representatioun, they are called signs. For gif they did nothing bot represented or signified a thing absent; Then ony picture or dead Image, suld be a Sacrament: For there is na Picture, as the Picture of the King, but at the sight of the Picture, the King will come in your mind, and it will signify to you, that that is the Kings Picture. Sa, gif the sign of the Sacrament did na further; all Pictures suld be Sacraments; but in respect the Sacrament exhibites and delivers the thing that it signifies to the saul and heart, sa sone as the sign is delivered to the mouth: for this cause especially, it is called a sign. There is na Picture of the King, that will deliver the King unto you: there is na other Image that will exhibit the thing where of it is the Image: therefore, there is na Image can be a Sacrament. Then in respect, the Lord hes appointed the Sacraments, as hands to deliver and exhibit the thing signified: for this delivery and exhibitioun chiefly, they are called signs. As the word of the Evangel is a mighty and potent instrument to our everlasting saluatioun: sa the Sacrament, is a potent instrument appointed be God, to deliver to us Christ Jesus, to our everlasting saluatioun. For this spiritual meat is dressed, and given up to us in spiritual disches, that is, in the Ministry of the word, and in the ministry of the Sacraments. And suppose this Ministry be external, yet the Lord is said, to deliver spiritual and heavenly things, be thir external things: Quhy? Because he hes appointed thame as instruments, whereby, he will deliver his awin Sone to us. For this is certain, that nane hes power to deliver Christ Jesus to us, except God and his holy Spirit: and therefore, to speak properly, there is nane can deliver Christ bot God be his awin Spirit: he is delivered be the Ministry of the holy Spirit: it is the holy Spirit that seals him up in our harts, and confirmis us mair and mair in him: as the Apostle geuis him this style 2. COR. 1. 22. To speak properly: there is nane hes power to deliver Christ, bot God the father, or himself: there is nane hes power to deliver the Mediator, bot his awin Spirit: Ʒit it hes pleased God to use sum instruments and meanis, whereby he will deliver Christ Jesus to us: the means are thir: the ministry of the word and the ministry of the Sacraments: and in respect he uses thir as meanis to deliver Christ, they are said to deliver him. But heir ye have to distinguish, betwixt the principal efficient deliverer, and the instrumental efficient, whilk is the word and the Sacraments: Keeping this distinction, baith thir are true, God be his word, and God be his Spirit, delivers Christ Jesus to you. Then I say, I cal tham signs, because God hes maid thame potent instrumentis to deliver that same thing whilk they signify.

Now I ga to the thing signified, and I call the thing signified be the signs in the Sacrament, that whilk IRENEE, that auld writer, call is the heavenly and spiritual thing, to wit: haill Christ, with his hail gifts, benefits and graces, applied and given to my saul. Then I call not the thing signified be the signs of bread and wine: the benefits of Christ, the graces of Christ, or the virtue that flowis out of Christ only; But I cal the thing signified, togidder with the benefits and virtues flowing fra him, the very substance of Christ himself; wherefra this virtue dost flow: The substance, with the virtues, gifts and graces, that flows fra the substance, ar the thing signified here. For as to the virtue & graces, that flows fra Christ: It is not possible, that thou can be partaker of the virtue, that flows fra his substance, except thou be first partaker of the substance it self: For how is it possible, that I can be partaker of the juice that flows out of ony substance, except I be partaker of the substance it self first. Is it possible that my stomach can be refreshed with that meat, the substance whairof, come never in my mouth? Is it possible, that my drouth can be slokned with that drink, that passed never over my halse? Is it possible, that I can sowck ony virtue out of onye thing, except I get the substance first: Sa it is impossible, that I can get the juice and virtue, that flows out of Christ, except I get the substance, that is, himself first. Sa I call not the thing signified, the grace and virtue that flows fra Christ only, nor Christ himself and his substance, without his virtue and graces only: But jointly the substance with the graces, haill Christ, GOD and man, without separatioun of his natures, without discretioun of his substance fra his graces, I call the thing signified, be the signs in the Sacrament. For why? Gif na mair be signified be the bread, bot the flesch and body of Christ only, and na mair be signified be the wine, but the blood of Christ only, thou cannot say, that the body of Christ is Christ, it is but a cowpon of Christ: thou cannot say that the blood of Christ, is hail Christ, it is bot a part of him, & a cowpō of thy Savior, saved thee not, a part of thy savior wrought not the wark of thy salvation: and sa suppose thou get a cowpon of him in the sacrament, that cowpoun wald do thee na good. To the end therefore, that this sacrament may nurish thee to life everlasting; thou man get in it thy haill Savior, haill Christ God & man, with his haill graces & benefits, without separation of his substance fra his graces, or of the ane nature fra the other. And how get I him? Not be my mouth. It is a vain thing to think, that we will get God be our mouth: but we get him be faith: As he is a Spirit, sa I eat him be faith & belief in my saul: Not be the teeth of my mouth, that is a vain thing. I give the, that thou might eat the flesh of Christ with thy teeth, & this were a cruel manner of doing: yet thou may not eat the God head with thy teeth: this is a gross faschioun of speaking. Sa, gif ever ye get good of the Sacrament, ye mann get haill Christ, and there is not ane instrument to gripp him, bot be faith only: therefore come with a faithful heart.

O! but ye will speere at me, and appearandlie the definitioun laid down of the thing signified, gives a ground to it; gif the flesch of Christ, & the blood of Christ be a pairt of the thing signified: how can I call his flesche a spiritual and heavenly thing, and Christ in respect of his flesche a heavenly thing? Ʒe will not say that the substance of Christ's flesch is spiritual: or that the substance of his blood is spiritual, wherefore then cal ye it ane heavenly and spiritual thing? I will tell you: the, flesch of Christ is called a spiritual thing, and Christ is called spiritual, in respect of his flesh, not that his flesh is becomd a spirit, or that the substance of his flesh is becomd spiritual: Na, it remaned true flesh and the substance of it is ane; as it was in the womb of the virgin, his flesh is not called spiritual nather, in respect it is glorified in the heavens at the right hand of the father: be not deceived with that, for suppose it be glorified; yet it remains true flesh, that same flesh whilk he took out of the womb of the Virgin. It is not spiritual nather, because thou seeis it not in the Supper, gif thou war where it is, thou might see it: but it is called spiritual, in respect of the spiritual ende, whereunto it seruis to my body and saul: because the flesch and blood of Christ, seruis to nurish me; not to a temporal life: but to a spiritual and heavenly life. Now, in respect this flesh is a spiritual food, serving me to a spiritual life; For this caus it is called a spiritual thing. Gif it nurished me, as the flesh of beasts dost, but to a temporal life, it suld be called but a temporal thing: But in respect, it nurishes my soul, not to ane earthly and temporal life, but to ane heavenly, celestial, and spiritual end: In respect of this end, the flesh of Christ, and Christ in respect of his flesh, is called the spiritual thing in the Sacrament. It is called also, the spiritual thing in the Sacrament, in respect of the spiritual instrument, whereby it is received. The instrument whereby the flesh of Christ is received, is not a corporal instrument, is not the teeth and mouth of the body; but it is spiritual, it is the mouth of the soul, whilk is faith: and in respect the instrument is spiritual: Therefore Christ, wha is received, is also called spiritual. In respect also, that the manner of receiving, is a heavenly, spiritual and celestial manner, not a natural, nor external manner, in respect that the flesh of Christ, whilk is given in the Sacrament, is received be a spiritual and secret manner, whilk is not seen to the eyes of men. In all thir respects, I call Christ Jesus the heavenly and spiritual thing, whilk is signified be the signs in the Sacrament.

Now: I say in the end, the thing signified mann be applied to us. What auails it me, to see my health in a buist, standing in ane Apothecaries booth? what can it work toward me, gif it be not applied? What auails it me, to see my saluatioun afar off, gif it be not applied to me? Therefore it is not aneugh to us to see Christ: bot he mann be given us; or else he cannot work health and salvation in us. And as this saluatioun is given us; we mann have a mouth to take it. What auails it me to see meat before me; except I have a mouth to take it? Sa, the thing signified in the Sacrament, mann be given us be God, be the three persons of the Trinity, a God, be Christ Jesus, wha mann give himself, and as he gives himself; sa we man have a mouth to take him. Suppose he presents and offers him self: yet he can profit or avail nane, but thame, wha hes a mouth to receive him. Then ye see, what I call the thing signified: haill Christ applied to us, and received be us: hail Christ God and man, without separatioun of his natures, without discretioun of his substance fra his graces, all applied to us. Then I say, seeing we come to the Sacrament, to be fed be his flesh, and refreshed be his blood, to be fed to ane heavenly and spiritual life: and seeing there is na profit to be had of this Table, without some kind of preparatioun: Therefore lat na man press to ga to that holy Table, except in some measure he be prepared. Some will be prepared in a greater measure thē vthers. Alwayis, lat na man presume to ga to it, except in some measure his heart be sanctified. Therefore my exhortation concerning the way, whereby every ane of you ought to prepare your selfs, that ye may dress you the better to the table, is this: There is never ane of you, that comes to the Table of the Lord, to cast before the Lord, your integrity, justice and uprightness: But whasoeuer gais to the Table, he ought to ga with the acknowledging and confessioun of his misery: he ought to ga with a sorrowful heart, for the sins whairin he hes offended God: he ought to ga with a haitrent of they sins; not to protest, that he is holy, just, and upright: But to protest and confess▪ that he is miserable, and of all creatures, the mayest miserable. And therefore, he gais to that table, to get support for his misery, to get a gripp of mercy at the throne of grace: and to get remissioun and forgiveness of his sins; to get the gift of repentance, that mair and mair, he may study to live uprightly, halilie and soberlie in all time coming. Therefore, except ye have entered in this course, and are of purpose to continue in this course, to amend your life bigane, to repent you of your sins, and be the grace of God, to live mair uprightly and soberlie, nor ye have done, for God's cause ga not to the Table. For where there is not a purpose to do weil and to repent, of necessity, there mann be a purpose to do ill: and whasoeuer coms to that Table, with a purpose to do ill, and without a purpose to repent: he comes to mock Christ; to scorn him in his face, & to eat his awin present condēnatiō. Sa, lat na man come to that table, that hes not in his heart a purpose to do better: that hes not a heart to sorrow for his sins bigane: and thinks not his bigane folie and madness over meekle. Lat na man come to that table without this, under the pain of damnatioun. But gif ye have in your heart, a purpose to do better, suppose your bigan life hes been dissolute and loose: yet gif ye be tuitched in your heart, with ony feeling or remorse of your bigane life, ga not fra the table, but come with a protestatioun of thy misery and wretchedness, and come with a heart to get grace. Gif with a dissolute life, I mean not of open slanders, thou have also a purpose not to amend, but to do war, for God's sake abstain. This far for the thing signified.

Into this general consideration, there rests thir things yet to be maid plain unto you. Firste, howe the signs and the thing signified are coupled togidder, and how they are conjoined. Nixt, it rests to be tauld you; how the sign is delivered, and how the thing signified is delivered, and how baith are received, als well as they are delivered. This being done, I fall speak shortly of the other part of the Sacrament, whilk is the word: And last of all, we sall lat you see, what sort of faults they are, that peruerts the Sacrament, and makes it of na effect. And gif time sall serve, we sall enter in particular, to this sacrament, whilk we have in hand.

Then to come back again. In the third room, it coms in to be considered; how the sign and the thing signified are coupled: For about this conjunction, all the debait stands: all the strife that we have with thame, that varies fra the straight truth, stands about the manner of this conjunction. Some will have tham conjoined after ane way, and some after ane other way; and men strives very bitterlie about this mater, and continues sa in strife, that thorough the bitterness of contention, they tyne the truth. For when the heat of contentioun rises, and specially in disputation, they take not tent to the truth, but to the victory: Gif they may be victorious, and it were but be a multitude of words, they regard not suppose they tyne the truth. Read their works, and books about this coniunctioun, and ye sall crave, rather conscience nor knowledge: yea, gif they had the quarter of the conscience, that they have of knowledge: na questioun, this controversy might be easily tane up; but men laking conscience, & having knowledge, an evil conscience peruerts the knawlege and draws thame to ane evil end. To tell you now, how thir twa are conjoined: it will be far easier for me, and better for you to understand, to tell you first, howe they are not conjoined: for I sall make it very clear unto you, be letting you see how they are not conjoined: but it is not possible, to make it so clear, by telling you the manner how they are conjoined. Ʒee may perceive clearly be your awin eyes, that the sign & the thing signified are not locally conjoined, that is, they are not baith in ane place. Ʒee may perceive also be your outward senses, that the body of Christ, whilk is the thing signified, and the signs are not conjoined corporallie: their bodies tuitches not vthers. Ʒee may perceive also, they are not visibly conjoined, they ar not baith subject to the outward eye. Sa it is easy to lat you see, howe they are not conjoined. For gif the sign and the thing signified were visibly & corporally conjoined, What misterd us to have a sign? Quherefore suld the sign in the Sacrament serve us? Is not the sign in the Sacrament appointed to lead me to Christ? Is not the sign appointed, to point out Christ to me? Gif I saw him present be mine awin eye, as I do the bread, what mister had I of the bread? Therefore ye may see clearly, that there is na such thing as a corporal, natural, or ony siclike physical conjunction, betwixt the sign, and the thing signified. Sa I say, it is easy to let you see, howe they are not conjoined. Then come on, how are they conjoined? We cannot crave here any other sort of coniunctioun, nor may stand and agree with the nature of the Sacrament: For na thing can be conjoined with ane other after ane other sort, nor the nature of it will suffer. Therefore there cannot be heir ane other sort of conjunction, nor the nature of the Sacrament will suffer. Now the nature of the sacrament, will suffer ane sacramental conjunction. O but that is als hard yet: Ʒe are never the better of this: but I sall make it clear be God's grace. Ʒee knaw, every Sacrament is a mystery; there is not a Sacrament, but it conteinis a high and divine mystery. In respect then, that a Sacrament is a mystery, it follows that a mystical, secrete and spiritual coniunctioun, agreis well with the nature of the Sacrament. As the coniunctioun betwixt us & Christ is full of a mystery, as the Apostle lets you see, EPHES. 5. 32. as it is a mystical and spiritual conjunction; Sa na dout, the conjunction betwixt the Sacrament, and the thing signified in the Sacrament, man be of that same nature, mystical and spiritual. It is not possible to tell you be na ocular demonstratioun, how Christ and we are conjoined. But wha ever wald understand that coniunctioun, his mind mann be enlightened with ane heavenly eye, that as he hes ane eye in his head to see corporal things: Sa he mann have in his mind and heart, ane heavenly eye, to see this mystical conjunction. A heavenly eye to take up this secret conjunction, that is betwixt the Son of God and us, in the Sacrament. Sa I mister not to insist; Except ye have this heavenly illumination, ye can never understand, nather your awin conjunction with Christ, nor yet the conjunction betwixt the sign and the thing signified in the Sacrament. But I keep my ground: As the Sacrament is a mystery: Sa the coniunctioun that is into the Sacrament, na dout, man be a mystical, secret and spiritual conjunction. Beside this, I lut you see, be the general deduction, that in every Sacrament there is twa things: whilk twa, hes a relatioun, and a mutual respect the ane to the other. Sa that a relative conjunction, agrees well with the nature of the sacrament. Then speirs thou what kind of conjunction it is? I give thee the conjunction that agrees with their nature, to wit, a relative and a respective conjunction, such a conjunction, whairin the sign hes a continual respect to the thing signified, and the thing signified to the sign. Then crauis thou in a word, the sort of conjunction, that is betwixt the sign & the thing signified? I call it a secret and a mystical coniunctioun, that stands in a mutual relatioun, betwixt the sign and the thing signified. There is ane other conjunction, beside the coniunctioun that is betwixt Christ and us, that may mak this coniunctioun betwixt the sign and the thing signified in the Sacrament mair clear: and this is the conjunction whilk is betwixt the word that ye hear, and the thing signified be the same word. Look what sort of conjunction is betwixt the word whilk ye hear, and the thing signified that comes in your mind: the like coniunctiō is betwixt the sign that ye see, and the thing signified in the Sacrament. Ʒee may perceive easily: there is a conjunction be the effect, suppose ye cannot knaw the sort of conjunction. For why? Ʒee hear not the word sa sone spoken be me, but incontinent, the thing, whilk my word whairof I speak signifies, comes in your mind: speak I of things bigane, of things to come, or of things that are never sa far absent: I cannot sa sone speak to you of thame in this language, but the thing signified comes in your mind; Na doubt, because there is a conjunction betwixt the word & the thing signified▪ Sa, every ane of you may easily perceive, that there is a coniunctioun betwixt the word, & the thing signified be the word. As for example, suppose Paris be far distant fra us; Ʒit speak I of Paris, the word is not sa sone spoken, but the toune will come in your mind: Speak I of the King, suppose he be far distant fra us, the word is not sa soon spoken, but the thing signified will come in your mind. Sa this coming of the thing signified in the heart and mind, lats you see clearly, that there is a conjunction betwixt the word, and the thing signified be the word. To tell you of this sort of coniunctioun, it is not sa easy: Because the thing signified is not present to the eye, as the word is to the ear. Gif everything signified, war als present to your eye, as the word is to your ear; it were easy to see the conjunction. But seeing the conjunction is mystical, secrete and spiritual: therefore it is hard to make you to understand it. Always look what conjunction is betwixt the simple word, & the thing signified be the word: that same sort of conjunction is betwixt the sacrament and the thing signified be the Sacrament. For the Sacrament is na other thing, but ane visible word. I call it a visible word, why? Because it conuoyes the significatioun of it, be the eye to the mind. As this is ane audible word, because it conuoyes the signification of it be the ear to the mind, in the same sacrament, sa oft as ye look on it, ye sall not sa soon see that bread with your eye, but the body of Christ sall come in your mind: Ʒee sall not sa soon see that wine, but after the preaching & opning up of the parts of the Sacrament, the blood of Christ sall come in your mind. Now this conjunction betwixt the sign and the thing signified in the Sacrament; stands chiefly, as ye may perceive, in twa points: First in an relation betwixt the sign & the thing signified, whilkrises of an likeness & proportion, betwixt thir twa: for gif there were na proportion & analogy, betwixt the sign and thing signified be the sign; there could not be a Sacrament or ane relatioun. Sa the first pairt of this conjunction stands in a relation, whilk rises upon ane certain similitude & likeness, whilk the ane hes with the other. And this likelines may be easily perceived. For look howe able the bread is to nurishe thy body to this life earthly and temporal, the flesh of Christ, signified be the bred, is als able to nurish baith body and soul to life everlasting. Sa ye may perceive some kind of proportion betwixt the sign and the thing signified. The secound point of the conjunction, stands in a continual and mutual concurring of the an with the other, in such sort, that the sign, & the thing signified, ar offered baith together, received together, at ane time and in ane action: the ane outwardelie, the other inwardly, gif sa be that thou have a mouth in thy soul, whilk is faith, to receive it. Then the secound point of the conjunctioun stands in a joint offering, and in a joint receiving, & this I call ane concurrence. Then speere ye, what sort of conjunction is betwixt the sign and the thing signified? I say, it is a relative conjunction, a secret and a mystical conjunction, whilk stands in a mutual relatioun.

There is na farther to be observed heir, except only this: that suppose ye conjoin thir twa, be war that ye confound thame not, be war that ye turn not over the ane in the other: but keep every ane of thame in their awin integrity, without confusion or permixtion of the ane with the other, and sa ye sall have the lawful conjunctioun that sulde be in the sacrament. There is not a lessoun that can be learned of this, at least that I can mark or gather, except only the lessoun of the kindenes and goodness of the everliuing God; wha hes invented sa money wonderful sortes of conjunctioun, and all to this purpose, that we might be conjoined, to advance this great and mystical conjunctioun, betwixt the God of glory and us: In the whilk conjunctioun, our weil, felicity and happiness in this life, and in the life to come, dost only stand: That he is sa cairfull to conjoine himself with his word and Sacraments, that we, in his word and Sacraments might be conjoined with him. Gif we were moved with the care and love of God, uttered in thir conjunctiones, and it were never sa little on our pairts: assuredly we wald not defraud our selfs, of the fruit of that happy conjunction, nor bring it in such a loath and disdain as we do this day: for we be following and preferring of our pleasures to Christ and his counsel, hes made the stomachis of our saules sa foul and ill disposed, that ather they receive him not at all, or gif he be received, he is not able to tarry: And why? because ane foul stomach is not able to keep him, for incontinent we chok him sa, ather with the lustis of the flesh, or with rhe cares of this warlde, that he is compelled to depart: & gif Christ be not baith, devoured and digested, he can do us na good: And this digestion cannot be where there is not a greedy appetite to the receipt of him; for gif thou be not hungry for him, he is not ready for thee. And I am assured gif all the men in this country were examined after this rule, that there were nane that receuis Christ, bot he that hes a stomach and is hungry for him, it fearis me that few suld be found to receive him. It fears me, that we have tane such a loath and disdain of that heavenly food, that there is not sick a thing, as ony kind of hunger, or appetite of it in our saules. And what is the cause of this? I will tell you: Suppose we have renounced the corporal and gross Idolatry, wherein our fathers were drowned and plunged of before, and whilk men in some parts gais about to erect now: Ʒit as the manners of this country, and the behavior of every ane of us testifies, there is never a man that hes renounced that damnable Idol, that he hes in his awin saul, nor the invisible Idolatry, that he hes in his awin heart and mind. There is never a man but to that same Idol wherewith he wes conceived and borne, and whereunto he addicted himself and wes a slave off before, but to that Idol he geuis his service yet: and therefore meruell not, when thou hes addicted thy service: set thy affection, & poured out thy heart upon that pleasure of thine awin, upon that Idol of thy awin, upon that lust & mischief of thy awin: meruell not, suppose thou have na appetite of Christ, nor of that heavenly food. When thou hes thy soul poured forth on some villainy & wickedness, & hes send it far a field: how is it possible to the, to retire it, or draw it hame again, to employ it where thou suld on Christ Jesus? Then let every ane in his awin rank, take heed to his awin domestik Idol, that ludges within his awin heart, and press to clear him of it, or vtherwayis, ye cannot see the face of Christ, nor be partakers of his kingdom. There is not ane other lessoun in christianity but this: this is the first and the last lessoun; to shake off your lustis and affectiouns, piece and piece, and sa piece and piece renounce thyself, that thou may embrace Christ. I grant, there is greater progress in this point, in some nor in vthers, some less, some mair profits in this; But except in some measure ye cast of yourself, or whatsoever in your awin eyes, ye compt mayest precious, to come be Christ; ye are not worthy of him: And this is very hard to be done. It is very easy for a man to speak it, to bidd a man renounce his awin Idol, whilk I call his affections; but it is not sa sone done. Assuredly the stronger mann come in, to ding out the affection: yea the stronger nor the devil, man come in to ding out the devil, wha makes residence in the affection; or else he will remain there forever. Therefore, there are not money that hes renounced thame selfs, and examine thine heart when thou will, gif there be ony thing in the world, that thou louis better nor christ, gif thou be not content, to leave father and mother, to leave wife and children, or whatsoever is dearest to thee in this world, for Christ, thou art nor worthy of him. Gif thou be not content to cast off, whatsoever makes thee a stranger to Christ, thou art not worthy of him. And is this onie little matter, seeing there is na part nor power of our saul, but it is enemy to this, and repines to this heavenly conjunction; Is this onie little mater, to cast off and renounce our selfs, that we may come to Christ? Ʒe saw never a greater matter nor this. It hes not entered into every heart to consider of this, for this wark of our new creatioun, is ten thousand times greater nor the warke of our first creation. And therefore it were very necessary, that every man took tent to himself: For the Devil is so crafty in this point, that he erects ever ane Idol or other in our saul, and sometimes under the show of virtue, whilk of all is mayest dangerous: And in every wark that is in our hand, gif it war never sa holy, he is at our right hand, and makes him to have interest in it. And he contents himself not with this, under the show of virtues to dissaue you: But he is sa walkrife, that even in the best turn, and when ye are best occupied in your mayest virtuous actions, he mixes thame with sins, and sa dost the thing that lies in him, to make you tine your profit, and loose your reward. For when ye are best occupied, he gais about to engender in you an opinion of your selfs and sa defraud God of his glory. Or vtherwayis in doing of good turns, he makes you sa slack and negligent, that gif ye do thame, ye do thame caldlie, or sa indiscreetly, that he makes you begin at the last first, and makes it that suld be first last; and sa as MARTHA wes, to be occupied, and over bissie in they things, whilk are not sa necessar, as the things wherein MARIE wes occupied. For she suld have preferred first the hearing of the word, to the preparing of Christ's Supper. This is but to give you ane insight, and to lat you see, that the devil is sa crafty, that ather he casts in a false conceat of our selfs in doing ony turn, or else makes us to do that last whilk suld be first, or then makes us altogidder sa sluggish and sa negligent that we do the warke of the Lord caldly, and sa ane way or other, he halds us ever in a continual business. Sa that we cannot be half walkrife: For we have to do with principalities and powers, with spiritual wickedness, whilk are above us, & within us also. For he is not, that hes corruption within him, but Satan is in him: Sa we cannot be half walkrife, ever studiing to cast out the Devil, to renounce our selfs, and to submit us to the obedience of Christ. This far concerning the conjunction.

Now, seeing that the sign and the thing signified, are diverse: it rests to be considered how the sign is delivered, and how the thing signified is delivered; and after what manner they are received: And therefore of this consideration, ye have thir things to wey. Ʒee have first to consider, whidder baith the sign, and the thing signified, be delivered to you be ea man or not. Secondly ye have to consider, whidder the sign and the thing signified, be delivered to you in ane action or not. Thirdly, ye have to consider, whidder baith thir things be given to ane instrument or not. And fourtly, ye have to consider, whidder the sign and the thing signified, be offered & received after ea manner or not. Now after that ye have considered all thir, in the ende ye sal find that the sign & the thing signified, ar not given be a man; ye sal find next, that they are not given in a sort of action. Thirdly, ye sal find, that they ar not baith offered and given to ane instrument. And fourtly, ye sall find, that they are not baith given and received after ane manner. Sa finding this diversity, ye have this to do: Mark me the diversity of the propiners and givers: Mark me the diversity of the actions: Mark me thirdlie, the diversity of the instruments, and mark fourtly, the diverse manner of receiving. Mark me all thir diligently, and ye sall find little difficulty in the Sacrament. For first to mak it clear unto you, I say, that the sign, and the thing signified be the sign, are not baith given be ea man; and this ye see clearly. For as to the sign, that bread, and that wine, ye see yourself, that the Minister offers unto you the sign, he gives you that Sacrament: as that sign is ane earthly and corporal thing, sa it is ane earthly and corporal man that gives it. Now the thing signified is of ane other nature: For it is ane heavenly and spiritual thing; therefore this heavenly thing, is not given be an earthly man, this incorruptible thing, is not given be ane natural and corruptible man; But Christ Jesus hes locked up and reserved the Ministry of this heavenly thing to himself only. Therefore there is twa givers in this sacrament: The Minister gives the earthly thing, Christ Jesus the Mediator, gives you the heavenly thing in the Sacrament: For Christ in giving the earthly thing, will not use his awin Ministry immediately, nor the Ministry of ane Angel: but only the Ministry of ane earthly man. And as to the dispensatioun of his awin body and blood, he will not give it to na heavenly creature, lat be to ane earthly man; but he hes keeped this Ministry to him self, and he dispenses his awin body and blood, to whom & when he pleasis: For why? gif ony man in the world, had power to give Christ's body & blood, na question this man suld have power, to cleanse the heart and conscience; For the blood of Christ hes this power with it: and consequently suld have power to forgive sins. Now it is only GOD that may forgive sins: and therefore it is not possible, that the Ministry of the heavenly thing, can be in the power of ony man. Exemple we have in JOHN the Baptist, MAT. 3. 11. Sayis he not, the ministry that I have is of the element, I am commanded to Minister the element of water only: but as to the Ministry of the fire & of the spirit, Christ hes reserved it to himself. Therefore look not to get the spirit at man's hand, but at the hands of Christ himself only, and without this inward Ministry, I will not give a straa for the outward Ministry. For my outward Ministry: Ʒea, suppose it were the Ministry of ane Angel, and suppose Christ were present in his flesh, to minister unto you thir outward things: except he conjoin the inward ministry of his spirit therewith, it avails nothing: It may well make up a dittay & process against you, against the day of that general assembly: but to your salvation, it will never profit you. Therefore this ye suld ay crave, that the Lord wald water your harts be his holy spirit, as he waters your ears be the hearing of the word. Then there is twa offerers: the Minister offers the sign, Christ Jesus offers himself, the thing signified. The three persons, ea God, offers the Mediator, or the Mediator offers himself, and that be the power and virtue of his awin spirit.

As there is twa propiners, twa persons that offeris and geuis the Sacrament, and the thing signified be the Sacrament: Sa thir twa ar offered and given in twa actions. Christ, wha is the heavenly thing is offered & given to you, be ane inward secret and spiritual action, whilk is not subject to the outward eye. The sign again is offered and given, in ane outward action, after a corporal and visible manner. As there is twa sortes of actions, sa there is twa sortes of instruments, whereunto the sign and the thing signified are offered: for the thing signified, that is, Christ: is never offered to the mouth of my body. The blood of Christ, the flesh of Christ, haill Christ, or the spirit of Christ is not offered, nather in the word nor in the sacrament to the mouth of my body, get me that in ony parte of the Bible, that there is ony other manner of receiving of Christ, bot be faith, and take it to thame. Sa there is not an instrument, as I taulde you, nather hand nor mouth to grippe Christ, bot faith only. As Christ, wha is the thing signified, is gripped be the hand and mouth of faith: sa the sign that signifies Christ, is gripped be our awin natural mouth & hand. Ʒee have a mouth in your head, and in your body, als proper to gripp the sign, as faith is to grippe Christ. Swa the sign and the thing signified ar offered and given, not to ane instrument, but to twa: the ane to the mouth of the body, the other to the mouth of the soul. Now look be what way thir things are offered and given, be the same way they ar received. As the sign is corporal, and naturally offered to a corporal instrument: sa is it received after a corporal and natural manner. For thou man take the bread and the wine, ather be thy hand, or be thy mouth: the thing signified is not tane after a corporal manner, bot after a secret and spiritual manner: and as it is offered, sa it is tane: there cannot be a thing clearer, the ane is tane after a natural manner, the other after a secret and spiritual manner. Sa in this last part ye have thir things to mark: distinguish me betwixt the outward action and the inward, betwixt the sign and the thing signified, and keep me a proportion and analogy, betwixt the inward and the outward actions: Think well with yourself, that gif ye be a faithful man, Christ is als bissie working inwardly in your soul: as the Minister is working outwardly toward your body. Look how bissie the Minister is in breaking that bread, in pouring out that wine, in giving that bread and wine to thee; als bissie is Christ in breaking his awin body to thee, and in giving thee the juice of his awin body, after a spiritual & ane invisible manner. Sa keep me this distinction, and think well with your selfs, that be faith, Christ is als well occupied towards your saul to nurish it, as the Minister is outwardly towards your body. Keep me this, & thou hes the hail sacrament. Then of this discourse & deduction: ye maytak up a doble mater, where of the Sacrament stands. It stands of twa sorts of materials: that is, of ane earthly mater, and of ane heavenly mater: The sign and the thing signified; And as there is a double mater in the Sacrament, sa the Sacrament mann be handled after a double manner, be ane outward action, and ane inward action. Keep the distinction in thir things, betwixt the sign and the thing signified, & ye sal not easily slip in the understanding of the Sacrament.

This being said, concerning the general consideration of the elements (for all this apperteins yet to the elements.) It rests that we speak somewhat concerning the word, whilk I cal the other part of the Sacrament. What we mean and understand be the word, I take the word whairvnto the elements are annexed, for that thing, whilk quickens this haill action, whilk serves as it were a saul, and gives life to the haill action. For be the word, and the appointment of Christ in the word, the Minister knawis what is his part, the hearer knawis what is his part, and every ane is prepared, howe to deliver and how to receive: the Minister how he suld deliver, and the hearer how he suld receive. Sa the institutioun of Christ, is the quickening of the haill action. For all the action hes the warrand fra the institution set down in his word. In the institution of Christ, there is twa things chiefly to be considered. Ʒee will find in the institutioun of Christ a command, and ye will find in it a promise: The command is this, where he says, take eat: the command oblishes you to obey, and craves obedience. There is a promise also in the institution, and it is contained in thir words, This is my body. The promise craves faith. As the command craves obedience; sa the promise craves belief: Therefore come not to the Sacrament, except ye bring baith faith and obedience with you. Gif thou come not with a heart minded to obey Christ, at least, mair nor thou was wont to do, thou comes to thine awin damnation. And gif thou bring a heart always void of faith, thou comes to thine awin damnation. Sa, lat every ane that comes to the Sacrament, bring with him a heart minded to do better, that is, to obey and believe Christ, better nor he did off before. Except ye bring thir twa in some measure, come not to the Sacrament: for whatever thou do, except it flow of faith, can profit nothing. This far concerning the word shortly.

Now there rests only this, and it wald be speered, what mister is there, that thir Sacraments and seals suld be annexed to the word? Quherefore are they annexed, seeing we gat na mair in the Sacrament, nor we get in the word: and we get als meekle in the very simple word, as we gat in the Sacrament: Seeing then we get na new thing in the sacrament, but the same thing, whilk we gat in the simple word, wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung to the word? It is true certainly, we get na new thing in the Sacrament: nor we get na other thing in the Sacrament, nor we gat in the word, for what mair walde thou crave, nor to get the Son of God, gif thou get him well? Thy heart cannot wish nor imagine a greater gift, nor to have the Son of God, wha is King of heaven and earth. And therefore I say what new thing walde thou have? For gif thou get him, thou gettis all things with him, thy heart cannot imagine a new thing beside him: wherefore then is the sacrament appointed? Not to get thee a new thing. I say it is appointed to get thee that same thing better, nor thou gat it in the word. The Sacrament is appointed, that we may get a better grip of Christ, nor we gat in the simple word, that we may possess Christ in our harts and minds mair fully and largely, nor we did off before in the simple word. That Christ might have a larger space, to make residence in our narrow hearts, nor he could have be the hearing of the simple word: and to possess Christ mair fully, it is a better thing. For suppose Christ be ea thing in him self: yet the better grip thou have of him, thou art the surer of his promise. The Sacraments are appointed, that I might have him mair fully in my soul, that I might have the bounds of it enlarged, that he may make the better residence in me: This na doubt is the cause, wherefore thir seals are annexed to the evident of the simple word. They serve to this end also, to seal up and confirm the truth, that is in the word; for as the office of the seal hung to the evident, is not to confirm ane other truth, nor that whilk is in the evident; and suppose ye believed the evident off before; yet be the seals ye believe it the better. Even sa, the Sacrament assures me of na other truth, nor is contained within the word: Ʒit because it is a seal annexed to the word, it persuades me the better of the same, for ay the maa & the mair that the outward senses be walkned, the mair is the inward heart & mind, persuaded to belief. Now the sacrament walkens all the outward senses, sick as the eye, the hand, and all the rest: And the outward senses being moved, na question, the spirit of God concurring therewith, moves the heart the mair. The Sacraments are then annexed to the word, to seal up the truth contained in the word, and to confirm it mair and mair in thy heart. Then what have ye to do, the word is appointed to work belief, and the sacrament is appointed to confirm you in this belief: but except ye feel the truth of this inwardly in your harts, except ye have your harts als ready as your mouth, think not that ony thing will avail you; All the seals in the world will not work, except the spirit of God concur, and seal the same truth in your harts, whilk the Sacrament seals outwardly. Except he mak clear the sight of thy mind inwardly, and work a feeling in thy heart, baith word and Sacrament, sall tyne their fruit and effect whilk they suld have. All the Scriptures are full of this. The hail Scriptures of GOD are but a slaying letter to you, except the spirit of God concur to quicken inwardly. Sa your haill endeavor suld be, to press to feel Christ quick in your awin harts: that finding him in your harts, and seeing him in your minds, baith word and Sacraments may be effectual: gif not, your sauls remains dead, ye are not translated fra that death whairin ye were conceived. Therefore all the study of a Christian suld be, when they see the Sacraments, and hears the word, to labor to find and feel in their hearts and minds, that, whilk they hear and see, and this I cal to find Christ quick in your awin sauls. This cannot be, except ye sanctify his ludging: For gif all the nukis of thy saul remain a midding, Christ cannot dwell there. And sa, except ye study to a continual sanctification, and sever yourself fra everything that seuers you fra Christ; It is not possible, that he can live or dwell in you. This is a great lesson, and it is not possible to do this, except, as I have said, a stronger come in & possess us, & make us to renounce our selfs. Then, the seals had not been annexed to the word, except for our cause. For there is na necessity on God's part, that God suld ather swear, or confirm be seals, the thing that he hes spoken. For his word is als good as ony aith or seal: but the necessity comes of us. There is sick a great weakness in us, that when he hes sworn, and set his seals to his word, we are als new to belief, as gif he had never spoken a word. Sa to help our belief, our weakness and inhabilitie that is in us: For we are sa unable be nature, that we can believe nothing, but that whilk is of our selfs, and the mair we lean to our selfs, the farther we are fra God. I say, to help this wonderful weakness, whereby we are ready to mistrust God in every word, he hes hung to his sacraments, and beside his Sacraments, he swears the things that concerns mayest our salvation; As ye hard in the Priesthead of Christ, PSAL. 110. 4. He will not speak only, but he swears, and that for our weakness and infirmity; but gif he abstract yet the Ministry of his spirit, all thir means will do na good.

Now, what is the last thing? The last is, how the Sacrament is perverted, and how we are defrauded of the fruit and effect thereof. Twa sort of faults peruerts the Sacrament, & defrauds us of the profit and use thereof, and thir faults are ather in the form or in the person: In form, gif the essential form be spoiled, we get nothing: for when the sacrament is spoiled of the essential form, it is not a Sacrament. There is ane essential form in Baptism, and ane essential form in the Supper, whilks gif they be tane away, ye tyne the use of the Sacrament. The essential form of Baptism is, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghaist: Leave ye out ane of thir three, or do ye it in the name of ony ane of the three persons only, ye tyne the essential form of Baptism: In the Supper, gif ye leave out the least ceremony, ye tine the essential form; and sa it is not a Sacrament: I speak of the essential form, in respect of the Papists, wha keeped the essential form in Baptism; suppose they have brought in trifles of their awin & mixed with it: yet in respect they keeped the substantial form: It is not necessar, that they wha were baptitized under thame, be rebaptized. Indeed gif the virtue of regeneration flowed fra the person, it were something: but in respect, Christ hes this to give to whom, and when he pleasis, the essential form being keeped; it is not necessary, that this Sacrament be reiterated. Now what are the faults in the person that peruerts the sacrament? The fault may be, ather in the persoun of the giver, or in the persoun of the receiver. (I speak not of they common faults, whilk are common to all: but of such faults as inhables the person of the giver, to be a distributer of the sacrament, & takes the office fra him.) Sa whē the person of the giver, is this way inhabled, na question, it is not a Sacrament. Then again, in the person of the receiver, the fault may be, gif their children be not in the covenant, but out of it, they get not the Sacrament. Indeed, if the Parents efterward comes to the covenant, the children, suppose they be gotten out of the covenant, may be received. Siklike in the Supper, gif a man be ladened with ony burden of sin, without ane purpose to repent, he aught not to receive it. Sa then, gif ye lack a purpose to repent, ye tine the use of the sacrament. It is only this purpose to repent, that makes me, wha receauis the sacrament, to get the fruit and effect thereof. Therefore every ane that gais to that Sacrament, look what purpose he hes in his heart: Hes thou a purpose to shed blood, to ga to harlatry, or to commit ony other ill vice, or ill turn that is in thy heart, and is not of purpose to repent: in showing thee to be without repentance, thou shows thee to be without faith: And consequently thou coms to thy damnation, and not to thy salvation. Now take heed what is your purpose, for gif with a dissolute life ye have a dissolute purpose, ye come to your damnation.

I wes of mind, to have entered particularly to this sacrament, whilk we have in hands: but because the time is past, & some of you (I dout not) are to communicate only this: Remēber that ye addres not your selfs to that table, except ye find your harts in some sort prepared. The first gree of preparation stands in contrition, in sorowing for sin, in a feeling of your awin sins, whairin ye have offended God. A sorrow in your harts, that ye have offended sa gracious a God: gif ye be able, as that woman wes, be the tears of a contrit heart to wesh the feet of Christ, humbly to kiss his feet, and to get a grippe of the foot of Christ, suppose ye dare not presume sa high, as to get him haill, ye are in a good case. But gif thou want all thir, and hes thame not in some measure: thou lacks all the grees of preparation: Therefore lat nane ga to the table, except he have thir in some measure. But where there is a displeasure for sin, a purpose to do better, & an earnest sobbing and sighing to get the thing that thou wants: In that saul where God hes placed this desire of Christ; It is the work of God's spirit, & Christ will enter there. And therefore suppose that saul, be far fra the thing that he suld be at: lat him not refuse to ga to the table, but lat him ga with a professioun of his awin infirmity & weakness, & with a desire of the thing that he wants. Every an of you that finds your selfs this way disposed, lat him ga in God's name to the Table. And the Lord work this in every an of your harts, that this Ministry may be effectual in you at this time, and that in the righteous merits of Jesus Christ: To whom with the Father and the holy Ghaist, be all honor, praise and glory, for now and ever,

THE SECOND SERMON, VPPON THE LORD'S Supper in particular: Preached the eight of February. 1589.

W E ended the consideration of the Sacraments in general, in our last lesson: (weilbeloued in Christ Jesus) Now it rests, that we dress us, to the consideratioun of this sacrament of the Supper in particular. And that ye may the better attain to the knowledge, and consideratioun of the great variety of mater, that is contained in this Sacrament of the Supper: I sal press, as God will give me the grace, to premit certain things, for the easier understanding of it. And first of all, I sall lat you see, what names are given to this sacrament in the Bible, and I sall show you some names, that are given to the same sacrament be the Auncients. Nixt we sal lat you understand, for what chief ends and respects, this Sacrament wes instituted & appointed be Christ Jesus. Thirdly, we sall come to the things, that are contained in the Sacrament, howe thir things are coupled, how they are delivered, & how they are received. And last; we sall meet certain objections, whilk may be casten in the contrary of this doctrine; and, as GOD sall give the grace, we sall loose thame, and swa end this present exercise. Now, we find sundry names given to the Sacrament of the Supper, in the book of God, and every name, caries a special reason with it. We find this Sacrament, called the body & blood of Christ. This name is given it, na doubt, because it is a heavenly and spiritual nuriture; It contains a nuriture of the soul, that is able to nurish and train up the soul, to a life spiritual, to that life everlasting: For this cause it is called the body and blood of Christ. It is called also the Supper of the Lord, to put a difference betwixt it and ane profane Supper: for this is the Lord's Supper, a holy Supper, not a profane nor common Supper; a Supper appointed for the increase of halines, for the food of the soul in halines, to feed the saul to life everlasting. Not a Supper appointed for the belly, for he had ended that Supper, that was appointed for the belly, or ever he begouth this Supper, whilk was appointed for the saul. A supper, na doubt, having respect to the circumstance of time, be reason it was first instituted in the article of that time, whē they used to sup. It is called also in the Bible, the Table of the Lord: It is not called the Altar of the Lord, but the Apostle calls it a Table to sit at, and not ane altar to stand at, a Table to take and receive, and not an Altar to offer & propine. It is called also the Communion, & participaon of the body and blood of Christ: We have thir names given to it, beside some vthers in the Scriptures of God.

The ancients of the Latin, and of the Greek Kirks, gave it sundry names, for sundry respects: They called it a public action. And this was a very general name; Sometimes they called it a thanksgiving: Sometimes they called it a Banquet of love: & sometimes they gave it ea name, and sometimes ane other. And at the last, in the declining estait of the Latin Kirk, and in the falling estait of the Roman Kirk, this Sacrament begouth to be perverted, and with this decay, there comes in a perverse name, and they called it the Mass. They trouble thameselfs meekle concerning the derivation of this name, wherefra this word is driven: Sometime they seek it fra ane Hebrew origin: Somtime fra an Greek, and sometime fra ane Latin origin. But it is plain, as the word sounds, that it is tane fra ane Latin origin. And it is a word whilk might have been tolerable, when it was first instituted: For na doubt, the Sacrament at the first institutioun of this word, wes not then halely perverted: but now, seeing that be the process of time, corruption hes prevailed sa far, that it hes turned over our Sacrament in a sacrifice: And where we suld take fra the hand of God in Christ, they make us to give: This is plain Idolatry: And therefore where the word was tolerable before; Now it ought not to be tolerable in ony way; It aught not to be suffered. And out of questioun, gif we had eaten and drunken, als oft the body and blood of Christ in our harts and saules, as we have eaten that bread, and drunken that wine, whilk are the signs of his body and blood: we wald not have thoiled this word of the mass; lat be the very action of it, to be sa rife in this Country: But in respect, we have but played the counterfeit, and defrauded our sauls of the body and blood of Christ, and took only the outward Sacrament: Therefore it is, that our zeal decayis: Therefore it is that our love decayis: Therefore it is that our knowledge and light decayis. And for fault of zeal, love, and knowledge, the word of the mass is become customable unto you, and not only the word, but the very action. I will not run out heir, I am only tell and you, what comes of the abuse of the hearing of the word, what judgment follows upon the abuse of the perception of the Sacraments.

I ga to the next, that is, to the ends wherefore the Sacrament wes appointed. This Sacrament was instituted in the signs of bread and wine, and wes appointed chiefly for this end, to represent our spiritual nuriture, the full and perfect nuriture of our soul. That as he wha hes bread and wine, lacks nothing of the full nuriture of his body: sa he, or that saul, wha hes the participation of the body and blood of Christ, lacks nothing of the full and perfect nuriture of the soul: To represent this full and perfect nuriture, the signs of bread and wine in the sacrament, were set down and instituted. The second ende, wherefore this Sacrament wes instituted, is this; that we might testify to the world, and to the Princes of the world, wha are enemies to our profession, that we might openly avow, and testify unto thame our religion, and our manner of worshipping: in the whilk we avow and worship Christ: And that we might also testify our love towards his members, our brethren; this is the second ende wherefore it wes instituted. The third end, wherefore it wes instituted, is this; to serve for our special comfort and consolation, to serve as a souerain medicin for all our spiritual diseases, as we find our selfs ather ready to fall, or provoked to fall be the Devil, the flesh or the world; or after that we have fallen, and are put to flight be the Devil, and wald fain flee away fra God; God of his mercy, and of his infinite pity, and bothomles compassion, hes set up this Sacrament, as a sign on a high hill, whereby it may be seen on every side, far and near, to call all thame again, that have run shamefully away; and he clockes to thame, as a Hen dost to her chickens, to gather thame under the wings of his infinite mercy. The fourth end, wherefore this sacrament wes instituted, is this; that in this action, we might thank him for his benefits, and rander to him hearty thanks, that he hes come down sa familiarlie to us, bowed the heavens, as it were, and given us the body and blood of his awin Son, that we might rander unto him hearty thanks, and sa sanctify his benefits to us: for this thanksgiving, this Sacrament wes also instituted. This far concerning the ends shortly.

Now I come to the things contained in this Sacrament. Ʒe see with your eyes, there is casten before you corporal things, visible things, sick as the bread and the wine. There is again hid fra the eye of your body, but present to the eye of your mind, spiritual things, heavenly and inward things, baith thir are in the Sacrament. The corporal, visible, and outward things, they are the things that are appointed, to signify the spiritual, heavenly and inward things: And why? Nathing without a reasoun. Thir corporal signs are appointed to signify the spiritual things, be reasoun we are corporal, we are earthly bodies, we have our soul ludging within ane carnal body, in a tabernacle of claye, a gross tabernacle, whilk cannot be walkned nor moved, except be the things that are like to it self: It cannot be induced to the consideration of heavenly things, except, be gros, temporal and corporal things. Gif we had been of the nature of the thing signified, that as the thing signified is spiritual and heavenly, sa we always had been spiritual and heavenly; we had not mistered a corporal thing. Siclike, gif the thing signified had been as we are, corporal, earthly and visible; we had not mistered a sign, to carry us to the consideration of it. But be reason the thing signified is spiritual, and we are corporal; therefore to bring us to the sight of thir spiritual things, he uses a corporal mean and an outward sign. This is the resoun wherefore thir corporal signs are appointed, to signify the spiritual thing. The spiritual thing in baith the Sacraments, is ane & the self same Christ Jesus, signified in baith the Sacraments: Ʒit in diverse respects, he is the thing signified in Baptism, and he is the thing signified in the Supper. This Christ Jesus in his blood chiefly, is the thing signified in the Sacrament of Baptism; for why? be reason that be his blood he weschis the filth of our sauls; be reason that be the virtue of his blood, he quickens us in our sauls, with a heavenly life; be reasoun that be the power of his blood, he ingrafts and imps us in his awin body: for that sacrament is a testimony of the remissioun of our sins; that is of the cleans of our conscience, that our consciences be that blood, are weschen inwardly. It testifies siklike, of our new birth, that we are begotten spiritually to a heavenly life: It testifies sicklike, of the joining of us in the body of Christ. As it is a testimony, sa it is a seal; It not only testifies, but seals it up in our harts, and makes us in our harts, to feel the taist of that heavenly life begun in us; that we are translated fra death, in the whilk we war conceived, & imped in the body of Christ. Tak heed then, Christ in his blood, as he is the lawer of our regeneration, is the thing signified in Baptism. In this sacrament of the Supper again, this same Christ, is the thing signified in ane other respect; to wit, in this respect, as his body and blood serves to nurish my saul to life everlasting; for this sacrament is na other thing, but the Image of our spiritual nuriture, God testifing howe our sauls are fed, and nurisched to that heavenly life, be the Image of ane corporal nuriture▪ Swa, in diverse respects the same thing; that is, Christ Jesus, is signified in baptism, and is signified in the Supper. In this Sacrament the fruits of Christ's death, whereof I spake, the virtue of his sacrifice, the virtue of his passioun: I call not thir fruits nor thir virtues only, the thing signified in the Sacrament of the Supper; but rather I call the thing signified, that substance, & that person, out of the whilk substance, this virtue, and thir fruits dost flow and proceed. I grant to thee, and it is mayest certain, that be the lawful use and participation of the Sacrament, thou art partaker of all thir fruits, yet thir fruits are not the first & chief thing, whereof thou art partaker in this sacrament; but of force thou man get ane other thing first. It is true, that na man can be partaker of the substance of Christ, but the same saul mann be also partaker of the fruits that flowis fra his substance: Ʒit notwithstanding, thou man discern betwixt the substance, and the fruits that flowis fra the substance, and thou mann be partaker of the substance in the first room. Then in the next room, thou mann be partaker of the fruits that flows fra his substance. To mak this clear in baptism, the fruits of baptism, are remission of our sins, mortification, the slaughter of sin, and the sealing up of our adoptioun to life everlasting. The substance, out of the whilk thir fruits dost flow, is the blood of Christ: Ʒe mann heir of force discern betwixt the blood whilk is the substance, and betwixt remissioun of sins, wesching and regeneratioun, whilk are the fruits that flowis fra this blood. Sicklike in the sacrament of the supper. The fruits of the Sacrament, ar the growth of faith and the incres in halines. The thing signified, is the substance; that is, the body and blood of Christ is the substance, out of the whilk, this growth in faith & halines dost proceed. Now see ye not this; ye mann discern then betwixt the substance and the fruits, and ye mann place the substance in the first room, sa that the substance of Christ, that is, Christ him self is the thing signified in this Sacrament; for your awin experience makes this clear unto you: or your stomach be filled with ony food, ye mann eat the substance of the food first, or ye be filled with bread, ye man eat the substance of that bread first: Or your drouth be quenched with ony drink, ye mann of force, drink the substance of the drink first. Even sa, after this samemaner, or the hunger of your saules be satisfied, and the thirst thereof quenched, ye man eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood first, and that be faith. Sa consider the ane be the other; look to what use bread & wine serves to thy body, to the same very use, the body and blood of Christ serves to thy soul, and he that appointed the ane to serve for thy body, the same God appointed the other to serve for thy saul. Swa look how impossible it is to thee, to be fed with that food that coms never in thy mouth, or to recover health of that drog whilk wes never applied, nor come never out of the Apothecaries booth: It is als impossible to thee, to be fed upon the body of Christ, and to get thy health of the blood of Christ, except thou first eat his body and drink his blood. Then ye see, that the thing signified in the supper, is not the fruit sa meekle, as the body & blood of Christ Jesus, whilk is the fountain and substance, whairfra thir fruits dost flow and proceed.

Now I say, suppose Christ wha is the thing signified, remain ay ane, and the same in baith the Sacraments: yet the signs whereby this ane Christ is signified in the Sacraments are not ane, nor of ane equal number nather: for in Baptism, the thing that represents Christ, is water: Into the supper, the things that represents Christ, are bread & wine. Water is appointed to represent Christ in Baptism, and why? He hes chosen out water, because it is meetest to represent the blood of Christ, to represent our weshing with the blood of Christ. For what is meeter to wesh with, nor water? Sa there is nothing meeter to wesh the soul, nor the blood of Christ. Into this Sacrament, he hes appointed bread and wine; why? Because there is nothing meeter to nurish the body, nor bread and wine. Sa the Lord hes not chosen thir signs without a reason. As the signs in the sacraments are not alwayis ane; sa the same in baith, are not of ane number: For in Baptism, we have but ane element, into this Sacrament we have twa elements. Now what is the reason of this diversity, that the Lord in the ane Sacrament, hes appointed twa signs, and in the other but ane sign? I sall give you the reason: he hes appointed only ane sign in Baptism, to wit, water: because water is sufficient aneugh to do the haill turn. Gif water had not been sufficient to represent the thing signified, he wald have appointed ane other sign: but in respect, water dost the turn, and represents fully the weshing of our sauls, with the blood of Christ: what mister then have we of ane other sign? Now in this Sacrament, ane sign will not suffice, but there mann be twa: for why? Wine cannot be sufficient alane, nor bread cannot be sufficient alane: For he that hes bread only, and wine only, hes not a perfect nuriture corporal; therefore, that they might represent and lat us see, a perfect nuriture, he hes given us, baith bread and wine: (For the perfect nuriture corporal, stands in meat and drink) to represent the full and perfect nuriture of the saul. Look how full and perfect a nuriture, he hes to his body, that hes store of bread and wine; sa he that hes Christ, laks nothing of a full and perfect nuriture to his saul. Then ye see the reason, wherefor there is twa signs appointed in this Sacrament, and only ane sign in Baptism.

There rests yet concerning thir signs, twa things to be speered: First, what power hes that bread in this Sacrament, to be ane sign, mair nor the bread that is used in common houses: wherefra flows that power? Nixt, gif it hes a power; howe lang endures and remains that power with the bread? As to the first, concerning the power whilk that bread hes, beside ony other bread. I sall tell you, that bread, hes a power given to it be Christ, & be his institution, be the whilk institution, it is appointed to signify his body, to represent his body, and to deliver his body. Then speeres thou of the power? That bread, hes a power flowing fra Christ and his institutioun, whilk other common bread hes not: Sa that, gif ony of you wald speere, when the Minister in this action, is breaking or distributing that bread, pouring out, and distributing that wine: gif you wald spear, what sort of creatures are yone? A ready answer here; they are holy things; ye mann give this name, to the signs and seals of the body and blood of Christ. That bread of the Sacrament is ane holy bread, & that wine is an holy wine, why? Because, the blessed institution of Christ, hes severed tham fra the use, whereunto they served of before, & hes aplied tham to an holy use; not to feed the body, but to feed the soul. This far concerning the power of that bread: It hes a power, flowing fra Christ & his institution. Now the second thing is this: how lang continues this power with that bread? Howe lang hes that bread this office? In a word, I say, this power sticks with that bread, enduring the time of the action, enduring the service of the table. Look how lang that action continues, and that the service of the Table lasts: sa lang it continues ane holy bread, sa lang continues the power with that bread: but look how soon, the action is ended; sa soon ends the halines of it: Look how soon the service of the Table is ended; that bread becomes common again, and the halines of it ceasis. Then this power continues not for ay, but it continues, only enduring the time of the action and service of the Table: this far concerning the elements.

There is beside the elements, an other sort of signs in the Sacrament: there is not a reat nor ceremony in the Sacrament of the Supper, but every reat and ceremony is a sign, and hes the awin spiritual signification with it: As namely, looking to the breaking of that bred, it represents to thee, the breaking of the body and blood of Christ: not that his body was broken in bone or lith, but that it was broken with dolour, with anguish and distress of heart, with the weight of the indignation and fury of God, that he sustained for our sins whilk he bure. Then the breaking is ane essential ceremony: the pouring out of the wine, also is ane essential ceremony: For why? as ye see clearly, that be the wine, is signified the blood of Christ: sa be the pouring out of the wine, is signified, that his blood was severed fra his flesh, and the severing of thir twa, makes death; for in blood is the life, and consequently it testifies his death. The pouring out of the wine, then tells thee, that he dieth for thee, that his blood was shed for thee: Sa this is an essential ceremony, whilk man not be left out. Siclike, the distribution, giving & eating of that bread, are essential ceremonies: And what dost the eating testify to thee? The applying of the body and blood of Christ to thy saul: Sa that there is never ane of thir reits, but they have there awin significatioun, and there cannot ane of thame be left out, but ye sall pervert the haill action. This far concerning the signs.

Now what profit can ye make of all this discourse? Cary me this lessoun with you, and ye sall make your profit of thir things: In respect that every sign and ceremony, hes the awin spiritual significatioun: Sa that there is not a ceremony in this haill action, that wants the awin spiritual significatioun. Take up this consideratioun, and think with yourselves in that time especially, when ye are at the Table, and in the sight of that action; that look what thou sees the Minister doing outwardelie, what ever it be: Is he breaking that bread, is he dealing that bread? Is he pouring out that wine, and distributing that wine? Think well with thyself, that Christ is als bissie doing all thir things spiritually to thy saul; he is als bissie giving to thee his awin body, with his awin hand: he is als bissie giving to thee his awin blood, with the virtue and efficacy of it: Siclike in this action, (gif thou be an faithful communicant) look what the mouth dost, and howe the, mouth of the body is occupied outwardelie: Sa is the hand and mouth of the saul (whilk is faith) occupied inwardly. As the mouth takis that bread and that wine, sa the mouth of thy soul takis the body and blood of Christ, and that be faith: for be faith, and a constant perswasioun, is the only way to eat the body, and drink the blood of Christ inwardlye, and doing this, there cannot but follow a fruitful manducatioun. This far, for the consideratioun of the signs.

Now comes in the matter, wherein gretest difficulty standis, whereof I spak the last day as God gave me the grace, yet in the particular we man speak, as weil as in the general, but somewhat mair schortlie. Then ye have to understand for the better informatioun of your conscience, and for the better preparation of your sauls: ye have to understand how that bread and that wine, whilk are the signs, are cowpled with the body and blood of Christ, whilk are signified thereby; what sort of conjunctioun is this, & wherefra flows this conjunctioun, I sall be short in it, because I spak of it at great length the last day. Take heed, for and ye give not attendance, it is not possible that ye can take up this conjunction. As to this sort of conjunction, how thir twa are cowpled, wald ye knawe it? Do this first. Take tent first of all, to the nature of the signs, and to the nature of the thing signified, ye man take tent to baith their natures, and why? Be reason nothing can be coupled nor conjoined with an other, but in sa far as the nature of it will suffer: gif the nature of it will not suffer ane conjunctioun, they cannot be conjoined: or will the nature of it suffer a conjunction, look how far it will suffer a conjunction, sa far are they conjoined. Now mann I look to the nature of the things that ar conjoined? Ʒis: First of all then, look to the thing signified, what is the nature of the thing signified; looking to this, thou seeis that the thing signified is of a spiritual nature, of a heavenly and mystical nature; Then conclude, na questioun this spiritual thing will suffer a spiritual conjunction, a mystical and secret conjunction. Look over again to the sign: The sign of his nature, as I taulde you in the beginning, hes a relatioun to the thing signified. And the thing signified of his nature, hes a relatioun to the sign. Swa then the sign and the thing signified will suffer to be conjoined be ane mutual relatioun: Baith the sign and the thing signified, in respect they have a mutual relatioun the ane to the other, they will suffer thame selves to be conjoined be a relative conjunction. Now speer ye at me, what sort of conjunctioun is betwixt that bread and that wine, and the body and blod of Christ. To tell you in a word, I say it is a secret and spiritual conjunctioun, sick a conjunction as stands in a mutual respect, betwixt that bread and the body of Christ, & betwixt that wine, and the blood of Christ. Then I say, it is a secret and a spiritual conjunctioun. Thou wald not be sa inquisitive of this conjunction, gif it were corporal, visible, or local, gif thou saw thame baith before thine eyes, thou wald not speer how they are conjoined: Or gif thou saw thame baith in an place; but in respect thou sees but the ane with thine eye, & the other is hid: this makes the conjunction the mair difficill to be uttered and vnderstanden. And howe is it possible that ye can take up this secret and hid conjunctioun▪ except ye have the eyes of your mind illuminate be the spirit, whereby ye may come to the right understanding of it: But gif ye have ony insight in thir spiritual maters that comes be faith, this conjunction sall appear als cleirly be the eye of your faith, as the Phisicall conjunctioun dost to the eye of your body. Now will ye have this mater maid plain. There is ane other conjunctioun whilk serves to make this conjunctioun very clear: To wit, the conjunction betwix the word whilk I speak, and the thing signified be that same word. Speak I of things to you in a language that ye understand: As be gods grace ye understand this language now; speak I of things bigane, and it were never sa lang syne: speak I of things to come, and they were never sa far off: speak I of things absent and they were never sa far distant: Ʒit sa sone as I speak the word; whither it be of things bigane or to come, the thing it self will come in your mind. The word streiks not sa soon in your eire, but the thing signified be the same word come in your mind. What makes the thing signified, suppose it be absent, to come in my mind? This could not be, except there were a conjunction betwix the word and the thing signified be the word: As for example, speak I of the King, wha is now a good piece distant from us, (I pray god save him) ye will not sa soon hear the word, but the King wha is the thing signified be this word, will come in your mind. Speak I of things bigan, suppose they be already expired, yet the thing signified will ay come in your mind: Sa there is a conjunction ye see, betwixt the word and the thing signified be the word. Tak heed to this conjunctioun, and ye sal get the nature of the conjunction, and cowpling of the sign with the thing signified in the Sacrament: for look what sort of conjunctioun is betwixt the word and the thing signified be the word, that sam sort of conjunction, is betwixt the sacrament, whilk is seen to the eye of your body, and the thing signified be the sacrament, whilk is seen to the eye of your soul only. As for example, sa soon as thou seeis that bread tane in the hand of the Minister, thou seeis it not sa soon, but incontinent the body of Christ man come in thy mind: thir twa are sa conjoined, that they come baith together: the ane to the outward senses, the other to the inward senses. This is not aneugh now, but because in the institution, ye are commanded to ga farther, and not only to look to that bread and that wine, but to take that bread and that wine: Incontinent as your hand takes the ane, sa your heart takes the other: as your teeth eats the ane, sa the teeth of your soul whilke is faith, eats the other, that is▪ applies Christ to your soul. Swa ye see, there is a conjunctioun heir, secret and mystical: and therefore Christ cannot be conjoined but be a secret and mystical conjunctioun. The conjunction betwixt Christ and us, is a secret and mystical conjunction, whilk the Apostle EPHES. 5. calls that spiritual conjunctioun, full of ane high mystery. This conjunctioun cannot be tane up at the first: Sa seeing the conjunctioun is secret and spiritual, and not perceived but be the spirit of God: All is for nocht, except ye have some portioun and measure of his spirit; Al that is taught in the word and sacraments, will never do you good; will never carry your soul to heaven, except the spirit of GOD illuminate your minds, and make you to find in your sauls, the thing that ye hear in the word. Then learn this, seeing the word cannot be understand, but be the spirit of God: crave that the Lord wald illuminate the eyes of your minds be his spirit: and be ye als cairfull to get the spirit, as ye are cairfull now in the hearing of the word. This far concerning the conjunctioun.

Now ye have hard, how the sign is conjoined with the thing signified: What rests there for you to knaw? There rests to knaw, how the sign is received, and how the thing signified is received; whider they be baith received with ane mouth or not: whider the sign and the thing signified, be received after ane fashion & manner or not: And marking me the diverse manner of receiving, and the diversity of the instruments: ye sall not easily err in the Sacrament. The sign and the thing signified, are received be twa mouths, for ye see the signs, that is, that bread and wine, whereunto they are geuin, they are given to the mouth of the body: Then the mouth of the body is the instrument that receuis that bread and that wine, whilk are the signs. As that bread, and that wine, are visible and corporal; sa the mouth and instrument whereby they are received, is visible and corporal. The thing signified be the bread and wine, is not received be the mouth of the body: Na, the Scriptures denies that plainly; but he is received, be the mouth of the soul. Then there is twa mouths; that bread, & that wine, whilk are the signs, are received be the mouth of the body: Christ, wha is the thing signified, is received be the mouth of the saul; that is, be a true faith. Swa, bring me not to the Table, ane mouth only (for gif ye bring the mouth of your body only, all is wrāg) but bring with you also, the mouth of the soul, a constant persuasion in the death of Christ, and all gaies well. Now, as to the manner, how the signs are received, & the fashion how the thing signified is received: Ʒee may easily knawe, that thir corporal and natural signs, mann be received after a corporal and natural manner: They mann be taken, with the hand or mouth of the body. Again, a supernatural thing mann be received, after a supernatural manner: A spiritual thing, mann be received, after a spiritual manner. Swa, as the signs are corporal, & received after a corporal manner, with the hand, or the mouth of the body: siclike, the thing signified is spiritual, and received after a spiritual manner, with the hand and mouth of the soul; whilk is true faith. Then ye have shortly tane up unto you, the hail preparation, that is necessary for the understanding of this Sacrament.

Now, what doctrine gather I of this? Of this last point, where I say, that Christ is the thing signified, and cannot be perceived, but be faith, cannot be received nor digested, but be ane faithful soul: what kind of perception establish I, in this sacrament? I establish na kind of perception of Christ, but a spiritual perception; he cannot be received, nor perceived but be faith; and faith is spiritual. Therefore in the Sacrament, I establish only a spiritual perception of Christ, and not ane oral, carnal, or fleshly perceptioun. This is the ground: now lat see, what inconvenient can follow upon this ground? The Papists says, that upon this ground, this inconvenient sall follow: gif there be na perception of Christ, but a spiritual perception (say they) then your sacrament is in vain; this Sacrament of the Supper, was instituted for naught. And what is their reason? Gif there be na way, says the Papists, to perceive Christ, but be faith; what misters you a Sacrament? Ʒee perceive Christ be faith in the word, be the naked and simple preaching of the word ye get faith; sa the simple word may staike you; what mister have ye of a Sacrament; gif ye get not some new thing in the Sacrament, whilk ye culled not get in the word? This is their argument, whereof ye see their conclusion to be this: we get na other new thing in the Sacrament, other nor we do in the word: gif there be na perception but spiritual: Ergo, the Sacrament is superfluous. We admit the antecedent to be true, we get na other thing, nor na new thing in the Sacrament, but the same thing, whilk we gat in the word. I will give thee to devise, and imagine with thyself, what new thing wald thou have: Lat the heart of man devise imagine, and wish; he durst never have excogitat, to have such a thing, at the Son of God, he durst never have presumed, to have pearsed the clouds, to have gane sa heigh, and to have craved the Son of GOD in his flesh, to be the food of his soul; having the Son of God, thou hes him, wha is the air of all things; wha is King of Heaven and Earth, and in him thou hes all things; what mair then can thou wish? What better thing can thou wish? He is equal with the Father, ane in substance with the Father, true God, and true man; what mair can thou wish? Then I say, we get na other thing in the Sacrament, nor we get in the word; content thee with this: But suppose it be sa; yet the Sacrament is not superfluous. But wald thou understand, what new thing thou gets, what other thing thou gets: I will tell thee; suppose thou get that same thing, whilk thou gat in the word; yet thou gets that same thing better: what is that better? Thou gets a better grip of that same thing in the sacrament, nor thou gat be the hearing of the word. That same thing, whilk thou possessed, be the hering of the word, thou possessest now mair largely, he hes a greater bounds in thy soul, be the receiving of the Sacrament, nor vtherways he could have, be the hearing of the word only. Then speers thou, what new thing we get? I say, we get this new thing, we get Christ better nor we did before, we get the thing that we gat, mair fully, that is, with a surer apprehension, nor we had off before; we get a better grippe of Christ now: For be the Sacrament, my faith is nurished, the bounds of my soul is enlarged, and sa, where I had but a little grip of Christ before; as it were, betwixt my finger and my thoumbe; now I get him in my haill hand, and ay the mair, that my faith grows, the better grip I get of Christ Jesus. Sa the Sacrament is felloun necessary, and it were na mair, but to get Christ better, and to get a faster apprehension of him be the Sacrament, nor we culled have off before: For gif it were true, that the Sacrament is superfluous: be the same reason it sall follow also, that the repetition of the Sacrament, is superfluous; for when ye come to the Sacrament the second time, ye gat na other thing, nor ye did the first time: when ye come to the Sacrament the third time, ye gat na other thing, nor ye did the first time: and yet na man will say, that the third and second coming is a superfluous thing; and why? Because in the second coming, my faith is augmented: I understand better, I grow in knowledge, I grow in apprehensioun, I grow in feeling; and getting the growth of all thir, als oft as I come: There is na man will say, that the oft coming to the Sacrament is superfluous, and it were, ilk day ains; Sa their first inconvenient, avails not; we get na new thing in the Sacrament: Ergo, the Sacramentis superfluous. This far for the first.

Then there comes on ane other thing on the same ground: Gif Christ be not perceived but be faith; then say we, na wicked body can perceive him; he that lacks faith, cannot perceive him; he that lacks faith, may perceive that Sacrament of that bread, and that wine, and may eat of that bread, and that wine; but he that lacks faith, may not eat of the body and blood of Christ, signified be that bread, and be that wine. Sa there is the ground: Na faithless people can perceive Christ, nor eat the body of Christ in the Sacrament. Against this ground, they delash their artillery siclike, and they bring their argument out of the same words of the Apostle whilk I have read. The words are thir: He that eats of this bread unworthily, says the Apostle, and drinks of this cup unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of Christ: Theris their ground; Sa that their argument will suffer this form, as gif they wald say, after this manner: Na man can be guilty of that thing, whilk he hes not received; they have not received the body and blood of Christ: therefore they cannot be guilty of the body and blood of Christ: but sa it is; the Apostle says, they are guilty: therefore they have received the body and blood of Christ. I answer to the proposition, and I say, it is very false: They could not be guilty of that body and blood, except they had received it: For they may be guilty of that same body, and of that same blood, suppose they never received it, but take heed to the text. The text says not, that they eat the body of Christ unworthily, but it says that they eat that bread, and drinks that wine unworthily. And yet because they eat that bread, and drinks that wine unworthily, they are compted before God, guilty of the body and blood of Christ. Now wherefore is this? Not because they receive him, for gif they received him, they culled not but receive him worthily, for Christ cannot be received of any man, but worthily. But they are compted guilty of the body and blood of the Son of God, because they refused him: For when they did eat that bread, and drink that wine, they might, gif they had had faith, eaten and drunken the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus: Now because thou refuses the body of Christ offered to thee, thou contemns this body offered to thee, gif thou have not ane eye to discern and judge, upon this body that is offered: For gif they had had faith, they might have seen his body offered with the bread, be faith they might have tane that same body, & be faith they might have eaten that same body; therefore lacking their spowsing garment, lacking faith, whereby they suld eat the body, and drink the blood of Christ: lacking faith whilk is the eye of the saul to perseaue, and the mouth of the soul to receive that body, whilk is spiritually offered, they ar compted guilty of that same body and blood. Now come on, this may be made mair clear be a similitude▪ Ʒe see amangs warldly princes, their custom is, they will not suffer their majesty to be interest in the smalest thing that they have: Quher can there be a smaller thing, that concernis the majesty of a Prince, nor a seall, for the substance of it is but wax, yet gif thou disdainfully use that seall, and contemn it, and stamp it under thy feet, thou art compted als guilty of his body & blood as he that puttis hand in him, and thou will be handled after ea way: meikle mair, gif thou come as ane Sow, or as ane Dog to handle the seals of the body & blood of Christ, mekle mair may thou be compted to be guilty of his body, and of his blood. This far for the eating of the body of Christ: The wicked cannot eat the body of Christ, but they may be guilty of it. The Apostle makes this speech mair clear yet, be ane other speech whilke I have sometime handled fra this place: I remember that in the 6. Heb. 6. it is said, that Apostates, they that makes filthy defection, they crucify the son of God again, and their falling away, makes thame as guilty as they wer wha crucified him. He is now in the heavens, they cannot get him out of the heavens to crucify him, yet the Apostle say is they crucify him: Quhy? Because their malice is als great as theirs that crucified him, because they match in malice with thame that crucified him; sa that gif they had him in the earth heir, they would do the like: therefore they are said to crucify the son of GOD: Sicklike in HEB. 10. 29. there is ane other speech, the wicked are said to stramp the blood of christ under their feet: Quhy? because their malice is als great as theirs that stramped his blood: Now, they ar compted for this reason to be guilty of the body & blood of Christ, not because they eat his body, but because they refuse it, when they might have had it. Now the time remains yet, wherein we may have the body and blood of Christ, this time is very precious, and the dispensation of times is very secret, and hes their awin bounds: Gif ye take not this time now, it will away. This time of grace, and of that heavenly food, hes been dispensed to you very lang, but how ye have profited, your life and behavior testifies: Take up therefore yourselves in time, take your penniworthes of it: for ye watt not howe lang it lasts. Craue a mouth to receive, als well the food of your soul that is offered, as ye do the food of your body: and take this time while ye may have it, or assuredly the time sall come, when ye sall cry for it, and sall not get it: but in place of grace and mercy, sall come judgment, vengeance, & the dispensation of wrath.

They will not leave this mater sa, but they insist yet, & they bring ma arguments to prove that the wicked are partakers of the body and blood of Christ. That bread, say they, ye will grant, whilk the wicked man eats, is not naked bread, but is that bread, whilk is the Sacrament: Now they make their argument: the Sacrament hes ever conjoined with it, the thing signified: but the Sacrament is given to all, therefore the thing signified is given to all. What gif I grant to thame all this argument? There suld na inconvenient follow: for the thing signified may be given to all, that is, offered to all, as it is offered to all men, and yet not received of all: Giuen to all, therefore received of all, it follows not. I may offer you twa things, yet it is in your awin will, whither ye will take thame or not, but ye may take the ane and refuse the other, & yet he that offers, offered you the thing that ye refused, as truly as the thing whilke ye took. Sa God deceauis na man nor woman, but with the word and sacraments, assuredly he geuis twa things gif they wald take thame: Into his word, he offers the word to the ear, he offers Christ Jesus to the soul: Into his Sacraments; he offers the Sacraments to the eye, he offers Christ Jesus to the saul. Now it may be, that where twa things are truly and conjointlie offered, a man may receive the ane, and refuse the other, he receauis the ane because he hes ane instrument to take it, he refuses the other because he lacks ane instrument: I hear the word, because I have ane ear to hear it with: I receive the Sacrament, because I have a mouth to receive it with: but as to the thing, whilk word and Sacrament represents, I may refuse it, because I have not ane mouth to take it, nor ane eye to perceive it; and therefore the fault is not upon God's part, but upon our part. The wicked gets the body & blood of Christ offered to thame conjointlie, with the word and Sacraments: but the fault is upon their parte, they have not a mouth to take him, and GOD is not bound to give them a mouth: (Take heed to that) And were not of his special grace and mercy, he geuis me ane eye to perceive him, and a mouth to receive him, I wald refuse him, as well as they do. Sa this argument dow not, Christ is offered to all, ergo, he is received of all, happy were they, and they received him. This far for the third argument.

What rests now for the full understanding of the Sacrament? There rests yet some things, we man understand now the sacramental speeches, that are used in the sacrament: for ye see, we use to speak of thame, God uses to speak of thame, and the Ancients uses to speak of tham: We use to say, that the soul eats the body of Christ, and drinks the blood of Christ. Thir speeches wald be opened up to you, howe the soul is said to eat the body, and drink the blood of Christ. Thir speeches are sacramental; ye are not the wiser yet, but I sall make it clear to you, be God's grace. They are sacramental, what is that? ye know it is proper to the body to eat and drink, thir ar the proper actions of the body only: Now he ascriues them to the saul, be ane translation, be ane figurative manner of speaking, that whilk is proper to the body, is ascriued to the saul, and it is said that the soul eats and drinks. The eating of the soul man resemble the eating of the body: then the eating of the saul is na other thing, but the applying of Christ to the saul, to believe, that he hes shed his blood for me, that he hes purchased remissioun of sins to me. Now come on, wherefore cal you this ane eating? What cal ye the eating of the body lat see? Eats thou not the body, when thou applies the meat to thy mouth? Gif then the eating of the body be na other thing, but the applying of meat to the mouth, the eating of the soul mann be na other thing, but the applying of the nuriture to the soul. Then ye see what is meaned be the eating and drinking of the saul: Na other thing, but the applying of Christ to my soul, and the applying of his death and passion to my soul, and this is only done be faith: therefore he that lacks faith cannot eat Christ. This far for the eating and drinking of the soul, whilke are sacramental speeches.

What rests now of all thir great things, & of all this doctrine that hes been taught? learn me but this ane lesson, learn me to apply Christ rightly to thy soul, and thou hes win all, thou art a great Theolog, and thou have learned this weil. For in the right application of Christ, to the sick soul, to the wounded conscience, & diseased heart; heir begins the fountain of all our felicity, and the wellspring of all our joy. And I sall tell you, what this application works, look what the presence of thy soul within thee, (suppose thou want Christ in thy soul) dost to this earthly body, to this lump of clay, as be the presence of the saul, it lives, it moves, it feiles, as the soul gives to the body, life, moving, and senses: that same very thing dost Christ to thy soul. Hes thou ains gripped and applied him to thee? As the soul quickens the body: sa he quickens the soul, not with an earthly or temporal life, but with the life whilk he lives in heuē: he makes the to live that same life whilk the angels lives in heaven: he makes the to move, not with warldly motions, but with heavenly, spiritual, & celestial motions: Again, he inspyres in thee, not outward senses, but heavenly senses; he warks in thee a spiritual feeling, that in thine awin heart and conscience, thou may find the effect of this word. Swa, be the conjunction of Christ with my soul; I get a thousand times a greater benefit, nor the body dost be the soul: For the body, be the presence of the soul, gets only ane earthly and temporal life, subject to continual misery; but be the presence of Christ in my soul, I see a blessed life, I feel a blessed life, and that same life takes daily, mair and mair increase in me. Then the ground of all our perfection and blessedness, stands in this conjunction; & sa, suppose thou lived METHVSALEMS days, & were ever crauand: Ʒit, gif in the last hour, thou get this conjunction, thou may think thy traueill weil wared, thou hes gotten aneugh: Sa suld ye not be bissie in craving, gif ye were to live a thousand year: for gif ye get him in the last hour, ye have gotten aneugh: gif ye have gotten Christ, ye have gotten all with him: Sa the aplying of Christ to my saul, is the fountain of all my joy and felicity.

And how get we this conjunction, lat see? This is a spiritual conjunction; a conjunction, hard and difficile to be purchased, obtained, and gotten of us: How then is this conjunction brought about, whilk ar the moyaners of this cōjunction, upon the part of God; and whilk are the moyaners vpō the part of man; to get me Christ, to put Christ Jesus in my saul, and to make Christ Jesus ane with me? There is ane moyaner upon the part of God, that helps to get us Christ; and there is ane other upon our part: upon the part of GOD, there is the holy spirit: what doth he? He offers the body and blood of Christ to me. Now upon our part, there mann be a moyaner; or else, suppose he offer, we will not receive: Therefore, of necessity, there mann be faith in our sauls, to receive that whilk the holy spirit offers, to receive that heavenly food of the body and blood of Christ, whilk the holy spirit offers. Then faith and the holy spirit, are the twa moyaners of this spiritual and heavenly conjunction. Be thir twa moyaners; be faith, and be the holy spirit; I get the body of Christ; the body of Christ is mine, and he is given to my saul. Now here coms in the questioun: how can thou say, that the body of Christ, is given or delivered to thee, seeing the body of Christ, is sittand, at the right hand of God the Father? and look how great distance, is betwixt heaven and earth; als great distance is there, betwixt the body of Christ, and thy body: how then say ye, that the body of Christ is given to you? The Papists cannot get this understood; and therefore they imagine, ane gross and carnal conjunctioun: except the spirit of God reveal thir things, they cannot be understand; the spirit of God, mann illuminate our minds, and be bissie in all our hearts, or we come to the understanding of this. Then wald thou understand, how Christ is given thee? This ground is true, that the body of Christ, is at the right hand of the Father, the blood of Christ, is at the right hand of the father: Ʒit notwithstanding, suppose there be als great distance, betwixt my body, and the body of Christ, as is betwixt heaven and earth, Ʒit Christ's body is given to me: and how is he given to me? Be reason, I have ane title of his body given to me: the right and title, whilk is given to me of his body and blood, makes me to possess his body and blood: The distance of the place, hurts not my title, nor my right: For gif ony of you, have a piece of land, liand in the fardest part of Orknay; gif ye have a good title to it; the distance of the place cannot hurt your title. Sa I say, the distance of place, hurts not my title, and my right, that I have to Christ: But suppose, he be sitting at the right hand of the Father; yet the title and right, that I have to him, makes him mine; sa that I may say truly, this man is my property: Then Christ is not made mine, because I pike him out of the heavens: but he is mine, because I have an sure title & right to him, and having a sure title, and a just right to him, the distance of place, howe far soever it be, can on na ways hurt my title, nor my right; but whaireuer he be, he is mine, because I have a right and title to him. Ʒea, not only, have I a title to him, but this title is confirmed to me: for as I get a title to him in the word, (and gif I gat not a title to him in the word; I durst not come to the Sacrament.) Sa in the Sacrament, I get the confirmation of my title, I get the seal whilk confirms my title. Then to come to the point: Christ's body is sittand at the right hand of the Father; and yet he is mine, and is delivered to me, because I have right to his body, be where it will; he was borne for me, given to me, and delivered to me. Swa distance of place, hurts not the surety of my title, as propinquitie of place, helps not the surety of the same. I give thee, that Christ wald bow the heavens, and twitch thee with his body, as he did IVDAS: Ʒit this could not help thee a whit; for gif thou had not a title to him, thou durst not call him thine. Swa it is not the nearenes, nor proximitie of places, that makes Christ mine: It is only the right that I have to him. I have right to him, only be faith: Sa be faith only, Christ is made mine. But they think they have gotten a great vantage of us, gif we be sa far fra Christ, as the heaven is fra the earth; but that sal be tane fra tham also, be gods grace. I have a title to his body; his body is distant fra my body; yet his body is not distant fra me; that is, fra my soul: I say, his body, and my soul are conjoined. That is a strange ledder, that will climb betwixt the heaven and the earth; I get a cord that gais betwixt the heaven & the earth, that couples me and him together; and this is only true faith. Be true faith, christ suppose he be in the heavens, is coupled and conjoined with me, wha am here on earth: How can this be? I sall show you how: Is not the body of the Sun in the lift? It is impossible to you, to twitch the body of the Sun; yet the body of the Sun and ye are conjoined: howe? Be they same beams that shines on you, be that light that shines on you: Quhy may not the body of Christ then, suppose it be in the heavens, be conjoined with me that am in the earth, to wit, be the beams, be the light and gladness, that flowis fra his body? my body and the body of Christ, are conjoined be the virtue and power that flowis fra his body; whilke virtue and power quickens my dead soul, makes me to live the life of Christ, to begin to die to myself, and ay the mair I die to myself, the mair I live to him. This conjunctioun now is the ground as I tauld you, of all our felicity and happiness, and I have made it clear to you for the present, sa far as God hes yet given me insight, gif he geuis ony farther heirafter, as he communicats it, ye sall have it. Always ye see this conjunction is moyaned, be twa special moyans, be the moyan of the holy spirit, and be the moyan of faith: Gif there be na other moyaner, but thir twa, why craves thou a carnal or a visible conjunctioun? Faith is invisible, and the spirit is invisible: therefore thou cannot see it nor take it up with the eye of thy body, the power of the holy spirit is sa subtle, secret, and invisible, that thou cannot perceive it, nor take it up with the eye of thy body, and he will work great effects in thy saul, or ever thou take up his working. In respect therefore, that the moyaners of this conjunctioun are sa subtle, secret, & spiritual, why thinks thou to get a sight of this conjunctioun with the eye of thy body? Quhy imagines thou sick a carnal conjunction, as this whilk wald not do thee good, suppose thou had it? Knawis thou not that the spirit, that cowples us and Christ is infinite, sa that it is als easy to the spirit, to couple Christ and us, how far distant that ever we be, as it is easy to our soul to cowple our head, and the feet of our body, suppose they be distant. Then, seeing this conjunctiō is the ground and fountain, of all our happiness, and seeing this ground of happiness is sa subtle, and sa spiritual, what is your parte? Remooue all your outward senses: Remooue all your natural motions, remove your natural discourses, and your natural reason, and follow the sight and informatioun of the spirit of God: Craue that it wald please him to illuminate your understanding, that be the light of his spirit, ye may se cleirly the spiritual conjunctioun. Except the eye of the spirit be given you to take up this spiritual conjunctioun: It is not possible that ye can get any insight in it. But will the Lord of his mercy bestow some measure of his holy spirit upon you, out of question, ye sall sone come to the understanding of it, & ye sall think the time happy, that ever ye heard this word. Except ye have some parte of this spirit, it is not possible that ye can be spiritual: that whilk is born of flesh and blood, man remane flesh and blood, except the spirit come in & make it spiritual: therefore ye man be borne again of the spirit, ye man be borne in the body of Christ, his spirit man quicken you. This is called the quickening and living spirit of Christ be JOHN, & sa sone as this spirit coms in us, what dost it? It chases away darkness out of the understanding: whereas before I knew not God, now I see him not only generally, that he is a God, but that he is a God in Christ. What mair dost the holy spirit? He opins the heart as well as the mind: & what dost he there? That same thing whereupon I bestowed the affectioun of my heart, and employed the love of my soul, is be the working of the holy spirit made gaull to me, he makes it vennome to me, and to be as deadly hated of me, as poison. He works sick ane inward disposition in my soul, that he makes me to turn & fly from that same thing, whereupon I employed my love of before, and to employ it upon God. (this is a great perfectioun) Always in some measure, he makes me to love God, better then any other thing: he changes the affections of my soul, he changes the faculties, and qualities of my soul, and suppose our hearts and minds be made new, yet the substance of thame is not changed, but only the faculties and qualities are changed, in respect of the whilk change, we are called new creatures, and except ye be found new creatures, ye are not in Christ.

Now to come to the point, this secret conjunction is brought about be faith, and be the holy spirit; be faith we gripp the body & blood of Christ: and suppose we be als far distant, as Heaven & earth ar, the spirit serves us as a ledder to conjoin us with Christ: As the ledder of JACOB, whilk reached fra the ground to the Heaven, to the self same use serves the spirit of God, to conjoin the body of Christ with my soul. Then take up all in a word: what makes you to have ony right, or title to Christ? Nathing but the spirit, nothing but faith: What suld be your study then? Prease be all means possible to get faith, that as PET. Act. 15. 9. says, your harts and consciences may be sanctified be faith. And gif ye press not as well to get faith in your hearts, as in your minds, your faith avails not. What avails the faith, that fleets in the fantasie, and brings a naked knowledge, without the opening of the heart, and consent of the will; Swa their man be ane opening▪ of thy heart, and ane consent of thy will, to do that thing that GOD bids do, or thy faith avails not. Then press to get faith in your harts and minds, and doing sa, ye do the duty of Christians. This is not done without the diligent hering of the word, and diligent perception of the Sacraments. Sa, be diligent in thir excercises, and be diligent in prayer: Praying in the holy Ghaist, that he wald nurish your saules inwardly, with the body and blood of Christ, that he wald increase faith in your hearts and minds, & make it to grow up mair and mair daily, whill ye come to the full fruition of that blessed immortality. Unto the whilk, the Lord of his mercy bring us, and that for the righteous merits of Christ Jesus. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghaist, be all honor, praise, and glory, for now and ever

THE THIRD SERMON, UPON THE LORD'S SVPper, preached the 15. of February, 1589.

W E heard (well-beloved in Christ Jesus) in our last lessoun, what names was given to the Sacrament of the Supper, als well in the book of God, as be the Auncients of the Latin and Orient Kirks. We heard the chief ends, wherefore, and whereunto this holy Sacrament was instituted. We heard the things that were contained into this sacrament, what they war, how they are coupled, how they ar delivered▪ and how they are received. We heard also some objections, that might be casten in the contrair of this doctrine: we hard thame proponed, and as God gave the grace, refuted. And last of all, we hard how the faithful saul, is said to eat Christ his body, and to drink his blood: We heard the manner how Christ is, or can be received of us: And we concluded in this point; that Christ Jesus, the Savior of mankind, our Savior, cannot be perceived, nor yet received, but be a spiritual way and apprehension; nather the flesh of Christ, nor the blood of Christ, nor Christ himself; can be perceived, but be the eye of faith; can be received, but be the mouth of faith, nor can be gripped, but be the hand of faith. Now faith is a spiritual thing: for faith is the gift of GOD, poured down in the hearts and minds of men and women, wrought in the soul of every ane, and that be the mighty working, and operatioun of the holy spirit. Sa, the only way to grippe Christ being be faith: and faith of the awin nature being spiritual; it folowes therefore, that there is not a way to get a grippe of Christ, but ane spiritual way▪ There is not a hand to grippe Christ, but ane spiritual hand, there is not a mouth to digest Christ, but ane spiritual mouth. The scriptures familiarly be all thir terms, points out the nature & efficacy of faith.

We are said to eat the flesh of Christ be faith, and to drink his blood be faith in this Sacrament, chiefly in doing of twa things. First, in calling to our remembrance, the bitter death and passioun of Christ, the blood that he shed upon the Cross, the Supper whilk he instituted in remembrance of him, before he gaid to the Cros. The commandment whilk he gave: Do this in remembrance of me: I say, we eat his flesh, & drinks his bloodspiritually. First, in this point, in recording and remembering faithfully, how he died for us, howe his blood was shed upon the Cross. This is the first point; a point that cannot be remembered truly, except it be wrought be the mighty power of the holy spirit. The second point of the spiritual eating, stands in this; that I, and every ane of you, believe firmlie, that he died for me in particular: That his blood was shed on the Cross, for a full remissioun and redemptioun of me, and my sins▪ the chief and principal point of the eating of Christ his flesh, and drinking of his blood; stands in believing firmlie, that that flesh was delivered to death for my sins, that that blood of his, was shed for the remissioun of my sins: and except every soul come near to him self, and firmly consent, agree, and be persuaded that Christ died for him, that soul cannot be saved; that soul cannot eat the flesh, nor drink the blood of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh, and drinking of the blood of Christ; stands in ane faithful memory, in ane firm belief, and in ane true applying of the merits of the death and passioun of Christ to my awin conscience in particular.

There was sundry things objected against this kind of perception; and I will not insist to repeat thame, but beside all the objections, whilk ye heard objected against this kind of spiritual perceptioun be faith: They say, gif Christ his flesh, nor his blood, be not perceived, nor received but be the spirit; be faith in the spirit, then say they, ye receive him but be ane imagination. Gif he be not received carnally, nor corporally, but only be the spirit, and be faith: then is he not received, but be way of imagination, conceat, and fantasie. Sa they count faith, ane imagination of the mind, ane fantasie and opinion, fleeing in the harnes of man. I cannot wite thame to think sa of faith: for as nane can judge of the sweetness ofhony, but they that hes taisted of it: Sa, there is nane can discern nor judge upon the nature of faith, but they that hes felt, & taisted in their harts what it is. And gif they had taisted and felt in their sauls, what faith brings with it; alas, they wald not call that spiritual jewel, and only jewel of the saul, ane imaginatioun; they call it ane imagination, and the Apostle descriuing it HEB. 11 1. calls it ane substance, and ane substantial ground: Look howe well thir twa agrees, an imagination, and ane substantial ground; they call it ane uncertain opinioun, fleeting in the brain and fantasie of man: He calls it ane euidencie and demonstration in the same definition. See howe plat contrary, the Apostle and they are in the nature of faith. Upon this, they infer, that as it is true in the general, he cannot be delivered nor given, but that same way that he is received; and look what way, anything is received, that same way it is given & delivered: sa after thame, he being received be way of imagination, he is also in their fantasie given and delivered, be way of imagination. For gif he be not given, say they, to thy hand, to thy mouth, nor to thy stomach corporal; he cannot be given, but be ane imaginatioun, and fantastical opinion. The reasoun that mouis thame to think, that Christ cannot be theirs, nor given to thame truly, in effect and really, except he be given carnally, is this: that thing whilk is sa far absent, and sa far distant fra us: as the heaven is fra the earth; cannot be said, to be given to us, nor to be ours: But with your awin confession, say they to us, Christ his body, is als far absent from us, as the heaven is from the earth: therefore Christ his body, nor his flesh, cannot be given to us, except be way of imaginatioun, and so not truly nor in effect. This argument framed in this sort, wald appear to have some force, and moment in the entry: Ʒit let us examine the proposition of it. The proposition is this: that thing whilk is so far absent from us, as the Heaven is from the Earth; cannot be said to be delivered to us, to be given to us, or any way to be ours. Now whither is this propositioun true or falls? I say this proposition is flat falls, and the contrair is mayest true; a thing may be given to us, & may become ours, suppose the thing in person it self be as far distant from us, as the heaven is from the earth. And how prove I this? What makes ony thing to be yours? What makes ony of you to count a thing to be given to you? Is it not a title, is it not a just right to that thing? And gif ye have as just right given unto you, be him, wha hes power to give it, and ane sure title made to you, be him, wha hes the power: suppose the thing that he geuis you, be not delivered into your hand, yet be the right and title, whilk he makes to you, is not the thing yours? This is out of questioun, for it is not the nearnes of the thing to my body and to my hand, that makes the thing mine: for it may be in my hand, and yet not appertain to me; Nather is it the distance, nor absence of the thing that makes it not to be mine, but it may be far absent from me, & yet be mine; because the title is mine, and because I have gotten a right to it, of him wha hes power to give it. Sa this ground is true, it is a sure title, and an just right, that makes a thing, suppose it be far absent and distant fra us, to be ours. Now subsume: But sa it is, that a lively & true faith, in the blood and death of Christ, makes us to have ane sure title, and ane good right to the flesh & blood of Christ, and to his merits, look what he merited be his death, & shedding of his blood upon the cross, all that, together with himself also, apperteins to me, and that be a title & ane right, whilk I have gotten to him of God, whilk is faith: And the surer that my title be, the mair sure am I of the thing, that is given me be the title. Now this Sacrament of the Supper wes instituted to confirm our title, to seal up our right, whilk we have to the body and blood, to the death & passioun of Christ, and sa the body of Christ is said to be given to us: the blood of Christ is said to be delivered to us, when our title, whilk we have of him, of his death, of his body and blood, is confirmed in our hearts▪ for this Sacrament wes instituted, for the growth and increase of our faith, for the increase of halines and sanctificatioun; whilk faith, the greater that it be in our hearts, the mair sure are we, that Christ his death apertains to us. I grant to thee, as I have said, that the flesh of Christ, is not delivered in my hand, his flesh is not put in my mouth, nor enters not in my stomach: Ʒit, God forbid, that thou say, he is not truly given. For suppose Christ's flesh be not put in thy hand, nor mouth of thy body (and wherefore suld it? Hes he not appointed bread and wine for the nuriture of the body, and may they not content you? are they not sufficient to nurish you to this earthly and temporal life? he hes appointed Christ to be delivered, to the inward mouth of the soul, to be given in the hand of thy saule, that thy soul may feed on him, and be quickened with that life, wherewith the Angels lives, whairwith the Son of God, and God himself lives: Sa the flesh of Christ, is not appointed to nurish thy body, but to nurish thy saul in the hope, yea in the growth of that immortal life) And therefore I say; suppose the flesh of Christ be not delivered in the hand of my body; yet it is delivered to the part that it suld nurish; the soul is the part that it suld nurish: Therefore to the saul it is delivered: yea that bread, & that wine, are na mair really delivered to the body, and to the hand of the body; nor the flesh of Christ, is delivered to the saul, & to the hand & mouth of the saul, whilk is faith. Therefore, crave na mair a carnal delivery, nor panse not upon an carnal receuing. Thou man not think, that ather God gives the flesh of Christ, to the mouth of the body, or that thou, be the mouth of thy body, receauis the flesh of Christ. For ye man understand this principal in the Scriptures of God; our soul cannot be joined, nor bound with the flesh of Christ, nor the flesh of Christ cannot be joined with our soul, but be ane spiritual band; not by ane carnal band of blood or allya, nor be the twitching of his flesh, with our flesh. But he is conjoined with us, be ane spiritual band; that is, be the power and virtue of his holy spirit: And therefore the Apostle says, 1. COR. 12. 13. that be the moyan of his holy spirit; all we wha are faithful men and women, are baptized in one body of Christ; that is, we are conjoined, and fastened up with ane Christ, be the moyan (says he) of ane spirit; not be ane carnal band, or be ane gross conjunction; but anelie be the band of the holy spirit; that same holy spirit that is in him, is in every ane of us in some measure: And in respect ane spirit is in him, and in us: Therefore we are counted all to be ane body, and to be members of ane spiritual, and mystical body: and in that same verse he says; We are all made to drink in ane, and the self same spirit, that is: We are made to drink of the blood of Christ, and this blood is na other thing, but the quickening virtue & power that flows fra christ and fra the merits of his death. We are made all to drink of that blood, when we drink of the lively power and virtue that flows out of that blood: Sa there is not a bande, that can couple my soul with the flesh of Christ, but anely a spiritual band, and ane spiritual vnioun; & therefore it is that the Apostle 1. COR. 6. 17. says: He that is cowpled with God, and conjoined with our Lord, is ane spirit with him, and JOHN, in his third chap. says: That whilk is borne of the spirit, is spirit: Sa it is only, be the participation of the holy spirit, that we are conjoined with the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus; that carnal band, whither it be the band of blood, running thorough ea race; or be the carnal twitching of flesh with flesh: that carnal band, was never esteemed off be Christ, in the time he was conversant here upon earth, he lute nothing of that band; and as he hes left behind him in his book; he had never that carnal band, in ony kind of reverence nor estimation, in respect of the spiritual band: but as to the spiritual band, whereby we are coupled with him be an spirit; he ever esteemed of this band, in the time that he was conversant in the world: and in his book, he hes left the praise and commendation of the spiritual band. To lat you see, how lightly he esteemed of the carnal band, of the blood and alya, whilk we regard sa meekle. Ʒee have a place, LUKE. 8. 20. 21. for there they come to him, and they say, Master, your mother, your brother and kinsfolks stands without, and wald see you, and be at you: ye hear his answer to their demand; how little he esteems of that carnal band, he answers in the 21. verse, in a manner, denying that band, and he says: They are my mother and brethren, wha hears the word of GOD and dost it: as gif he wald say; it is not that carnal band that I esteem off, it is not that carnal conjunctioun that I reverence; it is the spiritual conjunction, be the participation of the holy spirit, whereby we are moved to hear the word of God, to give reverence to it, and to obey it. This carnal band, was never profitable as that same, LVK. 8. dost plainly testify: For gif the twitching of Christ's flesh had been profitable, the multitude where of mention is made in that chapter, that thrusted and preased him, had been the better be their carnal twiching: but sa it is, that there was never ane of tham the better of their carnal twitching: Therefore the carnal twitching profits na thing. Sayis he not him self, JOHN. 6. to draw tham from that sinister confidence, that they had into his flesh only; my flesh profits nothing, it is only the spirit that quickens; as to the other twitching, to twitch him be the holy spirit, & be faith in thy soul: this twitching be faith hes ever been profitable: and we have a plain example of it in the sam chap. Sicklike, where there the poor woman that was lang diseased with ane bloody issue, be the space of twelve years, and had wasted, and consumed ane great part of hir substance, in seeking remeid, she findis no help at the natural and bodelie Physician: At last, be the virtue of the holy spirit, working faith in her heart; be faith she understands and conceuis, that she is able to recover the health of her body, & the health of her soul at Christ Jesus, wha come to save baith body & soul: and upon this perswasioun whilk sho hes in her heart, that Christ may cure both body and soul, she comes to him, and as the text says, sho preasis thorough the multitude, whill she come to him, & when sho comes to him, it is not said that sho twitched his flesh with hir hand; in cace the Papists wald ascriue the virtue whilk come out of him, to her carnal twitching: But it is said, that sho twitched only the hem of his garment with her hand, and with faith, whilk is the hand of the soul, she twitched her savior God and man. And to lat you understand, that sho twitched him be faith, he sais to her in the end: Go thy way, thy faith hath saved thee, sho twitched him not so soon be faith, but incontinent there comes a power out of him, whilke power and virtue, sho felt be the effect of it in her soul, and he felt it when it gaid fra him: The effect whereby sho felt it, was the health of hir fall, and the effect whereby he felt it, was the ganging fra him, and sa soon as he felt it ga fra him, he says, wha is this that hath twitched me? PETER, who was ever mayest sudden, answers, and says: Thou art thrumbled and thrusted be the multitude, and yet thou speeris wha hes twitched thee, he answers again and he says, it is not that twitching that I speak of: It is ane other kind of twitching: There is ane hes twitched me, wha hes drawin a virtue and power out of me. The multitude takes na virtue fra me: The poor Woman thinking that she had done amiss, and seeing that sho could not be hid, sho coms trimbling, and sho says; I have done it: he answers her in the end; and he says, depart in peace, thy faith hes saved the, thy faith hes thrawin out a virtue and power out of me, that hath made baith saul and body haill. Sa that this twitching of Christ hes ever been profitable, is and sall be profitable. Lik as the twitching of Christ with the corporal hand, hes never been, is not, nor sall never be profitable; for why? Christ is not appointed to be a carnal head, to be set upon the crags of our bodies, that he may do the office of a carnal head thairvnto, to furnish natural motioun, and senses to our body, na, the scriptures calls not Christ ane carnal head: But the scriptures calls him an spiritual head, to be set on the crag of oursaul, that is, to be conjoined with our soul, that out of him in our soul, may distil holy motions, heavenly senses, & that there may flow out of him to us, ane spiritual and heavenly life. Then the Scriptures calls him ane spiritual head, as they call us ane spiritual body. And as the life, whilk we get from him, is spiritual: Sa all our conjunction with him, is spiritual; and in respect, he works that same operattion in my soul, whilk the carnal head dost in the body: Therefore he is counted a spiritual head; Therefore is he counted the head of his Kirk, be reason he furnishes to hir, spiritual motion and senses, whilk is the life of the Kirk: Sa to be short, there is nothing in this conjunctioun carnal; there is nothing gross in it, there is nothing, that may be compassed be our natural judgment and understanding: And therefore, whasoeuer wald attain, to ony small insight of this spiritul conjunction, betwixt us and Christ; of force he mann bow down, and earnestly incall for the spirit, or it is not possible to get ony understanding, and it were never sa small ane insight; how the flesh of Christ and we are conjoined, except we have some light given us be the spirit: that is, except our hearts be walkned, be the mighty working of the spirit of Christ, this sall remain, as a dead and a closed letter to us. Sa ye have to crave, that the Lord in his mercy, wald walken you, and illuminate your understandings, and mak you to have a spiritual light, to discern on thir spiritual things. Nixt, ye mann study and be cairfull to remove all vain cogitations, and earthly fantasies, when ye enter to hear of sick ane high mater; ye mann cast off all filthy thoughts, ill motions, and cairs of the world; and ye man shake off all things that cloggs your hearts: And thirdlie, ye man come with a purpose to hear the word, to give diligent▪ear to the word, and with a sanctified heart to receive it, with ane purpose to grow & increase in halines, as well in body, as in saul, all the days of your life: And coming with this purpose, na question, the holy spirit sal reueal the things to you that ye want. And suppose this word pass, and bring not great commodity for the present, yet the holy spirit hereafter, sal reveal to thee, the truth of that whilk thou hes heard now. Then this is the point of all, be present in your hearts and minds, and lat your sauls be emptied of all the cares of the world, that they may receive that liquor, whilk is offered in the hearing of this word.

Now I go forward, and I come to the discriuing of the sacrament of the supper, and I call this Sacrament of the Supper, ane holy seal, annexed to the covenant of grace and mercy in Christ, a seal to be ministered publicly, according alwayis to the holy institutioun of Christ Jesus, that be the lawful ministry thereof, the Sacramental vnioun betwixt the signs, and the thing signified may stand, and this union standing, Christ Jesus, wha is the thing signified, is als truly delivered to the increase of our nuriture spiritual, as the signs are given and delivered to the body, to the nuriture temporal. Now we sall examine the words, and partes of this definition. First of all, I call this Sacrament a seal, be reasoun that this Sacrament serves to the same use to our saulls, that a common seal serves to a common evident: As the seall whilk is annexed to the evident, confirms and seals up the truth contained in the evident: Sa this Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, confirms and seals up the truth of mercy and grace, contained in the covenant of mercy and grace: for this respect it is called a seall: It is called a holy seall, why? Because it is tane fra the profane use, whereunto that bread served in the night before, & that bread is applied to ane holy use: there is a power given to that bread, to signify the precious body of Christ Jesus, to represent the nuriture & feeding of our sauls: And in respect, it serves now in the sacrament to sa holy ane use, therefore I call it ane holy seal. As to this word, it is not mine, it is the Apostles word. ROM. 4. 11. where he geuis the Sacrament the same name, and calls it a seall. And to tell you farther, gif the wisdom of Christ in his Apostle, had been followed, and gif men had not invented new names of their awn to this Sacrament: but contented and satisfied thame selves, with the names that God hes given be his Apostle, and that Christ himself had given to this Sacrament; I am assured, nane of thir tragedies nor great storms and debaites (whilk never will cease) had fallen out: but where men will ga about, to be wiser nor God, and ga beyond God, in devising names, whilk he hes never given; upon men's awin inventions, sick tragedies and debaits hes fallen out. A lesson be the way; lat na flesh presume to be wiser nor God, but lat tham stoup, and keep the names whilk God hes given to this sacrament. I say thirdly, annexed to the covenant, annexed and hung to the chartour: because it cannot be called a seal properly, except it be hunging at ane evident. Look what it is be nature, that same thing is it, and na farther; gif it be not hungin to some evident, it is only the appensioun to the evident, that makes men to count it ane seal: therefore it is nothing esteemed, but being hung to the evident. Euin sa it is here, gif that Sacrament be not ministered and hungin to the preached word; to the preaching of the covenant of mercy & grace, it cannot be a seal; but look what it is be nature, it is na mair: as be nature, it is but a common piece bread, sa it is na mair; gif it be not hungin to the preaching of the word, and ministered therewith as Christ hes commanded: Therefore I say, the seal mann be annexed appended and hungin to the evident, to the preaching of the word for establishing of the evident, vtherwaies it is not a seall. But it is not sa with the evident, whilk is the word of God: for ye know ony evident will mak faith, suppose it want a seall, and it will serve to make a right, gif it be subscriued without a seall: but the seall without the evident avails nothing: Even sa it is with the word of God, suppose the Sacraments be not annexed to the word, yet the word will do our turn, it serves us to get Christ; It serves to ingender & beget faith in us, and makes us to grow up in faith: but the seal without the word, can serve us to na holy use: therefore I say, the seal man be annexed to the word preached, to the covenant of mercy & grace.

Now there follows in the definition, that this seal mann be ministered publicly: Quherfore say I publicly? to exclude all private administratioun of this Sacrament: For gif this Sacrament be ministered to an privately, it is not a sacrament; why? Because the Apostle calls this Sacrament a communion; Minister ye it to ane, ye tine the communion: Therefore, gif ye minister it priuatlie, ye tine the sacrament: For this Sacrament, is a communion of the body & blood of Christ; therefore, of force it mann be, be way of communication, and sa the action mann be publicly ministered. Secondly, this Sacrament mann be publicly ministered; why? Because Christ Jesus, wha is the thing signified in this Sacrament, is not sick a thing as pertenis to ane man anely; gif it were sa, he might be priuatlie given and ministered: But seeing Christ, whilk is the thing signified in the Sacrament, is a common thing, appertaining to every faithful man and woman: therefore, he aught to be commonly given to all, in a common action; in a society and congregatioun of the faithful. Thirdly, this Sacrament is compted a thanksgiving to God the Father for his benefits: Now it appertains not to ane or twa, to thank God only; but as we are all partakers of his temporal and spiritual benefits: sa we aught all publicly, to give him thanks for the same. Therefore I say, in the definitioun, this seal aught to be publicklie, and not priuatlie ministered, as the Papists dost in their private Messe. This seal mann be publicly ministered, according to Christ's institution: wherefore say I, Christ's institutioun mair, nor man's institution, or Angels institutioun? why hauld I myself at Christ's institution? I sall tell you why; because, a man hes not power, to institute or make a Sacrament; because an Angel hes not power to make or institute a Sacrament: For nane hes power to make nor institute a Sacrament, but he that hes power to give Christ, wha is the thing signified in the Sacrament: But sa it is, that nane hes power to give Christ, but ather the Father or himself: therefore nane hes power to make or institute a Sacrament, but ather the Father or the Son; only God mann make a Sacrament. Secondly, this Sacrament is a part of God's service and worshipping: But sa it is, that nane hes power to appoint ony part of his service, or prescriue ony part of his worshipping, but only GOD himself: Therefore nane can make a Sacrament, but God himself. There is na Prince in the earth will be content, to be served after ane other man's fantesie: but he will prescriue his service, according unto his awin fantasie: Howe meekle mair is it meet, that God suld appoint his awin service and worshipping: Therefore there is nather man nor Angel, hes power to institute a part of the service of God; the sacraments are ane part of his service; therefore, there is na Angel nor man, hes power to institute a Sacramenr. The greatest style, that ony man in the earth gets in the Ministry of the word and Sacraments, is that style, whilk the Apostle gives thame. 1. COR. 1. 4. There we are called Stewardes, and dispensours of the graces of God; Ministers of they mysteries and holy things. It follows then of this, that we are not Authors, Creators, or makers of thame; but only Ministers and dispensers of the Sacraments. Swa it is clear, that na man, nor creature hes power to make a Sacrament: Then it mann be according to the institution of Christ; his institution mann be keeped: Look what he said, look what he did, look what he commanded thee to do: all that, mann be said, done, and obeyed: Leave thou a jot of that undone, whilk he commanded thee to do, thou peruerts the institution: for there is nothing left in register of that institution, but it is essential. Sa, in the celebration of Christ's institution, we mann take tent, to whatsoever he said, did, or commanded to be done: thou mann first say, whatsoever he said; and then do, whatsoever he did; For the ministry of the Sacrament, man follow after the word. First thou mann say, that whilk Christ commanded thee to say, and thou man teach, that whilk he commanded thee to teach, and then minister the Sacrament. Then to keep this institution, we man begin at the saying, & say, whatsoever Christ commanded us, thairester faithfully do all that whilk he commanded to be done. Swa, what call we the word? I call the word, the haill institution of Christ Jesus, preached and proclaimed, denounced distinctly, clearly, and sensibly to the people: In sick sort, that gif we leave ony kind of circumstance or ceremony of this institution undone, we pervert the haill action.

It is agreed & condescended upon, betwixt us, wha celebrats this institutioun and all the sects of this world, wha hes separate thame selves fra this institution, that twa things are necessary, and mann concur to the nature and constitution of a sacrament; to wit, there man be a word, and there man be ane element concurrand; there is not a sect, but they grant this, that the word man concur with the element, or we get a Sacrament. As they are easy to admit this general, look how easy they are to admit this general, and howe well we agree with thame in the general, when it comes to the special, and that we enter into particular in the handling & treating of the word, look how weil we agree in the general, in the particular we loope als far sundry: For when we come to dispute, & reason on thir particulars; first, what we mean be the word: Secondly, howe this word ought to be entreated: Thirdly, what virtue this word hes: Fourthly, howe far the virtue of this word dost extend the self: and last of all, to whom the words ought to be directed & pronounced: In all thir particulars, we are als far sundry, as ever we appeared to agree in the general.

I leave my conference with any other sect, and halde me with the Papists, because we have mayest ado with thame. And first of all we have to understand, what we mean be the word, and what they mean be it: we be the word, as I have said, understands the haill institution of Christ Jesus, whatsoever he said, whatsoever he did, or commanded to be done, without eiking, without paring, without alteratioun of the meaning or sense of the word: This we mean be the word in the Sacrament. What understands the Papists be the word? They preach not the institution of Christ, nor takes not the haill institution, as he left it: but instead thereof they select, and pyks out of his institution, four or five words; and they make the haill virtue of the institutioun, to stand in the four or five words: & it maid noght gif they contented thame with they words, because they are the words of the institution: but they eike to they words, they pair fra the words and alters, the meaning of they same words, whilk they keep as they pleas. That ye may ken this; In their Messe whilk they cal the Supper, we sal lat you se the substance of it. I devide the Messe in substantial things, and accidental things: To the substance of the Messe there ar three things craved. There man of force be a priest, that is sick a ane, as takes upon him the office of our mediator Christ Jesus, to intercead betwixt God & man. Secondly, to the substance of the Messe is craved, that the Priest offer the body and blood of Christ: We come here to receive they things; there the Priest offers thame to GOD the Father. Thirdly, be this work, (say they) they obtain all good things; be this work, wrought they obtain remission of sins, als well to the dead, as to the quick; but in special, they obtain remissioun of sins to the Priest, wha is the distributer, and to him whom to the Priest applies that sacrafice: And as to the rest of the Kirk, wha are absent, they obtain this remissioun of their sins, be this work generally. Thir three things are necessary to the substance of the Messe. As to the accidents that mann concur to the making of a Messe, they are of twa sortes: Some of thame are always necessar, without the whilk that action cannot be: Some are not necessary again, and the action may be without thame, but not without a deadly sin: Thir things that are necessary, concernis partly the priest, and partelie the action it self. The accidents that are necessary to the Priest, are of twa sorts, an sort are such, as without the whilk he cannot be a priest, the other sort the whilk without he cannot be free of dedlie sin: The things without the whilk he cannot be a Priest are thir: Except he have power given of his Bishop to consecrate, whilk power is justified be the vnctioun, and shaving of his croune; except again he have power to speak, & that the roof of his mouth be haill, that he may speak, he cannot be a Priest. Thir twa are always necessary, and concurs to the person. Vther things again, are not so necessary: as the Priest man be free fra suspension, fra cursing, deadly sin, and all ecclesiastical pane and censures, thir things are necessary to the person. There is again, twa things necessary to the action; ane sort without the whilk the action cannot be, without the Lord's prayer it cannot be, without the five words of the institutioun it cannot be. Vther things again are not sa necessary, as the consecration of the place, where the Messe is said, the Altar stane, the blessing of the Chalice, the Water, the Murgeons, singing, he that suld help to say Messe, and the rest. Swa they and we in na ways agreis concerning the word, what is meaned be it.

Into the second member, we are als far sundry, how this word ought to be entreated: We say the word tane as said is, for the hail institution, ought to be intreted after this manner: First there ought a lawful Pastor, wha hes his calling of God to entreat it▪ and this lawful Pastor aught to entreat the word lawfully; what is that? he aught to preach it, to proclaim it, and publicklie, with a clear voice to denounce it. He aught to open up, and declare the haill parts of it; what is the people's part: and what is his awin part; how he aught to deliver and distribute, that bread and that wine: how the people aught to receive off his hand, that bread and that wine, to inform theirfaith; how they aught to receive Christ his body and his blood, signified be that bread, and that wine; as also, he aught to teach thame, howe they suld come with great reverence to that Table, and communicate with the precious body and blood of Christ. This he aught to do in ane familiar language, that the people may understand him, that they may hear him, that they may perceive and take up in their hearts, the things that he speaks: For what avails it to you, to hear a thing whispered, and not spoken out, or gif it be spoken out; what avails it you to hear it, gif ye understand it not? For except ye hear Christ in an familiar and hamelie language, ye cannot understand: And except ye understand, it is not possible to you to believe; and without belief, there is na aplication of Christ; and except ye believe, & apply Christ to your selfs; your coming to the Sacrament, is in vain. Sa of force, gif this Sacrament be lawfully handled; the Pastor mann preach the institutioun of Christ, that it may be hard, & in ane familiar language, that it may be understood; in sick sort, that the faithful people may be informed how to receive; & the Minister may knaw his part, howe to deliver and distribute. This we say, suld be the right handling of the holy institutioun of this Sacrament.

Now what do they? They in place of a Minister, Pastor, or Bishop, call him as thou pleasis, wha is called lawfully of God: they substitute a Priest, and surrogates an hireling, wha hes na calling, or office now in the Church of God. For the office of a Priest, as they use their Priesthead, is na other thing, but the office of Christ Jesus, the office of the Mediator betwixt God and us. For they make their Priests, daily to offer up Christ Jesus to the Father. Now this is the Mediator, Christ his office; and he did it ains for ay, and ains for all, says the Apostle: sa that, they can have na entry, to do this turn over again: And in respect, that their Priests preasis to do this turn over again, whilk he hes done already; they do it without a command, they have not a warrand in the word of God, but givand that they had a warrand of their calling, in the book of God; yet they handle the sacrament all wrang: for where they suld speak forth clerly, they whisper, & they conjure the elements be an certain kind of whispering, where they suld speak it in ane knawn language, that the people may vn derstand; they speak it in an vn knawn lan guage; and suppose they spak it in an knawin and familiar language: yet in respect they whisper it, the people cannot be the better of it. And what sall I say, seeing they handle the word this way; suppose it be the very institutioun it self: yet they sa spill it in the handling, that it is not an holy Sacrament: Then we differ als meekle in the second point; howe the word aught to be handled and entreated.

Now the third point comes in, to wit: what virtue this word hes, how far the virtue of this word extends the self. In this hed we grant & acknawlege, that the word hes a virtue, & the word tane, as said is, works something, euin towards the same elements of bread and wine; for we acknawledge, that they elements, be the virtue of this word are changed, not in their substance, not in their nature, nor yet in their substantial and natural properties: But we grant, that the elements are changed in ane quality, whilk they had not off before: In sick sort, that thir elements are tane fra the common use, whairvnto they served of before; and be the institution of Christ, they are applied now to ane holy use: Look howe far, the holy use differs fra the common use; their is als great difference, betwixt the elements this day in the action, and the thing that they wer yisterday. For I grant that the elements are changed; and yet, this element proceeds not of the nature of the elements, fra an closed virtue, supposed to be in the words▪ nor fra the whispering of the words; but it proceeds, fra the will of Christ, fra the ordinance and appointment of Christ, set down in his awin institution: for that thing is holy, whilk GOD calls holy, and that thing is profane, whilk God calls profane.

To lat you understand, how thir signs are made holy, it is necessair that thir twa things be considered. First, wha is he that makes thame holy, whither God, Angel, or man: Secondly, whaeuer he be that marks thame holy; be what mean and way makes he thame holy. And be the consideration of thir twa, we sal come to the consideratioun, and right weighing of the sanctification of the elements: As to the first, we say; that God is only he, that may make a thing, whilk was common, to be holy: So we say, that God be his will and ordinance, declared and set down in his word; hes made the things that were common be his appointment to be holy. As to the way and mean, whereby they are made holy; it is the word of GOD, the institution of Christ, the will of Christ, declaired in his institutioun, that makes thame holy: For the preaching and opening up of the word, and institutioun of Christ, lats us see, that God hes made thir things holy; & not only, that he hes made thame holy, but lats us see ane holy manner, how they suld be used; in what place, at what time, with what heart, and to what end. Sa it is the will of Christ, declared in his institutioun, whereby the things that were common before, are now made holy. There is other twa things also, that makes the same elements holy, and thir twa, are used in this institutioun: there is prayer and thanksgiving; for prayer and thanks giving, makes the creatures of GOD to our use holy: where vtherwayis, gif we receive the creatures of God like dogs, and thank him not for thame; it is ane sure taken, that they were never Sanctified to our use.

Be prayer, we obtain grace and strength from God, to use the creatures, and this hail action halilie and lawfully, as it suld be: And therefore, not only in this holy action, suld we begin with God, and at the incalling upon his name; but in all actions of the world▪ we suld begin in God's name. Sa it is the will of God, prayer and thanksgiving conjoined with the elements, that makes thame holy: all thir three, contained in the action of the Supper, makes the seals holy: for beside the will of God, declared in his institutioun; In the supper, we use ane incalling, and in this incalling, we use ane thanksgiving: the Sa the Elements are not made holy be the word of God only: but be the use of prayer and thanksgiving, whilk three are the only mean and way, whereby thir things are sanctified.

To express and declare the sanctification of the elements: the Evangelists & the Apostle PAVLE, uses indifferently the word TO BLES, and TO GIVE THANKS, and commonly they place the one word for the other: for ye see that MARKE, and PAVLE, vsis the word BLES: MATHEW & LUKE, uses the word TO GIVE THANKS, and all in ane signification: And MARKE himself in the 14. of his Gospel 22. verse speking of the same action of the supper, he uses the word TO BLES, and in the 23. verse, he uses the word, TO GIVE THANKS, and baith in ane signification; to lat you see that the Apostle, Christ himself, and the Evangelists, uses the word TO BLES, & TO GIVE THANKS, indifferently, to signify the sanctification, and consecration of the Elements: except ye take the ane for the other, it sall be hard to get ane good mening out of the Apostles words: for I remember the Apostle 1. CORINTH, 10. 16. he says: the cup of blessing whilk we bless; what is that? I take the word to signify as I have said, whilk we bless, that is, whilk we sanctify & prepares be blessing. Sa to bless and to give thanks in the Supper, signifies navther thing, but to sanctify; or vtherwaies gif ye take the word in ane other signification, ye sall fall in ane error: for why? God is said to bless, and Man is said to bless: God is said to bless, when he gives good things to his creatures, for God his blessing is ever effectual, & therefore he is said to bless, when he gives good things. Man again is said to bless, ather priuatlie or publicly, when he crauis blessing at the hands of God to any man, when he blesses in the name, and at the command of God, any person or people. Now if ye ascriue blessing in ony of thir twa significations to the cup, it is all wrang: for we use nather to crave blessing to insensible Elements, nor yet to bless thame in the name of God. And God uses to give good things to the Sons of men, and not to insensible creatures: Therefore we are compelled to use the word, bless, in the third significatio: The cup whilk we bless, that is, whilk we sanctify and prepares be blissing. This far we understand, for the sanctification of the elements.

Now lat see, how they sanctify there elements, and what is the form of their consecratioun; sa far as I understand of it, stands in thir five words: Hoc est enim corpus meum. It stands in they five words; and in the whispering of thame; for gif ye whisper thame not, ye tine the fashion of incantation: for the thing that we call sanctifieng, they call whispering: And the whispering of they five words, they cal the consecration of the elements. And when the words are after this way whispered, they presuppone sick ane hid and monstrous virtue, to be enclosed in the syllabs; that the virtue and power whilk flows fra they words, is able to chase away halely, the substance of the bread: Sa that the very bread, and substance of it, is altogether destroyed be this power. Secondly, that this power that flows fra thir words, is able to rugg and pull down ane other substance; to wit, the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus, that sits at the right hand of his Father, and is able to put it within the compass of that bread; that is a strange and ane great virtue, that not only will thrawe down that substance, but put it within the compass of that bread. They same five words, whispered in this manner, hes sick a monstrous operation, say they, that they are able baith to chase away the ane substance, to rug down ane other, and to put it within the compass of that bread. We altogether deny, that there is such a virtue in thir words: for as I have said before; we deny not that the word hes a virtue, but we deny that there is sick a virtue enclosed in the words: we deny the quality of the virtue, and the quantity of the virtue, or that it flows from sic a fountain. For we grant that the word hes a virtue, there is never a word that God spake heir, but it hes a virtue joined with it: but we deny that this virtue is enclosed in the sillabs, in the whispering or pronouncing of the words: for gif there were sic a virtue and power enclosed in the sillabs, be that reason it suld follow, that there were a virtue in the figure and shape of the letter that makes up the words. Now there is na man will think, that there is any virtue in the figure, or shape of the letter, and there is as little virtue in the sillabs, or in pronouncing of the words themselves: Sa we deny that there is any virtue enclosed in the sillabs, or resident in the word; but we say, that there is a power conjoined with the word, and this power is not resident in the word, but is resident in the eternal word, in the essential word, whereof JOHN makes mentioun in the first of his Evangel. The word whilk wes fra the beginning, that is, the Son of God Christ Jesus. We say there is not a dram weight of this virtue, and power resident in na creature that ever God created: but it is only resident in Christ Jesus: And therefore there flows na virtue from the syllabs, nor fra the words that ar spoken, but fra Christ & his spirit, wha gives the virtue to they words. Swa we differ in this, we say that there is not a virtue resident in the syllabs; we say that the syllabs & pronouncing of the sillabs, works nothing: but we say that the virtue is resident in the person of the son of God, and he works be his awin word.

Now we say, there cannot be such a monstrous change, as to say, that the whispering ofsa money words, suld change the awin substance of the bread, Rug down the substance of the body of Christ, and put his body in sa narrow ane compass: we say that cannot be, and this I sall preiue be thir three rules: to wit, be the verity of the flesh of Christ Jesus, be the articles of our belief, and be the true end of the institution of this Sacrament; and sa we sall see be God's grace, the infinite absurdities that follows upon their opinion.

The first principle that I lay, is this; seeing that Christ Jesus the son of God, in the time appointed, toke true flesh of the wembe of the virgin, and united himself with our nature in ane personal vnioun, to the end, that our nature, whilk fell altogether fra integrity in the first Adam; might recover the same in the second Adam; yea, not only the same; but sa meekle the greter, as our second Adam excels the first in all degrees; and in respect he took on ane body, like unto ours in all things, (sin excepted:) Sa, of necessity it mann follow, that the definition of ane true body, and the inseparable properties thereof, mann be competent to him. But thir are the inseparable properties; to wit, to be in ane certain place, to be finite, circumscriued, visible and palpable: For all thir conueines ( quarto modo, as the Logicians says) to ane body; sa that they cannot be separate fra the subject, without the distructioun thereof. Then I reason on this manner; All true human body, is in a certain place: Christ Jesus body is a true human body: therefore it is in a certain place. I call a place, a certain condition of ane organical body, whereby it comes to pass, that wherever the body be, of necessity, it is limitat within that place, and whill it is there, it cannot be else where. Craue ye the probation of my proposition, of the Doctors? Read AUGUSTINE, writand to DARDANVS, spekand of this same body of Christ: Take away a certain rome fra the bodies, and they sall be in na place; and gif they be in na place, they are not. This same AUGUSTINE writand upon JOHN in his 30. treatise: the body (says he) into the whilk the Lord raise; of necessity it mann be in ane place; but his divine efficacy and nature, is diffunded everywhere. And in his third Epistle, he says, howe meekle that ever the body be, or how little that ever the body be; it behooues to occupy the bounds of a place. And besides thir, the history of the Acts, proves mayest evidently, Christ's body to be in a certain place, as ACT. 3. 21. the words are thir: Quhom the heaven must contain, until the time that all things be restored, whilk God had spoken be the mouth of all his Prophets. Suppose I need not to insist, in the probation of thir things; yet I follow forth. Secondly then, I reason after this manner; All human body is finite and circumscriued: but the body of Christ is a human body: What warrands of the Doctors have I for this? I leave many purposlie, and takes me only to AUGUSTINE: he writ and to DARDANVS; believe says he, Christ to be everywhere, in sa far as he is God, but only to be in heaven according to the nature of a true body; and in his 146. Epist. I believe says he, the body of Christ to be sa in the heaven, as it was in the earth, when he gaid up to heaven: but it was circumscriued in a certain place in the earth: Ergo, it is sa in the heaven, and consequently, it cannot be in the Messe bread, and there baith at ane time. The last reason is this: all human body, is visible and palpable; but Christ hes a human body, and he is corporally present, as ye say: therefore Christ's body is visible and palpable. I prieue my proposition, be Christ's awin words, tane out of LVK. 24. 39. Into the whilk place, to persuade the Apostles of the verity of his body, and to prieue evidently, that it was not fantastical; he uses the argument tane fra thir twa qualities, and he commands his Apostles to feel and see, latting thame to wit thereby, that as thir twa senses are the mayest certain of all the rest: sa are they mayest able to discern, whither gif he was ane body, or ane spirit: as gif he wald say; gif I be visible and palpable, ye may be out of doubt, that I have an true body. For as the Poet says, whilk TERTVLIAN cites also to this sam purpose. Tangere enim & tangi, nisi corpus, nulla potestres. Be thir arguments, it may be evidently seen, how this transubstantiatioun may na wayis stand with the verity of the body of Christ Jesus.

And as it fights with the flesh of Christ Jesus, sa it repugnes directly against the articles of our belief: for into our belief, we profess that Christ ascended out of this Earth to the Heaven; where he sits at the right hand of the father; where he governs and directs all things in heaven and earth; fra the whilk place, he is to come in the last day to judge the world▪ This article lats us see, that he hes fleeted his dwelling, whilk he had amangs us in the erth, & hes ascended into the heuens, where he sits at the right hand of his Father, and sal remain there, according to the testimony of PET. whilk I cited out of Act. 3. 21. unto the last day. Gif he sits at his Fathers right hand, & be to remain in heaven while the last day, he is not corporally into the bread: but the article sais, that he sits at the right hand of his father & PET. sais in that place, that he is to be contained in the heavens unto the last day: therefore this transubstantiatioun fightes directly agains the articles of our belief, & the manifest place of the scripture.

Thirdly, that it fightes agains the end wherefor this sacrament wes instituted, it is mair nor evident: for the end of the Sacrament is spiritual, as the effect that flows thereof is spiritual, and the instrument whereby this spiritual food is aplyed to us, is also spiritual: But of ane natural and corporal presence, ane spiritual effect can never flowe: therefore the corporal and natural presens of the body and blood of Christ Jesus, repugns directly to the end of this sacrament: for the corporal presence mann have a corporal eating, of this eating, follows a digestion in the stomach, & the thing that is digested in the stomach, is never able to feed thy soul to life eternal: Sa, this corporal presence mann ay tend to ane corporal end, whilk is directly contrair to the ende, wherefore this Sacrament wes instituted.

Attour, gif the bred were transubstantiate, it suld become the thing signified; gif it becomes the thing signified, this sacrament suld want a sign, and sa it suld not be an sacrament: for every sacrament as ye hard, is ane sign. Now to say, that the accidents of true bread, as the hew & the roundnes of it, that they may serve as signs, that is mair nor folly: for betwixt the sign and the thing signified, there man be ane conformity: but there is no conformity betwixt the accidents, and the body and blood of Christ Jesus: for gif sa were, the accidents be houed to nurish us corporally, as the body and blood of Christ Jesus, is appointed to nurish us spiritually. Farther, gif the bread become the body of Christ Jesus, it sulde follow that he had ane body without blood: for he hes instituted ane sign, a pairt to represent his blood. Alswa, gif there had been sick a wonderful thing, as they speak of, in this sacrament, there walde have been plain mention made thereof in the scripture: For God himself works never a notable work, but he utters it ather in opin terms, or private terms in the scripture, that thereby he may be glorified in his wonderful works; as ye may read in the Evangel JOHN, 2. 8. where the water wes changed into wine, GENE. 2. 22. where the Ribbe of ADAM wes changed into HEVA. EXOD. 7. 10. where AARONS rod wes turned in a Serpent. There ye see, that changing is manifestly expressed: Therefore I say, gif there had been sic a monstrous change in thir elements of the Supper, as they affirm, the scripture walde not have concealed it, but expressed it: but in respect, there is na mention made of this change in the scripture: therefore there is na sic change in this action. Farther, gif there were sic a change, as they speak, ather it is before their words of consecration be spoken, or follows after that same word be spoken; gif the change be before the words of the consecration be spoken, the consecration is superfluous, & their proposition is falls; gif the change be after the word be spoken, This bread is my body; their proposition is falls also, because the word bread is spoken, or the last sillab of their five words be pronounced. Thir, and infinite ma absurdities follows of this doctrine.

And yet they obstinately persevere, and vrges us with the letter, affirming that the words of Christ are sa plain, that they admit na figure. They wald have spoken mair aduisedlie, gif they had sought counsel of AUGUSTINE, to have discerned betwixt ane figurative speech and ane proper: for he into the third book, and 16. Chap. of Christian doctrine, speaks after this sort, gif the speech says he, appear to command a wickedness or a mischief, or to forbid ane happiness, or ane welfair, it is not proper, it is not figurate, and he subjoins for ane Example, a place out of JOHN. 6. 53. Except says our Master, ye eat the flesh of the son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have na life in you: whereunto AUGUSTINE adjoynes, this speech says he, apeares to command a mischief, therefore it is a figurat speech, whereby we are commanded to communicate with the sufferings of Christ Jesus, and with gladness to lock up in perpetual memory, that the flesh of the Lord wes crucified and wounded for us: for vtherwaies it were mair horrible (as this same AUGUSTINE, makes mention in the second book agains the adversaries of the law) to eat the flesh of Christ Jesus really, then to murder him, and mair horrible, to drink his blood, then to shed his blood; yet notwithstanding, they hauld ay still, on ea tune, and says, that they words aught to be tane properly. Sa that it appears, that of very malice, for contradictions cause, to the ende only, that they may gainstand the truth, they will not acknaledge this to be ane sacramental speech. For they are compelled, nil they, will they in other speeches of the like sort, to acknowledge ane figure, as GENE. 17. 10. circumcision is called the covenant: and EXOD. 12. 11. the lamb is called the passover, and MATH. 20. 28. the cup is called his blood, and LUKE 22. 20. the cup is called the new testament, and 1. COR, 10. 4. the rock is called Christ. All thir speeches are sacramental, and receauis a kind of interpretation, yet they maliciously preas to deny us this in thir words; ( Hoc est corpus meum ) whilke they are compelled to grant in the rest, as specially where PAUL calls the rock Christ.

Now when they are dung out of this fortres, they fly als vnhappely to the second: to wit, that God be his omnipotency, may mak the body of Christ baith to be in heaven, and in the bread baith at ane time: ergo, say they, it is sa. Gif I denied their consequent, they wald be weil fashed to prove it: but the questiō stands not heir, whither God may do it or not: but the questioun stands, whither GOD will it or not, or may will it or not. And we say reverently, that his majesty may not will it: for suppose it be true, that he may, money things whilk he will not: yet it is as true; that there is money things, that he may not will, of the whilk sort, this is: & thir are reduced to twa sorts. First he may not will they things, that are contrary to his nature, as to be changeable, as to decay, & sic vthers. For gif he might will thir things, they sulde not be arguments of ane puissance, or of ane power, but rather certain arguments of his impotency and infirmity: And therefore suppose he may not will thir things, he leaves not of to be omnipotent: but sa mekle the rather, his constant, and invincible power is knawin. Secondly God may not will some things, be reason of an presupponed conditioun, as sick things, where of he hes concluded their contrair of before: of the whilk sort, is this, whilk is now controverted: For seeing that God hes concluded that all human body, suld consist of organical partes, and therefore to be comprehended, and circumscriued within ane, and the awin proper place: And als, seeing he hes appointed Christ Jesus to have the like body, and that not for ane time, but eternally. In respect of this determined will, I say, God may not will the contrair now, ather to abolish this body whilk he hes appointed to be eternal; ather yet to make it at ane time, in respect of ane thing a body and not a body, quantified & not quantified, finite and infinite, local and not local. For to will thir things, whilk are plain contradicent in thame selves, he may not, na mair nor it is possible to him to will a lie. Swa, it may be seen of all men, that we preserve the omnipotency of God, and with reverence from our harts, acknawledges him only, to be only omnipotent, and wills all men to esteem thame as calumniators, wha abuses the ears of the simple anes, to persuade tham the contrair of us.

They are not content with this, but they say, that the Lord may will a contradiction, and make baith the parts to be true at ane time. And to prove this, they wald bring in, the miracles whilk GOD works; as they wald say, every miracle includes a contradiction. As for example: God made a virgins to bear a son, they think this warke brings with it a contradictioun; to bear a son, say they, is the ane part of the contradictioun, and to be a virgins, is the other pairt of the contradictioun. This warke is a miracle, but it implies na contradictioun: For concerning the holy virgins birth, therein is na contradiction. There was a miracle indeed, that a Virgin suld bear a son contrary to the cours of nature; for to be a virgin, and yet to have a child, are not contradictory, gif she have conceived and brought forth be miracle, as did the blessed virgin: but to be a virgin and not a virgin at ane time, this is the contradictioun. Sa Christ's body to be visible and invisible, local and not local, at ane time; is in every respect the like contradiction: and therefore impossible to be true.

Their other Example of Christ's entering in, the doors being closed and shut, what apearance of contradiction hes it? Can they preiue that he entered through the doors? and gif he did, then there wes ane alteration of qualities, and that be miracle; ather in Christ's body or in the doors, but na contradiction in nature: unless you know not what is a contradiction. Their third and last example of the fire in NABVCADNEZERS Oven, whilk consumed the ministers, but hurt not thame that were in the midst of it; apears to be of na weight, be that whllk hes already been answered. They imagine as apears, that in every miracle, a contradiction is implied, whilk is absurd. Gif they can prove that this fire wes baith hot and cold, then they say something to the purpose: but that it burns up some and hurts not vthers, is na contradiction; because, be miracles, the force thereof wes repressed. Swa, this second ground halds fast; God may not will that thing, whilk implies a contradiction: but sa it is, that the real presence of the body of Christ in the Sacrament, implies a contradictioun; for it makes the body of Christ, visible, and invisible, compassed and not compassed at ea time: therefore, GOD may not will sick a thing.

When they are dung out of this, they make their last refuge, to an peremptour defense in their opinioun; for say they, Christ's body is exemed fra physical rules; for Theology is not subject to physical rules. It is a very il gathered consequence, to say, that we subject Theology to Physic; because that we first, according to Theology, whilk is the law of God, and next, according to Physic, whilk is the law of nature, defends the natural properties, of the true and natural body of Christ Jesus. Then I grant this, that Theology is not subject to Physic; what of this? Ergo, Christ's body is exemed fra physical rules. How follows that I pray you? Be what law may ye exeme, or can ye exeme the body of Christ? Be the law of nature, ye cannot: for he was maid of the seed of DAVID, and took on true flesh of the wembe of the virgin: And far less, be the law of God: whilk is Theology: For ye knaw, that Christ was appointed from all eternity, to take on our nature, and to become true man. Indeed it is true, that the law of God, cannot be subject to the law of nature: For the law of nature, flows of the law of God, as out of the awin spring: but it is als true, that gif ye exeme Christ's body, fra the law of nature, ye sall exeme it also fra the law of God. For I affirm, that the scriptures sa consents with the law of nature; that gif ye deny the ane, ye sall deny the other; and gif ye admit the ane, ye sall admit also the other. Therefore, gif you look weil about you; ye sall find the bauke in your awin eye: for ye pervert, baith the law of God, & the law of nature, be ane new invented physic of your awin: for whasoeuer he be, that attributes to ane, and the self same body, natural and unnatural properties, whilk directly feights agains thame selfs; I say, this man peruerts baith true Theology, and Physic: but ye, to ane and the self same body of Christ Jesus, attribute natural and unnatural properties: therefore it is ye that peruerts, baith the use of true Theology, and the order set down, and established in nature. Craue ye the reason of my proposition? I say, it behooues als well in Theology, as in Physic of necessity, ane of the contradicent enunciations to be false. But ains to make ane end with you; we sal answer to your last subterfuge.

For sa ye reason; a glorified body, is not subject to physical rules; but Christ's body is glorified: therefore it is not subject to physical rules. First of all, or we answer directly, we man consider, wherein stands the glorification of ane body: & then, I say, the answer sall be easy: the Apostle PAUL, 1. COR. 15. 42. speaks after this manner. Sa also, says he, is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sawen in corruptiō, & is raised in incorruption; It is sawin in dishonor, & is raised in glory: It is sawin in weakness, and is raised in power. And a little after; this corruption mann put on incorruption, and this mortality, mann put on immortality. Be this clear Antithesis, PAVLE clearly descriues, the glorification of ane body: for he oppones thir twa; the vnglorified body, and the glorified body: And to the vnglorified body, he ascriues corruption, ignominy, infirmity, carnallitie, & mortality. To the glorified body again, he attributes incorruptioun, glory, power, spiritualitie, and immortality. Of this opposition, we may gather easily, what the resurrection & glorification apports to the body. Shortly, be thame we see, that the body is only spoiled of corruptioun, shame, infirmity, naturalitie, and mortality: And to take up all in an word, it becomes, only spoiled of all the infirmities of our nature; that it may be cled, with ane mair glorious apparel; as with incorruption, power, glory, spiritualitie, and immortality. We see then that this glorification imports ane change indeed; but I believe na man will be sa mad, as to esteem this change to be made in the sub stance: for gif sa wer, the aulde substance behooved to decay, and ane new sulde arise: but we hear na word of sic things in this descriptiō, & as little is the change made, in the quantity: for we hear na word, nather of augmentatioun, nor diminution of any substance, whilk behooved to be, gif it were in the quantity. The fardest that we can persaue; this mutatioun consists in the qualities, be the whilk, the body casts of the auld coat of infirmity, and cleathes it self, with the coat of Glory: For Christ after he rais, he baith gaide and come, wes seen and twitched. Of the things before deduced, it clearly follows, that in respect the glory of the body of Christ, hes wrought na change in his nature & substance; and consequently, in his natural dimensions; nather yet in any other essential property: that therefore the glorificatioun of his body, exemes it not fra the rules of physic. For sa lang as the nature of ane true body remains, there is na supernatural gifts, wherewith it may be glorified; war they never sa high, sa far as may be gathered of the scriptures of GOD, that may hurt, ather the nature, or the natural property of it. For there is na gift nor quality, that may hurt nature, but that gift that is agains nature: but the supernatural gift, is nather unnatural, nather yet agains nature: therefore it cannot hurt nor impair nature. And my reasoun is this: They gifts, that decores and beautifies nature, they cannot hurt nor impair nature: but all supernatural gifts, beautifies and decores nature: Therefore they cannot take away, nather nature, nor yet, the natural property.

They leave us not sa, but out of this same doctrine of PAVLE, concerning the glorification of the body, they draw ane objection, to press us. PAUL grants, that ane glorified body, is ane spiritual body: but ane spiritual body, is ane invisible body: therefore ane glorified body, is invisible; and be the consequent, the body of Christ is invisible. Suppose the argument be not formal; yet to make short, I deny your assumption: For gif there were na mair, but that same word body, that word might be ane argument to you, that the spiritual body is not invisible. But yet, to open up the matter mair clearly, according to the mind of PAUL in that place. PAVLE in ane word, as it were, in the 44. verse of that same Chap. shows the change that sal become in the qualities of the body, be the resurrection: For he says of ane natural body, it sall become ane spiritual body. He straight way in the next verse, immediately following, expones thir twa qualities: for in the 45. verse, that is called an natural body, says he, whilk is maintained and quickened, be an living saul only; sic as Adams was: and again, that is said to be ane spiritual body, whilke together, beside the saul, is quickened with ane far mair excellent virtue, to wit; with the spirit of God, whilk descended fra Christ, the second Adam unto us. Then according to this ground, I answer with AUGUSTINE ad Constantium: As the natural body is not ane soul, but ane body; even sa, the spiritual body, is not said to be a soul, but ane body; and be consequent, it is not invisible.

But to take up this head, I sall give thame only ane knot to loose, and sa make an end of this point. Then I reason, gif therefore Christ's body is naturally and really in the Supper, be reason that it is glorified, it follows consequently, that when it was not glorified, it culled not be really present: but it wes not glorified when this Supper wes first instituted: therefore it wes not really present in the bread, at Christ's first supper. Gif his body wes not naturally present in the bred at the first Supper, it cannot be naturally present now: For whatsoever ye use now in the administration of your Supper, or of your Messe, call it as ye will, according to your awin confessioun, ye use it according to the ordinance, form and manner, that Christ Jesus himself used in his first Supper: For ye say plainly in your disputatioun at POYSSIE▪, and in all the rest of your works; That Christ Jesus first of all observed that form, whilk ye use in your Messe, and left it to his Apostles, and to their successors, that they sulde do the like: and sa be your awin words, ye have drawn yourselves in a Hose-net, & crucified your Messe. What can ye answer to this? Ʒe will not stand dumb I am assured; for maintenance of your religion, ye man say something: for gif this reason bear it away, ye have done with it.

Then we say, quod the Papists, that suppose the body of Christ, whilk wes locallie present with the rest of his disciples wes not glorified, yet the body whilk he exhibit in the bread wes glorified. Ʒee might as well have halden your peace, and said nothing: For take tent to the words of the text, as they are written. Luk. 22. 19. where it is said, & he toke the bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, & gave to them saying, this is my body whilke is given for you, and PAUL. 1. COR. 11. 24. hes thir words, Take, eat: This is my body, whilke is broken for you. This relative whilk, is relative to the body, whilke wes exhibited in the bred: for according to your awin confession, they words are pronounced upon the bread, & directed to it. But that same body wes given and broken for us, that is to say, crucified and demayned with anguish & dolors. Then I reason after this sort. To be crucified and broken with anguish and dolours, can on na ways agree and conueine with a glorified body: but the body that Christ exhibit in the bread, is said of the Evangelists, to be crucified and broken for us: Ergo, that body wes not glorified.

Now last of all, they are not yet content, but says, Christ can make the bread his body, and therefore his body is really present. That Christ can make the bread his body, we grant: for Christ being God, can do whatsoever he will: Onelie let them show, that Christ will make of real bread, his real flesh, and then this controversy is brought to ane end. Christ indeed makes the bread his body, not really, but sacramentallie: For Christ hes not a body made of bread, his body wes made ains of the pure substance of his blessed Mother: ane other body then this, or oftener made then ains, hes he nane: wherefore all doctrine that teaches Christ's body to be made of bread, is impious, and heretical: The Papists doctrine of real presence teaches, that Christ's body in the Sacrament is made of bread, be changing the bread into his body, through force of consecration: wherefore we may bauldlie & truly conclude, that their doctrine of real presence, is baith wicked and heretical. Now in conclusion of this head, I beseke thame, seeing that reasoun fails thame, that they fight not agains God, for maintenance of a lie, how auld that ever it be, (for the Devil is auld aneugh, and yet he could never change his nature) but lat thame rather glorify God, in confessing thir speeches to be sacramental.

Then what is the reason and ground, wherefore the papists pulls down the substance of the body of Christ, and the blood of Christ, and makes the very substance to be corporallie, really, and substantiallie in the Sacrament? The reason is this, because they cannot see be their natural judgment, nor cannot understand be their natural wit, the truth of this, to wit, how Christ's flesh and blood can be present in the Sacrament, except he be present to their corporal hand, to their corporal mouth and stomach. Gif they had an light to inform them, that Christ might be present in the Supper, and not to the hand, to the mouth or stomach: they walde never have thought of sick a monstrous presence, as they compt to be there: but being destitute of the spiritual light, they follow their natural reasons and makes a natural and carnal presens. Swa that ye have this lessoun to note of this: There is na man that hes not the spirit of God to understand this word: this is my body, but out of question, he will do as the Papists does; that is, he will understand it carnally: and sa they misknowing the right meaning of it, it is na marvel, suppose they and we differ in this mater.

For will ye spear at the Papist first, gif the true body of Christ be there, or gif the true flesh and blood of Christ be there: he will say, it is there. Will ye spear wherein? He will say in, and under, the accidents of the bread and wine, under the hewe and roundnes of the bread. Will ye spear again at him, be what instrument it is received? he will tell you be the mouth and stomach of the body: sa this is their gros understanding of the body and blood of Christ. Will ye spear at the VBIQVITER, gif the true body of Christ be present? he will say it is. Will ye spear gif it be in, with, or under the bred? he will answer, it is in the bread, contentiue, that is, that the bread contains it. Will ye spear at him, to what instrument it is offered? he will answer, that the body of Christ, is offered to the mouth of our body, and that the blood of Christ is offered to the mouth of our body, as the Papists dost. Will ye spear at us again, how Christ Jesus his true boand blood is present? we will say, that they are spiritually present, really present, that is present in the Supper, and not in the bread: we will not say, that his true flesh is present to the hand, or to the mouth of our body, but we say, it is spiritually present, that is, present to thy spirit and faithful soul; Ʒea even als present inwardly to thy soul, as the bread and wine, are present to thy body outwardelie. Will ye speere then, gif the body and blood of Christ Jesus be present in the Supper? We answer in a word, they are present in the Supper: but not in the bread and wine, nor in the accidents nor substance of bread and wine: And we make Christ to be present in the Supper, because he is present to my soul, to my spirit and faith. Alswa, we make him present in the Supper; because I have him in his promeis, This is my body, whilke promeis is present to my faith, and the nature of faith, is to make things that are absent in thame selves yet present: And therefore, seeing he is baith present be faith in his promeis, and present be the virtue of his holy spirit, wha can say but he is present in the Supper.

But yet the word wald be opened up, what we mean be the word present, howe a thing is said to be present and absent? And knowing this, ye sall find all the matter easy. I say, things are said to be present, as they are perceived be ony outward or inward sense, and as they are perceived be ony of the senses; sa are they present, and the farther they be perceived, the farther present; and be what sense ony thing is perceived, to that same sense it is present. As gif it be outwardly perceived, be ane outward sense; that thing is outwardly present. As for example, gif it be perceived be the outward sight of the eye, be the outward hearing of the ear, be the outward feeling of the hand, or taist of the mouth; it is outwardly present: Or gif ony thing be perceived be the inward eye, be the inward taist and feeling of the soul; this thing cannot be outwardlye present: but it mann be spiritually, and inwardly present to the soul. Sa I say, everything is present, as it is perceived. Sa that gif ye perceive not a thing outwardly, it is outwardly absent; and giff ye perceive not a thing inwardly, it is inwardly absent. It is not distance of place that makes a thing absent, nor propinquitie of place, that makes a thing present: but it is only the perception of ony thing be ony of thy senses, that makes a thing present, & the not perception, that makes a thing absent. I say; suppose the thing it self, were never sa far distant, gif thou perceive it be thine outward sense, it is present to thee. As for example, my body and the Sunn, are als far distant in place, as the heaven is fra the earth; and yet this distance stays not his presens to me: Quhy? Because I perceive the Sun be mine eye and other senses; I feel him and perceive him be his heat, be his light, and be his brightness: Swa, gif a thing were never sa far distant, gif we have senses to perceive the same, it is present to us. Then the distance of place makes not a thing absent to thee, & thou have senses to perceive it. Siclike, the propinquitie of place makes not a thing present, & it were never sa near, gif thou have not senses to perceive it. As for example, gif the sun shine in thy very eine holes, gif thou be blind, he is not present to thee, because thou cannot perceive him. A sweet tune will never be present to ane deaf ear, suppose it be sung in the ear of that mā, because he hes not a sense to perceive it: And a well tauld tale will never be present to a fool, because he cannot understand it, nor hes not judgment to perccaue it. Swa, it is not the neernes, northe distāce of place that makes anything present or absent, but only the perceiving, and not perceiving of it.

Now the word being made cleire, speere ye howe the body of Christ is present? To give our judgment in aword, as ye have hard fra time to time, he is present, not to the outward senses, but to the inward senses, whilk is faith, wrought in the soul. For this action of the Sacrament and of the Supper, is partly corporal, and partelie spiritual. I call this action partly corporal, not in rerespect only, that the objects, that is, that bread and wine are corporal: but also in respect my mouth, whereunto thir things are offered; the instrument whereby, and the manner how thir things are received, are all corporal & natural. I call the same action again, partly spiritual; not only, in respect of Christ Jesus, wha is the heavenly and spiritual thing of the Sacrament; but also in respect of my saul, whereunto Christ is offered and given: in respect the instrument whereby, and the manner how he is received, are all spiritual: For I get not Christ corporallye, but spiritually. Swa, in thir respects, I call this action, partly corporal, and partly spiritual.

Now confound me not thir twa sorts of actions, the corporal and natural signs, with the spiritual thing, signified thereby: Confound not again, the mouth of the body, with the mouth of the soul: Confound not thirdlie, the outward manner of receiving be the hand of the body, with the spiritual manner of receiving, be the hand of the soul. And sa it sall be exceeding clear to see, that ilke thing sal be present to the awn instrument, that is; the body of Christ, whilk is the spiritual thing signified, sall be present to the spiritual mouth and hand; and the bread and wine, whilk are the corporal signs, are present to the corporal mouth and hand. Then howe is any object present? A corporal object, is corporallie present, and ane inward object, is inwardly present: Of what nature is the thing signified? It is of ane heavenly nature. Then spear ye, how he is present? He is spiritually and heavenly present to thy soul, & the mouth of thy saul; whilk is faith. For it were a preposterous thing, to mak the thing signified present to thy belly, or to the mouth or eye of thy body; for gif sa were, it suld not be spiritually present: Because everything is present, as it accords to the awin nature: Is it a bodily thing, it is bodily present, and gif it be a heavenly thing, it is spiritually present. Sa I think, na man can doubt, how the body of Christ is present; he is not carnallie present, but spiritually present to my soul, and to faith in my soul. This far concerning the manner of his presence.

Now the last part of our conference, is this; we have to consider, to whom the words aught to be directed & pronounced: For we and the Papists differs in this last head. We say, that the words aught to be directed and pronounced unto the people, to the faithful communicants. They, be the plat contrair, says, that the words aught not to be directed, nor pronounced to the people, but to the elements; and not to be clearly pronounced, but whispered on the elements: Sa that, gif they be spoken to the people, or spoken openly, their charm auails not. Now I say, as the action is perverted be thame in all the rest; sa they pervert it in this point also; in speaking that to the dumb elements, whilk they suld speak to the people of God. For I sall prove it clearly be three arguments, tane out of the Scriptures, that the words aught not to be spokē to the bread, but to the people of God.

And first I say, the promises of mercy and grace, aught to be directed and pronounced to thame, in whom the Lord performs thame, and makes tham effectual. But sa it is, that the promises of mercy and grace, are performed and made effectual, not in bread and wine, but in faithful men and women: Therefore, thir promises suld be directed to faithful men and women. Now here is the promise of mercy & grace. This is my body, whilk is broken for Ʒou. And this promise, is made to na other thing, but to faithful men and women; and sa to tham only, it aught to be directed. Secondly, we have to consider, that this sacrament, seals up a covenant of grace and mercy. Now whom with makes God his covenant of mercy and grace? Will he make a covenant with a piece bread, or any dumb element? There is na man will enter in a covenant with his servant: lat be to enter in a covenant with a dumb element. Sa in respect, this Sacrament seals up a covenant; this covenant of necessity, man be knit up with ane faithful saul, and not with the dumb element: and therefore, thir words cannot be directed to the elements. Thirdly, look to the end, wherefore this Sacrament was appointed: Is it not to lead us to Christ? Is it not to nurish my faith in Christ? Is it not to nurish me in ane constant perswasioun of the Lord's mercy in Christ? Was this Sacrament appointed to make the elements God's? Na: For will ye mark God's purpose in this institution; ye will find, that Christ hes not set down his institution, to nobilitat the elements, to favor and respect the elements, whilk were bread and wine yisterday, to be God's today. We on the contrair, says plainly, that the institutioun of Christ, looks not to the elements, to alter their nature. Indeed, it is appointed to alter us, to change us, and to make us mair and mair spiritual, and to sanctify the elements to our use. But the special end, looks to this; to make us holy, and mair and mair to grow up in a sure faith in Christ, & not to alter the elements, nor to make thame God's. And therefore, be all thir three arguments, it is evident, that the words, aught not to be directed to the elements, but to the people & faithful communicants.

Now to make an end of this, there is ane thing, without the whilk, we cannot profit; lat us discourse never sa lang, upon the right understanding of the Sacrament. Ʒee see now, all that is spoken, concerning the Sacrament, is grounded and depended upon faith: Have a man faith, albeit it were never sa small, he getts some grippe of Christ, and some insight in the understanding of this Sacrament: but lacking faith, suppose a man pain him self, to make the Sacraments never sa sensible, it is not possible, that he cann get a grippe of Christ, or onie insight in him: For without faith, we cannot be Christians; we can nather get a sight of God, nor feel God in Christ, without faith. Faith is the only thing, that translates our saules out of that death and damnation, whereintill we were conceived and borne, and plants us into life. Swa the haill study and endeavor of a Christian sulde tend to this. To crave that the Lord in his mercy walde illuminate his mind, with the eye of faith, and walde kendle in his heart a love of faith, and work in his heart, a thirst and desire of the object of faith, and mair and mair to thirst and hunger, for the food of faith, that nurishes us to life eternal.

Without this faith, (howsoever the natural man, and understanding natural wald flatter thyself,) surely there is na blessedness, but all his life is mair nor terrible misery. For whatsoever it be that flatters and pleases thee now, be it a thought or motioun of the mind, or an action of the body, that pleases the now without faith: the same very motioun cogitatioun, and action, sall torment thee after this: Swa without faith, it is not possible to please GOD: and whatsoever pleases not GOD, is done to torment thee. Therefore crave mercy, for whatsoever motioun, cogitatioun, or action, wherein thou hes offended GOD, or be that same, GOD sall offend and torment thee: And to eschew the offense of God, there is na moyane, but be true faith. Therefore the study of a Christian suld be, to grow in faith. Now be hearing of the word, thou gets faith, and be receiving of this Sacrament, thou getts the increase of faith: and having faith, the receiving of the Sacrament sall be fruitful: But without faith, thou eats thine awin condemn. nation. Sa, the haill study of ane Christian, is to get faith; and this faith cannot be obtained with idleness, but be earnest prayer: Therefore lat every ane of you, fall down, and crave earnestly this faith, and the increase of it, whereby, ye may be worthy receauers of this sacrament, and that for the righteous merits of Christ Jesus: To whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit: be all honor, praise, and glory, for now and ever.

THE FOVRT SERMON, UPON THE PREPARATION to the Lord is Supper, preached the 22. day of Feb. 1589.

S Vppose the doctrine of our trial and due examination, (well-beloved in Christ Jesus) ought to go before the doctrine & receiving of the Sacrament: yet notwithstanding, seeing that preparation is always, at all times, as well necessary for the hering of the simple word, as for the receiving of the visible sacrament. (For no man can hear the word of God frutfully, except in some measure he prepare his saule, and prepare the ear of his heart how to hear.) Therefore the doctrine of preparation & dew examination mann come in the awn place, and be very necessary for every ane of you. The Apostle in the words that we have redd, interponis his counsel, and gives his advise: and not only gives his advise, bot gives his admonition and command, that we suld not come to the Table of the Lord, that we suld not cum to the hearing of the word rashlie; but that every ane of us, sulde come to this holy work with reverence, that we sulde prepare, and sanctify our selves in some measure: and seeing we go unto the King of heavens Table, it becomes us to put on our best array: and in ane word, he takis up the haill doctrine & matter of this preparation, whill as he says: Let every man, and let every woman try and examine them selves, as gif he would say: let every ane of you try and examine your saules, that is, try the estait of your awin heart, and condition of your awne conscience. Look and behold in what estaite your heart is with God, and in what estate your conscience is with your neighbor. He bids not your neighbor try you, he bids not your companion try your heart: but he bids yourself in person, try your awin conscience, he bids yourself try your awin heart, by reason nane cā be certain of the estait of your heart, or of the condition of your conscience, but yourself. Now he secludis not vthers from the trial of you neither, (for it is leisum to the Pastor to try you) but others can nocht try you sa narrowly, as ye yourself can. For na man can know sa mekill of me, as I knaw of myself: na man can be certain of the estait of your heart, and condition of your conscience, and yet ye your selfs may be certain of it. As to others, men may judge of your heart and conscience, according to your works and effects, and except your works and effects, be very wicked, and altogether vicious; we are bound in our conscience, to judge charitablie of your heart & conscience. Therefore there is nane sa meet to try the spirit of a man, to try the heart or conscience of a man, as is the man himself.

Now that this trial may go on the better fauoredlie, ye have first to understand, what it is that ye suld try, what ye call a conscience, whilk the Apostle commands you to try. Secondly, ye have to wey and consider, for what reasons and causes suld ye try your conscience. Thirdly and last of all, ye have to see in what chief points, ye suld try and examine your conscience. Then that we speak not to you of things vnknawne, it is necessary for every ane of you (seeing there is nane of you that lakes a conscience) to understand what a conscience is; and so nearly as God shall give me the grace, I will bring you to the understanding and knowledge of a conscience. I call a conscience, a certain feeling in the heart, resembling the judgment of the living God, following upon ane deed done be us, flowing from ane knowledge in the mind, accompanied with ane certain motion in the heart, to wit; fear or joy, trembling or rejoysing. Now we shall examine the parts of this definition I call it first of all, ane certain feeling in the heart: for the Lord hes left sic a stamp in the heart of every man, that he doeth not that turn so secretly, nor so quietly but he makes his own heart to strike him, and to smite him: he makes him to feill in his own heart, whether he hes done well or ill. The Lord hes placed this feeling in the heart; why? because the eyes of God looks not sa mekill upon the outward countenance and exterior behavior, as upon the inward heart. For he saith to SAMUEL, in his first book 16. 7. verse, The Lord behaldes the heart. Siclike 1. CHRON. 28. 9. he saith to SALOMON: The Lord searcheth all harts, & vnderstandes all imaginations of thoughts. Also IEREMIE, 11. 20. says, the Lord tries the reins and the heart. And the Apostle 1. COR. 4. 5. he says, The Lord shall lighten things that are hid in darkness, and make the counsels of the heart manifest. Sa, in respect the Lord makes him chiefly, to haif to do with the heart; therefore in the heart he places this feeling, whilk is the chief parte of conscience. I say next, that this feeling resembles the judgment of God; for this feeling was left and placed in our saule, for this end & purpose, that we might have as domestic and familiar judgment within our selves, to subscriue and resemble the secreete and invisible judgment of the high God; a particular judgment to go before that general judgment, in that general and great day, where every man sall be justified or damned, according to the particular judgment, that is within his awne conscience. In the mean time, this conscience is left in us, to make out our hail process in this life, to halde in the travels of the living God, as it were, in that last judgment. For the books of our own conscience in that last day shall be opened, and every man sall receive according to the report of the decreet, that is within his awne conscience; therefore I say, that our conscience resembles the judgment of God. The third thing that I say, is this; It follows upon an deed doon be us, our conscience, nor our heart strykes us not, before the deed be done. Our heart strikes us not before the evil turn be committed: na, it goes not before the deed, but the straik of the conscience, and feeling of the heart, followis immediately upon the deed, in sick sort, that the deed is not so soon done be thee, but thy conscience applyis it to thyself, and gives out the sentence against thyself. Therefore I say, it is a feeling following upon ane deed done be us. And next I say, flowing fra ane knowledge in the mind, for except the conscience have information, and except the heart knaw that the turn whilk is done is evil, the heart, nor the conscience, can never count it to be evil. Therefore knowledge must go before the straik of the conscience. Thy heart can never feel that to be evil, whilk thy mind knawis not to be evil. So knowledge must ever go before feeling, & according to the measure of thy knowledge, according to the nature and quality of thy knowledge, accordingly sall the testimony and straik of thy conscience be. For a light knowledge, a doubting and uncertain knowledge, makes ane light & small straik: as in the other part, ane holy and a solid knowledge drawin out of the word of God, makes ane heavy straike of the conscience: Sa the conscience mann answer to the knowledge. If we have na other knowledge, but the knowledge whilk we have by nature, & be the light and spoonkes that are left in nature, our conscience will answer na farther, but to that knowledge. But if beside the light of nature, we have a knowledge of God in his word, and a knowledge of God by his holy spirit working in our harts, our conscience then will go farther, & excuse, or accuse us; according to the light that is in the word: Sa that the conscience is not acquired or obtained, at what time we are enlightened be the working of the holy Spirit, and hearing of the word of God; but our conscience is borne with us, is natural to us, & is left in the saule of every man & woman: and as there are some spunkes of light left in nature; sa there is an conscience left in it. And gif there were na mair, that same light that is left in thy nature, sal be aneugh to condemn thee. Sa the conscience is not acquired, gotten or begun at the hearing of the word, or at that time when we begin to reform our selves, be the assistance and renewing of the holy Spirit: bot every man be nature hes a conscience, and the Lord hes left it in our nature: and except that this conscience be reformed according to the word of God, that same natural conscience sall be aneugh to condemn thee eternally. Therefore I say, flowing from a knowledge of the mind. Last of all, I say, accompanied with a certain motion of the heart: and we express this motion, in fear or joy, trembling or rejoicing. In very great fear gif the deed be exceeding heinous, and the straik of the conscience be very heavy: Than the conscience takis never rest, for guiltiness mann ever dreed. Bot gif the deed be honest, godly, and commendable, it makes a blyth heart, and makes the heart to burst out in joy. Sa to be short in this matter, (for I purpose not to make ane common place of it) ye see that in every conscience there mann be twa things: First, there mann be ane knowledge, and next there mann be ane feeling, whereby according to thy knowledge, thou applyis to thy awin heart the deed done be thee. Sa that, according as the word it self testifyes, it ryses of twa partis, it ryses of knowledge, according to the whilke it is called science: and it ryses of feeling, according to the whilk the CON is put to, & it is called conscience. Then the word Conscience signifies knowledge with application.

This conscience the Lord hes appointed, to serve in the soul of man, for many uses: to wit, he hes appointed every ane of your consciencis to be ane keeper a waiter-on, and a careful attender upon every action done by you: so that that action cannot be so secreetlie, so quietly, nor so thifteously convoied, but nil thou, will thou, thy conscience sall bear ane testimony of it: thy conscience sall be ane faithful observer of it, and a day sal be ane faithful recorder of that same action: So the Lord hes appointed thy conscience to this office, that it attends and waits vpō thee in all thy actions, na thing can slip it. Sicklike the Lord hes appointhy conscience and placed it in thy soul, to be ane accuser of thee: so that when thou dost ane evil turn, thou hes ane domestic accuser within thy awin soul to find fault with it. He hes also placed it in thy soul, to bear ane true and steadfast witness against thee: yea, the testimony of the conscience resembles not only a testimony or witness, but the conscience is als good, as ten thousand witnessis. The conscience also is left in the soul, to do the parte of ane judge against thee, to give out sentence against thee, and to condemn thee; and so it dost▪ for our particular judgment mann ga before the general and universal judgment of the Lord, at that great day. And what mair? He hes left thy conscience within thee, to put thy awin sentence in execution against thyself: This is terrible: he hes left it within thee to be ane very torture, and a burriour to thyself: and sa to put thy awin sentence in executioun upon thyself. Is not this an matter mair nor wonderful, that ane and the self same conscience, sall serve to sa many uses in ane saule, as to be ane continual observer, and marker of thy actions: ane accuser, ten thousand witnessis, a judge, and a burriour and tormentor, to execute thy awin sentence against thyself. Sa that the Lord misters never to seek a member of court out of thy awin saule, to make out a lawful process against thee: but thou sall have all thir within thyself, to make out a full process against thyself. Take heed to this, for there is never a word of this that sall fall to the ground, bot ather ye sall feill it to your well, or to your everlasting woe. And this secret and particular judgment, that every ane of you caries about with you; bydis sa sure and sa fast within you, that do what ye cann, gif ye wald employ your hail trauellis, to blot it out, thou sall never get it scraped out of thy soul: gif ye were als malicious and were become als wicked, as ever any incarnate Devil was upon the earth, ye sall never get this conscience altogether scraped out of your soul: But nill thou, will thou, there sall als mekill remain of it, as sal make thee inexcusable in the great day of the general judgment. I grant thou may blot out all knowledge out of thy mind, and make thyself to become als blind as a modewart: I grant also, that thou may harden thy heart sa, that thou will blot out all feeling out of it, sa that thy conscience will not accuse thee, nor find fault with thee, but thou sall have ane delight in ill doing, without a remorse: but I deny that ony gree of wickedness in the earth, sall bring thee to that pointe, that thou may do evil without fear: but ay the mair that thou dost evil, and the langer that thou continewis in evil doing, thy fear sall be the greater: yea, in despyte of the devil, and in despite of all the malice of the heart of man, that fear sall remain: And suppose they walde baith conspire together, it sall not be able to them to banish that fear, but that gnawing of the conscience sal ever remain: to testify to thee, that there is ane day of judgment: I grant also, that there sall be ane vicissitude, and that fear sall not always remain, but sall be sometimes turned over in security: Nather sall that security always bide, but sall be turned over again in fear: sa that it is not possible to get this fear hailelie scraped out, but the greater that the security be, the greater sall thy fear be, when thou are walkened. I grant thirdlie, that this fear sall be blind; for fra time a man by evil doing, hes banished knowledge out of the mind, and feeling out of the heart what can remain there, bot a blind fear. When men hes put out all light, and left nothing in their nature, but darkness; there can nothing remain, but a blind fear: So I grant, that the fear is blind, for nather knawe they whairfra the fear commis, what progress it • es, whereunto it tendes, where, nor when it sall ende. Therefore they that • re this way misseled up in their soul, of • ll men in the earth they are mayest mise • able: for als long as thou may keep in thy mind, a spoonke of this knowledge and spiritual light, in the whilk, thou may see the face of God in Christ, wherein thou may see, ane out-gaite in the death and passion of Christ, and wherein thou may see, the bowellis of mercy offered in the blood of Christ; gif thou have any spoonke of this light (albeit it were never so little) to direct thee: And albeit this knowledge, were never sa evil wounded, yet there is mercy aneugh for thee in Christ. But gif thou close up all the windows of thy soul, & of thy heart; & make them to become palpable darkness, that thou nather knawe, whairfra the terror comes, nor yet seeis onye out-gaite; that is the misery of all miseries.

We have money things to lament, we have the estait of this Country to lament; they are not present, whom to this doctrine specially appertains; Alwayis there is nane of you, but ye have to take heed to your consciences now, whill laiser is given you, that ye bannish not altogether this light, whilk is yet offered to you, and whereof, some sponks yet remains. For I see, the mayest pairt of our great men of this country, running headlongs, to banish the spoonke of light that is in thame; and they will not rest, sa lang as there is a spoonke of it left, while it be utterly bannished; and when they have done sa, alas what can follow, but a blind and terrible fear in their conscience, whilk they can never get scraped out. A fear without an outgait, a fear to grow and not to decay, a fear to devour tham halelie at the last. Therefore, every ane of you, take heed to this light that is within you, take heed that the foul affections of your hearts, draw not your bodies after thame; see at the least, that they affections bannish not this light, and sa lang as the Lord offers to you this light; in time crave, that of his mercy, he wald give you that grace to embrace it, to take up a new course, & yet to amend your lives, whill ye have time.

The body sall leave the soul, and the soul sall leave the body; but the conscience sall never leave the soul; but look whereuer the saul gais, to the same place sall the conscience repair: and look in what estait, thy conscience is when thou dies; in the same estait, sal it meet thee in that great day. Sa that, gif thy conscience was a burriour to thee, in the time of thy death, gif thou gat it not pacified, in the time of thy death, it sall be a burriour to torment thee in that general judgment. Therefore, this matter wald be well weighed, and every ane of you, suld study to have an good conscience; that when the saul is severed fra the body, leaving your conscience at rest and peace with God, it may be restored to you, and meet you again, with als great peace and quietness. This far concerning conscience; what it is. I pray the living Lord, sa to sanctify your memories, that ye may keep thir things, and that every ane of thir things, may sa stick with you in some measure, that to the ende of your life, ye may remember upon thame.

The second thing that we have to speak off, is this; we have to try & consider, wherefor we suld examine our conscience; for what causes suld a man or womā be moved to try their awin conscience and soul: I sall take up the reasons shortly. It becomes every ane of you, to try your conscience; why? Because the Lord will make his residence in na other pairt of the soul, but in the conscience: he hes appointed his dwelling to be in the heart of man, and into the will and conscience of man: and therefore, it becomes you, to make his dwelling place clean, and to take heed to your heart. Nixt, suppose the Lord of heaven made not residence there; yet, in respect the eye of God is ane all-seeing eye, and able to pierce thorough the very thickness of the flesh of man, how dark and gross soever it be, & to pierce thorough the very secret hirnes of thy conscience (for unto the all-seeing eye of God, the mayest secret hirne of the conscience, is als patent, clear and manifest; as onie outward, or bodily thing in the earth can be to the outward eye of the body.) In respect therefore, that his eye is sa percing, and that he casts his eye only upon our heart; it becomes us to try our harts. Thirdly, he is the Lord of the conscience; There is not a Monarch of the earth, that hes ony soueranitie or lordship over the conscience; only the God of heaven, only Christ Jesus, King of heaven & earth, is Lord of the conscience; he hes power only to save and tine: Therefore, when thou dresses thee to this Lord's Table; becomes it thee not to look upon thy conscience, to try thy conscience, and to examine the estait of it? Last of all, whilk is ane of my chiefest reasons; it becomes thee to try and examine thy conscience; why? Because the welfare and health of thy soul, depends upon thy conscience; gif thy conscience that is within thy soul be weil, gif it be at peace and rest, thy saul is well; gif thy conscience be in an good estait, thy soul mann be in ane good estait; gif thy conscience be in good health; of necessity, thy soul mann be in good health: For the good health and well of the soul, depends upon ane good conscience: Therefore it becomes every ane of you, to try well your conscience. There is not a law that ever was set down or devised; but of all the laws that ever was made, it is leifsom to us, to have a care of our health, it is leifsome to us, to seek sic things as may procure our health, preserve & entertain our health; Now subsume: but the health of thy soul, stands in the health of thy conscience, & in preseruiug thereof: Therefore be all laws, thou aught to attend to thy conscience; gif thou keep thy conscience well, thy saul is in health; and gif thy saul be in health; lat troubles come what will upon the body, thou wilt bear thame out all: But gif thy soul be diseased, & gif that dwining sickness occupy thy soul, whilk ane evil conscience brin gs on, thou salt not be able to bear out the least trouble, that can come upon the body: where as, gif the conscience were at rest, & in good health; that trouble could not light upon thy body, but the strength of ane good conscience, suld bear it out. Then have ye not reason, and mair nor reasoun, to take tent to your conscience, to examine and try your conscience, in what estait and disposition it is.

Now, because it is ane sauourles jest to tell you, that health is necessary, and not to open up the way, how this health may be acquired, preserved, and entertained, Therefore, to keep your conscience in quietness, and in good health; I sall give you thir few lessons. First of all take heed, that ye keep fast, a persuasion of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus; examine when thou lies down, and examine when thou rises up, in what estait thou art with God; whither thou may look surely for mercy at his hand or not: art thou persuaded of mercy; assure thyself, thy conscience is at ane good point, thou hes health in thy saul, for be keeping of faith the conscience is preserved, as says the Apostle, 1. TIMOTH. 1. 19. Keep this persuasion, halde it haill and sound, hurt it not, bring not thy saul in doubting sa far as thou may, stay not, nor hinder not thy persuasion, gif thou walde keep health in thy soul: for gif thou doubt, or in onye ways diminish thy persuasion, and assurance, assuredly thy assurance cannot so sone be hindered, nor diminished; bot in that same article of time, sall follow, the diminishing of the health of thy soul: Ʒea, it cannot be, but in that same article of time, follows the hurt of thy conscience, for faith will not dwell, bot in ane haill conscience. Thairfore in what article of time thou dost against thy conscience, in that same article of time thou loses ane gree of thy persuasion of the mercy of God: and unto the time that thou fall down at the feet of Christ, & obtain mercy for that ill deed, purchase peace at his hands, to repair thy persuasion; thou sall ever doubt of mercy, and want health in thy conscience. Then this is the first lesson, to keep health in your saulles, look and see, that ye be persuaded of mercy.

The second lessoun to keep a good conscience, or to keep health in thy saul is this: Ʒee mann flee, eschew, and forbear whatsoever may trouble the health of your soul, whatsoever may trouble the quietness & peaceable estait of your conscience: Cast it out, forbear it, and eschew it. This general is good: but what is it, lat see, that troubles the quiet estait of the conscience? Nathing in the world but sin, nothing in the earth, but an evil nature: Therefore, we mann of force, to keep health in our saulle; forbear and eschew sin, we mann flee sin, and rid our hand of it. It is not possible, that ye can baith keep a good conscience, and serve the affections of your heart: and therefore, to keep peace and health in thy soul; thou mann bidd thy lusts goodnight: thou mann renounce the lusts and affections of thy heart, and thou mann not do, as thou was wont to do: thou mann not be given to the service of thine affections, and of thine appetite, to put thame in executioun as thou wont to do: but incase, thine affection or lust, command thee to do onie thing; what is thy part? Thou mann try, howe far this may stand with the good will of God, and how far that affection whilk commands thee, may agree with the law of God. Is there sic an harmony, that that, whilk thine affectioun commands thee, may stand with God's law and holy will? Na question, it is ane sanctified affection; thou may put it in execution. But after this trial, gif thou find thine affection to be exorbitant, and out of rule, carrying thee plat fra God, and agains his law: Beware of it, resist it: beware, that thou put not the will of it in executioun. Or vtherway is, gif thou fulfill the will of that affectioun ane hour, what pleasure can that bring with it? It may well bring with it, a flattering pleasure in the entry: but it closes ever with a bitter remorse in the ende. Then to eschew this bitter remorse, suld ye not all try your affections? Ʒee mann examine and try tham, be the square of God's law, ye mann see, how far they agree with his law, or how far they disassent from it: and in sa far as, they disassent fra that law: lat every man deny himself, renounce his affections; and swa, this trial being tane this way be thyself, it sanctifies thine affections, makes Christ to ludge in thy soul, makes thy conscience to be at rest, and the holy spirit this way, makes baith body and soul, to be in good health, and to rejoice. Then fly fra sin: This is the second lesson.

The third lesson is this, Study to do well: Walde thou keep health in thy soul; study to do better and better continually: At least, have a purpose in thy soul and heart, to take up a better course daily. Quhilk is the last lesson? Seeing that when we study to do best, and that the just man, that is, the mayest holy man, fallis sa oft in the day, as seven times in the day: yea rather, seuentye times seven times, what is thy parte in thir slips, and snappers? Suppose thou fall, as thou cannot eschew to fall, lie not still there: sleep not there where thou hes fallen: It is a shame to sleep there, therefore, rise again: And how sold thou rise? Be lifting up thy soul, and running to the fountain of grace & mercy: be running to Christ Jesus to seek to be for a day, or for a year: but it aught to be every day, and every year of thy haill lifetime. For that conscience, that suld rest forever, with the living GOD, that conscience, whilk mann ever look upon the face of the Sonn of God: It cannot be over well scoured, we cannot look over narrowly to it: the mair curious we be in searching out of this conscience, we are the better occupied: I speak of our awn conscience, I speak not of our neighbors.

I ga to the third, and I come to the points whairintill, every an of you, suld try and examine your selfs. I give you twa points; whairintil, every ane of you, aught to try and examine your consciences. Try thy conscience first in this point; whither thou be at peace with God, wha is the Lord of heaven, or not: Nixt, try thy conscience in this point: whither thou be in love & amity with thy neighbor, or not. Wald thou knaw, whither thy conscience, be at unity and peace with God, or not? thou sall knawe it this way. The God of heaven, he cann have na society, nor can keep na company, with that soul, whilk is alwayis unclean, that is every way defiled: na, he cannot. Now I speak not sa precisely, that I mak a soul to be fully sanctified, and perfectly holy in this life. Na, in this life, there is wonderful iniquities, gross sins, and great faults, wherewith, even the righteous ar defiled: But this is my meaning; There is na soul, cann be at peace with God, or wherewith the Lord can have ony society, but in some measure, it man be sanctified, and made holy: for GOD cannot make residence in a soul, that is a stinking midding always: and therefore on force, in some measure it man be sanctified; there mann be sa meekle made clean, in ane nuke or other of that saule, wherein the Lord of heaven, be his holy spirit may make his residence. Now lat see, whereby is the saule sanctified? PETER Acts 15. 9. says, that the soul of man is purified be faith; that the heart of man is purged be faith. Sa faith opins and purges the heart: be faith in Christ Jesus, and in the merits of his blood, we have peace with God. Being justified be faith, we have peace towards God, thorough our Lord Jesus Christ, says the Apostle, ROM. 5. 1. Now comes in this point, ye have to prove your selfs, whither ye be in the faith or not, as the Apostle says. 2. COR. 13. 5. Try and see, whither ye have faith in Christ or not. Examine, gif your soul be seasoned with this faith: for gif ye have not faith in Christ; Christ is not in you: and gif Christ be not in you, ye are in ane evil estait, ye are in the estait of the reprobate and damned. Sa, every ane aught to look carefully, and see, gif he hes a belief in the blood of Christ or not: whither he believes to get mercy be his merits, and sanctificatioun be his blood or not: For gif thou have na measure of this faith, thou hes na measure of peace with God: Be reason, our peace with God, is ingendered, and grows daily mair and mair be true faith in Christ. Now this faith, where it is true, where it is lively, and couples the heart with God, as I have spoken; it mann break out in word and deed: It cannot be halden in, but it mann break out. It mann break out in word, in glorifying the God of heaven, wha hes forgiven us our sins: It mann break out in word, be giving a notable confession of they sins, wherein we have offended him. It mann break out in deed, in doing good works, to testify to the world that thing, whilk is within thy heart: to testify to the world, that thou, wha hes this faith, art ane new man; that be thy good example of life and conuersatioun, thou may edify thy brethren, the simple anis of the Church of GOD: and that be thine holy life, thou may draw sinners to repentance, that they seeing thy light, they may be compelled to glorify God in thee. Then in the first point of trial, lat us look to thir three; to the heart, to the mouth, and to the hand: Take heed, that there be ane harmony, betwixt thir three, and that they all sing ane sang: for gif the heart, be inwardly coupled with God; there is na doubt, but the mouth will outwardly glorify him: and gif thine heart and mouth be renewed, and be ane: of necessity, thou mann utter this, in thy conuersatioun: There mann be agreement betwixt the heart, and the hand: thy conversation mann be changed with the heart, and be holy, honest and godly, as the heart is: Swa that, gif thy conuersasion be good; it is a sure taken, that thou art at ane with God: but gif thy conversation be not good; lat men speak what they will, the heart is but defiled: this true and lively faith, hes na place in it. Then will thou spear, when art thou at ane with God? When thy conuersatioun, thine heart, and thine mouth says all ane thing; then na questioun, thou hes the warke of faith, wrought be the holy Spirit in thy heart, whilk makes thee to be at peace with God. This is the first point, wherein ye suld try your selfs.

The next point is love; ye mann try, whither ye be in love, and under charity with your neighbor or not: For as thou art not coupled with God, but be the band of faith: sa thou art not coupled with thy neighbor, nor joined with na member of Christ in this earth, but be the band of love, amity, and charity. Tak away love, thou art not a member of this body: For love is the master sennoun, that couples all thir members of Christ's body together, & makes tham to grow up all in a spiritual and mystical unity. Love is the only mark, whereby the children of Christ, and members of Christ's body, are knawen from the rest of the warlde. Love is that holy oil, that refreshes our saules, and makes us like unto God: and the mair we grow in love, the mair God be his spirit dwells in us; for God is love. Sa that, except in some measure, love towards thy neighbor dwell in thy heart, thou can have na society with thy neighbor, and far less with GOD. Gif the manners of men were examined be this rule; we suld find a multitude of godless people in this Country, wha hes their hearts raging with malice, ilke ane against vthers: and where the Devil, and a malicious spirit dwells; there is na place there for the holy spirit: & now suppose the Lord hes gan about, be all means possible, late and air, to instruct thame, and to infound in thame, this precious love and amity towards God and their neighbor, and sa to alter their condition: Ʒit they will not suffer thame selfs to be walkned, whill the great vengeance and malediction of GOD, light on their carcases. Alwayis this love, this honest and godly conversation, flows all fra the root of faith: sa that, gif thy heart have faith, in any measure; and it were never sa small; in that same measure, thou man have love towards thy neighbor: and this love is never idle, but it is ever uttering the self; ather in ane effect, or other: And in respect faith is the ground, whereupon all the rest depends, and in respect, that this faith, is sick a jewel, as without the whilk, it is not possible to onie of you, to please God; without the whilk, all your doings are abomination before him; without the whilk, ye are left in a terrible misery: whilk misery, is sa meekle the mair terrible, that ye are ignorant of it: Is it not good reason, that we knaw and understand, how this faith is wrought and created in our saules be the holy Spirit, and howe it is entertained and nurished in our saules: That seeing how it is created, and hearing tell the manner, how it is brought about; ye may examine your consciences, and see whither ye be in the faith or not. My purpose was to have insisted langer in this matter, nor this time will suffer. Now therefore, as time will suffer, and as God will give the grace, I sall lat you understand, how the holy Spirit employs his travail, in the heart and mind of man & woman; and what pains he takes in creating and making up this jewel of faith in their sauls. Ʒit or I enter to this wark, to lat you see the trauaills of the spirit of God, in working of this faith in your harts: It is necessary, and mair nor necessary, that ye understand first, your awin misery and infirmity: and that ye knaw how the Lord was induced, to recover you out of your auld estait, & to recreate you, wha were lost be the deed of your fore-father ADAM.

Then to take up the matter the mair highly, I call to your memories this ground: That man universally, and every ane particularie being corrupted, being lost, and that be his first forebears fault: (For gif there were na mair but that same first fault and sin of his, we are all justly oblished and bound to ane double death, baith of body and saul forever.) Man, this way universally and particularly, being utterly lost, without any hope of regres left in his soul, without ony sense of the recovery of that for mer estaite, or reparing of that image whilke he had tint throw sin lang of before: he being lost be this sin, and left in this desperate estait in him self, what dost God? The everliving God, God, only wise; whais ways are unsearchable, hes found out ane way, how that man this way lost; yet he may be saved. In this turn, he sought counsel, whom at? Not at any creature: but he sought counsel at himself: the persons of the Trinity, sought counsel at them selfs: ea God was moved to seek counsel at himself, only moved in himself: for he had not ane external principal outwith himself, to induce him. Swa he seeking this counsel at him self, and being moved in him self thereto: AS EPHES. 1. 9. what dost he? When all men and women sulde have died forever, it pleasis him of his infinite mercy to select out of all, and to elect a certain number out of the lost race of ADAM, that suld have perished forever. In this his counsel and decreet, moved I say of himself, and seeking counsel at himself only, he selectes a certain number out of this rotten race: whilke certain, he will have sanctified, he will have justified, he will have glorified. And therefore to bring about the work of their salvation, what dost he? He appointes his awin natural son (for he had but ane natural son,) he appointes the second person of the Trinity, his awin natural Son, God in power, glory, and Majesty, als high as him self: equal with God the Father in all things; he appoints him to work this warke, to bring about this wark of our redemption and aeternal salvation: (this is but the mystery of it in some measure disclosed.) And therefore in the fullness of time (for he dispensis all times according to his wisdom,) at such time as he appointed, he makes his son to come down, to cease him self in the wemb of the virgin, to take on our flesh, to take on the likeness of sin, he took not on sin, but he took on the likeness of sin. What call I that likeness? our flesh is the likeness of sin: he took on our flesh and nature, the lyknes of sin, whilk wes perfitelie sanctified, in the very moment of his conception, in the very wembe of the virgins: He took on this flesh, that in this flesh and nature, sin might be banished and dung out of us forever. And where we suld all have gane ea gaite, (for there was na exception of persons be nature;) Christ Jesus our Saueour, hes elected us: and according as his Father in his secret election, before the beginning of the world, had elected us: the same Christ Jesus in his awin time he callis us, he makes us partakers of that salvation, whilk he hes purchased: and he repairis not only that Image whilk was lost in our fore-father ADAM, he places us not in a terrestrial paradise, where ADAM was placed at the beginning, (and what mair could have been sought be us?) but he gives us a far mair excellent image, nor we lost: he places us in a mair high, and in a mair coelestial Paradise nor we lost. For, sa meekill the mair heavenly is the paradise whilk he gives us, as the second ADAM is mair excellent nor the first: and as the Son of God, and God him self, gais far above any creature that ever was; man, or Angel. Therefore it comes to pas, that be the benefit of the second ADAM, Christ Jesus our Savior, the Son of God; whereas, gif we had remained in that Image wherein our fore-father was first created: we suld have settled our selfs in the earth forever, we culled not have craved a better Paradise, nor ane earthly Paradise for earthly tabernacles. Be the benefit of the Son of God, I say, it comes to pas, that we are plucked up out of the earth to the heaven, and to ane heavenly paradise. And what have we to do with heaven? Are we not made of the earth, to return to the earth? becomes not ane earthly paradise, ane earthly body? Ʒit the Lord in his mercy sendis down his Son, to draw us up out of the earth to the heaven: This is sa high a thing, that it cannot be easily considered: For this drawing of us to ane heavenly paradise, is a thing mair nor could have been thought of, that we suld live ane Angels life in heaven: how could the heart of man think on this? yet it pleased the leuing Lord in the great riches and bowels of his mercy, and in the exceeding greatness of the power of his mercy towards us: (The Apostle in that Epistle to the EPHESIANS, cannot get words anew to express this; he knawes not how to begin, nor how to end: whā he speaks of the riches of that mercy. And gif ye look that Epistle to the EPHESIANS narrowly, ye sall find maa high, and excellent stiles, given to the riches of that mercy, in that Epistle, nor in ony other parte of the scripture.) It pleased him, I say, of his awin mercy, not to give us simply the Image whilk we lost, nor to leave us in this earth: but it pleased him to give us, a better image: and beside that, to place us in heaven, to bide with him forever.

Now, restes his mercy and grace heir? Na: But that this salvation whilk he hes already purchased, and brought about, be his Son our Savior Christ Jesus, that it might be always accomplished, having nothing lacking in it: As he redeemed us in his awin person perfitlie: Swa, he makes this same redemptioun, to come to our knowledge, and makes us sure of it in our own consciences; and to this ende, what dost he I pray you? As he be his death purchased our full redemption: sa he makes it knawin to us: he intimates it to us, be our inward calling: letting us baith find and feel in our heart, what he did in his body for us: For our Lord▪ when he makes his servants to proclaim this redemption, and to intimate it to our consciencis: he workis this jewel of faith in our saulls, whilk assures us, that the Sonn of God hes died for us: For what could it avail us, to see our redemption, to see our salvation and our life a far of, gif a way wer not found out, and a hand, & a moyan given us, whereby we may apprehend that salvation, & apply it to our self. What can it avail a sick man, to see a drog in ane Apothecaries booth, except a way be found out, how it sall be applied to his sick body: Swa, to the end that this work of our redemption and salvation, may be fully and freely accomplished: Look how freely he hes given his only Sonn, to the death of the Cros for us: als freely hes he found out this way & moyen, & propyned us with this hand whereby we may take hald on Christ, & apply him to our saulls. This moyan, to conclude, is faith. There is not a way, nor ane instrument in the Scriptures of God, whereby ony man or woman, may apply Christ to their saulls, but only the instrument of faith: therefore faith cannot be aneugh commended. Turn to faith, and it will make thee to turn to God, and swa conjoine thee with God, and make all thine actions to smell well in his nease: And there is never a good actiō that we do, suppose it glaūce never sa well before the warlde, gif it be not done in faith, but it is abomination before God, & will help foreward to our damnation: Having faith, all the creatures of God mann laugh on us; they mann all conspire to the furtherance of the work of our salvation: As be the contrary, lacking faith, there is never ane of the creatures of God, but they sall be enemies to us, and conspire to our damnatioun. For faith conjoynis us with the GOD of heaven, and makes us heavenly. This jewel of faith, seasons all the gifts and graces whilk God gives us. I will not give a straw, for all the riches of the earth to my soul, without faith. And what avails it to ony man, to have all the sciences, wisdom, and knowledge in the earth, without faith? for the devil hes all this knowledge; and is not the better. What auaillis it to me, to conques all the Monarchs, Kingdoms, & haill riches in the earth? what can all thir auaill to my soul? Na thing; but to make out a process against me, gif I want faith. Therefore all the benefits and gifts of God, without faith; avails nothing, but to augment our misery. All the gifts and graces of God, are abused without faith: Faith only makes thee to use the benefits & graces of God rightly: faith only suld be sought, keeped, and interteined heir in this life: having faith, all the rest of God's graces are profitable to thee: for this jewel keeps them all in order, and makes them all fruitful: where, lacking this jewel, there is nothing heir in this earth, but it will bear testimony against thee.

Then let us come to speak yet of this faith, how it is created in every e ane of your sauls. I take my ground out of the Evangelist JOHN, 6. 44. where our master says: Na man can come to me, except the Father whilk hath sent me, draw him. Into the whilk words, we see cleaerlie, that except we be drawn, except we be compelled, except we be rugged, except of unwilling we be made willing, be God the Father; it is not possible for us to come to his Son. What is the reason of this, that the spirit of God mann draw us, and make us willing or ever we come to God? Becaus be nature, we are not only wounded and lanced be sin and iniquity; but as the Apostle shawis EPHES. 2. 1. We were halilie dead in trespassis and sins. Ʒea, farther look, howe void any carcase is of a natural life, als void ar our sauls (suppose they be liuand the natural life) als void are they of the life of God, of that heavenly and spiritual life, whereunto we in this life do aspire: unto the time that the spirit of God draw our harts & mindis, that is; quicken our hearts and mindis. Nay, it is not a draught as we take it commonly, it is a very quickening of a dead thing: It is a quickening of that thing whilk was void of the life of the spirit. Then, except the spirit of God draw us, that is, quicken us with that spiritual & heavenly life: it is not possible to us to come to heaven. And except he nourish this life, whilk he hes begun, it is not possible that we can stand in this life. Swa, the spirit of God is said to draw us, that is, to begin this life in us, and be the same holy Spirit to continue & nourish this life in us. Now be the draught of the spirit, our sauls ar quickened: and be the drawing of the spirit, I understand na other thing, but the forging and creating of faith in our sauls, whilk makes us new creatures. Lat us see now, what order the spirit of God keepis in drawing us, and in forging and creating this faith in our sauls. First of all, I devide the soul in na ma parts, nor commonly it vsis to be divided: that is, in the heart and in the mind. Our mind then being ane clud of darkness, altogether blind naturally: there being nothing in that mind of ours, but vanity & error, whereby we vanish away, & can never bide at na good purpose: what dost the spirit of God? The first work that ever the spirit of God dost, he takis order with the mind: and what dost he to the mind? He bannishis darkness, he chaisses out vanity and blindness, that naturally lurks in the mind: and instead of this darkness, he places in the mind, a light▪ a celestial and a heavenly light, a light whilk is resident in Christ Jesus only. Then the spirit chaisses out that clud of miste and darkness, and places light in the mind. And what dost he be this light? We getting this inward and heavenly light in the mind, and ane sanctified understanding; incontinent he makes us to see God: not only, as he is God the creator of the world: but alswa, as he is God the redeemer, and hes redeemed us in his Son Christ Jesus. Now before I get this light, what is my heart and mind doing? There is never ane of you, but ye have experience, as I myself have, in what estait the heart and mind is before this light enter. The mind is lyand drowned in blindness, & the heart is hardened, and they baith conspire together in ane vice, to set up ane Idol in steed of God: ane domestic & invisible idol, & what a sort of idol is that I pray you? Na doubt, an warldly or fleshly affectiō, ane or other: this is set up in the throne of thy heart: And on this idol, thou bestows the service of thy hail heart, of thy hail mind, of thy haill soul & body: Sa, that the service, baith of saul and body, whilk suld be bestowed vpō God only, is employed vpō that idol, whilk is set up in thy heart, that is, in the place of God, in the steed of the mayest high God: And thou art mair addicted to the service of that idol, nor ever thou wes to the service of the living God. Ʒea, unto the time that this Idol of ours be banished, & that this blindness, wherthrow this idol is served, be tane away; there is not ane of you, but ye are servant to ane lust or other: & thy saul that suld be consecrate to the service of the living God, it is employed vpō ane affectiō or other: vpō ane warldly or fleshly lust of thin awin But now, fra time the Lord begin to scatter the cluds of our natural minds & understanding: & begin to chase away this thick mist of the dark soul; & places therein a sponk of heavenly light, whilk flowis out of Christ: And where we were children of the night and darkness of before, he makes us to be light in the Lord, and to be children of the light, and of the day. Then we see, that all the things in the world, beside the living God, are vanities, deceaueable allurements, unconstant shadows, fleetand and flowand without ony byding: and then we see that our hearts and minds was set on ill continually. Then we begin to abhor that Idol, and to seek to serve God only. Now except the Lord of his awin mercy & goodness, place in us this light, unto the time that we get some glimmering of this light, we can never see our awin vanity, lat be to see God. This then is the first warke of the Spirit, he bannishes darkness and errors, and places light in our mindis. Now, this first wark of the Spirit, is termed oftymes in the Scripture, under the name of faith: for the mind hes the awin assent & persuasion in the awin kind, als well as the heart hes: and therefore the mind being illuminate & seasoned with this light, the assenting and knowledge in the same mind, is called faith. The Apostle, and the Evangelists gives to this knowledge, the name of faith: for fra time ains thou have ane eye to ken God, and whom he hes sent Christ Jesus, fra ains thou get a sight of him, and gets access to him, gif it wer na farther nor in the mind, it is called faith.

But we are forbidden to stand heir, gif faith ga na farther nor the mind, it is not the faith we are seekand. For the Faith that justifies, and dost us good, mann oppin the heart, als well as it oppinnis the mind: it mann bannish that idol and affection, out of the heart, and in his steed, set down a Throne to Christ Jesus. Sa that, except the good Spirit of God ga farther, nor rhe mind; and bannish this idol, als weil out of our harts, as out of our minds, we get not that justifiing faith, whereby we may look for mercy. Ʒea, the Spirit of God mann not only stand in lightening the mind: but it mann mollify this heart of thine, and change thine affection: And where thy affection was wicked and ill, God's Spirit mann change the will: and he never can change the will, except he make the ground of thy heart good: that it may be set on God, and bring forth good fruit aboundantlie to the awner. And what teaches this? This teaches you to seek, for ane honest heart, and to seek instantly, while ye obteene it. For what auails it to ony man to ken what is good, or what is ill, except he have a way shawin him, how he sall eschew the ill, and a moyan given him to make him self partaker of the good? Is not this ane idle and unprofitable knowledge to me, to see a far off: and to ken, that this is good for me, when as I find not a moyan how to be partaker of that good, that it may be ane special good thing to me. Is it not ane idle knowledge also, to ken that this is ill for me, that it will do me ill gif I do it: and yet that same very thing I will do; and na other? Swa, the Spirit of God linckes thir twa together in this warke: and as he reforms the mind, he reforms also the heart, and makes you to be partakers of that good whilke you see, and to eschew that ill whilk ye see. And this is the second warke of the Spirit, not only to present a thing to thee, but to make it thine in effect. For, howbeit the mind wald do hir turn never sa well, and lat thee see that Christ is thine; and present him to thee, never sa oft; gif the heart be not reformed, that will, and cruked affection that is in thy heart, will prefer it self to Christ, and will make thee to compt all but folly, in respect of that Idol. And therefore it were ane idle and ane foolish thing for me to see my salvation, except I get grace to be partaker of it: & what avails it to thee to see the Devil, to see thine awin sins that slays thee, except thou get grace to eschew tham: & sa the second wark of the spirit is this; he enters in the heart, he dantons the heart, & wonderfully chāges it, & makes the will of it obedient; he mollifies the affection, whilk was hard of before, in sic sort, that it is made to pour out thy affection in some measure on the living GOD, where it was poured out on ane idol or other of thine awin before. Then except the heart will do his part, as the mind dost his part; the haill soul is not consecrate to God: for God hes not made the soul, that the heart suld serve thee, and the mind only suld serve him: but thy service is then only acceptable to GOD, when thou consecrates thy heart, as well as thy mind to him.

Now this mater is sa clear, that it misters not to be illustrate be similitude: Ʒit to make it mair clear unto you, we sal lat you see be a similitude, that the apprehension of the mind is not aneugh, except ye get the apprehension of the heart also. In corporal things, in meat and drink that serves for the use of your bodies; there mann be of this meat and drink, twa sort of apprehensions; and as there is twa sort of apprehensions, of the meat and drink, that is the food of the body; swa, there is twa sort of apprehensions, of the body & blood of Christ Jesus, whilk is our meat and drink spiritual. Of meat and drink corporal, there is ane apprehension be the eye, and be the taist: that while as the meat is present to you on the table, your eye takes a view of this meat, discerns on it, and makes a choice of it; Ʒea, not only the eye, but also the taist, discerns on that meat, and the taist approving it; that is called the first apprehension.

Now upon this, whilk is the first, the second apprehension follows: that is, after that ye have chewed that meat, letten it over your halse, and send it to your stomachs, where it digests, and converts in your nuriture: Then in your stomach, ye get the second apprehension. But gif swa be, that your eye like not of that meat, & that your taist like not of it nather; the second apprehensioun follows not: for thou wilt spit it out again, or reject it, and prefer an other thing to it, that thou likes better. That meat whilk thou likes not, enters never in thy stomach, and sa it can never be converted in thy nuriture: For it is only the second apprehension of the meat, that is the cause of the nourishment of the body, to our corporal food: Swa that, gif ye chewe not this meat, and lat it over; it feeds you not. Then it is only the second apprehensioun, that nurishes our body. It is even siclike in they spiritual things (sa far as they may be compared) in the food of Christ Jesus, wha is the life and nuriture of our saules and consciences: there mann be twa sorts of apprehensions of Christ Jesus; The first apprehension, is be the eye of the mind, that is, be our knowledge and understanding▪ for as the eye of the body, discerns be ane outward light; sa the eye of thy mind, discerns be ane inward and renewed understanding, whereby, we get the first apprehension of Christ. Now, gif this first apprehension of Christ, like us well, then the next follows: we begin to cast the affectioun of our hearts on him, we have good will of him: For all our affections proceeds fra our will, and our affection being renewed and made holy: we set it halely upon Christ, we love him; and gif we love him, we take hald on him, we eat him, and digests him; that is, we apply him to our sauls: and sa of this love & liking of him, the second apprehension dost follow. But gif sa be, that we have na will of him, that we have na love nor liking of him; what do we I pray you? Then we reject him, and prefers our awin idol, and the service of our awin affecton to him; and swa, the second apprehension follows not: We cannot digest him, and gif we digest him not that spiritual life cannot grow in us. For look in what place, the eye serves to thy body; in that same room, serves knowledge and vnderstaunding to thy saule: and look in what place, thy hand and thy mouth, the taste and the stomach, serves to thy body; in that same room, serves the heart and affection to thy soul: sa that, as our body cannot be nurished, except our hand take, and our mouth eat the meat, wherthrow the second apprehension may follow. Likewise, our saules cannot feed on Christ, except we gripp him, and embrace him hartelie be our will and affection. For we come not to Christ, be ony outward motion of our body, but be ane inward motioun and apprehension of the heart: for God, finding us all in a reprobate sense, he brings us to Christ, be reforming the affectioun of our saules, be making us to love him. And therefore, the second apprehension, whereby we digest our Savior, will never enter into our saules; except, as he pleases the eye, sa he please the will and the affection also. Now gif this come to pass, that our will and affectioun is halelie bent upon Christ; then na dout, we have gotten this jewel of faith: have ye sic a liking in your mind, and sic a love in your heart of Christ, that ye will prefer him to all things in the warlde; Then na questioun, faith is begun in you.

Now, fra time a thing be begun, there is farther required: for suppose this faith be formed in your minds, in your harts and saulles, yet that is not aneugh, but that whilke is formed, man be nurished, and he wha is conceived, mann be entertained and brought up; or else the love that is begone in me be the holy spirit, except be ordinare means, it be daily entertained and nurished, it will decay: except the Lord continue the draught and working of his holy Spirit; it is not possible that I can continue in the faith. And how mann we nurish and continue faith in our saules? Twa manner of wayis: first, we nurish faith begun in our saul, be hearing of the word: not of every word, but be hearing of the word of GOD preached: and not be the hearing of every man; but be hearing the word preached be him that is sent. For this is the ordinair mean, whereunto the Lord hes bound him: he will work faith, be hearing of the word, and perceptioun of the Sacraments: and the mair thou hear the word, & the oftener thou receive the Sacraments; the mair thy faith is nurished. Now it is not only, be hearing of the word, and perception of the Sacraments, that we nurish faith. The word & the sacraments, are not able of thame selfs, to nurish this faith in us, except the working of the holy Spirit, be conjoined with their ministry: But the word and sacraments, ar said to nurish faith in our sauls, because they offer and exhibit Christ to us, wha is the meat, the drink, and life of our saules: and in respect, that in the word & Sacraments, we get Christ, wha is the food of our saules; therefore the word and Sacraments, are said to nurish our saules: as is set down Acts 2. 42. The Disciples of Christ, were earnestly occupied, and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and prayers: be thir means, intertening, augmenting, and nurishing the faith that was begun in thame. Then the holy Spirit begets this faith, works this faith, creates this faith, nurishes and intertaines this faith in our saules, be hearing of the preached word, and be participation of the sacraments, whilk are the ordinair means, whereby, the Lord nurishes us, and continews this spiritual food with us: For look be what means, the spiritual life is begun, be they same means, it is nurished and entertained. As this temporal life is entertained and nurished be they same means, whereby it is begun.

Thē seeing be thir means, the holy spirit begets this work of faith in our sauls: it is our duty to crave, that he will continue the wark, whilk he hes begun: & for this cause, we suld resort to the hearing of the word, when it is preached, and to the receiving of the sacraments, when they ar ministered, that we may be fed in our sauls to life everlasting. But alas, we are come to sic a loath, disdain, & offcasting of this heavenly food in this Country: That where men in the beginning, wald have gane, some twenty miles, some forty miles, to the hearing of this word: they will scarcelie now come fra their house to the Kirk, and remain ane hour to hear the word, but bides at hame. Weil I say, over great wealth, gars wit waver; and the abundance of this word, engenders such a lothsomnes, that it is a rare thing to find out onye, that hes that thirst and desire to hear the word, as they were wont to have in the beginning: And as to our great men, they will not hear it at all: for they cannot hear the thing that accuses thame, and conuicts thame, but because this word accuses & conuicts thame, they run fra it. But they suld not do swa; they suld not run fra Christ, nor fra his word that accuses tham: but they suld hear the word, and as the word accuses thame, they suld accuse tham selfs also that thereby, they may come to a confessioun of their sin, & obtain mercy for the same. Sa, when Christ accuses thee, thou suld not run fra him, but thou suld draw near to him, thou suld threepe kindness of him and make irruption, as it were, and forciblie enter in his kingdom. It is not the way, when thy sin twitches thee, and whē Christ accuses thee, to run fra him: Na, thou suld then turn to him; thou suld confess thy sin, cry Peccaui, & seek mercy: and after that thou hes got̄ mercy, this word sal become als pleasant to thee, and thou sall take als great delight, to come to the hearing of it; as ever thou delited to fly fra it before. But alas, our lothsomnes and disdain, is grown to sick ane height; that truly, I am moved to believe firmly, that the Lord hes concluded, that we sal not enter in his rest; and that only, for the great contempt of his mercy and grace, whilk is now sa richly offered: For why? God cannot deal vtherwayis with us, nor he dealt with our for fathers the Israelites, for the negligence of the euangel, whilk was but then obscurely preached: for thē, it was far fra the incarnation of Christ; and the farther that it was fra his incarnation, the Evangel was ay the mair obscurely preached, under dark types and shadows; Ʒit notwithstanding, the fathers that hard that euangel preached, and believed it not; they perished all in the wilderness, except twa, as ye have hard sometime fra this place: And gif they, for the contempt of sa dark ane light perished: Meeklemair mann ye, that are their children perish, for the contempt of the Son of righteousness, wha is risen sa plainly, & shines sa clearly now, in the preaching of the gospel: except the Lord in his mercy prevent you, and except ye prevent his judgment be earnest seeking, and except ye seek a feeling, & seek inward senses, that ye may see & feel the grace that is offered. Craue again, that he will sanctify your hearts be repentance, that ye may repent you of your sins, and take up ane honest, and ane godly conversation in all time-coming; that baith body and soul may be saved in the day of the Lord. The Lord work this in your sauls, that ye may seek mercy, & seeking mercy, ye may get mercy: and in mercy, ye may get a grip of Christ, and that for his righteous merits: To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit, be all honor, praise and glory, for now and ever.

THE FIFTH AND LAST SERMON, VPPON THE PREparation to the Lord's Supper, preached the 2. day of March. 1589.

I NTO the Doctrine of our trial and due examination; the Apostle, as ye heard, (weilbeloued in Christ Jesus) he gave us a special command, that every ane of us, suld try and examine narrowly our selfs; that is, that every man suld condescend, and enter into his awn conscience, try and examine the estait of his awin conscience; in what estait he finds it with God, and in what estate he finds it with his neighbor: he enjoins this trial to our selves, and commands that every ane of us, suld take pains upon the true examination of our consciences; he enjoins this warke to us, why? Be reason na man knawes sa meekle of me as I do myself; be reason, na man can be sure of the estait of my conscience, but I myself; be reason na man can sa diligently, nor sa profitably try my conscience, as I myself: therefore chiefly it becomes every man, and woman, or ever they enter to the hearing of the word, or give ear to the word, or their mouth to the Sacrament: It becomes thame to try and examine their awin consciences. Not that the Apostle walde seclude the trial of other men: for as it is leasume to me to try myself, sa na doubt it is leasume to my Pastor to try me: It is leasume to other men that hes a care over me, to try and examine me: but na man can do this, sa profitably to me, as I myself: and suppose we had never sa money examiners, and triers, all is lost, gif we try not our selfs: Swa, whither there be a second or a third trier: let our self be the first, and let our self be ane: And na dout the Apostles mind hes been this to let us see clearly, that he or she that comes to that table, and hes not that knowledge, nor is not of that ability to try thame selves, are profane comers, comes vncleanly as dogs, and therefore man come to their awn destruction. Let every man therefore grow in knaweledge, grow in understanding, grow in the Spirit, that he may be the mair able to try and examine his awin conscience.

To the end that ye might ga fordward, and proceed in the work of this trial with the better speed, and with the better fruits: Into this examination we laid down this order. First of all, we lute you see, what is that, whilk we call a conscience, and what is meaned thereby: Nixt, we lute you see for what causes ye suld put your consciences to this trial and narrow examination: & thirdlie, sa far as time suffered, we entered into the points, whereinto every ane of you suld try and examine your awin consciences. As to conscience, that ye may call that difinitioun to your memory; I will resume it shortly. We call a conscience, a certain feeling in the heart, resembling the righteous judgment of God, following upon a deed done be us, flowing of knowledge in the mind: A feeling accompanied with a motioun in the heart, a motioun, ather of fear or joy, of trembling or rejoysing. I leave the opening up of thir pairts to your memories; and I pray God, that they may be well sanctified. I come next to the causes, wherefore every ane of you, suld be careful in trying and examining your awin consciences. The first cause is; because the Lord of heaven, hes his eye continually upon the conscience; the eye of God, comes never off the conscience and heart of man; as I proved to you, be sundry places. Nixt, be reason this God hes chosen his ludgeing, and hes set down his throne, to make his residence in the conscience: Therefore, that he may dwell in cleanness, you aught to have a regard to his dwelling place. Thirdly, he is the Lord: Ʒea, the only Lord of thy conscience, wha hes power only to control; wha only hes power to save, or to tine: therefore, that it may do good service to thy awn Lord, thou aught to take tent to thy conscience. And last of all, in respect, that the health of thy soul, stands in the estait of thy conscience; and gif thy soul be in good health, thy body cannot be evil: Therefore in respect, that soul and body, depends upon the estait of the conscience; every ane of you, suld carefully look to your consciences. I will not amplify this, but remits the matter to your memories: howe the health of the soul, and weilfair of the soul, suld be keeped.

Nixt, I come in the thread and last room, to the points, into the whilk every ane of you, suld try and examine your consciences: And as ye remember, I set down twa points, where into it behoues you to put your consciences to trial. First, to knaw whether your consciences wes at peace with God, or not: secondly, whether your consciences wes in love, in charity, & in amity with your neighbor, or not: Into thir twa points chiefly, ye mann try and examine your selfs. To ken whether ye be at peace with God or not, ye mann first try, whether ye be in the faith, or not: (as the Apostle speaks) whether ye be in the faith of Christ or not: For, being in the faith, and justified thereby; of force ye mann have peace with God, as the Apostle speaks. Then the next cair mann be to try your faith, and to see whether ye have faith, or not. Faith can na ways be tried, but be the fruits: faith cannot be judged on be me, that looks on it at the least, but be the effects: Therefore to try whether ye be in the faith, or not: take tent to the fruits: take tent to thy mouth, take tent to thy hand, take tent to thy words, and to thy deeds. For, except thou glorify God in thy mouth, and confess to thy salvation: and except thou glorify him also in thy deeds, and make thine holy life to testify of thy holy faith, all is but vain, all is but mere hypocrisy. Therefore to knaw the sincerity of thy faith, thou mann take tent, that there be ane harmony betwixt thy hand, thy mouth, and thy heart: that there be a mutual consent, that thy doings prejudge not thy heart, that thy mouth prejudge not thy heart: but that mouth and hand, may testify of the sincerity of the heart. Gif the heart, the hand, and the mouth, consent and agree in ane harmony together: Na question, that heart that breaks forth in sa good fruits, is coupled with God: there is na question, the light of thy actions, the beams and shining of thy life, sall make the name of thy good God to be glorified. Therefore the haill weight of our trial stands chiefly upon this point: to see whether we be in the faith, or not: to examine whether Christ dwells in us be faith, or not: For without faith, there can be na coupling, nor conjoining betwixt us and Christ: without faith our heart cannot be sanctified and clenged: and without faith we cannot work be charity: sa all depends on this only. And therefore that ye might the better understand whether ye have faith or not: I gaid somewhat mair highly in this matter, and I begoud to lat you see, how the holy Spirit creates faith, & works faith in your sauls, harts, and minds. I begouth to let you see, what order the halye Spirit keeped, in forming and in creating this notable instrument in your harts and minds: Not only how he engenders and begins faith, but alswa how he interteinis it, how he nourishes it: and we lute you see, the external means and instruments whilk he vsis to this effect. To beget faith in our sauls, the holy Spirit uses the hearing of the word preached, be him that is sent; & the ministry of the Sacraments, as ordinary means and instruments: whilk ordinare means are only then effectual, whē as the holy Spirit concurs inwardly in our hearts, with the word striking outwardly in our ear: and with the Sacrament outwardly received. And except the holy Spirit grant his concurrence to the word, and to the Sacrament; word and Sacrament will not work faith. Swa, all depends upon the working of this holy Spirit. The haill regeneration of mankind, the renewing of the heart and of the conscience, depends on the power of the holy Spirit: and there fore it becomes us cairfully, to employ our trauails, in incalling for his holy Spirit. Be the same means and na other, that the holy Spirit begets faith in us; be the same means he nourishis and augments that, whilk he hes begotten. And therefore, as we get faith be hearing of the word; sa be continual and diligent hearing, we have this faith augmented, and nourished in us. And heir I drew out my exhortation, that gif ye wauld have that spiritual life nourished in you, and gif ye wald have a farther assurance of heaven: on force ye mann baith continually and diligently, hear the blessed word of God.

Now it rests that every ane of you cairfullie apply this doctrine to your awin saulls, and enter into the trial of your awin consciences: to see, gif this faith, as I spake, be begun in your hearts and minds, or not: How far, or how little the holy Spirit hes proceeded in that wark, try with me, and I with you. The first effect of the holy Spirit, whereby ye may try your mind, whether it be in the faith, or not; is this: Reuolue in your memories, and remember, gif at ony time, it pleased the Lord in his mercy to turn the darkness of your mind unto light, to make that darkness whilk wes within you to depart. Be the whilk darkness, nather had ye ane eye to see your selfs, what ye war be nature: nor yet had ye ane eye to see God in Christ, nor ony part of his mercy. Examine I say, whether gif this darkness of the natural understanding, be turned into light, be the working of the Spirit, or not: Gif thou art become a child of the light, a child of the day: Gif thou art become as the Apostle speaks, light in the Lord: Gif there be this alteration maid in thy mind, that where naturallye off before, it was closed up in darkness; where it was filled with vanities and errors; where it was closed up in blindness: gif the Lord hes at onye time, enlightened the eye of thy mind, and maid thee to see thine awin misery, to see the vgglines of thin awin nature: to see they heinous sins, in the whilk be nature thou lies: Gif he hes granted to thee, ane insight of thyself in some measure: and upon the other side, gif he hes granted thee ane out-gait: and hes given thee ane insight of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus: gif thou have gotten ane insight of the riches of his grace in Christ: Na doubt, the holy Spirit hes begun a good warke in thee: A wark, whilk will bring forth repentance, whilk in his awin time he will perfect. Sa this is the first cair that ye aught to have, and the first point wherein ye aught to examine your minds: to see gif there be any light in it, whereby ye may knaw your misery, and have a insight of the mercy of God in Christ. This being done, that thou finds a sight of thir twa in thy mind; fra thy mind, ga to the heart, and as thou hes tried thy mind, sa try thine heart. And first examine the heart, gif it be altered or not: gif it be in ony sort reformed or not, that the will of it be framed and bowed to God's obedience: that the affectioun be turned in the luif of God, and be poured out on him, as it wes poured out on vanities, on filthiness, and on the warlde off before. Try whither the ground of the heart, and the fountain wherfra the motions and affections proceeds; be sanctified, or not: For of ane holy fountain, holy waters mann distill: of ane halye fountain, holy motions, holy cogitations, and sanctified considerations mann flow.

Try then and examine your heart, gif the spirit of God hes wrought ony such reformation (as I spake off) in the heart or not: And that thou may take up the working of the holy Spirit, the better in thy heart and conscience, whilk makes chiefly residence in the heart: I sall lay before thee the first effect, that ever the halye Spirit brings forth in thy heart: in framing it, in mollifying it, and in bowing it to the obedience of God. Thou sall knaw the working of the holy Spirit, be this effect: to wit, gif, as thy mind seeis, and behaldes what is ill, seeis and behaldes what is good, seeis and behaldes thine awin misery, and thy sins that hes casten thee in this misery: and seeis and behalds the riches of the mercy of God in Christ: Gif as thy mind seeis thir twa, thy heart be reformed and prepared, to love the sight of thame. As thou seeis in thy mind, the mercy of God, & that in Christ: gif thou hes ane heart to desire mercy: gif thou hes ane thirst and earnest desire, to be partaker of mercy: where this desire and thirst is, there the holy Spirit is, he hes, na doubt, opened the heart. Upon the other side, because, as thou seeis mercy, thou seeis thy misery: gif as thy mind seeis the misery, seeis the fountain wherefra thy misery flows a to wit, fra thine awin sins, gif then thine heart also hates this; the holy Spirit is there. Gif as thou seest sin, whilk is the cause of thy misery, with the eye whilk is given thee in thy mind; thou hatest this sin with thy heart: na question, the holy Spirit is there. And as thou hatest it, gif also thou sorrow for it, (for it is not aneugh to hate it, gif thou lament not the committing of it, & with a godly sorrow deplore it:) the holy Spirit is there. And thirdlie, gif with thy lamenting, thou have a care and a study to eschew that sin; for what avails it to lament; gif like a dog, returning to his vomit▪ thou fall in that same golfe again. Therefore, where there is ane hatrent of sin, a sorrow for sin, a care and a study to eschew sin: na questioun, the holy Spirit hes opened the heart, and is working out that precious instrument. Take up all this in a word, take up all the operation of the holy Spirit, and working in the heart in a word▪ and be this examine thy heart. See and perceive, gif the holy Spirit hes entered sa far with thee, to work in that hard heart of thine, an ernest, a diligent study, a careful solicitude, continually to be reconciled with the gret god, whom thou hes offended: Is there sick a thing, as ane thirst and ane desire to be at amity with him, whom thou hes offended, to be reconciled with the God of heaven, whom thou hes offended be thy manifald transgressions: where this care, and study of reconciliation is: Gif this care & study of reconciliation be in the heart; there is na dout, but the heart that thirsts for this reconciliation is hartelie content, not only to renounce sin, to renounce all the impieties, that seucred thee fra God: but the heart that is endued with this thirst, will be heartily content, to renounce it self, to cast down it self, for als stubborn as it wes off before, to caste down the self at the feet of the mighty GOD, and be healilie content, in all times coming, to be ruled be his holy will: Not to follow the awin lust, the awin will and appetite, as it did off before; but to resign the self healilie in the hands of the mighty God, to be ruled be his will at his pleasure, and to obey his appetite. And except ye find this dispositioun in your awin heart, to quite your selfs, to renounce your selfs; it is a vain thing, to you to speak, that ye have a thirst to be reconciled. Sa, the greater thirst of reconciliatiō that we have. And the mair that this study grow is, the greater that the apprehension of my misery, of the deep gulfis & very hells (whereunto my soul is subject) grows in my soul, the mair earnest wald I be to be reconciled: & to be reconciled, I wald not stand, for the renuncing of the lusts of my heart; but I wald renounce my heart, & the obedience of the will & appetit of it▪ Quhy? because I see, I mann die forever, except the Lord reconcile himself with me. I see the huge deeps & oceans of all misery, in the whilk I sal fall in the end, except in mercy, the Lord reconceile himself with me. To eschew thir deeps and inconveniences, is there ony question, but the heart that hath a sense, and is touched with thame; will mayest willingly quite the self. Again, seeing the Lord hes tane pains to deliver me out of that deep misery, in the whilk I drowned myself, and hes purchased my redemption be sick a coastlie price: not with gold, nor with silver, or ony draff in the earth: but be sick a wonderful way, be sick a precious price, and rich ransom: Looking to the greatness of our misery, and to the greatness of the price, whereby he hes redeemed us: what heart is it, but it willingly walde renunce the self, to get a part of that redemption, and to be delivered out of that hell, wherein we are presently, and wherein we will be in a greater measure ester this, except we be reconciled. Swa then, with this chose, there is joined a disposition in the heart, whereby the heart is willing in some measure, to renunce the self. This lesson is oft tauld over to us be Christ, in his Evangel: We mann ather take up a cross and renounce our selfs also, or we cannot follow him. The mair that this thirst grows in the heart, the mair this renouncing of our selfs grows: the mair that this thirst decays, and is diminished in the heart, the mair cleave we to the world, the mair cleave we to the flesh, and the mair are we ruled and guided be thame. Sa, ather mann we nourish a thirst of righteousness, a hunger of life everlasting, a thirst of mercy, a hunger of that justice that is in Christ; or it is not possible that in any measure, we can be disciples to him.

Now I ga fordward: The heart that after this sort is prepared, that with a thirst to be reconciled, is disposed also to renounce the self: this heart into the whilk there lies sa earnest a thirst, is never frustrate of the expectation: that gree die heart is never disappointed: but as the Lord hes imprented in it, ane earnest study to be reconciled, and to get a grip of Christ: Sa in his mercy he grants unto that heart the possession of mercy, he puts that heart in some measure, in possessioun of the mercy whilke it seeks, in possessioun of Christ Jesus himself, whom it seeks. The whilk apprehensioun of Christ, the heart sensiblye feels and gripes, in that peace, whilk he gives to the conscience: sa that the conscience whilk wes terrified, exceedinglie gnawen, and distracted off before; be the incomming of this peace, and of Christ with his graces; incontinent it is quieted & pacified: there comes a calmnes and soundness in the heart, and all troubles and stormis are removed. With this peace is conjoined, ane taist of the powers of the world to come. The heart gets a taist of the swetnes that is in christ of the joy, whilk is in the life everlasting, whilk taist is the only arlis-pēny, of that full and perfect joy, whilk soul and body in that life shall enjoy. And the arlispennie (as ye knaw) mann be a part of the sowme, and of the nature of the rest of the sowme. And therefore, that arlispenie of joy assures us, that when we sall get possession of the haill sowme, it sall be a strange joy. And thir documents halds up the heart, and makes it not to linger, nor weary in the expectation of that life: but being refreshed now and then therewith, be sa money arlis pēnies: they assure us of the full fruition of that joy, for the whilk in patience we will sustain all troubles. Swa, as the holy Spirit works a thirst in us, to be at Christ, a thirst of mercy and reconciliation with him: the same holy Spirit disapoints not that same expectatioun, nor thirst; but puts the soul and heart in possession of Christ: be the whilk the conscience is pacified, the heart is rejoiced, and we get a taist of the sweetness, and of the powers of that life to come. The sensible feeling of the whilk taist, that passes all natural understanding, what dost it in my heart and conscience? It works a wonderful assurance and perswasioun that God loves me. The feeling of his mercy in the bowels of my heart, in the bottom of my conscience, works a certain assurance and persuasion, that he is my God, that he will save me for Christ's cause; that the promise of mercy, whilk I durst not for my life apply to my conscience off before; now be the feeling of mercy, I dare baldly apply, and say: mercy apperteins to me, life and salvation apperteins to me.

For the conscience being exceedingly terrified, and seeing na thing in God but fire and wraith: it is not possible, but it mann flee fra him: it cannot approach to ane consuming fire: but fra time the conscience get a taist of this peace, mercy, & sweetness; Look how first it fled fra him off before: now after this reconciliation it will run als fast to him, and will posses him, mair and mair, fully. Sa the assurance and persuasion of mercy, ryses of the feeling of mercy in the heart and conscience. And except the heart feel it, and taste it in some measure: I dare not, nor na conscience dare for the life, apply God and his mercy to the self. I may be sure in general, that all my sins are remissable, and that I may come be mercy, or I feel it: but to apply this mercy in particular to myself, whill I feel a taist of it first, I dar not. Swa, this particular application, whereby we claim God, and Christ as property to us, as gif na man had title to him but we, and to call him my God, my Christ, and to claim his promises, as na man had entres to them but we: this comes of the sense and feeling of mercy in the heart: And the mair that this feeling grows, & the farther experience, that we have in our awin heart of this peace and mercy, the greater grows our faith and assurance: Our persuasion becomes sa strong, that we dar at last come out with the Apostle and say: What can twin me fra the luif of God? Nather death, nather life, nather Angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, is able to separate me fra the love of God, whilk is in Christ. This particular application, whilk ryses (na doubt) upon the feeling and sense of mercy, is the specifik difference, the chief mark and proper note, whereby our faith, wha ar justified in the blood of Christ, is discerned fra that general faith of the Papists. Our faith be this particular application, is not only disscerned fra the general faith of the Papists, but it is discerned fra all the pretended faithes, of all the sects in the world. For the Papist dare not apply the promise of mercy to his awin saul, he compts it presumptiō to say, I am ane elect, I am saved and justified. And wherfra flows this I pray you? Only fra this, that in their conscience, they have never felt mercy, they have never tasted of the luif, favor, and sweetness of God: For, look how fast the conscience fleeis fra God, before it get the taiste of his sweetness: It runs als diligently on him, & threapes luife on him, after that it hes gotten that taist. Swa, they miserable bodies contents thame with this general faith, whilk is na other thing, bot ane historical faith, that leans only on the truth of God, whereby I knaw that the promises of God are true: Bot the Papist dare not come, and say: they are true in me; why? because he hes not felt it, and the heart of him is not opned. But our justifieng faith, as I tauld you, consecrates the haill saul, to the obedience of God in Christ. Sa that it rests not only upon the truth of God, nor it rests not only upon the power of God: suppose thir be twa chief pillars of our faith alswa: but specially and chiefly, it rests upon the mercy of God in Christ: it rests also upon the truth and power of God, but specially upon the promise of grace and mercy in Christ. The soul of the Papist, being destitute of the feeling and taist of mercy, dare not enter in this particular application, and swa he cannot be justified. Ʒea: na doubt, sa money of them as are justified, in the mercy of God gets a taist of his mercy, and kindness, or they die. This far concerning the effects.

Then ye have only this to remember, the opening of the heart, the pacifiyng, & quieting of the conscience; they work ane assurance and a strong persuasion of the mercy of God in Christ: The mair that the heart be opened, the mair that the conscience be pacified, the mair that the taist of that sweetness continue and remain, the mair art thou assured of his mercy. Swa then, wald thou knaw, whither thy faith be strong or not, whither thy persuasion of God's mercy, be stark or not? Take tent to thy conscience; gif thy conscience be hurt, assuredly thou will doubt; and gif thou doubt, thou cannot have sick a strong perswasioun, as vtherwayis thou wald have, gif thy doubting were away. Not that I will have faith to be sa perfect in this life, that there be always na doubting joined with it. I clame not to that perfection: but I say that ane hurt conscience mann ever doubt, and the mair we dout, the les is our persuasion: Swa the mair thou hurt thy conscience, the less faith thou hes. Then thou mann come to this point: Keep me a sound conscience; entertain peace in thy conscience, and thou sall keep faith, and sal have thy persuasion in that same measure, that thou hes of rest and peace in thy conscience: & the mair that thy conscience be at peace and rest, the greater sall thy faith and perswasioun be. Sa this ground halds fast, ane doubting conscience, makes a weak faith; and the mair the doubting in the conscience be, the weaker is the faith. Then the Apostle lies not; wha says, that faith dwells in a good conscience, that faith is locked and closed up in a good conscience: Sa that gif ye keep a good conscience, ye sal keep a strong faith; and gif ye hurt your conscience, ye sall hurt your faith. Now to make this mair sensible: How cann I be persuaded of his mercy, whais anger I feel kendled against me, & against whom my conscience shows me to be guilty of many offenses. Na question, sa lang as the sense of his anger, and feeling of my offenses bides; I cannot have a stark persuasion, that he will be merciful to me: but when I get access to his countenance, and ane sight that he hes forgiven me; then I begin to be persuaded. Sa keep a good conscience, and thou sall keep faith; and the better that thy conscience be, the starker mann thy faith be.

Then the hail exhortation that we gather on this point, depends upon this: That every ane of you, in what rank sa ever ye be; take tent to your conscience: for loosing it, ye loose faith; and losing faith, ye loose salvation. Be ye in the rank of great men, ye aught to take tent to your consciences: Speciallie, in respect, that the Lord hes placed you in ane great calling: Ʒee have money things, wherein, ye aught to control your consciences. Ʒee aught to crave the advise of your conscience, or ever ye put your hand to onie warke: In respect ye are bound in manifauld duties to God, and to your inferiors: And na doubt, gif some of our great men had advised well, these dissolutions had not fallen out into their awn bodies. Thir oppressions of the poor, thir deadly feids, with their awin companions, walde not burst out in sick ane heigh measure, gif they had advised weil with their consciences. But the Lord, seeing thame take sa little tent to their consciences, he spoils thame of faith, and of the hope of mercy: and out of question, ye fall see their end miserable; Ʒee sall see thame spectacles of the judgments of God: they that hes eyes to behauld it, sall see the God of heaven, make thir men, wha gais sa dissolutly to wark, spectacles of his judgments to the world: For the Lord leaves not sic men unpunished. Be their example, it were very necessary, that men of inferior ranks suld take tent to their consciences: and therefore, let every man, according to his calling, examine his calling, be the rule of his conscience. And specially, this becomes you that are judges; It becomes you, before ye pronounce, and gif forth judgment, to advise with your conscience and law thereof, and in judgment, not to follow your affection, but to follow the rule of your conscience. Likewayis, ye that are of inferior ranks to Judges, and ye that are aduocats, controlle your doings be your conscience, and give not the leages nor subjects of this Country, just cause to complain on you: terrify tham not, fra the pleading of justice be exorbitant prices, and extraordinair kind of doing: but moderate all your actions sa, that they agree with the rule of your consciences; that sa far as in you lies, justice cease not. This that I speak to thame, I speak to you of the Merchand estait also: See that ye look not sa meekle, to this or that, as to the conscience that is in you; what in conscience ye may do, according to the measure of knowledge, that God hes placed in you: and whatever ye do; beware, ye do not against your knowledge. I grant your knaweledge will not be sa learned, as it suld be and this makes money deformed actions; Ʒit lat not a man do against his knaweledge: but let every man do according to the measure of knowledge, wherewith God hes endued him: And suppose it be not weil reformed, yet or thou do be ges, be advised with thy conscience, and follow thy knowledge: For that whilk is done doubtinglie, is sin. Swa, whateuer thou do; let not thy eye, thy hand, nor ony member of thy body, do against thy knowledge: For this is a step to that heigh sin against the holy Spirit. This is the ready way, to put all knowledge out of your mind. For gif mē do against knowledge, & continue in doing against knowledge: at last, they will become a mass of darkness, the Lord will scrape all knowledge out of their mind, and all feeling of mercy out of their heart, giff they feel it not better: Therefore, every ane of you, follow your knowledge, and according to the measure of your knowledge, let your actions proceed.

It hes pleased the Lord, to pour this liquor, this precious ointment in us; suppose we be earthly and lame vessels, miserable creatures; yet it hes pleased our gracious God, to pour sic a precious liquor in our hearts and minds, and to concredite sick ane jewel in our hands and keeping, that be the virtue of this liquor, we may take hauld on Christ, wha is our justice, our wisedoome, sanctificatioun, and redemption. Suppose we be miserable creatures, yet the Lord of his mercy, hes a respect to us in Christ, in giving us this precious liquor, whereby our sauls may be seasoned to life everlasting. In this, that he pours it in our hearts, we see clearly, that it grows not in our hearts, nor breeds not in our nature. Na, this gift of faith, is not at man's command, nor under his arbitrament: as gif it lay in his hand to believe, or not to believe, as he pleases. It is the gift of GOD, poured down freely of his undeserved grace, in the riches of his mercy in Christ. That it is a gift, ye see clearly, 1. COR. 12. 1. where the Apostle says; and to an other is given faith be the same spirit: as also, PHIL. 1. 21. where he says: For unto you it is given for Christ's cause, that not only ye suld believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. Sa faith is the gift of the holy Spirit: and this gift is not given to all men and women, as the Apostle plainly declares: All hes not faith. This gift, suppose it be given, it is not given to all, but is only given to the elect, that is, to sa money as the Lord hes appointed to life everlasting. This gift, where ever it is, and in what heart soever it be, it is never idle, but perpetuallie working, and working weil by love and charity, as the Apostle saith. GAL. 5. 6. This gift, where ever it be, is not dead, but quick and lively, as the Apostle JAMES saith, in his second Chapter. And to let you knawe, whither it be lively and working or not, there is not a way, but to look to the fruits and effects that flows fra it: And therefore that ye, be your awin effects, may be the mair assured of the goodness of your faith: I will give you three special effects to look on, be the whilk ye may judge upon the goodness of your faith. First of all, look to thy heart, and cast thine eye on it: Gif thou hes a desire to pray, a desire to crave mercy for thy sins, to incall upon God's holy name for mercy and grace: gif there be sick a thing in thy heart, as ane desire to pray, gif there be ony piece of thine heart inclined, and hes a thirst to seek after mercy and grace: suppose the greatest part of thy heart repine, and wald draw thee fra prayer: yet assuredly that desire that thou hes in ony measure to prayer, is the true effect of the right faith. Gif thou have a heart to pray to God, suppose this desire be but sclender, assure thyself thy soul hes life: for prayer is the life of the soul, and makes the faith lively; for why? Prayer is God's awin gift; it is not our gift, for gif it were ours, it wald be evil. But it is the best gift that ever God gave man, and sa it mann be the gift of his awin holy Spirit; and being his awin gift, it mann make our faith lively. Beside this, thou art not able, nor thou dare not call upon him, in whom thou believes not, as the Apostle saith. ROM. 10. 14. For gif I entreat him be prayer, I mann trust in him. Then prayer is a certain argument of justifying faith and belief in GOD: For I cannot speak to him; let be to pray to him, in whom I trust not: And suppose the heart be not fully resolved, and well disposed; yet gif there be ony part of the heart that inclines to prayer, stick be it; it is a sure gadge, that that part beleues. The second effect, whereby thou sal knaw, whither faith be in thee or not, is this; look and advise with thyself, gif thy heart cann be content, to renounce thy rankour, to forgive thy grudges, and that freely for God's cause: may this be done be thee? and will thou forgive thy neighbor, as freely as God hes forgiven thee? assuredly, that is the effect of the right Spirit; for nature could never give that. There is nothing, whereunto nature bends the self mair, nor to rankour and envy; and there is nothing, wherein nature places her honor mair guckedly, nor in privy revengement. Now gif thy heart be sa tamed and brought down, that it will willingly forgive the injury for gods cause; that is the effect of the right Spirit: This is not my saying; it is Christ's saying, MAT. 6. 14. where he saith: gif ye do forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you; and 15. verse: but gif ye do not forgive men their trespasses, na mair will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses. Sa wald Christ say; he that forgives wrangs, sall get wrangs forgiven him; but he that will revenge his wrangs, wrang sal be revenged upon him. Therefore, as thou wald be spared in thy wrangs, done to the mighty God; spare thou thy neighbor. I will not insist; examine whither ye have faith or not; examine it be prayer, examine it be the discharge of your awin privy grudges; for gif ye want thir effects: Ane heart full of rankour, an heart void of prayer, is ane heart faithless, and meet for hell. The third effect of faith is compassion; thou mann bow thy heart, and extend thy pity, upon the pure members of Christ's body, and suffer thame not to lack gif thou have: for except ye have this compassioun, ye have na faith. Examine your selfs be thir three effects, and gif ye find thir in onie measure; how beeit, it were never sa small▪ you have the right faith in your heart, the faith that you have, is true and lively, and assuredly God will be merciful to you.

This faith of ours, suppose it be lively, yet it is not perfect in this world, but every day, and every hour, it craves a continual augmentatioun, it craves ever to be nurished: for the whilk increase, the Apostles thame selfs, LVK. 17. 5. incalled and said: Lord increase our faith. And our master commands us to pray, and say, Lord increase our faith, I believe, Lord help my unbelief. Then Christ's command lats us see clearly, that this faith, misters continually to be nurished and helped, and it cannot be helped, but be prayer: sa we suld alwayis continue in prayer. That this faith suld be helped, and that we suld be perpetuallie upon our garde, in fear and trembling to get it augmented: the terrible doubtings, the wonderful pits of desparatioun, into the whilk, the dearest servants of God are casten, dost clearly teach: For the best servants of God, are exercised with terrible doubtings in their saules, with wonderful stammerings, and they will be brought at sometimes, as appears in their awin judgment, to the very brink of desperatioun. Thir doubtings and stammerings lets us see, that this faith of ours wald be perpetuallie nurished, and that we have need, continually to pray for the increase of it. It pleases the Lord, at sometimes, to let his servants have a sight of thame selves, to cast thame down, and to let thame see, how ouglie sin is: It pleases him, to let thame fall in the bitterness of sin, and to what end? Not that he will devour thame, or suffer tham to be swallowed up be desperation. Suppose EZEKIAH cries out, that like an hungry lyon, the Lord is like to devour him, & bruise him in pieces: yet the Lord suffers him not to dispair. And suppose DAVID cry, I cannot away with his consuming fire, I may not bide the fire of the Lord's jealousy; yet he dispairs not: But the Lord casts his servants very low; to what end? To the end, that they may feel in their hearts and consciences, what Christ suffered for thame in the yarde, and on the cross, in soul and body: Ʒea, we wald think, that there had been plain collusion betwixt the Father and the Son, and that his suffering had been na suffering: except we felt in our sauls in some measure, the hell whilk he sustained in full measure. Swa to the effect, that we might clearly understand the bitterness of sin, that we might knaw, how far we are addetted to Christ, wha suffered sick torments for our sin, and that we may be the mair able to thank him, and to praise his holy name: he suffers his awin servants to dout, but not to dispair: he forgives thir doutings, he forgives thir stam rings, and in his awn time, he supports tham, and brings us to the waters of life.

Thir doubtings, as I have oft spoken, may ludge in ane saul with faith; for douting & faith, are not extremely opponed; Onelie faith and dispair, are extreamelie opponed: and therefore, faith and dispair, cannot baith ludge in ane saule; for dispair cuts the pillars of hope, and where there is na hope, there cann be na faith. But as to doubting, it mann ludge, it will ludge, and hes ludged in the saules of the best servants that ever God had. Look to the Apostle, we are alwayis in doubt, saith he, but we dispair not. Sa, douting and faith may ludge in an saul: & wherfra flows this doubting? We knaw, that in the regenerate man, there is a remnant corruptioun: For we get not our heaven in this earth: suppose we beginn our heaven here, we get it not fully here: And gif all corruption were away, what suld there rest, but a full heaven here? Sa it is only begun in this life, and not perfected; therefore there remains in the saul, a great corruptioun, whilk is never idle, but continually occupied. This corruption is ever bringing forth the birth of sin, part less, part mair; every sin hurts the conscience; ane hurt conscience, impairs the persuasion, and sa comes in the doubting. For there is not a sin that we commit, but it bannishes light, & casts a slough over the eye of our faith, whereby, we doubt and stammer in our sight. And were not the Lord of his mercy takes us up, gives us the gift of repentance, and makes us every day, als oft as we sin, to cry als oft for mercy, & sa to repair the loss that we have of faith, to repair the loss whilk we have of the feeling of mercy, we wald gang on, and halely put out that same light. But it pleases the Lord; suppose we be every day sinning, to give us the gift of repentance; & be repentance, to repair our faith, to repair the sense and feeling of mercy in us, and to put us in that same estait of persuasion, wherein we were off before. Therefore, gif God beginn not, continue not, and ende not with mercy: in that same moment, that he abstracts his mercy fra us, we will decay. Swa, ye mann be diligent incallers for mercy: ye mann be instant continually, in seeking to have a feeling of mercy. This far for the doubting.

Now, howsoever it be sure and certain that the faith of the best children of God is subject to doubting: yet it is als sure & certain, that it is never healilie extinguished, albeit it were never sa weak, yet it sall never utterly decay and perish out of the heart, wherein it makes ains residence. This comfort and consolation, the Spirit of God hes set down in his word, to hald up the troubled heart: that howsoever faith be weak, yet a weak faith, is faith: and where that faith is, there mann ever be mercy. Ʒee have in ROM. 11. 29. that the gifts and calling of God, are without repentance. But amang all his gifts that are of this sort, faith is ane of the chiefest, therefore it cannot be revoked again. Ʒee have in IVDE 3. that faith is ains given to the saints: ains given: that is, constantly given, never to be changed, nor utterly tane fra thame. The Lord will not repent him of this gift, but the saul whilk he hes luifit ains, he will luif perpetually▪ It is true and certain, that the spoonks of faith whilk are kindled in the heart be the Spirit of God; certain it is, they may be smored for a lang time: they may be covered with the asses of our awin corruption, and with our awin ill deeds and wickedness, in the whilk we fall: it is true, that the effects of a lively faith will be interrupted, and that thy lusts and affections will prevail for a lang time: Sa that when thou looks on thyself, upon the judgments of GOD that hangs on soul and body, and when thou looks upon thy dissolute life, and on the anger of God agains this dissolute life: In the mind, in the heart and conscience of him that hes sa smored and oppressed his faith, it will oft times come to pas in his awin judgment, having his eyes fixed on himself only: that he will think him to be a reprobate, to be ane affcast, and never able to recover mercy. Quhere this corruption burstis forth in gros manner, after that the Lord hes called thee: Look howe sone the Lord beginns to walken thee again: incontinent, thou fixes thine eyes upon thine awin life, and enters in a deep consideration, als well of the gravity of thy sin; as of the weight of the wrath of God, whilk thou seeis following thereon; and is salaith to remit thy cogitation, to pans upon the deepness of the mercy of God; standing fixed in this consideration, it cannot bot come to pas in thy awin judgment, bot thou art ane aff-cast: And yet God forbid it wer sa, for suppose they sponks of the spirit be covered, be the corruption that is within thy saul, yet they sponks ar not halily put out

And to let you see, that they are not put out, suppose they burst not forth in the outward effects, that the warlde may knaw thee to be ane faithful man as it wont to do; yet thir spoonkes are not idle, and thou sall find thame not to be idle in thee. As for the confirmation of my argument, that howsoever our bodies be lowsed to all dissolutioun, after our effectual calling within us in our sauls, and that yet the spoonks are not idle, ye see, that suppose the fire be covered with the asses; yet it is a fire: there is na man will say, that the fire is put out suppose it be covered: Na mair is faith put out of the soul, suppose it be sa covered, that it nather shawe hewe nor light outwardly. Example of this we have clearly in DAVID: Efter his lamentatioun in that psalm of repentance. PSAL. 51. 11. he prays to God in thir terms: Cast me not away from thy presence: And what subjoines he? And take not thine holy spirit from me. Had he not lost the Spirit, be his adultery and murder? Na: for he walde not have said then, take it not from me, but restore it to me. It is true, he vsis sick fashion of language, as PSAL. 51. 12. he says: Restore to me the joy of thy salvation: not that he lacked the Spirit healilie; but that the Spirit lacked force in him, and mistered strengthening and fortification: It wald be steered up, that the flame of it might appear. Therefore I say, in respect DAVID says sa clearly, after his adultery and murder; take not that Spirit from me: it is a certain argument, that the faithful hes never the Spirit of GOD always tane fra thame, in their greatest dissolutions. The second point is this; How prove I that thir spoonks are not idle, suppose the outward effects be interrupted. As DAVID felt this in his conscience, sa every ane of you may feel it in your awin consciences. The Spirit of God in man's heart cannot be idle, but thir spoonkes, in the mean time that the body is castin lowse to all dissolutions, thir spoonkes are accusing thy dissolution, are finding fault with thy manners: thir spoonkes suffers thee not to take the pleasure of thy body, without great bitterness, and continual remorse. And thir spoonkes where they are, they will make the soul wherein they dwell, to utter thir voces, at ane time or other; ains in the twenty four hours: Allas, I am doing the ill whilk I wald not do, gif I hadd power or strength to resist my affectioun, and gif I might be master of my affection, I wald not for all the world do the ill whilk I do. Again, gif I had power to do the good whilk I wald do, I walde not leave it undone for all the world. Swa thir spoonkes, suppose they have not sick force and strength presently, as to resist the affection, and to halde the ill turns undone; yet perpetuallie in the heart, they are finding fault with thy corruption: and suffers thee not to take thy pleasure without pain: but last of all makes thee to utter thir voces: Gif I had strength to resist, I walde not do the ill whilk I do. Quhere thir voces are, na questioun, they are the voces of a soul, whilk the Lord hes begun to sanctify: and being ains sanctified, in despite of the Devil, and of the corruption that is in us, this faith shall never perish: But gif the haill soul without contradictioun, with a greedy appetite and pleasure be carried to ill, and hes na sorrow for it: that soul is in ane ill estait: I can look for nothing to sick a soul but death; except that the Lord prevent tham. But where this remorse and sorrow, and sick voces are in the soul; that saul in the time that God hes appointed, sall recover strength: The Lord sall never suffer they spoonkes to be halilie tane away, but in his awin time he sall fortify tham, & make thame to break out before the warlde in good warks. The Lord in his awin time, he will sanctify tham: he will scatter the asses of corruption, steir up the sponkes, & make tham to break out in a better life, nor ever they did before: as ye may clearly see that DAVIDS repentance hes done mair good to the Kirk of God, nor gif he had never fall̄. Thus far concerning the effects

Suppose the effects of repentance be interrupted, yet they spoonks are not extinguished. For, there is na man will think, that the fire whilk is covered with asses, is extinguished; but being stirred up in the morning, it will burn als clearly, as it did in the night before. There is na man will compt the treeis, that now in the time of winter, wants leaves, fruit, and external beauty to be dead: there is na man will count the Sun to be out of the lift; suppose it be ouercled with a clud of darkness & mist: There is a great difference, betwixt a sleepry disease, and death; for men ar not dead, suppose they be sleepand; and yet there is nothing lyker to death nor sleep. As there is great ods, betwixt a drunken man and a dead man: sa there is great odds betwixt the faith that lurks for a while, and utters not the self, and the light that is utterly put out. When we burst not forth in outward deeds; GOD forbid that we suld think, that thir sponkes are halelie extinguished: Indeed the saul that is visited after foul defectiouns fra his calling, & against his knowledge; or this saul recover the former beauty; it is in a strange danger. For gif the Lord suffer thy corruption to get loose, in such sort, that it carry thee as it will, and be all means possible, make thee to labor, to put out the spoonke of regeneration. When the Lord begins to challenge thee, or to gar thee rander a compt of thy bygane life: the soul of that man, when it is challenged, is in great danger. Sa that, na questioun, when the Lord begins to lay to your charge, your dissolute life, the contempt and abuse of your calling: Assuredlie your sauls are sa near to the brink of desperation, that there can be nothing nearer. For, will thou look to God, thou will see nothing bot his anger kendled, as ane fire against thee: Will thou look to thyself, thou will see nothing, bot sin provoking his anger: thou will see the contempt and abuse of thy calling, multiplying his anger: thou will see nothing, bot matter of despair. And what is the best pillar & surest retreat, whereupon sick a saul that is sa near to the brink of desperation, may repose? I will give thee ane help whereupon, when thou art assaulted be all high temptations thou may repose: when there is na thing before thee bot death, when thou seeis the Devil accusing thee, thine awin conscience bearing him witness against thee, thy life accusing thee, and the abuse of thy calling accusing thee, where sall thou ga? Ga back over again, to thy bygane experience, cast over thy memory, and remember, gif God at ony time, in onye sort hes loved thee: gif ever thou hes felt the love and favor of God in thy heart and conscience: Remember gif ever the Lord hes swa disposed thy heart, that as he loved thee, thou loved him: and had a desire to get him. Remember on this, and repose thine assurance on this: that as he loved thee ains, he will love thee ay, and will assuredly restore thee to that love, or thou die. The heart that felt ains this love of God, sall feel it again: And look what gift, or grace, or what taist of the power of the warlde to come, that ever the Lord gave to his creatures in this life: to that same degree of mercy, he sall restore his creature or ever it depart this life. Sa the soul that is tossed with high assaults, and great dangers: where present things will not help, it is necessary, that it have recourse to bigane things, and keep in memory, the bigane experience of mercy, whilk the Lord hes freely shawen toward that saul. This same memory shall be sa pleasant to the soul, that it sal stay it presently fra desperation, & vphauld it unto the time, the Lord pacify that heart, and give comfort to that saul: whilk being done, that soul sall see, that howsaever he was angry, he was angry only for a while.

I speak thir things, not that I think, that every an of you hes taisted of tham: and yet in some measure, the servants of God mann taist of thame, and ye that hes not taisted of thame, may taist of thame or ye die. And therefore, whither ye have taisted or not taisted thame: It cannot be, but profitable for you, to lock up this lesson in your hearts, and remember on it faithfully, that gif the Lord at onie time, put at your hearts, ye may remember, and say with your selfs; I gat a lesson, to gang back to my bigan experience, & thereon to repose. And suppose, ye be not put at presently your selfs; yet, when ye visit thame that are troubled in conscience; let thir things be proponit to tham as comforts, & use tham as medicaments mayest meet to apply to the grief of the inward conscience: and sa ye sal make your fruit of this doctrine, & posses your sauls in a good estaite. This far for the first point, wherein every ane of you aught to try and examine your consciences.

The second point is this, try whither ye have love towards your neighbor, or not: for as we are coupled with God be faith; sa be the band of love, we are coupled with our neighbor: & gif ye want love▪ ye can have na societye with your neighbor. For love is the chief & principal branch, that springs of the root of faith. Love is that coelestial glew, that cōjoins all the faithful members, in the unity of ane mystical body. And seeing that religion wes instituted of God, to serve as ane pathway to cōuoy us to our chief felicity: and happy we cannot be, except we be like unto our God: like unto him we cannot be, except we have love: For as it is set down 1. JOHN. 4. 8. God is love; Sa, seeing God is love it self, whasaeuer will resemble him, mann be endued with the oil of love. This only ane argument testifies to us, that this love is ane principal butt, whereunto all things that are commanded in religion, aught to be referred To spend lang time in the praise of love, it sal be na ways necessary, seeing the holy scripture resoūds, in blasing the commendation of it: bot that we speak not of a thing ambiguous, we sall lat you see, how this word is considered and tane in the scriptures. Love is considered, ather as a spring and fontain, wherfra the rest proceeds: that is, for the love, whereby we love God. And as love coms first fra God, & is poured be his holy Spirit in our harts: sa, it first redounds upward, & strikes back upon him self: for the love of God mann ever ga before the love of the creature. Nixt, we take this word for that love, whereby we love God's creatures, our neighbors, & specially them that are of the family of faith. And thridly it is tane, for the deeds of the second table, whilk flows fra this love. Now, when I speak of love, I speak of it as in the second significatioun: to wit, as it is tane for the love of our neighbor: And taking it swa, I call love the gift of God, poured in the harts of men & women: be the whilk gift, we first love god in Christ our savior; & next in God, & for God's cause, we love all his creatures: bot chiefly our brethren, that ar of the family of faith, the children of ane common father with us. We will examine this definition. I say, first the love of God, as it coms fra God, it returns to God: as it coms down fra him, sa it strikes upward to him again: & is it not good reason? for why? Let thy heart fixe thy love als lang as thou will upon the creatures, thou sall never be satiat, nor thy affection sall never be content, except thou get a grip of God. But gif ains thou love God in thy heart, & cast thy affections upon him, and get ains a grip of him: the langer thou love him, the greater satiety & con tentment sall thou have: thou sall not thirst for ane other. For, as to the creatures, there is never a creature that God created, but it is stamped with his awin stamp, and every creature bears his Image: and looking to the image of God in the creature, suld it not draw thee to him, that thou fixe not thy heart upon the creature: for his awin image in his creature, sulde lead thee to him self. And therefore the mair that thou knawes the creatures; the greater variety of knowledge that thou hes of the creatures, the mair suld every particular knowledge of thame draw thee to God, and the mair suld thou wonder of thy God, and knaw thy duty towards him. And seeing that delight flows of knowledge, and that every knowledge, hes the awin delight with it: as the variety of knowledge that rises upon the creatures, suld make the mind to mount up to the knowledge of God: sa the variety of delites, that rises upon the diversity of this knowledge, sulde move the heart upward, to the love of God: and the heart getting a grip of God and being ceased with the love of God: and the mind being occupied with the true knowledge of God; sa sone as heart and mind is full of God, the heart is quiet and the mind is satisfied. Sa that the mair this knowledge grows in thy mind, the greater contentment hes thou, & the mair the love of him grows in thy heart, the greater joy and rejoising hes thou in thy soul. For why? In God ye have not only all the creatures: but ye have himself, beside the creatures: And therefore in God, ye have all the knowledge & delight that can rise of the creatures: and beside the creatures, ye have God himself wha is the Creator. And swa I say, the mind of man, can never quiet the self in the knowledge, nor the heart cann never settle the self in the love of naked creatures, in respect they ar flowing & vanity, as SALOMON calls thame: but in the infinite God, rightly knawin, and earnestly loved; the mind sall see a full rest, and the heart sall have a perfect joy. For our affection is sa insatiable, that na finite thing will satisfy it, nor there can be na solid settling upon the thing that is transitorious. Sa the love aught to strike upward, and redound first to God, in whais face, the heart sall find full and perfect joy.

The second argument that I use, is this: seeing there is only an precept left be our master in recōmendatiō to be observed be us, to wit; that every ane of us suld love anvther: Therefore our wise master, understanding well, that where love was, there misterd na ma laws: that the life of man, be love only behooved to be mayest happy, left only the same in chief recommendation, and takes up the hail law & euangell in a word, Love. And gif the heart of man were endued with love, his life might be mayest happy and blessed: For there is nothing makes this life happy, but the resemblance & likelihood that we have with God. The nearer we draw to God, the mair blessed is our life; for there cannot be such a happy life, as the life of God. Now says JOHN. in his 1. epist. 4. 8. God is love; therefore, the mair we draw near to love, the mair near ar we to that happy life: for we are in God, & partaker of the life of God. When I speak this, ye mann not think, that love in God, & love in us, is an thing; for love is but a quality in us, & it is not a quality in God; there is nothing in God but that whilk is God; sa love in God, is his awin essence: Therefore, the mair ye grow in love, the nearer ye draw to God, and to that happy and blessed life. For there is nothing mair profitable, mair agreeable and convenient to nature, nor to love; and above all things to love God: And therefore it is, that God and his Angels are mayest happy & blist, because they love all things, and desires ever to do good. On the other side, there is nothing mair unhappy, nothing mair noysum, mair hurtful, and that eats up nature mair, nor to burn with envy and hatred, And heirfore it is, that the devils ar mayest miserable, wha torments thame selves with continual malice and hatred, burning with ane vehement appetite, to be noysum to all creatures. Sa as the life of the Devil is mayest unhappy, because he is full of envy and malice: Siclike our life mann be mayest happy, gif we be full of love. To speak of love I will na farther: Onelie gif ye have love, mark the effects of it, set down 1. COR. 13. 4. 5. 6. 7. verse. whilk effects, gif ye have not in some measure, ye have not true love.

I end here, ye see in what points, every ane of you aught to be prepared; ye mann be endued with this love, and ye mann be endued with faith: and gif ye have thir in onie small measure; gang baldly to the hearing of the word, and to the receiving of the Sacrament. This is the preparation that we allow of: I grant, the Papists hes a preparatioun, but nothing like to this, and therefore they cann have na warrand of the word of God. Last of all, seeing we are commanded to try our selfs: he that lacks knowledge, cannot try himself: A furious man cannot try himself: A child cannot try himself: therefore they aught not to come to the Table. All thir things being well considered; he that hes faith & love in ony kind of measure, let him come to the Table. And all thir things seruis, als weil for the hearing of the word fruitfully, as for the receuing of the Sacrament. Therefore, the Lord of his mercy illuminate your minds, and work some measure of faith and love in your hearts: that ye may be partakers of that heavenly life, offered in the word and Sacraments: that ye may begin your heaven here, and get the full fruition of the life to come, and that in the righteous merits of Christ Jesus: To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghaist, be all honor, praise, and glory, for now and ever: