A12186:374
Light from heaven discovering the fountain opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich poverty. In…Light from heaven discovering the fountaine opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich povertie. In…
Light from heaven discovering the fountain opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich poverty. In four treatises. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinity, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Gray's-Inn. Published according to the authors own appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.Light from heaven discovering the fountaine opened. Angels acclamations. Churches riches. Rich povertie. In foure treatises. By the late learned and reverend divine, Rich. Sibs, Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Grayes-Inne. Published according to the authors owne appointment, subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.
London: printed by E. Purslow and Richard Badger for N. Bourne, 1638
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1Christ is received up in glory: Therefore, first of all,2 for our information, we must not seek him in a Wafer-cake, we must not look for him in the Sacrament bodily; how can he be there, when he is received up in glory? Therefore, when we come to the Sacrament, let us consider, we have now to deal with Christ, who is in Heaven: Cannot Christ show his virtue, to comfort and strengthen us, but we must have his Body in the Communion to touch our bodies?3 The foot hath influence from the head, yet the head is distant from it in place: The utmost branches have life and sap from the root, yet they are remote, in respect of place. A King spreads his influence over his whole Kingdom (though it be never so large) yet he is but in one place, in respect of his person. Doth the Sun in the Heavens come down to the Earth, to make the Spring, and to make all fruitful? Cannot he send beams and influence from thence, to cherish the Earth? Must Christ come down in his Body to us, or else he can do us no good? Must there be a corporeal descent, or else we can receive no influence from him? There may be a derivation of virtue from Christ though his person be in Heaven; where he shall remain till the last day, when he shall come to be glorious in his Saints. The Sun doth more good, being in Heaven, then he could do if he were on the Earth; if the Sun were lower, what wou•d become of the Earth? But being so remote, and so far above, he hath opportunity to shine over the greatest part of the Earth at once; ⟨p. 175⟩being greater then the Earth, he shineth over more then half the Earth at once. Christ being in Heaven, as the Sun of Righteousness, he shines more gloriously over all; and we have more comfort, and benefit, and influence from Christ, now in Heaven, then we could, if he were on Earth. Must we needs make him bodily present every where, as the Papists do, and other Heterodox strange conceited men, in Germany? What need we do thus, when there may be influence from Christ, now in Heaven, to us on Earth, (as we see in other things (without confusion of his Divine properties to his Body, or making his Body as his God-head is? Therefore seek him not bodily any where, but in Heaven. Those Opinions overthrow three Articles of our Faith at once, He ascended into Heaven, He sitteth at the right hand of God, and, He shall come to judge the quick and the dead: