The pathvvay to prayer and pietie Containing, 1 An exposition of the Lords Prayer, with an apologie for publicke, and priuate set prayer. 2 A preparation to the Lords Supper, with Ma. Zanchius confession, confirming that sacrament. 3 A direction to a Christian life, both in our generall and particular callings. 4 An instruction to die well, and a consolation against all crosses. With diuers prayers, and thanksgiuings fit for this treatise. By Robert Hill, Doctor in Diuinitie.

CHAP. II. Of the vse of these three things, and first of the vse of the Word, of the Bread, and of the Wine.

I Beleeue these thrée thinges to be offered and giuen for those certaine and proper vses whereunto among themselues they were ordained.

And first I beléeue the Elements of Bread and Wine together with the Word to bee offered and giuen, that by this Word, and those Elements, as it were in∣struments of Gods Spirit working in the heartes of the Elect, their faith might bee more and more stirred vp and confirmed, by which faith wee beléeue, that the matter is so indéede, as the Word of Christ doth sound in our eares, and doth represent the Elements to our eyes, and other senses: to wit, that the Heauenly Bread, which is the Bodie of Christ, hath béene broken, that is killed and died for vs. And the Heauen∣ly Wine, that is, the bloud of Christ to haue béene shed for vs and for many more, euen all the Elect for the remission of their sins, and so the New Testament to haue beene confirmed in the bodie of Christ, and sealed in his bloud, and that this Heauenly Bread Christ with the New Testament, and the Heauenly Wine with the remission of sins, to be offered vnto vs by the Earthly bread, and by the Earthly Wine: yea further that we are commanded to receiue them in these wordes, Take, eate, I beléeue the Bread and the Wine to bee giuen vnto vs for this end. For this is the proper and immediate vse of all spéech and of all signes, especially of those signes, which are vsed for confirma∣tion

of our spéech, not only simply to signifie this or that, but also that by signifying they may make beléefe, that is, may stirre vp faith in the hearers and séers, whereby they are perswaded that the thing it selfe is euen so as the words of the speaker doe signifie vnto the cares, and as the signes doe repre∣sent vnto the eyes. Paul also in the tenth Chapter to the Romans speaking of the Word of God and of the preaching of the Gospell, saith that faith commeth by hea∣ring, and hearing by the Word of God. Therefore the proper and immediate vse of the Word is to beget faith in the hearer. Signes also and Sacraments are visible wordes. I conclude then that Bread and Wine together with the Word are giuen for this vse and immediate end, that faith may bee more and more increased in vs, whereby we beléeue that the thing is so, as the Word signifies, and as the Elements doe represent and in this manner signifying doe offer and represent vnto vs.

OF the vse of Faith being wrought in vs by the Word and Sacra∣ments.

I beléeue this faith to bee wrought in vs of the holy Ghost, by the Word and Sacra∣ments that by this faith wee might imme∣diatly

receiue and eate the bodie of Christ which was deliuered vp for vs, and receiue and drinke the bloud of Christ which was shed for vs for remission of sinnes. And so we might more and more bee engraffed and immediatly vnited vnto the bodie of Christ as our Mediatour who died for vs.

For euen as the Bread and Wine being Earthly and Materiall Bodies cannot bee incorporated into our Earthly bodies, vnlesse wee receiue them in at our mouth, and eate them, and drinke them. So wee cannot bée vnited and incorporated into the bodie and bloud of Christ, which Irenaeus calleth an Heauenly thing, vnlesse by faith we take hold on Christ, eate him and drinke him, that is, applie him vnto vs.

OF the vse, for which we eate the body of Christ, and drinke his bloud.

I beléeue that the bodie of Christ in the Supper is offered and exhibited vnto vs to be eaten, and his bloud to bee drunke: and that faith by the Word and Sacraments by the helpe of the Holy Ghost being wrought in our hearts, it is eaten of vs in∣déed: to the end that we being more neerely and effectually incorporated into Christ, we may also bee more throughly confirmed in the New Couenant, which in Christ is communicated vnto vs.

For as Christ did therefore deliuer his bodie vnto death and shed his bloud, that by his death and bloud our sinnes being pur∣ged, hee might confirme and for euer esta∣blish the couenant being renued betwéene God the Father and vs: euen as the words of the Supper concerning the bloud doe teach vs, and other bookes of the Scripture, especially the Epistle to the Hebrewes doe confirme: euen so for this end also the body and bloud of Christ is communicated vnto vs, that by the participation of them, we in like manner being more and more incorpo∣rated into Christ, might be more and more confirmed in the New Testament. There∣fore when Christ gaue forth the cuppe, in plaine wordes hee named the New Testa∣ment that the Apostles might vnderstand, to what end the bloud of the sonne of God, was not only shed and powred out, but also was exhibited to be drunken of them. Veri∣ly to this end that as by the shedding of his bloud, their sinnes, and the sinnes of all Gods Elect were purged, and being pur∣ged, the couenant betweene them and God was for all eternitie confirmed: So also by drinking of the same, both they and all the Elect being more and more incorporated, may know themselues to be confirmed and established in the euerlasting Couenant.

But yet because the Couenant, and the flesh and bloud of Christ are diuers obiects, and the one is ordinated vnto the other, therefore for doctrine sake I distinguish the one from the other, and shew what is the proper vse of either of them.

OF the benefit or vse of the Couenant communicated vnto vs.

Lastly I beléeue the couenant it selfe be∣ing ratified and confirmed in the bodie of Christ, and by the bloud of Christ, to bee more and more communicated vnto vs, in the same bodie and bloud of Christ: that by the bond thereof, wee may wholy whatsoe∣uer we are, bee vnited more and more vnto God the Father, the Fountaine as of the whole Diuinitie, so of all goodnesse and blessednesse, by Christ, the Mediatour, the Spirit working and dwelling in vs: and that we may be so vnited that in mind wee may daily more clearely acknowledge him by the Holy Ghost, to be our true, and our best Father in Christ, and in our heart loue him more feruently in Iesus Christ through the Holy Ghost: yea with all the powers of soule and bodie wee may daily more sin∣cerely honour him, and may bee made like vnto him in Holinesse and Iustice, vntill at length sinne being vtterly destroyed, and

death abolished, and the perfect Image of God recouered, wee may so perfectly through Christ in the Spirit of God bee vni∣ted and coupled after this life vnto God the Father, that he may be all in all. Amen.

For this is the last end, vnto which not only the Supper of the Lord, but also Bap∣tisme, yea the whole Word of God, all his benefits, all his corrections, lastly all the words and works of God doe lead vs vnto.

Notes

• The first Position.
• The secōd Position.
• The third Position.
• The fourth Position.