*

We read in hiftory, that a certain man had eaten his own fon, but it was done unawares; he knew not that it was his fon, elfe no doubt he would not have eaten him. The ftory is this: There was a King named Aftyages, which heard by a prophecy, that one Cyrus fhould have the rule and dominion over his realm after his departure; which thing troubled the faid King very fore, and therefore he fought all the ways and means how to get the faid Cyrus out of the way, how to kill him, fo that he fhould not be King after him. Now he had a Nobleman in his house, named Harpagus, whom he appointed to destroy the faid Cyrus; but howfoever the matter went, Cyrus was preferved and kept alive, contrary to the King's mind. Which thing when Aftyages heard, what doth he? Thus he did: N° 20: Vol. II. : Harpagus,

C.

gave

Cyrus was the fon of Cambyfes, by Mandane the daughter of Aftyages. This Aftyages, King of the Medes, being informed of the Soothfayers, that of his daughter Mandane fhould be born a fon that should over-rule Afia, and drive him from his kingdom, married her to one Cambyfes, a mean man among the Perfians; purpofing by that means to difannul the prophecy: yet, fearing the worft, as foon as Cyrus was born of her, he gave him to Har. pagus to be flain. But he, fearing the future difpleasure of Mandane, when the fhould be Queen, did not flay the child, but him to a Shepherd, by whom he was brought up, till at length he fulfilled the prophecy of the Soothfayers. Cyrus first united the kingdom of the Medes and Perfians, overthrew the Lydians, of whom Crofus was King; took Babylon, and was the first Emperor of the Perfian monarchy, which continued two hundred and feven years, till Alexander the great. This is that Cyrus, whose name and power was foretold by Ifaiah, chap. xÌv. 1—4. "I have called thee by thy name (Cyrus); I have furnamed thee, tho' "thou haft not known me." Which the Lord did by his Prophet an hundred years before he was born. He was a man admired for his perfonage, prowefs, wisdom and liberality, but efpecially for his memory. Solinus relates, that he could call every Soldier in his army by name, when he spake unto them. At last, itching after more victories, he was flain by Tomyris, Queen of the Scythians; by whom his head was cut off, and thrown into a veffel full of blood, with this bitter taunt, Satia quæ fanguine quem fitifti.

Harpagus, that Nobleman, who was put in truft to kill Cyrus, had a fon in the Court, whom the King commanded to be taken, his head, hands and feet to be cut off, and his body to be prepared, roasted, or fodden, in the beft manner that could be devised. After that, he biddeth Harpagus to come and eat with him, where there was jolly cheer, one difh coming after another: At length, the King faid to Harpagus, Sir, like you your fare? Harpagus thanked the King, and praifed much his Majefty's banquet.

Now they perceiving him to be merrily difpofed, commanded one of the fervants to bring the head, hands, and feet of Harpagus's fon: which when it was done, the King told him what manner of meat he had eaten, asking him how he liked it. Harpagus made anfwer, (though with an heavy heart)" Quod "regi placet, id mibi quoque placet; Whatsoever pleaf"eth the King, that also pleaseth me." And here

we have an example of a flatterer, or diffembler: For this Harpagus fpake against his own heart and confcience. Surely, I fear me, there be a great many flatterers in our time alfo, who will not be afhamed to speak against their own hearts and confciences, like as this Harpagus did, who had, no doubt, a heavy heart, and in his confcience the act of the King misliked him, yet for all that, with his tongue he praised the fame.

So I fay, we read not in any story, that at any time any father had eaten his fon willingly and wittingly; as this Harpagus, of whom I rehearfed this ftory, did it unawares. But the Almighty God, which prepared this feaft for all the world, for all thofe that will come unto it, he offereth his only Son to be eaten, and his blood to be drank; belike he loved his guests well, becaufe he did feed them with fo coftly a difh.

Again, our Saviour, the Bridegroom, offereth himfelf at his laft Supper which he had with his difciples, his body to be eaten, and his blood to be drank. And to the intent that it should be done to our great comfort; and then again to take away all cruelty, irksomeness, and horriblenefs, he fheweth unto us how we fhall eat him, in what manner and form; namely, fpiritually, to our great comfort: fo that whofoever eateth the myftical bread, and drinketh the mystical wine worthily, according to the ordinance of Chrift, he receiveth furely the very Body and Blood of Christ spiritually, as it fhall be moft comfortable unto his foul. He eateth with the mouth of his foul, and digefteth with the stomach of his foul, the Body of Chrift. And to be short, whofoever believeth in Chrift putteth his hope, trust and confidence in him, he eateth and drinketh him; for the fpiritual eating, is the right eating to everlasting life; not the corporal eating, as the Capernaumites* understood it. For that fame corporal eating, on which they set their minds, hath no bleffing at all; it is a fpiritual meat that feedeth our fouls. But I pray you, how much is this fupper of Chrift regarded amongst us, where he himself exhibited unto us his body and blood? How much, I fay, is it regarded? how many receive it with the Curate or Minifter? O Lord, how blind and dull are we to fuch things, which pertain to our falvation? But I pray you wherefore was it ordained principally? Antwer, It was ordained for our help, to help our memory withal, to put us in mind of the great goodness of God, in redeeming us from everlafting death, by the blood of our Saviour Chrift: yea, and to fignify unto us, that his body and blood, is our meat and drink for our fouls, to feed them to

*The inhabitants of Capernaum, the chief City of Galilee, near the Lake Genezareth, where Christ cured the Centurion's son, and did many other miracles.

everlasting life. If we were now fo perfect as we ought to be, we should not have need of it; but to help our imperfectnefs it was ordained of Chrift: for we are fo forgetful when we are not pricked forward, that we have foon forgotten all his benefits.

To the intent therefore that we may the better keep it in memory, and to remedy this our floth fulness, our Saviour hath ordained this his Supper for us, whereby we should remember his great goodness, his bitter paffion and death, and fo ftrengthen our faith: fo that he inftituted this Supper for our fake, to make us to keep fresh in memory his ineftimable benefits. But as I faid before, it is in a manner nothing regarded amongst us, we care not for it, we will not come unto it. How many be there, think you, that regard this Supper of our Lord, no more than a teftornet? Truly, I fear me, too many. Nay, I will prove that they regard it not fo much: if there were a Proclamation made in this Town, that whofoever would come unto the Church at fuch an hour, and there go to the Communion with the Curate, fhould have a teftorne; when fuch a Proclamation were made, I think, truly, all the Town would come and celebrate the Communion to get a teftorne; but will not come to receive the body and blood of Chrift, the food and nourishment of their fouls, to the augmentation and strength of their faith? Do they not more regard now a teftorne than Chrift? But the cause which letteth us from celebrating of the Lord's Supper, is this; we have no mind or purpose to leave fin and wickedness, which maketh us not to come to this Supper, because we be not ready nor meet to receive it. But I require you in God's behalf, leave your wickedness, that ye may receive it worthily according to his inftitution. For this Supper is ordained, as I told you before, for your fakes, to your profits and benefits:

+ It fhould be Teftoon; for its value fee the note page 112.

for

far if we were perfect, we should not need this outward Sacrament; but our Saviour, knowing our weakness and forgetfulness, ordained this Supper, to the augmentation of our faith, and to put us in remembrance of his benefits. But we will not come: there come no more at once, but fuch as give the holy loaves from houfe to house, which follow rather the custom than any thing else. Our Saviour Chrift faith in the gofpel of St John, "I am the "living bread which came down from heaven." Therefore whofoever feedeth on our Saviour Chrift, he fhall not perish, death fhall not prevail against him, his foul fhall depart out of his body, yet death fhall not get the victory over him: he fhall not be damned. He that cometh to the marriage, to that banquet, death fhall be unto him but an entrance, or a door to everlafting life. "The "bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will "give for the life of the world." As many as will feed upon him, fhall attain to everlasting life, they fhall never die, they fhall prevail against death, death fhall not hurt them, because he hath loft his ftrength. If we did confider this, no doubt we would be more defirous to come to the Communion than we are; we fhould not be fo cold, we fhould be content to leave our naughty living, and come to the Lord's table.

Now ye have heard what fhall be the chiefeft difh at this marriage, namely, the Body and Blood of Chrift. But now there be other dishes, which be fequels or hangings-on, wherewith the chief dish is powdered: this is, remiffion of fins. As the holy Ghoft, which ruleth and governeth our hearts; alfo the merits of Chrift, which are made ours: for when we feed upon this dish worthily, then we fhall have remiffion of our fins, we fhall receive the holy Ghoft. More

The doctrine which Mafter Latimer here preaches, is, that a worthy receiving of the facrament of the Lord's Supper, is a means

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