All Times are naturally equal, as being distinguished by the same constant and uniform motion of the heavens, yet notwithstanding when God shall by any notable and extraordinary work of his, honour and sanctify some certain days, as he did the Jewish Sabbath with respect to the Creation, and our Lords day by raising up Christ from the dead, as they are by this wonderful work of his severed from the rank of common times, so are we ever when we come unto them not to pass them over without the memory of that work which had so advanced them: otherwise to solemnize a day without reference unto the cause of its solemnization, is but a blind observance. And for this cause when God commands reverence to places, and sanctification of days, he annexeth the ground of both, and leads us to a sight of those works from which they receive both their dignity and institution; so likewise in Sacraments, to eat Bread, and drink Wine, are naked, common, simple actions, and in themselves always alike, but ⟨p. 119⟩when Christ shall by that great work of his aDeath set them apart unto a holy use, and make them representations of his own sacred Body, as they are by this divine relation hallowed, so to partake of them without commemorating that great work which hath so sanctified them, is not only impious in that it perverteth the divine institution, but absurd likewise, it being all one, as if a man should with much ceremony and solemnity receive parchment and wax, never so much as thinking on the land it conveys, or look on a picture without any reflection on the pattern and original which it resembleth, which is indeed to look on the wood and not on the picture, it being naturally impossible to separate things in notion whose being do consist in relation to each other. So then the Sacrament being a Typical service, is not, nor can be celebrated without a remembrance of the substance which it resembleth; which thing, according as is the preciousness, value, and importance of it, doth proportionably impose on us a greater necessity of this Duty; which is then rightly performed, when there is a deep impression of Christ crucified made on the Soul by these Seals of his Death, than which there is not any thing in the world more fit to fasten a stamp of it self in the minds of men.
All Times are naturally equall, as being distinguished by the same constant and uniforme motion of the heavens, yet notwithstanding when God shall by any notable and extraordinary worke of his, honour and sanctifie some certaine daies, as hee did the Jewish Sabbath with respect to the Creation, and our Lords day by raising up Christ from the dead, as they are by this wonderfull worke of his severed from the ranke of common times, so are wee ever when wee come unto them not to passe them over without the memory of that worke which had so advanced them: otherwise to solemnize a day without reference unto the cause of its solemnization, is but a blinde observance. And for this cause when God commands reverence to places, and sanctification of daies, hee annexeth the ground of both, and leades us to a sight of those workes from which they receive both their dignity and institution; so likewise in Sacraments, to eate Bread, and drinke Wine, are naked, common, simple actions, and in themselves alwaies alike, but ⟨p. 119⟩when Christ shall by that great worke of his aDeath set them apart unto a holy use, and make them representations of his owne sacred Body, as they are by this divine relation hallowed, so to partake of them without commemotating that great worke which hath so sanctified them, is not onely impious in that it perverteth the divine institution, but absurd likewise, it being all one, as if a man should with much ceremony and solemnity receive parchment and waxe, never so much as thinking on the land it conveyes, or looke on a picture without any reflexion on the patterne and originall which it resembleth, which is indeed to looke on the wood and not on the picture, it being naturally impossible to separate things in notion whose being doe consist in relation to each other. So then the Sacrament being a Typicall service, is not, nor can bee celebrated without a remembrance of the substance which it resembleth; which thing, according as is the pretiousnesse, value, and importance of it, doth proportionably impose on us a greater necessity of this Duty; which is then rightly perform'd, when there is a deep impression of Christ crucifi'd made on the Soule by these Seales of his Death, than which there is not any thing in the world more fit to fasten a stampe of it selfe in the minds of men.
- a[Greek or Hebrew], Ju. Mart. Dialog.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Iu. Mart. Dialog.
