The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please…

The sixth end of the Lord's Supper.

6. To seal unto us the assurance of everlasting Life. Oh what more wished or loved than life? ¹Or what do all men naturally more, either fear or abhor, than death? Yet is this first death nothing, if it be compared with the second death: neither is this Life any thing worth, in comparison of the Life to come. If therefore thou desirest to be assured of eternal life, prepare thy self to be a worthy receiver of this blessed Sacrament. For our Saviour assureth us, That if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever: ²and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He therefore who duly eateth of this holy Sacrament, may truly say, not only, Credo vitam eternam, I believe life everlasting; but also, Edo vitam eternam, I eat life everlasting. And indeed this is the true Tree of life, which God hath planted in the midst of the Paradise of the Church: And whereof he hath promised to give every one that overcometh to eat. And this Tree of life,³ by infinite degrees excelleth the Tree of life that grew in the Paradise of ⟨p. 328⟩Eden; for that had his root in the Earth, this from Heaven: that gave bu• life to the Body, this to the Soul; that did but preserve the life of the living, this restoreth life to the dead. The leaves of this tree heal the nations of believers,⁴ and it yields every month a new manner of fruit which nourisheth them to life everlasting. Oh, blessed are they who often eat of this Sacrament! at least, once every month, taste anew of this renewing fruit, which Christ hath prepared for us at his Table to heal our infirmities, and to confirm our belief of life everlasting.