Fourthly, we eat and drink the Sacrament, to intimate unto us the conformity of the faithful unto Christ. As in all the appetites and propensions of natural things we find an innate amity, betwixt the natures that do so incline towards, or embrace one another, so ⟨p. 59⟩principally in this main appetite unto food, is there ever found a proportion between nature and its nourishment: insomuch, that younga Infants are nourished with that very matter of which their substance consisteth. Whatsoever hath repugnant qualities unto nature, she is altogether impatient of it, and is never quieted till one way or other she disburden her self. And thus is it, and ought to be betwixt Christ and the faithful; there is a conspiracyb of affections, motions, passions, desires, a conformity of being in holiness, as well as in nature, a similitude, participation, and communion with Christ in his death, sufferings, glory. All other things in the world are very unsuitable to the desires of faith, nor are able to satiate a soul which hath tasted Christ, because we find something in them of a different, yea, repugnant nature, unto that precious faith by him infused:3 no man having tasted old Wine desireth new, for he saith the old is better: and therefore howsoever the wicked may drink iniquity like water, and rolec it under their tongue as a sweet thing; yet the children of God, who have been sensible of that venomous quality which lurketh in it, and have tasted of that bread which came down from Heaven, never dthirst any more after the deceitful pleasures, the stolene waters of sin; but no sooner have they unadvisedly tasted of it, but presently ⟨p. 60⟩they feel a war in their bowels, a struggling and rebellion between that faith by which they live, and that poison which would smother and extinguish it, which by the efficacy of faith, whereby wea overcome the world, is cast out and vomited up in an humble confession, and so the faithful do re-gain their fellowship with Christ, who as he was by his merits our Saviour unto remission of sins,b so is he by his holiness our example, and by his Spirit our head, unto newness of life.
Fourthly, we eat and drink the Sacrament, to intimate unto us the conformity of the faithfull unto Christ. As in all the appeties and propensions of naturall things we finde an innate amity, betwixt the natures that doe so incline towards, or imbrace one another, so ⟨p. 59⟩principally in this maine appetite unto food, is there ever found a proportion betweene nature and its nourishment: insomuch, that younga Infants are nourished with that very matter of which their substance consisteth. Whatsoever hath repugnant qualities unto nature, she is altogether impatient of it, and is never quieted till one way or other she disburthen her selfe. And thus is it, and ought to be betwixt Christ and the faithfull; there is a conspiracyb of affections, motions, passions, desires, a conformity of being in holinesse, as well as in nature, a similitude, participation, and communion with Christ in his death, sufferings, glory. All other things in the world are very unsuitable to the desires of faith, nor are able to satiate a soule which hath tasted Christ, because we finde something in them of a different, yea, repugnant nature, unto that pretious faith by him infus'd:3 no man having tasted old Wine desireth new, for he saith the old is better: and therefore howsoever the wicked may drinke iniquity like water, and rolec it under their tongue as a sweet thing; yet the children of God, who have beene sensible of that venimous quality which lurketh in it, and have tasted of that bread which came downe from Heaven, never dthirst any more after the deceitfull pleasures, the stolnee waters of sinne; but no sooner have they unadvisedly tasted of it, but presently ⟨p. 60⟩they feele a warre in their bowels, a strugling and rebellion betweene that faith by which they live, and that poyson which would smother and extinguish it, which by the efficacy of faith, whereby wea overcome the world, is cast out and vomited up in an humble confession, and so the faithfull do re-gaine their fellowship with Christ, who as he was by his mrits our Saviour unto remission of sins,
- aClem. Alex. Paedag. 1. l. c. 6.
- bRom. 6. 4, 5. Rom. 8. 17. 1 Cor. 15. 49 2 Cor. 3. 18. Phil. 3. 10. Phil. 3. 20.
- 3Luke 5. 39.
- cJob 20. 12.Iob 20. 12.
- dJohn 6. 48. 50, •1.Iohn 6. 48. 50, •1.
- eJohn 4. 14.Iohn 4. 14.
- a1 John 5. 1.1 Iohn 5. 1.
- b1 Pet. 1. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 21.
