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

Inferences of Practice from the several ends of this holy Sacrament.

Inferences of Practice from the severall ends of this holy Sacrament.

Here then in as much as these sacred Elements are instituted to present and exhibit Christ unto the faithful soul, we may infer with what affection we ought to approach unto him, and what reverent estimation to have of them. Happiness as it is the scope of all reasonable desires, so the confirmation of that happiness is the solace and security of those that desire it. He (said the Prophet, speaking of Christ) shall be the desire of all Nations, in as much as without him that happiness which all do naturally desire, is but a Meteor and fiction. So then we see that even the light of our inbred reason, seconded and directed by Divine truths doth lead us unto a desire of Christ, who alone is the Author and Matter of that Happiness, which is the true though unknown object of all our natural desires. Now this happiness in Christ we cannot have till we have actual fruition of him, enjoy this blessedness we never can till we ⟨p. 149⟩are united to him, no more then a dissected member enjoys the vital influences of the soul, and Spirits. Union unto Christ we cannot have until it please him, by his Spirit as it were to stoop from that Kingdom where now he is, and to exhibit himself unto those whom it pleaseth him to assume into the unity of his body. Other way to enjoy him here we can have none, since no man can at his pleasure or power lift up his eyes with Steven to see him, or go up with S. Paul to the third Heavens, to enjoy him. Now it hath pleased the Wisdom of Christ^c (whose honour ever it is to magnify his power in his creatures weakness and to borrow no parcel of glory in his service from those earthly and elementary instruments which he useth in it) by no other means to exhibit, and confirm the virtue of his sacred Body unto us, with the life, and righteousness that from it issueth, but only by those poor and ordinary elements of Bread, and Wine in his Sacrament unto which therefore he requireth such reverence, such hunger and affection as is in reason due to the Hand that reacheth, to the Seal that secureth, to the food that strengtheneth that spiritual life in us, without which we cannot possibly reach unto the end of our very natural, and created desires, happiness and tranquillity.