A godly and learned exposition or commentary upon the three first chapters of the…A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the…

Now that we may come to the practise of this duty, we must daily consider of the coming of Christ, not as a thing to be delayed or far off, but as a thing present. We must every day call our selves to a reckoning and account, and persuade our selves this may be the last day; and so shall we carry our selves every day, as we would in the last day. Now we would wish at the day of judgment, that we did repent and believe in Christ: and therefore every day of our life, before the last judgement come, we ought to repent and believe in Christ. If this duty were practised, we should find less corruption, and more grace in our hearts, and less sin, ••d more obedience in our lives every day than other: but grace is wanting, and sin abounds, because this meditation takes no place in our hearts. Again, in that he saith, He cometh, meaning in respect of his manhood; hence we gather, he is absent from us, in regard of bodily presence; and the heavens must contain him until the day of judgement: But if Christ were always bodily present in the Sacrament, he could not be said to come, but only to manifest himself, being before present. And therefore the opinion of those, which hold the body of Christ to be really the bread, to be in or about the bread of the Sacrament, is most false and frivolous, flat against that article of our Faith, whereby we hold, That he comes from heaven only at the last day, in regard of his manhood.

Now that we may come to the practise of this dutie, wee must dayly consider of the comming of Christ, not as a thing to be delayed or farre off, but as a thing present. Wee must euery day call our selues to a reckoning and account, and persuade our selues this may be the last day; and so shall we carry our selues euery day, as wee would in the last day. Now we would wish at the day of iudgment, that wee did repent and beleeue in Christ: and therefore euery day of our life, before the last iudgement come, we ought to repent and beleeue in Christ. If this dutie were practised, we should find lesse corruption, and more grace in our hearts, and lesse sinne, ••d more obedience in our liues euery day than other: but grace is wanting, and sinne abounds, because this meditation takes no place in our hearts. Againe, in that hee sayth, Hee commeth, meaning in respect of his manhood; hence wee gather, hee is absent from vs, in regard of bodily presence; and the heauens must containe him vntill the day of iudgement: But if Christ were alwayes bodily present in the Sacrament, hee could not bee said to come, but onely to manifest himselfe, being before present. And therefore the opinion of those, which hold the body of Christ to be really the bread, to bee in or about the bread of the Sacrament, is most false and friuolous, flat against that article of our Faith, whereby wee hold, That he comes from heauen onely at the last day, in regard of his manhood.