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

It behoves ⟨p. 150⟩us therefore to beware how we give entertainment to any carnal thoughts, which go about to vilify, and undervalue the excellency of so Divine mysteries from the outward meanness of the things themselves. Say not like sullen^d Naaman, Is not the Wine in the Vintners Cellar, or the Bread of mine own Table as good, as nourishing as is any in the Temple? certainly if thou be commanded some great Work for the procuring of so great a good, as there had been between the service, and the reward we disproportion, so would even reason it self have dictated unto us a necessity of obeying rather then of disputing, how much rather when he biddeth us only to eat, and live. True it is that these creatures naturally have no more power to convey CHRIST, then wax hath in it self to convey a Lordship: yet as a small piece of wax when once in the virtue of a humane covenant or contract it is made the instrument to confirm, and ratify, such a conveyance is unto the receiver of more consequence then all the wax in the Town besides, and is with the greatest care preserved: so these elements though physically the same which are used at our own Tables, yet in the virtue of that holy Consecration, whereby they are made the instruments of exhibiting, and the seals of ascertaining Gods Covenant of grace unto us, ⟨p. 151⟩are unto us more valuable then our barns full of grain, or our presses full of grapes, and are to be desired with so far distant an affection from the other that are common, as Heaven is above Earth.

It behoves ⟨p. 150⟩us therefore to beware how we give entertainment to any carnall thoughts, which goe about to vilifie, and undervalew the excellency of so Divine misteries from the outward meannesse of the things themselves. Say not like sullen^d Naaman, Is not the Wine in the Vintners Sellar, or the Bread of mine owne Table as good, as nourishing as is any in the Temple? certainly if thou be commanded some great Worke for the procuring of so great a good, as there had beene betweene the service, and the reward we disproportion, so would even reason it selfe have dictated unto us a necessity of obeying rather then of disputing, how much rather when he biddeth us only to eat, and live. True it is that these creatures naturally have no more power to convey CHRIST, then wax hath in it selfe to convey a Lordship: yet as a small piece of wax when once in the vertue of a humane covenant or contract it is made the instrument to confirme, and ratifie, such a conveyance is unto the receiver of more consequence then all the wax in the Towne besides, and is with the greatest care preserved: so these elements though physically the same which are used at our owne Tables, yet in the vertue of that holy Consecration, whereby they are made the instruments of exhibiting, and the seales of ascertaining Gods Covenant of grace unto us,