A01956:315
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But to let go their sacrilegious absurdities, let us content our selves spiritually to receive this blood, shed for us, and communicated to us. This blood is ready for application, if our hearts be ready for apprehension. To us it is, though not elementally, yet alimentally profitable. There is a blood that nourisheth, as the Pelican her young ones with her own blood; Christ so feeds our souls to salvation with this blood. There is a blood that mollifies; as the warm blood of a goat softens the Adamant: we have obdurate hearts if Christs blood cannot melt them. There is a blood that purgeth as the Kids; so the kblood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin. There is a blood that colours, as the Deer's; so doth Christs blood give a pure colour to his Church; Thou art all fair my love. lThese are they which have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This blood is Semen vitae, substantia gratiae, fundamentum justitiae, aedificium meriti, magna charta coeli. A flux of blood in the head is stanched by opening a vein in the foot: but here to save all the members from bleeding to death, blood must be drawn from the Head. As Eve came out of Adams side sleeping, so the Church is taken out of Christs side bleeding. Thus God disposed it in mercy; Ut effundatur sanguis Christi, ne confundatur anima Christiani: that Christs blood should be spilt, to save our souls from spilling.
But to let goe their sacrilegious absurdities, let vs content our selues spiritually to receiue this bloud, shed for vs, and communicated to vs. This bloud is ready for application, if our hearts be ready for apprehension. To vs it is, though not elementally, yet alimentally profitable. There is a bloud that nourisheth, as the Pelican her young ones with her owne bloud; Christ so feedes our soules to saluation with this bloud. There is a bloud that mollifies; as the warme bloud of a goate softens the Adamant: wee haue obdurate hearts if Christs bloud cannot melt them. There is a bloud that purgeth as the Kids; so the kbloud of Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne. There is a bloud that colours, as the Deeres; so doth Christs bloud giue a pure colour to his Church; Thou art all faire my loue. l