Now ye have heard the meaning of these words, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it: you shall see with what a mystical resemblance they unite Christ and us First, as Christ in the Supper took bread to feed us:1 so in his birth he took our flesh to save us. Secondly, as Christ when he had taken the bread, blessed the bread to make it a spiritual food: so Christ, when he had taken our flesh, poured forth most rich and precious graces into it, to make it food of life unto ⟨p. 82⟩us.2 Thirdly, as Christ when he had blessed the bread, brake the bread: so Christ when he had filled his body with most precious graces,3 brake it up like a rich treasure house, his hands by the nails, his back by the stripes, his head by the thorns, his side by the spear; that out of every hole a river of grace and goodness might issue & flow forth unto us.4 Lastly, as Christ gave the bread when he had broken it: so Christ (by a lively faith) communicateth his body after he hath crucified it. Hereby we are taught, that when we see the Minister take the bread to feed us, we must conceive, that Christ (being God from everlasting) took our flesh to save us. When we see the Minister bless the bread to a holy use, we must conceive, that Christ (by uniting the Godhead unto it) sanctified his flesh for our redemption. When we see the Minister break the bread to sustain our bodies, we must conceive, that Christ in his death, brake his body to refresh our souls. When we see the Minister give the bread to our hands, we must conceive, that Christ as truly offereth himself to our faith to be received of us.
Now ye haue heard the meaning of these words, He tooke bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gaue it: you shall see with what a mysticall resemblance they vnite Christ and vs First, as Christ in the Supper tooke bread to feede vs:1 so in his birth he tooke our flesh to saue vs. Secondly, as Christ when he had taken the bread, blessed the bread to make it a spirituall food: so Christ, when he had taken our flesh, powred foorth most rich and precious graces into it, to make it food of life vnto ⟨p. 82⟩vs.2 Thirdly, as Christ when hee had blessed the bread, brake the bread: so Christ when hee had filled his bodie with most precious graces,3 brake it vp like a rich treasure house, his handes by the nayles, his backe by the stripes, his head by the thornes, his side by the speare; that out of euerie hole a riuer of grace and goodnesse might issue & flow forth vnto vs.4 Lastly, as Christ gaue the bread when he had broken it: so Christ (by a liuely faith) communicateth his bodie after he hath crucified it. Hereby wee are taught, that when we see the Minister take the bread to feed vs, we must conceiue, that Christ (being God from euerlasting) tooke our flesh to saue vs. When we see the Minister blesse the bread to a holie vse, we must conceiue, that Christ (by vniting the Godhead vnto it) sanctified his flesh for our redemption. When wee see the Minister breake the bread to sustaine our bodies, we must conceiue, that Christ in his death, brake his bodie to refresh our soules. When wee see the Minister giue the bread to our handes, we must conceiue, that Christ as truly offereth himself to our faith to be receiued of vs.
- 1Heb. 2. 16.
- 2Joh. 17. 19.Ioh. 17. 19.
- 31. Pe. 2. 24.
- 4Ephe. 3. 17.
