The Pathway to Prayer and Piety, Dedication 2 – Preface 2
To the right Honourable, the Ladie FRANCIS, Daughter to the moſt honourable the Counteſſe of Darbie, and wife to the honourable Sir IOHN EGERTON Knight of the BATHE.
ALbeit the houſes of the poore are not at any time, as of the rich, alike adorned with gorgeous furniture: yet the gardens of the poore, as well as the rich, are, in the ſpring-time, a-like couered with flowers furniture.
That great flower of the Sunne, it is not indeede found but amongst the rich: but the Marigold Heliotropiuim, which openeth and ſetteth with the Sunne, (and which is as profitable as the other is beautifull) this is (amongst other ſweet and holeſome hearbs) ordinarie in the pooreſt Orchard.
Theſe kinde of hearbs ſometime they vſe for meate and medicine; and often, wanting things to preſent their betters with, of theſe they doe offer a poeſie of flowers: As they hauehave receiued ſo they giuegive.
That ſpirituall Garden, which is committed to my keeping, hath not at this time any rare flowers in it, but ſuch as being planted ſome few yeares paſt, doe now ſhew themſelues in a more Orient colour, and in greater aboundance. Out of them, this ſpring-time, I hauehave gathered three ſeuerall noſe-gaies, and two of them are preſented to two, moſt honourable Counſellers: this Third I am bold to preſent to your Honour.
I hope there is no ſuch Antipathie betwixt flowers and you, as there was betwixt a worthie Ladie and a Roſe:The Ladie Hennage. eſpecially ſuch flowers as theſe; ſince Religion, which giueth colour and ſmell to eueryevery flower in this poeſie, is the faireſt flower in your owne Garden.
You hauehave, I confeſſe, great honour vponupon earth, being deſcended of a Royall familie, Allied to the greateſt Peeres of the Land, Eſpouſed to an honourable Knight, bleſſed with hopefull children, and graced (as I heare) with rare gifts of nature: but, that Chriſts Religion is ſo precious vntounto you, your greateſt honour is reſerued in Heauen.
If it pleaſe you to entertaine this poore preſent, which before now, I was afraide to offer to any: I doubt not but as you ſhall receiue comfort by it: ſo it ſhall receiue ſuch fauour by you, that this ſpirituall noſe-gay, comming from you into the hands of others, will not bee vſed as other flowers are, this morning in the boſome, the next to the beeſome. But it will bee often in the hand, frequent in the ſight, and comfortable to the ſent of each ſauourie ſoule.
The God of heauen who hath planted you, as one of his faireſt flowers, in his Garden, the Church Militant, ſo water you with the dew of Heauen, and heauenly Graces; that after you hauehave long flouriſhed here, you hereafter may, with your Honourable two Siſters Elizabeth the vertuous Counteſſe of Huntingdon, and Anne that worthie Ladie Chandoyes, bee tranſplanted into that Garden of Eden, the Church Triumphant, and for euer flouriſh in the Courts of your God. London St. Martins in the fields, Iune the 16. Anno 1613.
At the ſeruice of your Honor. ROBERT HILL.
A PITHIE DISCOVRSE OF OVR COMMVNION WITH CHRIST.
THough the word of life, in it ſelf cauſeth peace, yet by the malice of Satan it occaſioneth warre: and though the Sacrament of life ſhew our commumunion with Chriſt, yet by the corruption of man it is made an inſtrument of combuſtion. The Vbiquiterian Lutheran is zealous on the one ſide for his conſubſtantiation, and with the bread and wine he will chap vp his ſauiour: The Artolatrian Romaniſt is as zealous on the other, for his tranſubſtantiation, and after the repetition of fiue Latine words will deuoure his creator. And if varieties of opinion concerning the Lords Supper, ſhould but heere be repeated; as a great ſhip would not hold the the Reliquian pieces which the Papiſts hauehave of Chriſts croſſe: ſo a large volume would but hold the opinions which are about Chriſts Sacrament. Is it the falt of this bleſſed banquet that ſo many are diſtracted about feeding vponupon it? no it is not.
It is reported that one in a lightſome houſe being ſtricken blinde, complained exceedingly of the darkneſſe of the chamber, where as the ſalt was in the want of his ſight. When the eye is diuine, it muſt not complaine of the ſunne if it ſee not: when ſtomake is corrupt, it muſt not complaine of the meate if it digeſt not: and when the fantaſticall wit of man is wedded to reaſon, no meruaile if it perceiue not the things of God. The preaching of Chriſts croſſe was a ſcandale to the Iewes: their owne corrupt heart cauſed it to bee offenſiue: The adminiſtoation of Chriſts Sacrament is a ſtumbling block to the curious: their owne carnall conceit makes them to fall. If wee could in our iudgements ſubſcribe vntounto the written word of God, and of ſpirituall things conceit after a ſpirituall manner, our Capernaiticall aduerſaries would not looke heere for a breaden God, and our carnal goſpellers would look for more heere than common bread. It is, euen to the wicked the bread of the Lord, and to the godly, that bread which is the Lord.
By comming to the Lordes table, (if wee come as wee ſhould) wee reape much good: for heere we may behold the louelove of Chriſt to vsus, who, as a louing friend, by this remembrancer, deſires euer to liue in our mindes, and memories: and the prouidence of Chriſt for his beloued friends, that his benefits beſtowed might truly profit, & being kept in memorie, might enioy their end, euer to ſhew forth his death till he come. Yea by thus comming we teſtifie our ſpirituall nouriſhment by his body and blood: we ſeale to our ſelues the pardon of our ſinnes: Chriſt couenants with vsus to receiue vsus gratiouſly: we condition with him to obey him principally, and if we deſire either to teſtifie our deſire of the first reſurrection, out of the graue of ſinne, or our hope of the ſecond, out of the graue of death: wee ſhall do both theſe, ſo often as we come to the holy communion. In a word, it is a testimonie of our profeſſion, and conſent to Gods Religion: a token of our ſeparation from all the tents of Satan: an obligation of our conſtancie in the profeſsion of the Goſpel: a ſinew and conſeruation of publique meetings: a caueat to take heede of relapſe into ſinne: a comforter in the middeſt of any Temptation: and a ſeale of that communion which is betwixt Chriſt and Christians.
The cup of bleſſing which wee bleſſe, is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ? and the bread which we breake; i. Cor. 10.6.is it not the Communion of the body of Chriſt? as the preaching of the Goſpell is Gods powerfull inſtrument to ſigne our ſaluation: ſo the ſacrament of the Lords Supper is an effectuall inſtrument to ſeale this coniunction. Now that wee may more frequently communicate with Christians, I am bolde to entreate of our communion with Chriſt.
In the firſt Adams innocencie, there was an act of aſſotiation betwixt God and man: but with condition of mans loyaltie to God. The condition is broken, man is exiled from Gods preſence, and becomes an enemie both to God and man. Gods iuſtice can not admit ſinfull man into fauor: mans infidelitie hinders him from ſuing to God for fauor. Chriſt our Sauiour, the*foreign. diuine Sonne of God, and humane Son of man, ſatisfieth Gods Iuſtice, acquaints man with Gods merciemercy: and in the fulneſſe of time, this ſeede of the woman breakes the Serpents head.
But vnleſſe man hauehave communion with Chriſt, his al ſufficient ſatisfaction will do him no good. What then may this communion be? it is a ſpirituall ſocietie of mutuall louelove betwixt Christ and his Church. A ſocietie, like vntounto that of Adam and Heuah, when they twaine became one fleſh: ſpirituall, like vntounto that of the ſoule and the bodie, where they by the ſpirites, become one man: of mutuall louelove, like a paire of Turtle Doues, who neuer know any other but one mate: of Chriſt and his Church, like that of the head and the members, when they, by certaine iunctures, become one body.
Chriſt communicated with our nature in his incarnation, when hee tooke vntounto him the ſeede of Abraham: hence comes that vnion which we call Hypoſtaticall: and he is become Fleſh of our Fleſh. We communicate with the perſon of Chriſt, when we are incorporated into him: Hence comes that vnion, which wee call myſticall, & wee now become Fleſh of his Fleſh.
If we conſider the things vnited together, this vnion is ſubſtantiall and eſſentiall: if the bond by which they are vnited, it is ſpirituall and ſecret. And as we hauehave feeling of Chriſt dwelling on our hearts, ſo the more ſhall wee hauehave feeling of this bleſſed ſocietie: by which we hauehave foreign an vnion, foreign fellowſhip, and foreign participation with whole Chriſt and his merits, and meet altogether in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the ſonne of God, vntounto a perfect man, and vntounto the meaſure of the age of the fulneſſe of Chriſt. Epheſ. 4.13.5.30. But as in our ſeparation from God, by the ſpirit of Satan, our mindes, heart, and wils were firſt ſeuered and then followed the whole man: ſo the firſt thing in this coniunction which muſt be ioyned with God by his ſpirit, is the vnderſtanding by knowledge, the heart by affiance, the will by obedience, after which will follow all the new man.
By the humanitie of Chriſt we are conioyned to him: and by his Spirit he is ioyned to vsus. Not, either by an actuall falling of Chriſts fleſh into ours, or a naturall contiguitie or conexion of our perſons, or eſſentiall comixtion of his body with ours: but by a copulation and connexion altogether ſpirituall, felt by grace in this life, and ſeene by glorie in the life to come, when Chriſt and his Church, before Gods iudgement ſeate, ſhall appeare as one Christ.
But Chriſt is in heauen, and we vponupon earth. Send thy faith into heauen, and hee in heauen is ioyned to thee heere vponupon earth. Thy ſight in a moment can viſiblie touch the ſtarres of heauen, much more may thy faith touch that morning ſtarre, and ſunne of righteouſneſſe which is in heauen. Say that the wife bee in England, the husband in India: the head aboue the feete below: the branches on the top the roote in the ground: the ſpring in one place, the riuers in an other: the foundation on the earth the building in the ayre, is there not notwithſtanding an vnion betwixt them? Surely there is. Chriſt is our husband, the Church is his ſpouſe: Chriſt is our head, ech Christian is a member: Chriſt is the roote, the righteous are branches: Chriſt is the fountaine, the Religious are riuers: Chriſt is the foundation, belieuers are Gods building. Be hee neuer ſo high euen in the higheſt heauens, we vponupon earth are ſo ioyned vntounto him, that by vertue of this vnion, our ſoules do receiue the life of grace in this world, and our bodies ſhall receiue the life of glorie in the world to come. Heere, this coniunction appeares in the vnitie of ſpirit: for in it there is neither a commixtion of perſons nor an vnion of ſubſtances, but a confederation of our affections, and concatenation of our wils: there it ſhall appeare in the conſociation of our perſons. For wee ſhall enioy there, a moſt holy, and comfortable conuerſation with Chriſt, ſee him as he is, conferre with him face to face, and as in this ſacrament, (as by a marriage ring) wee are eſpouſed to him heere: ſo there wee ſhall be ſolemnly maried to him for euer.
And all this comes vntounto vsus, becauſe the word was made fleſh: not becauſe that Fleſh hath any ſuch vertue in it ſelfe (it is the ſpirit that quickneth the fleſh profiteth nothing) but in that it is caro verbi, fleſh vnited to the word, to that word, which is the fountaine of life quickning all things, and cauſing the death of that fleſh to obtaine for vsus eternall life. The fleſh is not quickning in it ſelfe, but in the word, Hypoſtatically vnited vntounto it, ſaith Cyrill.
This word by perſonall vnion, quickneth Chriſts humanitie, and giueth it, for our ſaluation, merite and efficacie: and by myſticall vnion quickneth Chriſtian conſciences, and ioyneth them in louelove and life vntounto God: ſo that now there is a mutuall giuing and receiuing betwixt Chriſt and his Church.
From Chriſt wee receiue, firſt him ſelfe, which the Father, and their Spirit, to become our portion. Secondly Adoption, to be actually made the children of God. Thirdly a title and right to Chriſts righteouſneſſe in his ſufferings, and with all to his fulfilling of the whole law. Laſtly, a right to the Kingdome of heauen, which now is made the inheritance of the Saints.
And what doth he now receiue from vsus? ſurely droſſe for gold, euil for good, ſhame for glorie, ſorrow for ſolace, and a curſe for this bleſſing. For he receiues ftom vsus, firſt, our ſinnes, with the puniſhment thereof made his by imputation and ſuertie-ſhip. Secondly our afflictions, which hee accounts his owne, ſo long as we ſuffer for righteouſneſſe ſake. And this is our communion which we hauehave with Chriſt.
But becauſe we are all members of one bodie, and are all baptized into one Spirit, and after do eate of one bread, there is alſo a communion with all Chriſtians, one with an other? Art thou a liuing ſaint vponupon earth? thou art in regard of minde of one iudgement in the grounds of pietie, affection of one heart alike affected to God, Chriſt Ieſus, and eueryevery good Chriſtian, though thou waſt neuer acquainted with them. And in regard of the gifts of the ſpirit, like a good candle thou wilt ſpend them al to the good of others; & be ready to ſerue thy brother in louelove; and both by example, admonition, exhortation, conſolation & prayer, to conuey all graces in thee to an other; yea not to be wanting to him in communicating thy goods. And for our communion with the dead they in heauen do pray generally for al vsus, and we on earth do deſire our diſſolution to be with them.
But, that we may enioy this bleſſed ſocietie, we muſt walke in the light. For, if we ſay that we hauehave fellowſhip with him & yet walke in darkneſſe, we lie: but if we walke in the light as hee is in the light, then hauehave wee fellowſhip one with an other 1. Ioh. 1.7. (that is God with vsus, & we with God and godly people) and the blood of Ieſus Chriſt his Sonne purgeth vsus from all ſinne.
Thus then Chriſt in heauen, by his ſpirit, is ſo vnited to vsus, & we on earth, by our faith are ſo vnited to him, that without him we can do nothing, & with him we are able to do al things: Of his fulneſſe we receiue grace for grace. And as by the power of the ſunne in the ſecond heauen, all things are made fruitfull heere vponupon earth: ſo by the power of Chriſt in the third heauen, all men become ſanctified in the Church; yet not by the alone inward operation of his ſpirit, without the outward vſe of the word and ſacraments. By the word alone, when the ſacraments are not adminiſtred: and both by word and ſacraments when they are ioined together. Is the word preached? in it Chriſt ſpeaketh by his ſpitit to vsus. Are the ſacraments adminiſtred? by baptiſme we are receiued in to the communion of Gods couenant, and by the Euchariſt, wee are more confirmed in the ſame. By the word God enters by one gate into vsus, namely by the eare: by the Euchariſt he knocks at al the gates of our ſoule, and ſeekes entrance by eueryevery ſenſe. Are they both conioyned? our vnion becomes more effectuall vntounto vsus. By the word without the ſacraments, Chriſt may come vntounto vsus: by the ſacraments without the word, he will not come vntounto vsus. Adde the word vntounto the element and it becomes a ſacrament. This I write againſt ſuch as thinke, that Chriſt doth after a farre better ſort communicate himſelfe to vsus in the ſacraments than hee doth in the word, whereas the ſacraments hath all their efficacie from the word, euen the word of inſtitution, deliuered by Chriſt, & vnderſtood of Chriſtians. Yet note that in the ſacraments Chriſt communicates himſelfe more particularly to vsus then in the word. The end of both is to ioyne vsus to him & himſelf to vsus: that we being thus one with him, might grow vp together with him, till that he at the laſt become all in all of vsus; hee (by this matrimoniall coniunction) to louelove vsus as his ſpouſe, we to reuerence him as our husband and both he and we together to bee honored of God the Father in the reſurrection of the iuſt with complete glory.
Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord giuegive thee vnderſtanding in all things. Iune 16. 1613.
Thine in the Lord. ROBERT HILL.