Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133 .D76 C551 1608 v.1

73 6Obier, tons inffperfemerance takenfrom examples,anj fpirituall vfe, to nouriíh our foules vnto eternal! rife. Now howfoeuer many of the Ifraelites who were indued wì:h faith, did not oncly receiue the outward fiignes ofManna and water, but alto the things fignified, namely, the bodie and blood ofChrifl,whereby theywere fpiritually nourifhed to life euerlafling; yet many of them did onely eateofthis meate with their bodilie mouthes, hauing no faith to receiue Chrifl inwardly for the nourifhment of theirfoules, and fo receiued thefe outward fpirituall fgnes to their further iudgemcnt &condemnation. And this appeareth by Chrifls Ioh,6,49so, owne teflimonie : loh.6.49.5O. where hefai th,thatmanyof the Ifraelites dideate Manna in the wilderneffe, thatis,the outward elements only with their bodiliemouthes, andnot the things fignified thereby, namely, his 'bodie andblood; and therefore they died and periflied both in bodie and foule ; whereas contrariwife,thofe who eate ofthe fpirituall breadoflifc,whichcame downe from heauen, they die not but liue for euer. Yea,but it is faid that theyall did cateof the fame fpirittt- all meate, anddid drinke ofthe fame fpirituall drinke,which carne out ofthe fpirituall rocke, whichwas Chrifl. Ianfwer, that they didgateofthefame fpirituall meate indeed,but not after the famemanner. For there is a twofoldkindofeating; Firfl,whenas we Bate this fpirituall meate the Sacrament,thát is, the outward, fgnes and elements in the facrainent with our mouthes only; and thusall the fatherswerePaid to haue eaten the fpirituall meate in the wilderneífe, becaufe they wereall partakers oftheoutward figues: the other manner of entring this fpirituall meare is, when as wee doenot onely receiue the outward fgnes with thebodiliemouth, but alto the things fignified thereby, narnely,thebodie and blood of Chrifl with the mouthofthe foule,a true andLudy faith:and thus manyofthe fathers in thewilderneffedid not cate this fpirituall meate,feeing they died andperifl-ted;whereas thefe who feede upon the flefh ofChrifl, the bread of life, and drinkehis blood fpiritually byfaith, they (hall hue for euer asour Saviour fpeakcth. Neither doth it helpe themat all that it is faid that this rockewherof they dranke was Chrifl' teeing

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=