2. A second benefit for the compassing of which faith must be exercised, &c. is the increase of our graces, or perfecting of our sanctification. My brethren, we are weak in grace; you know how much infidelity, and how little faith; how much enmity, how little love; how much obstinacy, how little pliable conformity to his will; what a deal of ⟨p. 60⟩formality, how little power; what hardness of heart, how little brokenness of spirit for sin? &c. And being weak in grace, there is a necessity that these graces should be nourished. As there is necessity of daily bread, for the nourishing and upholding of our bodies; so there is necessity of spiritual food for the nourishing of grace in our souls. And as there is necessity of our nourishment, so is there necessity our nourishment should come from Christ, he is the staff of nourishment. 1As in natural life the same way we are begotten, the same way we are nourished: so in spiritual life, Christ he is the Breeder, and so he is the Feeder of grace in us; he is the Begetter, and he is the Nourisher. From Christ we have our graces, he is the fountain from whose fullness we receive grace for grace in our regeneration; ⟨p. 61⟩and he is the nourishment of whose fullness we receive *grace to grace in our sanctification. Hence he is called the Bread of life, not only because he begets life in dead men, but because he nourisheth and maintaineth life in living men. He is panis spiritualis, spiritual bread, in the word to beget life; and panis Sacramentalis, bread in the Sacrament, or Sacramental bread, to nourish and to maintain life begotten; and hereafter he shall be panis aeternalis, our daily bread in heaven, to preserve us in holiness with happiness to all eternity. And as there is a necessity of nourishment, and nourishment by Christ; so Christ for this end, that we might be nourished, hath set up this ordinance of the Sacrament, for the nourishment of the Saints in grace, for the strengthening our faith, to which it hath ⟨p. 62⟩a proper influence, being the seal of the covenant, and for the increasing our sorrow and repentance, unto which it hath the like influence, being the representation of Christ wounded, broken, bleeding for sin; who looks on Christ bleeding, but his heart must bleed? &c. And so of the rest.
2. A second benefit for the compassing of which faith must be exercised, &c. is the increase of our graces, or perfecting of our sanctification. My brethren, we are weak in grace; you know how much infidelity, and how little faith; how much enmity, how little love; how much obstinacie, how little pliable conformity to his will; what a deale of ⟨p. 60⟩formality, how little power; what hardnesse of heart, how little brokennesse of spirit for sin? &c. And being weak in grace, there is a necessity that these graces should bee nourished. As there is necessitie of daily bread, for the nourishing and upholding of our bodies; so there is necessitie of spirituall food for the nourishing of grace in our soules. And as there is necessity of our nourishment, so is there necessity our nourishment should come from Christ, he is the staff of nourishment. 1As in naturall life the same way we are begotten, the same way we are nourished: so in spirituall life, Christ hee is the Breeder, and so he is the Feeder of grace in us; he is the Begetter, and he is the Nourisher. From Christ we have our graces, he is the fountain from whose fulnesse wee receive grace for grace in our regeneration; ⟨p. 61⟩and he is the nourishment of whose fulnesse wee receive *grace to grace in our sanctification. Hence he is called the Bread of life, not onely because he begets life in dead men, but because he nourisheth and maintaineth life in living men. He is panis spiritualis, spirituall bread, in the word to beget life; and panis Sacramentalis, bread in the Sacrament, or Sacramentall bread, to nourish and to maintain life begotten; and hereafter he shall be panis aeternalis, our daily bread in heaven, to preserve us in holiness with happiness to all eternity. And as there is a necessity of nourishment, and nourishment by Christ; so Christ for this end, that we might be nourished, hath set up this ordinance of the Sacrament, for the nourishment of the Saints in grace, for the strengthening our faith, to which it hath ⟨p. 62⟩a proper influence, being the seale of the covenant, and for the increasing our sorrow and repentance, unto which it hath the like influence, being the representation of Christ wounded, broken, bleeding for sinne; who looks on Christ bleeding, but his heart must bleed? &c. And so of the rest.
- 1Eo modo quo generamur, nutrimur.
- *Gratiam gratiae accumulatam.
