mixture among them thus wee should sanctifie the name of God in receiving this holy Sacrament you have had divers things propounded to you whereby you may come to know and easily to see that there hath been a great deale of dishonour done to this Sacrament and the beauty and glory of it hath been darkened and the sweet that the Saints might otherwise have received in plucking hath been exceedingly hindred There is but one thing more that I shall propound to you and that is the severall meditations that we should meditate on in receiving of the Sacrament the most concerning meditations are suggested in the holy Communion that are in any thing whatsoever more concerning more efficacious more various meditations wee have suggested here then in any thing and it is a great figne that men and women do not discerne the Lords body if so be their meditations be barren at that time I will therefore suggest some nine or ten meditations that that Ordinance of God may hold out very plainly and familiarly to every Communicant for the busying of their thoughts all the time that action is a doing Meditation 1. As first that the way of mans salvation it was by a Mediator it is not only by Gods mercy Gods saying that hee is offended by sin but he will be content to passe it by no but it is through a Mediator now this meditation is suggested thus when I see the bread and wine if I disceren what that signifyes it will hold forth this to me that the way of mans salvation it is not meerly from hence that God saith well I will pardon them and no more but there is required a great worke of God to make an aronement between sinners and himselfe this Sacrament doth hold forth thus much unto us wherefore else have we bread and wine but to signifie that the way of our rconciliation it must be through a Mediator Med. 2. The second Meditation is this that this Mediator that stands between God and us is verily and truely man hee hath taken our nature upon him the bread that puts us in mind of the body of Christ and the wine of his bloud and therefore we are to meditate of the humane nature of Iesus Christ and this is a meditation that hath abundance that might spring out of it what hath the Son of God taken our nature upon him hath hee body and bloud and humane nature upon him oh how hath God honoured humane nature then let me not abuse my body to lust to wickednesse seeing that Jesus Christ hath taken the body of man upon him humane nature upon him let me honour humane nature that is so neerly united to the divine nature that 's the second Meditation Meditation 3. Here 's presented unto us what this Mediator hath done for the reconciling of us unto God that his body was broken he hath subjected himself to the breaking of his body and to the pouring forth of his blood for the reconciling of us it is not meerly as before that God saith I le pardon them but Christ undertaking to make peace between his Father and us it cost him the breaking of his body and the pouring forth of his blood this is a usefull Meditation Oh what should we be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ in our bodies even to resist unto blood seeing Christ hath been content to have his precious body broken and his blood shed for us Meditation 4 Againe a fourth Meditation is this that here we come to see we have occasion of meditating of that the Scripture saith that we are by the blood of God saved it is the blood of God they crucified the Lord of glory that 's the Scripture phrase we should consider when we see the Wine poured out and so put in mind of blood whose blood and whose body is this It is no other but the body and blood of him that was truly God the second Person in Trinity This is the great Mystery of the Gospel and this is very needfull for us to be thinking of when we see the body broken and the blood poured out What will the breaking of the body and shedding of the blood of a meere creature be sufficient to make peace between God and Man surely no therefore you must meditate whose body this is and whose blood this is it is the body and blood of him that was God It s true God hath no body nor no blood but the same person that was God had a body and blood that body and blood was united unto the divine nature in a hypostaticall union and from thence it came to have an efficacie for to satisfie God for to reconcile God and us together this is the great mystery of godlinesse Med. 5. Another Meditation is this when you see Bread broken and Wine poured out oh the infinite dreadfulnesse of the justice of God! how dreadful is the justice of God that coming upon his own Son and requiring satisfaction from him that should thus break him and bruise him that should have his blood that should require such sufferings even from his Son dreadfull is Gods justice the justice of God it is to be feared and to be trembled at here we see what is required for the sinne of man and nothing would be bated to Jesus Christ himself Med. 6. Another Meditation is this here I see presented to me what every soul that shall be saved cost whoever shall have his soul sav'd he hath it sav'd by a ransom by a price paid that is more worth then ten thousand thousand worlds thou slightest thine owne soule but if it prove to be saved it cost more then if thousands of worlds had been given for thee even the shedding of the blood of Christ every drop of which was more precious then ten thousand worlds Meditation 7. Again from hence see what is the evill of sin how great it is that hath made such a breach between God and my soule that only such a way and such a means must take away my sinne I must either have laine under the burden of my sinne eternally or Jesus Christ that's God and man must suffer so much for it oh what Meditations are these to take up the hearts of men Meditation 8. Behold the infinite love of God to mankind and the love of Jesus Christ that rather then God would see the children of men to perish eternally he would send his Sonne to take our nature upon him and thus to suffer such dreadfull things herein God shows his love it is not the love of God so much in giving you a good voyage and prospering you outwardly in the world But so God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne And it pleased the Father to break his Sonne and to poure out his blood here is the love of God and of Jesus Christ oh what a powerfull mighty drawing efficacious Meditation should this be unto us Med. 9. Those that are
worship 96 5 God is a living God and what we should learn thence ibid 6 God is Almighty what that should teach us in our worship 97 7 God is Omniscient and what that should teach us 98 8 God is a God of Wisdom and what that should teach us 99 9 God is Holy and what that should teach us in our worship ibid 10 God is Mercifull and what that should teach us 100 11 God is just and what that should teach us 101 12 God is Faithfull and what we should learn thence 102 SERMON VII Reasons why God will be sanctified in all the duties of his Worship 1 God doth will himself the last End 104 2 The especiall glory God hath in the world is to be actively honoured 105 3 The duties of worship are the means to convey Gods choicest mercies ibid 4 We are not fitted to receive mercies but by sanctifying Gods Name ibid 5 Else we shall not hold out in duty 106 Application 1 We have no cause to rest on our duties 107 2 The work of Religion is hard to flesh and blood 109 3 We should be humbled that we have no more sanctified Gods Name 110 4 Exhortation to sanctifie Gods Name 113 1 To consider we have to deal with God in worship 114 2 Not to come in our owne strength 115 3 Not to be satisfied with the duty done ibid 5 God is displeased with the duties of wicked men 116 1 God blasts such men 117 2 God opens their eyes on their death bed to see what they have done 118 6 Those that sanctifie Gods name he will sanctifie it in a way of mercy 119 SERMON VIII Of sanctifying Gods name in hearing of the word 161 Hearing the word is a part of Gods worship 162 1 We professe our dependance upon God for the knowing of his mind 163 2 In hearing we wait on God in the way of an Ordinance ibid In hearing the word 1 There must be preparation 165 Which is 1 To hear the word as the word of God 166 2 To hear the word as Gods Ordinance for our good ibid 2 To plow up the fallow ground of the heart and what is meant by it 168 3 Resolution to yeild to all truths delivered 170 4 A desire after the word ibid 5 Prayer before we hear the word 171 The behaviour of the Soul in hearing the word 1 Carefull attention to it ibid Means to help attention ibid 2 An opening of the heart to receive it 175 3 Carefull applying of the word ibid 4 It must be mixed with Faith 177 How the word is to be mixed with Faith ibid SERMON IX 5 The word must be received with meeknesse 179 6 It must be heard with a trembling heart 181 7 With humble subjection to the word 182 8 It must be received with love and joy 184 9 It must be received into an honest heart 186 10 We must hide the word in our hearts 189 11 We must turne the word into practice 192 SERMON X Why God will be glorified in them that hear the word 195 1 Because there is so much of God in it ibid 2 God hath appointed it to convey speciall mercies ibid 3 It is quick and lively in working 169 Use 1 Reproof of severall sorts of men concerning the word neglected 197 The fearfull estate of those that do not sanctifie God in his word 200 1 They lose the choicest opportunity ibid 2 The word will be a great aggravation of sin ibid 3 They that reject the word reject Christ 201 4 It is an argument of hardnesse of heart 202 5 It is a sad sign of Reprobation ibid 6 To such there can be nothing sanctified 203 7 They are nigh to a curse ibid 8 It will turn to their damnation 205 9 It will not comfort them in afflictions 206 10 God will make his word good upon them 207 11 The word shall judge them ibid 12 God will blast them that sanctifie not his name in his word 208 Use 2 Exhortatio to glorifie the word of God 209 God will sanctifie his Name in mercy upon those that sanctifie it in hearing the word 210 1 All the good in the word is theirs ibid 2 It is a certain evidence of their election 213 3 God will sanctifie them by the word 214 4 They will be the glory of the Ministers at the day of Christ ibid 5 It will rejoyce them hereafter when God shall magnifie his word 215 SERMON XI Of Sanctifying the Name of God in receiving the Sacrament 225 1 Receiving the Sacrament is a part of Gods worship 226 2 Gods Name must be sanctified in our receiving the sacrament 228 1 Because there are presented the greatest Mysteries of salvation ibid 2 It is an Ordinance that Christ hath left out of his love ibid 3 It is the Sacrament of our Communion with Christ 229 4 The Covenant of Grace is sealed in it ibid 2 No duty is urged with more strength and severity ibid 3 Nothing striks more upon mens Consciences 230 How many are to Sanctifie Gods Name in the Sacrament 231 1 Those that receive it must be holy 232 1 Because it is the seal of the Covenant ibid 2 It is an Ordinance of spirituall nourishment 233 3 Because we are required to examine our selves ibid 4 It is a Sacrament of Communion with God and the Saints 234 2 It must be received in a holy Communion ibid Wicked men not to be admitted to this Communion 235 SERMON XII Addition to the former conerning holy Communion 242 The qualifications in the Soul to fit it for receiving the Lords Supper 244 1 Knowledge ibid 2 A broken heart 246 3 Actuall purging the heart from sin 249 4 Hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ 251 5 Exercise of Faith 252 6 Exercise of Spirituall joy 255 7 Thankfulnesse ibid 8 Renewing of Covenant 257 9 Renewing of love towards God and our brethren 258 SERMON XIII We must keep to the institution in the Sacrament 261 1 For the gesture 262 2 Delivering it to all in generall and not into every particular mans hand 264 3 That the Communicants be all the while exercised in their thoughts about the death of Christ 265 Mediations in receiving the Sacrament 267 1 That the way of mans salvation it is through a Mediator ibid 2 This Mediator between God and man is true man ibid 3 That his body was broken and his blood shed for us 268 4 It was the body and blood of that person that is God that reconciles us ibid 5 To consider the dreadfulnesss of Gods justice ibid 6 The price of saving a Soul 269 7 The greatness of the evill of sin ibid 8 The infinite love of God to mankind ibid 9 That beleevers shall be nourished to eternall life ibid 10 To meditate upon the Covenant of grace to beleevers 270 Holy disposition to be actuated in receiving the Sacrament 271 Of Sanctifying the name of God in Prayer 272 What preparation we are to make to Prayer 274 1 Concerning the matter of Prayer 276 2 Concerning the manner of prayer 280 Concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 281 SERMON XIV A further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 283 5 Rules to help against wandring thoughts 286 1 Set a high price upon the duties of Prayer ibid 2 To renew resolutions against wandring thoughts 287 3 To set the presence of God before us 288 4 To account all wandring thoughts evill ibid 5 To bless God if at any time he did help us against them 289 3 For sanctifying Gods name in Prayer there must be the breathings of the spirit 290 4 There must be pure hearts and hands 292 5 We must call upon God in truth ibid What it is to call upon God in truth ibid 6 We must pray in faith 293 7 In the spirit of adoption 294 8 We must pray with constancy 295 9 We must pray in humility ibid 10 We must tender up al our prayers in the name of Christ 296 Conclusion of all 297 FINIS 1 Observ 2 Observ Observ Observ 5 Observ 6 Observ 7 Observ 8 Observ 9 Observ 10 Obser 11 Obser 12 Obser 13 Obser Stepney Nov. 16. 1645. 14 Obser 15 Obser 16 Obser 17 Obser 18 Obser 19 Obser 20 Obser 21 Obser That we draw nigh to God in Holy Duties What it is to worship God The Second respect wherein the Soule is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties Applic. 1 Applic. 2 Applic. 3 Applic. 4 Applic. 5 By drawing nigh to God often we increâ—se 〈◊〉 grâ—â—ts We come to live holy lives A special signe of our adoption We come to be put in mind of the life of heaven Our drawing nigh to God delightfull to him By coming into Gods presence there is a blessed familiarity betweeÌ„ God and the soul Our familarity with God makes us to be potent with him By our communion with God the terror of death wil be taken away Safety in being neer to God Stepney Nov. 30. 1645. Applic. 6 Great honour God puts upon his servants Doct. 2. Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason 4 Reason 5 Reason 6 Stepney Decem. 7. 1645. Stepney Dec. 14 1645. Stepney Dec. 21 1645. Stepney Janu. 4. 1645. Stepney Janu. 11 1645. Stepney Janu. 25. 1645. Stepney Febr. 1. 1645.
the Covenant of grace both to have the Seale on his part and the Seale on ours surely this must needs call for a sanctifyed use of such a thing as is so holy as this is And that 's the first reason why we are to sanctifie Gods name in this because if we be in ordinary eating and drinking we must doe it then in this wherein there is so much of God wherein the Mysteries of Godlinesse are set before us wherein there is so much of the love of Christ wherein we are to have close Communion with Jesus Christ and wherein the Covenant of grace comes to be sealed on both sides there had need therefore be a sanctifying of Gods name in the use of it Secondly Consider this that there is no duty in all the book of God that I know of that is urged with more strength and severity then this is as that place in 1 Cor. 11. sheweth where you have required of every one that comes to receive the Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper That they should examine themselves and so eate and you have the most dreadfull expressions against those that doe not doe it that I know are mentioned against the neglect of any duty in all the Book of God there the holy-Ghost saith that whosoever eats and drinks unworthily First he is guilty of the body and bloud of Christ and then Secondly he eats and drinks his owne damnation These two expressions have as much dreadfulnesse in them as can be Imagined and we doe not find an exhortation to a duty backt with two such severe expressions in case we should neglect our duty as this exhortation What if wee doe not sanctifie Gods name in this duty wee come to be guilty of the body and bloud of Christ Bloud-guiltinesse is a terrible thing you know David cries out Lord deliver me from Bloud-guiltinesse to have but the bloud of an ordinary man to lie upon one to shed the bloud of the vildest Rogue that lives in a murderous way it would lie upon the Conscience and be very terrible it is impossible that such a man can be quiet all his dayes though he hath never such a seared Conscience A Heathen could not be at quiet if he hath the guilt of bloud lie upon him but to be guilty of the bloud of Christ whose bloud is ten thousand thousand times more worth then the bloud of all the men that ever lived upon the face of the earth must needs be a most dreadfull thing It is a fearefull expression guilty of the body and bloud of Christ that is he offers such an indignity to the body and bloud of Christ as the Lord will charge him of being guilty of it guilty of abusing of the body and bloud of Jesus Christ And then he doth eat and drinke his owne damnation but wee shall speake more to that when wee come to shew how God will sanctifie his name in those that doe not sanctifie it here in this holy Ordinance I will not therefore spend further time in those Scriptures for I bring them only now to shew that there is a necessity of it that we do sanctifie the name of God in this Ordinance Thirdly there is nothing that strikes more upon a mans conscience wee find it by experience even upon wicked mens consciences and especially upon such as begin to be enlightned in the holinesse of this Ordinance God hath put much honour upon it I confesse some men may use it superstitiously though it be an Ordinance of Christ yet God hath put a great deale of honour upon this Ordinance that men that are very wicked otherwise yet their Consciences tell them that when they come to this Ordinance then they must be good then they must not sinne but have good thoughts and good prayers at that time And many times they dare not come if their consciences tell them that they live in some sin I knew one my selfe once that was to be executed and he had never received this Ordinance in all his life though about fourty yeares of Age And being askt the reason why he confest he lived in some sin that hee was loth to leave and therefore would never come to that Ordinance all his life though herein the Devill gull'd and deceived him but I mention it to shew what a power there is in the consciences of men about this Ordinance this ordinarily is one of the first things that strikes upon the soules of men when they come to have their Consciences awakened Oh how have I prophaned the name of God in the Ordinance of the holy communion and have not sanctified his name in it That God should be sanctified in this Ordinance that 's cleer enough But now the great work is which is the third thing that I promised to shew how wee should sanctifie Gods name in this Ordinance Certainly the name of God hath bin much taken in vain there hath been a great deale of pollution in the use of this Ordinance and in mens Spirits when they have been exercising themselves in such an holy Ordinance as this is therefore I will open this to you and shall not be very large in it only to shew you the maine and principall things that may serve for the direction of us that the name of God may not be so taken in vaine and dishonored as heretofore and I shall cast what I intend to speak of into these particulars 1 That whosoever was to pertake of this must be holy himself none can sanctifie God but he must have a sanctified heart himselfe Secondly this Ordinance it must be received in a holy Communion There must be a Communion of Saints for this Ordinance and it cannot be received anywhere else but in a Communion of Saints Thirdly The holy disposition of soule particularly or the qualifications of soule that are required for the sanctifying of Gods name in this Ordinance Fourthly the manner of the explicite goings out of the soule that there are to bee at that very time of receiving Fifthly The keeping of the institution of Christ in our receiving These things are required for the sanctifying of the name of God in this Ordinance For the first Those that come must bee holy themselves This is an Ordinance not appointed for conversion to make holy others that are not converted may come to the word because the word it is appointed to worke conversion t is appointed to worke Grace to worke the first grace Faith comes by hearing but we doe not find in all the Scripture that this is appointed for conversion but it supposes conversion none are to come to receive this Sacrament but men and women that before are converted by the word the word first therefore is to be preached to men for their conversion and then this is an Ordinance appointed for to seale them therefore in the Primitive times they let all come to hearing of the word and then when the Sermon was done there was
an Officer stept up and cried holy things for holy men and then all others were to goe out and therefore it was called missa though the Papists did corrupt it and so called it the masse afterwards by mixing their own inventions in stead of the Supper of the Lord but it had that name at first I say this holy Communion was calld by the name of missa because that all others were sent away and only such as were of the Church and accounted godly staid holy things to holy men And this must needs be so because that the nature of it being the Seal of the Covenant of grace requires it it must be supposed that all that come hither must be in Covenant with God they must be such as have been brought to submit to the Condition of the Covenant Now the Condition of the Covenant of grace is Beleeve and be saved it is therefore appointed for beleevers And as the nature of it being a Seal supposeth a Covenant so none can have this Covenant sealed to them but those that doe first submit to it and are brought into Covenant when you make an Indenture and put to the Seale certainly the Seale belongs only to those that have their names in the Indenture Now t is true though mens names are not mentioned in the word yet the condition is to those that are brought in to beleeve in Jesus Christ saith God I come now to seale all my mercies in Christ to their soules We abuse God if we come to take the Seal to a blanke it is to make this Ordinance a ridiculous thing therefore there must be some transactions between God and your souls before you come to the Seale if a man should say to you come set to your seale to such a thing and there were never any kind of transactions between this man and you before you would account it ridiculous after there hath been agreements between you you use then to seale So it must be here I would appeal to many of your Consciences that have come to the Lords Supper what transactions have there been between God and your soules canst thou say the Lord was pleased to reveale himselfe to mee to make known to mee my wretched condition and the way of grace and salvation and shewed me that upon my comming in to receive his Son he would be mercifull to me and pardon my sins and I have found the Spirit of God working my heart to Jesus Christ the Lord from heaven speaking to me and I sending an Answer to heaven againe how willing my soule was to accept of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with poor Creatures in the word of his Gospell canst thou say this in the uprightnesse of thy heart if not know that this Seale belongs not to thee untill the Lord hath by his word subdued thy heart to this agreement first with him Secondly This Ordinance it is the Ordinance of spiritual nourishment of eating the flesh of Christ and drinking his bloud in a spirituall way Now it must needs suppose that first there must be life before there can be any nourishment received in If it be appointed to nourish and increase grace then surely there must be grace before what nourishment can a dead child take the very first thing that is to be done is nourishment here The word hath power to convey life and then to nourish but we read of no such thing here but that which is to be done here is presently to feed to eat and to drinke that 's the end of the Sacrament therefore it must be supposed that thou must have spiritual life there must come no dead Soule to this Ordinance but those who are quickned by the Spirit of Jesus Christ they must come for nourishment Thirdly the act here required doth note that only those that are holy and godly can receive this Sacrament we are required by the Apostle to examine our selves To examine our selves of what it must be of our godlinesse examine what worke of God hath been upon the soule how God hath brought the soule to himselfe and what Graces of the Spirit of God are there And how we have been brought into Covenant with God now if only those can receive worthily and are to come that first examine themselves then certainly such only as are godly are to come for they only can performe those acts that are required Fourthly It s a Sacrament of Communion with God and Communion with the Saints now what Communion hath Light and Darknesse or what fellowship hath Christ with Belial If it be a Sacrament of Communion of coming to the Table of God will God have his enemies to come to his Table you will invite no enemies to your Tables but your children and friends so they must be the children of God and the friends of God these that are reconciled to God in the bloud of his Son and those that are his children that must sit at his Table therefore they must be holy Now this may suffice for that first thing that this is not an Ordinance for all sorts of people but such as have submitted to the condition of the Covenant before Such as have grace and abilitie to examine themselves of their graces and such as are children and reconciled to God and so are fit to sit at the Table of God and to enjoy Communion with him and with his Son and with the Saints for we are one body sacramentally when we come to this holy Ordinance all others therefore certainly are to be kept from this Sacrament but such 2 The second thing will make it out more fully and that is it is not enough that wee be holy our selves and so all ignorant prophane and scandalous yea all that are meerly civil that can not make out any work of Godlinesse upon their hearts in bringing them to Christ are excluded But 1 It is to be done in a holy Communion and is cleer out of that place in 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. The Cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ the bread which wee break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ and then saith the Apostle in the 17. verse for we being many are one bread and one body therefore all that come to receive the Sacrament they must so come as they must be one body one spiritual Corporation this very consideration that those with whom we receive the Sacrament are one body with us it hath a great deale in it for the helping of us to sanctifie Gods Name this Ordinance I say it is to be received only in a holy Communion one Christian cannot receive the Sacrament alone there must be a Communion wheresoever it is to be administered it is not enough there is one Godly man there but there must be a Communion of Saints and in that communion it is to be received Quest You will say must it be received in
is more then to read in a book more then to say a few words yee see it is a very hard thing to pray a work of great difficultie and no marvell though we have lost so many of our prayers as we have done we must not charge prayer and God with it but look to our selves I mean not charge the Ordinance of prayer but the vilenesse of our carriage in our prayers and let us for time to come know what a Christian life meanes it is said of Christ in Luke 9. 29. that as hee was praying the fashion of his countenance was changed Oh that 's an excellent thing that when wee have been in our closets at prayer to come away with our faces shining my Brethren could we but pray in such a manner as this is the very fashion of our countenances would be changed as Moses when he came from the presence of God upon the Mount or as Christ that had the fashion of his countenance changed Prayer it is the sweet ease of ones spirit it s the help at a dead lift it s the great Ordinance of our Communion with God in this world and therefore let us learne this Art of sanctifying Gods name in Prayer I shall conclude all in this you have heard the mystery of the sanctifying the name of God in worshipping God now I beseech you you that have been a long time in the school of Christ as it were Apprentices to Christ to learn Christianity be ashamed that you have understood so little of this art in Sanctifying the name of God in prayer It is an art and a mystery that you must be instructed in and you are not Christians till you are instructed in this as in an art and mystery And that man and woman that shall be instructed truly in this art and mystery in Sanctifying Gods name now in the worshiping of him such a man and woman shall be to all eternity Sanctifying the name of God in praysing of him There is a time coming when all the Saints must be in the presence of God and be alwaies praising of him and they shall then Sanctifie Gods name for ever let us now learn this art of Sanctifying Gods name in praying that we may eternally Sanctifie his name in praising of him FINIS ERRATA PAge 94. line 9. for capitall read corporeall Pag. 182. l. 25. for world r. word Pag. 226. l. 36. f. come r. we come Pag. 247. l. 3. f. which r. with Pag. 251. l. 21. f. with r of Pag. 252. l. 34. f. body r. blood Pag. 259. l. 20. f. is r. as Pag. 263. l. 9. f. whereas r. when Pag. 267. l. 3. f. plucking r. partaking FINIS AN EXACT ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF ALL THE PRINCIPAL TRUTHS IN THE FOREGOING SERMONS A Absolutly SPirituall things to be prayed for absolutly 277 Accept Acceptation Acceptation of our persons the means of it 69 God accepts not the duties of wicked men 116 The services of the Saints accepted 120 Act Actuall Action see Grace Actuall sanctification 68 The Lord accepts the person before the action 69 God is a pure act and requires actuall service 97 Adoption Sign of adoption to desire to be oft in Gods presence 36 We must pray in the spirit of adoption 294 Affections Affections the strength of them required in Gods worship 82 Aggravation Aggravation of sin to neglect due hearing the word 200 Afflictions see Honour They that sanctifie not God in hearing the word can have no comfort from it in afflictions 206 Whether it be lawfull to pray for afflictions 277 Afflictions in themselves materially evill 278 All All that we have must be given to God 63 All things sanctified to the godly 119 Altar Christ is the Altar upon which 〈◊〉 offer all our sacrifices 92 Angel Angel what it signifieth 91 Angels the aggravation of their sin 195 Anger Anger not to be brought into Gods service 19 Apply We must apply the word in hearing it 175 Apostacie see Schisme Apostacie the ground of it 206 Assurance The Gospel gives assurance of salvation 212 Attention Attention must be given in hearing of the word 171 B Beginners Beginners in Religion to be carefull of preparation 56 Beleeving Beleeving the condition of the Covenant of Grace 232 Birds Wandring thoughts in prayer as the birds to Abrahams sacrifice 283 Blast God blasts those men that sanctifie him not in worship 117 God will blast those that neglect his word 208 Blesse Many blesse themselves in evill wayes 198 To blesse God for helping us against wandring thoughts in prayer 289 Blind Blind sacrifice not to be offered to God 98 Bloud A fearfull thing to be guilty of Christs bloud 230 Breathing see Spirit Broken see Heart What kind of broken heart is required in receiving the Lords Supper 255 Christs Body broken for us 268 C Children Gods Saints may meet with afflictions in their Children 20 Ground of contentment in afflictions upon our Children 21 Church Church what it signifieth 235 Church defiled by wicked men uncastout 236 Civill see Worship Christ All worship must be tendered in the Name of Christ 91 All must be tendered in Christ because of Gods justice 101 They that reject the word reject Christ 201 All our prayers must be tendered in the Name of Christ 296 Command Nothing must be tendered to God in worship but what he hath Commanded 8 No expresse Command for many things in the New Testament 15 Comfort see Word Communion Communion with God not increased by the duties done with naturall conscience 88 The Sacrament the Ordinance of our Communion with Christ 229 The Sacrament must be received in a holy Communion 234 How far the presence of wicked men hinder this Communion 235 No close Church Communion with wicked men 240 More Communion with Christ in the Sacrament then in the word 251 Confession Ground of confession to God 98 Conscience Sinners against conscience need great preparation to duties 57 Duties acted by naturall Conscience 88 Naturall Conscience limits it self in duties 89 Trouble of Conscience should make men meekly hear the word 180 Consciences of wicked men troubled about the Sacrament 230 Constant Men acted by naturall parts are not constant in duties 88 There must be constancy in our prayers 295 Contrary The word will be made good on the contrary to those that abuse it 205 Conversion Conversion not wrought by the Sacrament 232 Covenant In the Sacrament we make a solemn Covenant 226 Covenant of Grace sealed in the Sacrament 229 Those that receive the Sacrament must be in the Covenant of Grace 232 Condition of that Covenant ibid Renewing of Covenant in the Sacrament 257 Crucified Christ crucified in the Sacrament 248 Curse They that neglect the word are nigh to a curse 203 Cursing of others sinfull 278 How farre we may curse the enemies of the Church 280 D Danger see Dignity Dark see Mind Dead Death Fear of death taken away how 38 Wee must not bring dead services and hearts to
sight of God and our Father Knowing Brethren beloved your election of God Why For our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance And know this excellency there is in sanctifying Gods name in hearing the word I beseech you mark it that it is a more blessed thing then if you did bear Jesus Christ in your wombes You that are women would not you have accounted it a great happines if Christ had been borne in your wombes Now if thou comest to the hearing of the word and sanctifiest Gods name in it thou art in a better condition and hast a greater blessing upon thee then if thou hadest borne Jesus Christ in thy womb In Luk. 11. 27. 28. And it came to passe as he spake these things that a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Seeing Christ and what gracious things came from him she spake so But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God keep it That is Labour to sanctifie my name as hath been opened in the particulars rather is that women blessed that do so then the woman that bare Christ Me thinks this one scripture should be such a scripture for women to cause them to sanctifie Gods name in hearing of the word instead of a hundred scriptures certainly thou maiest be so blessed if thou wilt beleeve the word that comes from Christs mouth 3 Do you sanctifie the name of God in the Word that wil sanctifie you by that your souls come to be sanctified it wil comfort you in the day of your affliction it will save you at last 4 You that do sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of his Word you will be the glory of the Ministers of God at the great day of judgement You will be an honour to them before the Lord and his Saints and Angels In Phil. 2. 16. Holding forth saith the text the word of life This is the duty of all the hearers of the word that they must hold forth the word of life when you go home you must hold forth the power of the word you hear well what will become of that That I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not runne in vain neither laboured in vain Let that be one motive among the rest saith the Apostle this will be such a glory to me that I in the day of Jesus Christ shall rejoyce that I have not laboured in vain I shall blesse God for all my studies and care and all the pains that ever I have taken and ventring my self for this People I shall blesse God in the day of Jesus Christ Would it not be a comfortable thing to you that all the Ministers of God that come to preach the word faithfully to you If at the day of Jesus Christ you should hear them blessing God that ever he did send them to preach the Gospel in such a place and you should hear them saying Oh Lord it may be had I been sent to another place I should have spent all my strength in vain but through thy mercy I was sent to a teachable people that were ready to imbrace thy word Oh this is my crown and glory Would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful to think this that their holding forth the word of life will not only be a glory to God which is the cheif but it will be a glory to the Ministers to recompence all their labours that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of Jesus Christ but you shall adde to the glory of his faithful Ministers likewise when they do appear before Christ 5 I shall adde one particular more There is a time coming when God shall magnifie his word before men and Angels In Iâ—â— 22. 21. He will magnifie his Law and make it honorable What a joy shal it be to thee when the Lord before men and Angels shall come to magnifie his word and make it honorable for thee then to think This is the word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time this is that word that I did reverence that I did obey that I did love that I made to be the joy of my heart this word the Lord now doth magnifie and make to be honorable This will be comfortable to thy Soul The Eleventh SERMON The Eleventh SERMON LEVITICUS 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me THE last day we finished the point of Sanctification of the name of God in the hearing of his Word and now wee will proceed to the Sanctification of the name of God in receiving the Sacrament that 's the next duty of worship Now first for the word Sacrament I confesse wee have not that word in all the Scripture as neither have we the word Trinitie and divers other words that Ministers make use of to set forth the Mysteries of Religion by but yet it is usefull to consider the meaning why Ministers in the Church have given this name unto those signes and seals that the Church receives Sacrament is to hallow a thing or to dedicate because in the Sacraments there are outward things that are made holy for holy and spirituall ends Secondly wee our selves do as it were hallow or dedicate our selves unto God in the use of these Ordinances that 's one reason from whence it hath the name Or otherwise as some will have it Sacramentum because it is to be received Sacramente with a holy mind and therefore cald the Sacrament The Churches have used it a long time in Tertullians time which was above fourteen hundred years agoe he was the first that we find used this word and most that would open the word unto us say that especially it was taken from the practise of Souldiers who when they came and listed themselves bound themselves in a solemne oath to be faithful to their Captaine and to the Cause that they did undertake and the oath they were wont to call Sacramentum A Sacrament Now in regard that Christians when they come to this Ordinance they come to seale a Covenant with God and though they doe not formally and explicitely take an oath yet they bind themselves in a holy Covenant which hath the strength even of an oath in it For a solemne Promise to the high God hath the strength of an oath in it and from thence they were cald by these names Sacraments but that for the word that you may understand it But the word the Scripture useth to set out this Sacrament by that now I am speaking of is the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ so you have it in 1 Cor. 10. 6. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it
now when it is meerly out of love to Jesus Christ that I might have more edification to my soule and still I retain love to the Saints that are there as they are in a Communion and so farre as they have any thing good among them I hold Communion with them in that onely I desire in humility and in meekenesse that I may be in such a place where my soule may be most edified where I may enjoy all those Ordinances that Christ hath appointed for his Church certainly that soule that can give this account to Iesus Christ for going from one place to another will be freed by Iesus Christ from such a sinne as this that the world cals Schisme but the truth is this word is in mens mouthes that understand not what it means and the devill alwayes will have some word or other cast upon them that are good for hee hath heretofore gained much by it so still he makes account to gaine much by words and Termes and therefore men should take heed of words and Termes that they do not understand and examine seriously what the meaning of these words and what is held forth in those words and thus much for that point that it must be in a holy Communion wherever there is the receiving of the Lords Supper it must be received in a holy Communion Now wee are to proceed to that which is the maine thing and that is What are the holy qualifications or dispositions of the soule together with the actings fit in the receiving of the Lords Supper what is required in the soule for the sanctifying of the name of God in this holy Sacrament there are many things required As first there is required knowledge I must know what I doe when I come to receive this holy Sacrament knowledge applyed to the worke that I am about when some of you have come to receive this Sacrament if God should have spoken from heaven and have said thus to you what are you doing now what do you go for what account had you been able to have given unto him you must understand what you doe when you come thither First you must bee able to give this account to God Lord I am now going to have represented to me in a visible and sensible way the greatest mysteries of godlinesse those great and deep Councels of thy will concerning my eternall estate those great things that the Angels desire to pry into that shall be the matter of eternall praises of Angels and Saints in the highest heavens that they may be set before my view Lord when I have come to thy word I have had in mine eares sounding the great mysteries of godlinesse the great things of the Covenant of grace and now I goe to see them represented before mine eyes in that Ordinance of thine that thou hast appointed Yea Lord I am now going to receive the Seales of the blessed Covenant of thine the second Covenant the new Covenant the Seales of the Testimony and will of thine I am going to have confirmed to my soule thine everlasting Love in Jesus Christ Yea Lord I am going to that Ordinance wherein I expect to have Communion with thy selfe and the communication of thy cheife mercies to my soule in Jesus Christ I am going to feast with thee to feed upon the body and bloud of Jesus Christ Yea I am now going to set to the Seale of the Covenant on my part to renew my Covenant with thee I am going to have Communion with thy Saints to have the bond of Communion with all thy people to be confirmed to me that there might be a stronger bond of union and love between me and thy Saints then ever these are the ends that I go for this is the work that I am now going about thus you must come in understanding you must come with understanding you must know what you are going about this is that which the Apostle speaks of when he speaks of the discerning the Lords Body he rebukes the Corinthians for their sin and shews them that they were guilty of the body and bloud of Christ because they did not discerne the Lords body they lookt only upon the outward elements but did not discerne what there was of Christ there they did not understand the institution of Christ they did not see how Christ was under those elements both represented and exhibited unto them that 's the first thing there must be knowledge and understanding And now for the knowledge and understanding of the nature of the Sacrament there need be knowledge in other points of Religion for we can never come to understand the nature of this Sacrament without knowing God and knowing our selves knowing in what estate we were by nature knowing our Fall knowing the way of Redemption knowing Jesus Christ what he was and what he hath done for the making of an Atonement the necessity of Jesus Christ and what the way of the Covenant is that God hath appointed to bring mens soules to eternall life by The maine points of Religion must be known but especially that that concernes the nature of a Sacrament Now this knowledge likewise must be actuall not meerly habituall knowledge but there must be a stirring up of this knowledge that is by meditation I must be meditating have actuall thoughts and meditations of what I doe know that ought to be the work of a Christian in comming to receive the Sacrament to quicken up his knowledge to have a renewed work of his knowledge by actuall thoughts and meditations of the maine points of Religion and especially of the nature and the end of this holy institution that is the first thing Secondly As wee must come understandingly without which wee cannot sanctifie Gods name so we must come with hearts sutable to the work that wee are about that is because the great thing that is here is the breaking of Christs body and the pouring forth his bloud A sutable disposition to this is brokennesse of heart sence of our sinne of that dreadfull breach that sin hath made between God and the soul our sin should be upon our hearts so as to break them But this brokennesse must be evangelicall it must be through the applying of the blood of Christ unto my soule I must come to be sensible of my sin but especially be sensible of it by what I see in the holy Sacrament that must make me sensible of my sinne There are a great many things to make me sensible of my sin The consideration of the great God that thou hast sinned against and the Curse of the Law that 's due to thee the wrath of God that is incensed against thee for thy sin and those eternall flames that are prepared for sinners those everlasting burnings But now those are not the things that will break the heart in an evangelicall way in a gracious way the maine thing by which the soule must come to break its heart must be the
beholding of the evil of sin in the red glasse of the blood of Jesus Christ the beholding him broken and truely there is nothing in the world that hath that power to break the heart for sin as the beholding of that which is to be beheld in the holy Sacrament and that heart is a hard heart that can see what is there to be seen and not break in the apprehension of sin when I here see what my sinne cost what a price was made for my soule when I see the hatred of God against sinne and the justice of God in not sparing his Sonne but in breaking his Sonne for my sinne and in shedding the blood of his Sonne for my sinnes I see here that the making of my peace which God did cost more then ten thousand worlds is worth I see that by my sin such a breach was made between God and my soule that all the Angels in heaven and men in the world could never make up this breach only the Sonne of God hee that was God and man that was thus broken by the burden of the wrath of his Father for my sins could do this The truth is when wee come to this holy Communion we are to look upon Christ as if we saw him hanging upon the Crosse suppose thou hadst lived at the time when Christ was crucifyed and hadst understood as much concerning the death of Christ as now thou doest and what Christ was if so bee that thou shouldest have beheld him in the Garden and there sweating drops of water and blood and lie groveling upon the ground crying if it be possible let this cup passe from me and shouldest have followed him to the crosse and their have seen his hands and feet nailed and his side pierced and the bloud trickling downe and have heard him crying out my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee would not such a sight as this is have broken thy heart for thy sinne the truth is there is more I won't say only so much but I say there is more in this Sacrament to breake the heart for sin then such a sight as that You will say if you should have Christ to be crucified again before your eyes if you should see the body of Christ hanging upon the Crosse and there behold him crucified and hearing of him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me you would think if your hearts did not break for sin then that they were desperately hard know every time that thou hast come to receive the Sacrament thou hast come to see such a fight and it is as great an aggravation of the hardnesse of thy heart if it hath not broken at this sight as it would be if it should not break at that fight We read in Gal. 3. 1. of Pauls speaking of the preaching of the Gospel he saith that Christ was crucified before those that did hear the word and foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you hee doth not meane that Christ was crucified in Galatia but that where the word was preached he was evidently set forth and crucified among them but now my brethren the crucifying of Christ in the word is not such a reall evident and sensible setting forth of Christ crucified as when he is set forth in this Sacrament and t is that which works with more efficacie to break the heart then that other sight and the reason that I give is this Because you doe never find that God did set that apart as an Ordinance an institution appointed to that end that they should come to look upon that for the breaking of their hearts there was indeed a naturalnesse in it that if they did behold Christ it might break their hearts but it was not such an Ordinance it was not a Sacrament as this is now this being in a sacramentall way in the use of an Ordinance appointed by Iesus Christ to set forth his sufferings and all the riches of the Covenant of grace to the soule there may be expected here a further blessing then in the other though its true the other might worke mightily upon the heart but yet this being a great Ordinance of Christ in the church a great institution of Iesus Christ for the setting out of his sufferings it hath a more special blessing that goes along with it every Ordinance hath a promise and a more speciall blessing then any other thing that is not an Ordinance So when you come here to behold Christ crucified before you you cannot see Christ naturally crucified as upon the Crosse but you have Christ crucified before you in the way of a Sacrament in the way of a solemne institution of Iesus Christ that hath a speciall Blessing which goes along with it therefore if the heart be not broken here there is an aggravation of the hardnesse of the heart as great as if we should behold Iesus Christ upon the Crosse and our hearts not broken there and indeed this is a special reason why those are said to be guilty of the body and bloud of Christ that receive unworthily as if a man had been then alive and had been before the Crosse and there have seen how the blood of Iesus Christ was shed for sinne and should not have been affected with it but should have acounted it as a common thing this man in some regard might have been said to be guilty of his death that is to have joyned and consented with those that did crucifie him for if a man sees another commit a sin if he bee not affected with that sinne and it does not stirre his heart he may come to be partaker of his Sinne so those that shall come to see Jesus Christ crucifyed and have not their hearts at all stir'd with the crucifying of Christ they are in some regard truly said to be guilty of the body and blood of Iesus Christ and that 's the second thing brokennesse of Spirit is suitable to the light of a broken Christ 3. The third thing that is here to be done in the sanctifying of Gods name is the purging and cleansing of the heart from sinne an actuall cleansing and purging the heart from sinne there ought to be The Iews in their Passeover were to cast out all leaven and those that write of the custome of the Jews say that they were wont to doe three things in the casting out of their Leven 1. They made diligent search for Leaven they lighted Candles to look into every Corner least there should be any bit of Leaven left in the house 2. When they found it they cast it out 3. They used an execration they did curse themselves if they should willingly keepe any Leaven in the house So my brethren when we come to partake of this holy Ordinance there should be a diligent inquisition for sin for Sin in Scripture is
and with a holy cheerfulnesse with a holy freedome of Spirit not in a sullen way but as a child in the presence of his Father and not as a Servant with the Master Object You told us before that there should be brokennesse of Spirit and sence of our sin Answ That may be and joy we rejoyce with trembling therefore that brokennesse of Spirit that I meant must not bee slavish horrour and feare but a kindly melting of the soule from the aprehension of the love of God unto it in Jesus Christ that was willing to be at so great cost to purchase the pardon of sin such a gracious mourning as may stand with joy and the truth is that that sorrow for sin in the Sacrament that is not mixt with joy is a sorrow that doth not sanctifie Gods name godly sorrow and evangelicall joy may stand together very well And therefore know that this is not the time neither to give liberty to have your hearts sinke no there must be no sinking sorrow of heart but such a sorrow of heart as in the midst of it you may be able to look upon God as a reconciled Father to you and have a cheerfulnesse of Spirit as in the midst of it you must look upon your selves as Gods guest to be merry at his Table now this is a great mystery of godlinesse that there should be at the same time the sight of Christ crucified and yet at the same time a spirituall cheerfulnesse in the assurance of the love of God in Iesus Christ I say it is a Mystery and only those that are Beleevers are able to understand this mystery how to have their hearts break and yet how to rejoyce at the same time in that unspeakeable love of God that is here presented unto them in this Sacrament Seventhly In the next place there must be thankefulnesse therefore it is called the Eucharist and in one of the Evangelists where it is said Christ blest the bread in another it is said Christ gave thanks Christ when he instituted this Sacrament hee gave thanks he gave thanks for what he gave thanks to God the Father that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor soules now shall Iesus Christ give thanks unto God the Father for that that did cost him his life yea saith Christ I see that here is a way to save soules and let it cost me my life if it will yet I blesse thee O Father if soules may come to be sav'd though it cost me my life Christ rejoyced in his Spirit in thanking his Father for this then how should our hearts be inlarged with thankefulnesse when we come to this that the Ancients were wont to call the Eucharist that is a thanksgiving we are to give God thankes for every mercy you will not eate your owne bread without giving of thankes but when wee come to have this bread this bread of life here is matter of thankefulnesse here is matter of inlargement of soule thou that hast the deadest and dullest soule and straightest Spirit yet when thou comest hither and understandest what thou doest here thou canst not but see matter for the inlargement of thy heart and wish that thou hadst ten thousand thousand times more strength to expresse the praises of the Lord here is a thing that must be the subject of the Hallelujahs and doxologies that Angels and Saints must for ever sound out in the highest heavens dost thou know what the Lord presents to thee here it is more then if the Lord should say I will make ten thousand worlds for the sake of this creature and give all these worlds to him thou wouldest thinke that thou wert bound to blesse him then only when God in the Bread and wine reaches out to thee the body bloud of his Sonne here is more matter of praise then if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee and therefore God expects that thou shouldest say to thy soule my soul praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases O poor soule here is the foundation of all mercies dost thou praise God for justification for sanctification here is a glorious application of the mercy of God to the soules of sinners and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull be thankefull here The Sabbath my Brethren that is appointed to be the set constant day of thankesgiving for the great mercies of God in Christ and there are other dayes for nationall mercies now a speciall work of the Lords day is the celebration of this holy Sacrament and the Christians in former times were wont to do it every Lords day because that 's the day appointed by God for to be the day of thankesgiving for that great mercy the Lord Jesus Christ and that 's the reason why the Sabbath was changed the last day of the week was the Iewish Sabbath and that was to celebrate the memoriall of the Creation of the world and the first day now it is to be the day of thanksgiving for all the work of God in mans redemption Eightly A further thing is this if you would sanctifie Gods name you must be willing to renew your Covenant that 's the end of it there must be an actuall renewing of your Covenant with God that 's thus I come to receive this bread and this wine and this is to be as the Seale of the Covenant on Gods part now this will be emplyed in the nature of the thing that if I take the Seales of Gods Covenant that I must be willing to set to my Seale too to renew the Covenant that God calls me to now know all men and women that are sav'd they are sav'd by the vertue of the Covenant of grace and there God on his part promises and makes a Covenant that hee will bestow his Son life and salvation through him and thou must likewise come in on thy part and beleeve on his Son and repent which is the Tenour of the Gospel now every time thou comest to receive this Sacrament thou commest to renew this Covenant As if thou shouldest say Lord thou hast been pleased to make a Covenant of grace as the first Covenant was broken and all men were cast by that Covenant now thou hast made a Covenant of grace and callest thy servants whom thou intendest to save that they should renew their Covenant with thee in this Sacrament of thine Lord here I come and Lord here I renew it and set to my seale to promise and Covenant with thee that as ever I expect to receive any good from Christ so Lord here I will be thine I will give up my selfe for ever to thee as thou hast given me the Body and bloud of Christ for my salvation so Lord here I consecrate my body and bloud to thee the last drop of
my heart blood shall be given up to thee and so my strength and estate and name and whatever I am or have shall be thine Have you done thus when you have come to receive the Sacrament have you actually renewed your Covenant with God you that have taken the body of Christ have you given up your body to Christ what 's the reason then that you sinne so much with your bodies that you abuse your body with uncleannesse and drunkennesse and other wickednesse afterwards oh you prophane the name of God and the very body and blood of Christ in this except thou givest up thy body and soule to God in way of Covenant Ninthly In the last place for the sanctifying of Gods name there is required a renewing of Love the comming with lovely dispositions and the renewing of the grace of love not only towards God but towards our Brethren for it is the feast of the Lord and it is an act of Communion Communion not only with Christ but with his Churches with his Saints and as I have told you that there is a profession of our selves to be of the same body with Jesus Christ then the Lord requires that his children should not fall out that come to his Table but that there should be love and peace there 's a mighty bond upon thee when thou commest to the Sacrament and therefore first all heart burnings and heart grudges must bee laid aside and Secondly you must come with a willingnesse to be reconciled one to another willingnesse to passe by all infirmities in thy Brethren here I have the Seale of Gods willingnesse to passe by all my sins and therefore I must bee willing to passe by all infirmities in my Brethren I must now cast out all ill wishes towards others and come with a desire of all good unto them and with a heart ready to embrace any opportunity to do any good thou doest lye unto God except thou commest with such a heart as this is Lord thou knowest that I am willing to take all opportunities to doe good to those that I now doe communicate with for it is the nearest Communion that possibly can be in this world betweene one Creature and another and this is the reason why there should bee that Ordinance of Christ set up everywhere to cast out those that are unworthy because it is the greatest union and Communion that possibly can be for it is the Sacrament and Communion of the same body they are the same members of Christ now if thou doest not thinke such a one to be a member of Christ why doest not thou what thou canst to have him cast out but so long as thou hast done nothing in private to him or in telling the Church thou doest owne him to be a member of Iesus Christ if thou doest so take heed how thy heart be estranged from him take heed how thou behavest thy selfe to them take heed how thou livest in a jarring way and a contentious way with them and holdest them off at staves end or walking at a distance from them though they be never so poor and mean know that thou doest prophane this holy Ordinance every time thou commest to it when thou commest with such a heart as this is if thou dost not find this renewed love Lord there began to be a strangenesse between me and those that have communicated with me but Lord thou art pleased to vouchsafe us to come once more to this Ordinance and Lord here we do professe that this Ordinance shall unite our hearts together more then ever they were I will study to doe what good possibly I can to my brother that is we joyne here to the feast of the Lord with comfort so we may live together in peace and love as it becomes the Saints of God and the members of the Body of Iesus Christ oh how farre are people from any such worke of God as this is the Lord expects that this should be in you every time you come to the holy Communion here hath been nine particulars now mentioned for the sanctifying of the name of God when wee come to partake of the Sacrament but oh Lord what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts â— for if this be to sanctifie thy name then it hath been a riddle a mystery to us certainly my brethren these things are the truths of God that I have delivered and so farre as you have been wanting in any of these know so farre you have taken Gods name in vaine in this holy Ordinance you have not been worthy receivers of this Sacrament you have cause to look back to your former waies and spend much humilation for your sin herein and not to be so greedy of it as some are they must have the Communion but I put it to your Consciences have you repented you for the profaning of Gods name and that 's that that we should further have spoken of that God will be sanctified that 's thus if we doe not sanctifie Gods name it will quite turne to the contrary it is the proper end of the Sacrament to seale up our salvation but if wee sanctifie not Gods name it will seale up our condemnation if it hath not been thy endeavour to sanctifie the name of God so many times as thou hast received the Sacrament so many seales hast thou upon thee for the sealing up of thy condemnation many mens or womens condemnations are sealed with three or foure hundred seales it may be But yet for thy comfort while thou art alive it is possible that thse Seales may be broken open as wee read in the Revelations that John saw the Book that had seven seals upon it and none could be found that was able to open it at length the Lamb that was slaine he was found worthy to open the Book So I say thy condemnation is sealed up with many seales and there is no Creature that is able to cancel these seales only the Lamb Iesus Christ yea that Christ whose blood thou hast shed and been guilty of only he is worthy and he is willing to open these seales for as it was with those that did crucifie Christ yet they were sav'd by the same blood that they had shed as in Acts 2. so though thou hast been guilty of shedding the blood of Christ againe and againe by thy prophane coming to the Sacrament yet know seeing there is life in thee and the day of grace is continued it is possible that thy soul may be sav'd by that blood that thou hast crucified O how many are cut off that have thus prophan'd the name of God in this Sacrament and never came to understand this danger they are cut of and now are undone for ever why blesse God that thou art alive to heare more about this Sacrament and how Gods name should be sanctifyed that thou art alive and hast time to repent thee of this great evill of profaning the name
beleevers they shall be nourished to eternall life so that there is no feare that ever a beleever should quite fall off from God and die in his sin Why Because the body and blood of Christ is given unto him for his spirituall nourishment though a beleever be never so weak yet seeing God hath appointed the body and blood of his Sonne for him to feed upon and to drink in a spirituall way surely then the weakest in the world will be strengthned to goe through all the hazzards and dangers that there are in the world t is this that strengthens beleevers to encounter with all kind of dangers it s this that preserves the weakest grace in a beleever namely the spirituall nourishment that God the Father hath appointed to them even the feeding upon the body and drinking the very blood of his Son this is meat indeed and drinke indeeed that will nourish to eternall life Med. 10. the last Meditation is this when you come to this seeing the bread broken and the wine powred out you have an occasion to meditate of the whole new Covenant the Covenant of grace that God hath made with sinners for so the words of institution are This is the Cup of the new Testament the new Testament which is all one with the new Covenant only different in this particular it containes the substance of the new Covenant but calld Testament in this regard to shew that the Lord doth do all in the new Covenant that is he doth not only promise such and such mercies upon condition of our beleeving and repenting but he doth work beleeving and repenting and works grace and therefore the same thing that is sometime cald a Covenant is calld a Testament that is the will of God wherein the Lord doth bequeath his rich legacies to his Children to those that shall be eternally saved so that all the good things in the Covenant of grace they are bequeathed by way of Testament as well as Covenant and this is a mighty comfortable meditation to the Saints for indeed when they look upon the way of the Gospell as in a way of Covenant why then they thinke this this requires somewhat of our parts to be done and indeed God will keep Covenant on his part but it may be we shall not keep Covenant on ours and so we may faile at last but now when thou lookest upon all the good things in the Gospel dispensed in the way of a Testament that is the will of God the legacies that God doth bequeath to his servants this is a mighty comfort to the soule that all the precious things of the Gospel come to mee in the way of a Testament and that 's the meaning of the new Testament that is the mercies of God in Christ comming now in the way of another administration then they did before t is not only new in respect of the Covenant of workes that God made with Adam but new in respect of the administration our forefathers the Patriarchs they had the same thing in substance but administred in a darker way and many differences there are but now when wee heare of the new Testament there is presented unto us all the riches of the Covenant of grace in the way of a legacie and in the administration of it with cleernesse and with a great deal of mercy and goodnesse of God the terrour and harshnesse of the old administration being taken away Now these are the meditations by which wee should labour to sanctifie our hearts when we are receiving of the Sacrament and in the working of these meditations upon our hearts wee shall come to sanctifie the name of God when we are drawing nigh to him in that holy Ordinance of his thus for meditation The next thing when wee are there must be an actuating of these holy dispositions that before wee spoke of t is not enough for a Christian to bring grace to the Sacrament but there must be a stirring of that grace at that time or otherwise the name of God is not sanctifyed in the receiving of the Sacrament and above all graces the actuating of the grace of faith t is not enough that thou beest a beleever but thy faith must act at that very instant as thus First when thou hearest the Minister in the name of Christ say thus this is the body of Iesus Christ which was given for you take eat thou shouldest have thy faith so acting upon the mercy of God in giving Iesus Christ for the nourishment of thy foule to eternall life as if thou didst heare a voice from heaven saying here is the body of my Sonne given for thee particularly take it and eat apply it to thee and so make Christ one with thee by faith as the bread is made one with thy body when thou doest eat it And then when thou commest to take hold of the bread thou art to put forth an act of faith faith being as the hand of the soule and at that instant when thou takest the bread and puttest it into thy mouth to eat thou shouldest stirre up the act of faith afresh laying more hold upon Jesus Christ look as once thou didst in thy first conversion when Christ was presented to thee in the word or in any other way there was an act of faith drawne forth whereby thy soule did cast it selfe and roule it selfe upon Jesus Christ so shouldest thou renew it renew the same work of faith that thou didst find in thy very first conversion and thereby thou shalt come to have renewed comfort in the renewing of that act I might name thee other graces and dispositions how there should be a stirring and an acting of them onely remember I leave all this point with this note that grace is not enough for partaking the Sacrament of the Lords supper except there be an actuating and a stirring up of that grace many Christians are carefull to prepare and examine before whether they have grace or no but at that time when they come to receive then there is not a lively working and stirring of that grace and so they come to lose the comfort benefit of that Ordinance Thus much shal suffice for this point of sanctifying Gods name in receiving the holy Communion I shall now come to the last point which is the sanctifying the name of God in prayer Sanctifying the name of God in Prayer NOw this argument might take us up many Sermons but upon occasion of the dayes of prayer and humiliation I have preached divers Sermons about the point of prayer therefore I shall be breife and only now reckon up together and set before your view the severall things that are to bee done for the sanctifying of the name of God in prayer First for prayer in that wee draw nigh to God and its a duty of Gods worship that I suppose all of you cannot but acknowledge and that it is a naturall duty of worship the other was instituted but
not the Communion of the body of Christ I say we are now treating about this point how wee are to sanctifie the name of God in that which the Scripture cals the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ And now for the opening of that First We must know that this is a part of the Worship of God and we draw nigh to God in this or otherwise it will not come up to our point And then wee shall shew that God is to be sanctifyed in this duty of worship And then thirdly how First Wee doe in this draw nigh to God We worship God For when we are comming to receive these holy Signes and Seals we come to present our selves before God and we have to deal with God himselfe in a service that hee himselfe requires of us in a holy in a divine service wee come to present our selves to God for blessing for Communication of some higher good unto us then possibly those Creatures that we have to deale with are able of themselves to convey to us come for a higher good then to tast a peece of bread or to drink a draught of wine we come I say to present our selves to God that wee might have Communion with him and that we might have the blessin of the Covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things now certainly this is a drawing nigh to God for to present our selves for the Conveyance of the blessing of the Covenant of grace through these Creatures yea that we might have Communion with God himselfe in them this is drawing nigh to him when we come to his Table therefore we draw nigh to God had not God instituted and appointed these Creatures Bread and Wine and the actions about them to be the meanes of Conveyance of blessing unto us it had been Will-worship for us to have expected any further presence of God in such Creatures then there is in the nature of them It is true God is present with every Creature when we eat and drinke at our Tables God is present there but we cannot be said to draw nigh to God and worship God there for we there looke for no further presence of God with us in them to convey further good then the Lord hath put into the nature of those things onely when godly people take them and receive them as blessings sanctified by the word they take them as the blessings of God that come out of love to them But now when we come to receive that which is cald the Communion there we expect things that are beyond the nature of these Creatures to convey that that is by an institution of God set apart for supernatural uses and ends not to convey in any naturall way such and such things but in a supernaturall way through the institution of God and so it comes to bee worship Had we not I say a command for this it were superstition and Idolatry for us to make use of such Creatures for such ends If any man in the world should have appointed a peece of Bread or a draougth of wine to have signified and sealed the body and blood of Christ it hath been superstition in any and Wil-worship and sinfull and abominable to you but we are to look upon God setting apart these Creatures for such holy and solemne ends and therefore when we come to be exercised in them we come to worship God and wee come likewise to tendes up our homage to God when wee come to attend upon him in such Ordinances as these are to tender up that homage that is 〈◊〉 poor Creatures unto 〈◊〉 as infinite and glorious God and the 〈◊〉 we draw nigh to 〈◊〉 in these Secondly Wee must sanctifie Gods name in drawing nigh to him whatsoever we doe whether we eat or drinke we must do all to the glory of God Now if in our common eating and drinking we must do all to the glory of God then certainly in this spirituall eating and drinking there must be some special thing done for the glory of God in this 1. Because there is so much of God in it for here there is a presenting before us the great yea the greatest mysteries of salvation and the deep Counsels of God concerning eternall life are presented before us in these outward Elements of the bread and wine and the action thereof now when we come to eat and to drinke those things that are appointed to set forth the greatest mysteries of salvation and the deepest of the Councels of God concerning mans eternall good wherein especially God will glorifie himselfe we had need there sanctifie the name of God for the things are very great and glorious that are presented unto us 2. This Ordinance of the Lords Supper or the Communion it is an Ordinance that Christ hath left to his Church out of the abundance of his love and therefore you shall find if you read the institution of it in the 25. of Matth. that the same night wherein Christ was betrayed he took bread and brake it though Christ was to die the next day and to encounter with the wrath of God yea that very night he was to be in an agonie and to sweat drops of water and blood and the next day to die and to have these Tryals of wrath poured upon him so as to put him to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet he busies his thoughts that very night to institute this Supper surely it must be a great Ordinance and there is a great deale of the love of Christ in it Christ saw that his Church had need of it that he should that night when he was betrayed have his thoughts busied about such a thing as this is One would thinke at that time that he had enough to take up his thoughts concerning himselfe being to encounter with the Law and with the wrath of God for mans sinne but for all that great worke Christ had to encounter with yet his thoughts are bulied about this great Ordinance of the institution of the Supper and therefore there was great love in it Christ saw that it was a matter of great moment now if it is so than there is great cause why we should sanctifie Gods name in such an Ordinance as this is and not to account it as a common and ordinary thing 3. We must sanctifie Gods name in this because it is the Sacrament of our Communion with Christ wherein we come to have such a neer union and communion with him as to eath's flesh and to drinke his blood and to sit at his table We come to have Communion with Christ even in all our Sences now Christ comming so fully to us that cals upon us to sanctifie his name when we come before him 4. In this the Covenant of grace is sealed the Covenant of grace comes to be sealed in both the parts of it now when wee come to have to deale with God in the way of