Meditations on the holy sacrament of the Lords last Supper Written many years sinceMeditations on the holy sacrament of the Lords last Supper Written many yeares since

Lastly, in that Christ gave his Sacrament, and therein himself, the Author^h and finisher of our salvation, we learn how to esteem of our salvation, namely as of a free and unmerited giftⁱ. Christ was sold by Judas, but he was given by God, and that in the absolute nature of a gift, without so much as suit or request on our part for him. True it is that if man had persisted in the state of his created integrity, he might after an improper manner be said to have merited the glory which he was after to enjoy, in as much as he was to obtain it in the virtue of those legal operations, unto which he was by the abilities of his own nature, without the special influence of a supernatural infused grace, fitted and disposed; though even this was not from^k the dignity and value of our work, but from the indulgence of almighty God, who would set no higher price on that glory which he proposed unto man for the object of ⟨p. 87⟩his desires, and reward of his works: for^k if we go exactly unto the first rule of justice, unqualified with clemency and bounty, it could not possibly be that God should be bound to requite our labours with eternal bliss, there being so vast a disproportion^l between the fruition of God an infinite Good, and any the most excellent, yet still limited operation of the creature. For as water in its own nature riseth no farther than the spring whence it first issueth: so the endeavours of nature, could never have raised man (without a mixture of Gods mercy) unto an higher degree of happiness, than should have been proportionable to the quality of his work. But now having in Adam utterly disabled our selves to pay that small price, at which God was pleased to rate our glory^m, all those who are restored thereunto again, must acknowledge both it, and Christ the purchaser of it, as a free gift of almighty God, by them so far undeserved, as he was, before the promise unknown and unexpected. If it be here demanded how salvation can be said to be freely given us, when on our part there is a condition required, for the work whereby we obtain life, is not quite