Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

andafter the Lordsfupper. 475 andprepare thyfellewell to ft at thetable *kbfuch a ?hall. Albeitzofeph'when Pharaoh Pentfor him,knew not whyhewasrent for,and thoughtlittle of that fueceffe of his going which Get .yt r }. fell out afteroand ;yet becaufehe was tollandbefore a King; and becaufebee was a'ntife- Table prifoner,hefhauedbit headend chaungedhir raimént,togot to fohigh and royalla per- -fonage.The fame is confirmedvriro vs in that parable,wherewefee that notonly they are reiedted whichmake excufés and r efufe to come,but fuchalfoas hazing oncebeetle admit- Maths :. t.z. ted, comevnpreparedwithouttheirtnariage garmentsto honour themariage ofthe Kinges Luk.14.r6. Sonne,becaufe they didnot orderly addreffethemfelues.Therefore this table in theChurch being buta reprefentation oldie table, whereatour hearts doe communicate inthe king- domeof heauen,where is prefentnot only the befoued fpiritsandhoaft ofAngels, but the glorious Trinitie; we are, Ifay, in refpettof God the Father, the'Sonne, and the holy Ghoft,and all theCourt of heauenwithgreat folemnitie toprepare ourfelues. Butyet weought to do it more; ifweConfider whatgreatpreparation hath been vfedin things inferiour to this in the lawe; though then therewereno commaundement for this, yet by right ofproportionamoftseuerentrefpeél Mould behadthereof, and thereforewe' ought toyeeldvoto it. Asfor example, thuswc are tothinke, that if in theeating of the 2'Chro. 3 f.6. Palchall Lambe(which fealecompared withthis Peale in thegofpel,there is no contparifon in deed) they were fume dayes beforeprepared: the fameregard of reuerence fhould be hadofvs in the participation ofthelords table,and fo reafoning fromthe leflèto the grea- ter,fromthe Lawto theGofpcll, fromthe Paflèonerto theSupper,it may bean argument vnto vstoprepare ourfelues thereunto. Weneednot ftandlongon this comparifon, fee_ rsám.ar.4. ingachingofleifeaccount, Imeane the fhesv-bread, would not begiuen to Dared with- . out fomeltipulation,that is,withouthe were in tome refpeets madefit toreceiue i , fo that herewearegone a degree lower. Batifwe will goeyet lowerthen this,-come to the Arkeit s. Sam. 6.6.y, felfe,and feehow hehandledPzzah,who puthis unprepared hands tothe Arke, for which the Lord wasfomightily dilplealed,that he flew him forit. Nay which is more;if we (hall come downe to theverygroundof Gods pretence, where Mofes could notappearevntillE'od. zro.3 his íhooeswereoff : nay ifwe-go tothe 'buffers and pannes andcandleftickes,which none could meddle withal)without faneification : wemay rifenowupward asbefore we came downe,andwe mayreafon from therefmall things to theArke, and from the Arke tothe fhewbread,and from thefhewbreadto the Pafreouer, and fromthe Paffcouer to thething we haueinhand to learne anargument óf preparation. And iflafephofArimathea and ó- Ioh.19.;9. ;9. thersofthe godlymen and women whichwere with him, committing the bodic ofChrilt 40, to the graue,would wrap it not only ina Beanecloth,nor in everykindof linnen, but in a cleanefyndon,which is a very fine linnen: thenwhat reuerence arewe to vfe in taking not the deadbodie, but the liumgbodie,yea the glorified bodic of the Lord in heauen ? But ifthe Lord take vsa degree lower,and leaue his owneprefencetoperfwadevs, and Thal) come to ourowne private prablife : ifwe put not our owne common meate, our pro- phanemeate (for fo I thmke I maycall it, andwork to, in relpeEt of that holy mylterie) Simile. into anvnwafhen platter, nora dropof drinkeinto a cup vncleanfed; thenhe that (hall put the thingsexhibiting the very bodieofChrift intoan vnprepared heart,and vnfanfli- fiedfoule,fhallbemoftguihieofthatiudgementwhichisprononncedforhitn ,thatis,He, Coccs.t7. isguiltie ofthe faderandbloodofChrifí e yea,as our SauiourChrift andthe Prophets com- plaine that menare too skilful) in skyepoyntsandinhumane ftatutesto takethe beltad- Math:r6.3. uantage they can, butthematters of the lawareftrange vntothem : fomay liecomplaine Math.r sal. that thisvile meate, andwhich liehimfelfe faith is after raft into the draught, receiueth Wee when fuckeftimation at our bands, that we prepare the inftruments of them e ep rohen race P P Y Y yetwhen we come to fanElified things, we thew our Pelves as careletÏe in them, as in the prepare tofeaft with meu : we knowledge ofhiscommaundements. Thus then wefee how in thererefpeéts die Lord may cat neuer be- lywith due thecare that wela regard inour the owre thingscainíngto him, companngthem elpecial- pQattcol` Now toPet theprefeticeof Godafide, and to looketo our owneprofit, asbeforewept feaflow;epa_ apartourowne profit to confideroffogreataprefence: thefinite is great, and fogreat, fit mn]t moue that hcwriters ofthePritnitiue Church,haue compared the myllerie ofthe Supper to the yr tò exami- S f 4 tree uatzon.

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