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 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 we 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 confese we have not that word in all the Scripture as neither have we the word Trinity and divers other words that Ministers make use of to set forth the Mysteries of Religion by but yet it is useful to consider the meaning why ministers in the Church have given this name unto those signs and seals that the Church receives Sacrament is to hallow a thing or to dedicate because in the Sacraments there are outward things that ere made holy for holy and spiritual ends Secondly We 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 cal'd 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 solemn oath to be faithful to their Captain 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 do 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 solemn Promise to the high God hath the strength of an oath in it and from thence they were cal'd 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 blood of Christ so you have it in 1 Cor. 10.6 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ I say we are now treating about this point how we are to Sanctifie the Name of God in that which the Scripture cals the Communion of the body and blood 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 we shall shew that God is to be Sanctified in this duty of worship And then thirdly how First We 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 he himselfe requires of us in a Holy in a Divine Service we 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 deal with are able of themselves to covey to us we come for a higher good than to tast a piece of bread or to drink a draught of wine we come I say to present our selves to God that we might have Communion with him and that we might have the blessing 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 himself 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 means of Conveyance of blessing unto as it had been Will-worship for us to have expected any further presence of God in such Creatures than there is in the nature of them It is true God is present with every Creature when we eat and drink at our Tables God is present there but we cannot be said to draw nigh to God and worship God there for we there look for no further presence of God with us in them to convey further good than the Lord hath put into the nature of those things only 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 cal'd 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 a part for supernatural uses and ends not to convey in any natural way such and such things but in a supernatural way through the institution of God and so it comes to be 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 piece of Bread or a draught of wine to have signified and sealed the body and blood of Christ it had bin superstition in any and Wil-worship and sinful and abominable to you but we are to look upon God setting apart these Creatures for such holy and solemn ends and therefore when we come to be exercised in them we come to worship God and we come likewise to tender up our homage to God when we come to attend upon him in such Ordinances as these are to tender up that homage that is due from us poor Creatures unto such an infinite and glorious God and therefore we draw nigh to him in these Secondly We must sanctifie Gods Name in drawing nigh to him whatsoever we do whether we eat or drink 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 spiritual 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 eternal life are presented before us in
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 Darkness 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 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 blood 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 ability to examine themselves of their graces and such as are children and reconciled to God and so are fit to fit 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 we be holy our selves and so all ignorant prophane and scandalous yea al that are meerly civil that cannot make out any work of Godliness 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 we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we 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 â— great deal 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 Cristian cannot receive the Sacrament alone there must be a Communion wheresoever it is to be administred 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 a Communion of Saints what if wicked men do come there will that hinder us from sanctifying Gods name in partaking of the Sacrament with them doe not we finde in Scripture that the Church had alwaies wicked men among them there are alwaies tares growing up with the wheat If you reade even in the Corinthians you shall find that there were some in that Church that were wicked yea and it 's thought that Judas himself did receive the Sacrament too therefore what if wicked men be there doth that hinder Answ I answer first it is true that in the Church of God there have been wicked men and us like there will be wicked men to the end of the World but yet wheresoever there is a right Communion of Saints there ought to be the power of Christ exercised to cast out those wicked men or at least to withdraw from them This is the Law of Christ that if there be any that have communion with you if any of them do appear to be wicked you are bound in conscience to go and tell them if they do not reforme you are bound to take two or three and if they do not yet reforme then you are bound to tell the Church to tell the Assembly of the Saints when they meet together for so the word Church doth signifie and we find in the 1 Cor. 5. Chap. that when there was an incestuous person to be cast out it was done in the presence of the Congregation Thus far you are bound to do otherwise you cannot say that it is nothing to you if wicked men be there for you have not discharged your conscience and so you come to be defiled and you do not sanctifie Gods Name in this Ordinance because you have not done to the uttermost of your duty for the casting out of those wicked men And mark in 2 Cor. 5.7 there the Apostle writing to the Church bids them that they should purge out the old leven Know yee not saith he that a little leven leveneth the whole lump the Apostle doth not speak there of sin but of the wicked incestuous person saith he you must look to it that this man be purged out from you or otherwise you are all levened by it that is the whole Church would be levened by it if there were not care taken to purge out that one man You will say shall we be the worse for one wicked mans coming no if we be no way faulty of it then we cannot be said to be worse and it cannot leven us but now when it is our duty to purge him out and we do not do it as in all communion of Saints there is a duty and there is not any one but may do something towards it thus far every communicant in every communion of Saints must go if there be a wicked man there if you come to know it and do not go thus far as I have spoken you are defiled by him you are not defiled by the meer presence of wicked men for that 's a meer deceit and gall that some would put upon men that differ from them otherwise but thus now you are defiled by their presence if you do not do your duty and the uttermost that you are able to purge them out yea then the whole congregation is defiled if they do not do their duty now this is the duty of every one in the congregation to tell their brother or to take two or three and after that to tell the Church and so come to professe against them or if the Church will not do their duty as they ought yet then to free their own souls as to profess here is one that is so and so guilty and may be proved thus and thus and so for my part I to free my own soul profess that this man or woman ought not to have communion here and thus you come to free your own souls and when you have done thus though wicked men be there you may there eat and drink and not be defiled by their presence for you cannot be said properly to eat with them now not to have communion with them no more than if a dog should come and skip upon the Table and take a pice of bread you cannot have communion with him because he takes it no
comes to a place and there 's only good seed sown and is a means of the conversion of many but together with the conversion of some there are others that do hear the Gospel Preached and the truth is they being mingled among the hearers of the Word in stead of bringing forth good fruit according to the Gospel they bring forth the Tares now saith the servant Lord how comes it to pass that we preach such excellent truths in this place and yet there are so many wicked men that bring forth such wicked fruit Lord is it thy mind that we should be wholly separated from them and have nothing to do with them that there should be a full separation while we live in this world no saith Christ not so for then the truth is if all godly men should wholly withdraw from wicked men and beleeve that they may not live among them they could not live in the world If you did beleeve it were your duty not so much as to live neer a wicked man nor to have any thing to do in any kind of converse with him there would be no Wheat growing in this field of the world here and therefore you must be content when you live where the Preaching of the Gospel is and the seed brings forth good fruit in some and in others it brings forth Tares you must not be offended by this that here in this world God doth not by some visible stroke of judgement come and strike them dead or that God doth not take some course that there should be a full separation here but that they might live together till the day of judgment here I say you shall not have such a full separation so that you see it carries a very fair sense to take the field to be the world and the kingdome of Heaven thereto be the Preaching of the Gospel in any place and so we must be content while we live in this world to be where wicked and ungodly men are But it doth not follow from this place that we are to have converse in the closest communion in Church-commmnion with wicked men to be made one body by eating the same bread and drinking the same wine it holds not forth such close communion as this is so that there 's little strength can be taken from that place but still it holds that wheresoever there is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there must be a holy communion of Saints Object The Scripture only saith Let us examine our selves Answ I grant for the benefiâ— to mine own soul I must look to examine my self more especially but now for another I am but onely so farre bound to looke to him as to keepe my selfe clean it is true I am not bound to go and pry into his life and all his waies so as to force him to give an account of things that are secret but I am bound to keep a watch and if any thing be done that offends me then I am bound to go to him according to the former Rule of Christ and if he appears to be wicked then I am bound to see him purged from the Congregation for take but that other text in 1 Cor. 5.6 know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump If I do not do so much as concerns my duty then I am defiled by it So as that you must not think that it is nothing to you how many wicked men come to the Lords Table and that it belongs only to the Ministers and they are to look to it the truth is that every one in his place is to look to it and every one may be defiled if he doth not performe this duty that God requires of him do not say what have I to doe with my Brother am I my Brothers keeper it was the speech of Cain if thou beest of the same body you are to have a care of your Brother do not ye judge those that are within there is some kind of judgment that every one may passe upon such as do joyne with them in the same Body surely it concerns me much what shall I do in such an action as to joyne with them to eat bread whereby I must professe that I do beleeve my selfe to be of the same body that this drunkard is of that this Whoremaster is of that this swearer is of whenever you receive the Communion with any company you do professe your selves to be of the same body with that Company only in this case If I have discovered any and can particularly professe against any one then I do not professe my self to be of the same body with him but now when I come in an ordinary way and I know such to be wicked vile and prophane and I professe nothing against them nor take any course at all I do then by partaking with them professe my selfe to be of the same body that they are of Thou doest as it were openly declare Lord here we come and professe that we are all of the body of Jesus Christ now when thou knowest such and such as are notoriously wicked and prophane and dost nothing in the world to help to purge them out dost not thou think that Gods Name is taken in vain is not Gods Name prophaned here therefore it concerns us very much to look unto it that it be a holy communion that we receive the Bread and Wine in I beseech you therefore understand things a right that I have spoken of I have laboured to satisfie men that there is a way that we may partake of the Sacrament though wicked men be mixt with us But this is that that is required of you for doing your duty to keep your selves clean that you may not be accessory any way to any wicked mans coming to partake of this holy mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ there are divers things further about this and the special thing I thought of was to shew you the holy qualifications that there ought to be but this I conceived to be necessary and I should not have had peace in mine own conscience as being faithful to you in what I am speaking of sanctifying the Name of God in this Ordinance if I should not have mentioned this that I have spoken unto you and there 's an error on both sides that I desire to meet withall either those that come hand over head and think it concerns them not at all with whom they come to the Sacrament but to look to their own hearts and there 's an error on the other side that if they do what they can to keep them away and yet if they should be suâ—â—ered to come they may not come to partake of those things now it is very usefull for us to know what we should doe in this case SERMON XII LEVITICUS 10.3 I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me I Shall adde something to one particular that I had the last day concerning
he comes to a feast and the Lord expects that all his guests should come with stomacks unto this feast come with hungring and longing for Jesus Christ this should be the disposition of the soul Oh that my soul might enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ now this is the end that I am come for Oh the Lord that knows the workings of my heart knows that this is the great desire of my soul that I might enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ Oh that I might have more of Christ that I might meet with Christ that I might have some further manifestation of Jesus Christ that I might have my soul further united to the Lord Christ and so have further influence of Christ to my soul I come with thirsting after the Lord Christ knowing my infinite need of him and the infinite excellency that there is in Jesus Christ my soule doth famish and perish for ever without Christ but in the enjoyment of Christ there is a fulnesse for the satisfying of my soule that I have had of Christ sometimes in the word and sometimes in prayer that hath bin sweet unto me but I expect a further Communion of Christ here for this is the grand Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ indeed the word in this respect it is beyond this Ordinance that is it is not only for the increase of grace but for the begetting this is only for the increase of grace and not appointed for the begetting now in that respect the Word is above the Sacrament but now this Sacrament is a more full Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ this is the Communion of the body of Jesus Christ and of his blood and therefore there ought to be hungring and thirsting desires of the soule after Jesus Christ therefore you must take heed you doe not come with your Stomacks full of trash as children when they can get Plums and Peares and fill their stomacks with them when they come to your Tables though there be never so much wholsome diet they have no mind at all to it so it is with men of the world they fill their hearts with the trash of this world and with sensual delights and hence it is that when they come to such a great Ordinance to enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ that then they feele no want at all of Christ only they come and take a little piece of bread and a draught of wine but for any strong pausing desires to meet with Jesus Christ there in the Ordinance to come so as they know not how to live without Christ even as a man that is an hungred cannot live without his meate and drink and so for the soule to have such a disposition after Christ this is a rare thing but know that Gods Name is not sanctified unlesse thou doest come in such a way unto this holy Sacrament that 's the fourth thing hungry and thirsty desires after Christ from a deepe sence of the need of him and the apprehension of the Excellency in him 5 In the fift place there must be an exercise of Faith for the sanctifying of Gods Name here Faith that is both the hand and the mouth for the taking of this spiritual meat and spiritual drink when thou comest to the Feast of the Lord Faith first is the eye and then the hand and mouth it is the eye of the soul to give a real sight of what there is here you are not able to discern the Body of the Lord but by the eye of Faith if thou comest only with bodily eyes to look upon what is here thou seest nothing but a little bread and wine But now where the eye of Faith is there is a reall appearance of Jesus Christ to the soul as if Christ were bodily present and we need not have the bread turned into his body for Faith can see the body of Christ through the bread and the blood of Christ gushing in the wine And it is a mighty thing to have Christ and such spiritual things made real and not to be a fansie If one look upon the fire that is painted one cannot heat ones self in cold weather with that but fire that is really burning upon the hearth so those that come to receive the Sacrament and not come with Faith that have only the eye of their bodies they only see as it were a painted Christ they do not see Christ really his body and blood and those great Mysteries of the Gospel are not presented as reall things to their souls and hence it is that they go away and get nothing but now when the soul comes with the eye of Faith the soul sees the wonderfull things of God it is the most glorious sight in the world all the glory of God in the heavens and earth is not like this fight of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel that do appear to the eye of Faith therefore you may by this know whether you have come with faith or no to the Sacrament whether you have seen the most glorious fight that ever your eyes did behold alas with our naturall eyes we behold a Minister coming with a piece of bread and a little wine but when the eye of Faith is opened then we behold the glorious things of the Gospel many times when you come to hear the word your hearts burn within you as they that went to Emaus but when you are breaking bread the eye of Faith that must look upon Jesus Christ and in this sence those that have pierced Christ must look upon him that Scripture is fulfilled in Zach. 12. latterend They shall look on him whom they have pierced by their sins and then mourne and lament this eye of Faith will cause mourning and lamenting for sin And then as faith is the eye to make what is here reall so faith is the hand to take it when you come to a feast you must have something to take the meat to you so saith Christ he brake bread and gave it to his Disciples saying take eat this take it how shall we take it by reaching out of the hand if you sanctifie Gods Name in this Ordinance as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine so there must be an actual reaching out of the soul by faith putting forth an act of faith to receive Jesus Christ unto the soul to apply the Lord Jesus Christ to thy soule with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased when the Minister doth give out that Ordinance you should look upon God the Father giving out his Son as if this were you condition I am now in the presence of the eternal Father who now doth actually give out his Sonne to my soule and saith soule here receive a new this day my Sonne with all that he hath purchased for thy good now then the soul acts upon this and by stirring up an act of faith come and closes with this gift of the Father
and casts its self upon Jesus Christ and saith as it were Amen to what the Father gives Oh Lord here I come and imbrace thy Son as my life as my Saviour as the fountain of all my good in whom I expect all the good I am like to have either here or to all eternity so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actual taking of Christ if thou beest a beleever canst thou remember what thou didst when first thou didst take Jesus Christ when the Lord in the preaching of his Word did reveal Jesus Christ to thy soul what didst thou then Oh soul how did thy soule work in closing with Christ as thy soule did then in closing with Christ so it must now renew the work there must be a renewall of the worke at that time So that when you come to the Sacrament you must not think that it is then a time to listen to doubts fears and scruples no but it is a time that God cals for the exercise of faith the casting of the soul upon Christ and his merits for life and for salvation or else the Name of God is not sanctified as it ought thou doest not sanctifie Gods Name when thou art busying thy soule in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the Sacrament And then faith is as the mouth when thou comest to eat and drink how canst thou if thou hast not a mouth thou hast a bodily mouth to take in bread and wine but know that without faith thy soule cannot take in Christ faith is as it were the mouth that is by the act of faith the soul doth open it selfe for Jesus Christ and not only opens it selfe but takes in Christ to the soule and makes Christ and the soul as one as our bread and wine is made one with our body so faith takes in Christ and makes him as one with thee and turns Christ into the nourishment of thy soul and thou and Christ by faith are made as truly one as the bread and wine that is put into thy body is made one with thy body This is the work of faith without which we cannot sanctifie the Name of God Sixthly There must be spiritual joy that must be exercised here for it is a feast here we come to sit with Christ at his Table we come as children to our fathers Table and to sit there with Jesus Christ our Elder Brother now as a father doth not love to have his child set in a sullen and dogged way at his Table or to be crying but he would have the child set in comfort and with a holy cheerfulness with a holy freedom 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 brokenness 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 soul from the apprehension 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 evangelâ—cal joy may stand together very well And therefore know that this is not the time neither to give liberty to have your hearts â—nk 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 cheerfulness of spirit as in the presence of God you must look upon your selves as Gods guest to be merry at his Table now this is a great mystery of godliness that there should be at the same time the sight of Christ Crucified and yet at the same time a spiritual cheerfulness in the assurance of the love of God in Jesus 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 unspeakable love of God that is here presented unto them in this Sacrament Seventhly In the next place there must be thankfulnesse therefore it is called the Eucharist and in one of the Evengelists where it is said Christ blest the bread in another it is said Christ gave thanks Christ when he instituted this Sacrament he 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 souls now shall Jesus 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 thankfulnesse when we come to this that the Ancients were wont to call the Eucharist that is a thanksgiving we are to give God thanks for every mercy you will not eate your owne bread without giving of thankes but when we come to have this bread this bread of life here is matter of thankfulnesse here is matter of enlargement of soul 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 enlargement 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 than 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 think that thou wert bound to blesse him then only when God in the Bread and wine reaches out to thee the body blood of his Son here is more matter of praise than if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee and therefore God expects that thou shouldest say to thy soule my soule 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
what Gesture we should use Now that that hath been the Institution of Christ and hath a spiritual significancie in it is not indifferent for not only the eaâ—ing the bread and drinking the wine is significative but the gesture whereby we have fellowship with Jesus Christ here to signifie that fellowship we shall have with him in the Kingdome of Heaven so that the people of God were depriv'd of a great deal of comfort and of one special benefit of this holy Sacrament whereas they might not receive it sitting when Christ saith that your sitting with me here is a signification of your sitting with me when I come into the Kingdome of heaven some say they must kneel because they may receive it with more reverence certainly were it a thing as some say indifferent it were another matter but for to say it is not reverence to sit in that they accuse Christ himself for want of reverence as if he would appoint a way or would have his Disciples use any such way as were not reverent saith Christ I intend by your very gesture to have this signified unto you that though you be poor wretched wormes yet even such is my love unto you as you shall sit with me when I come to my Kingdom and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel and every time you come to my Table and there sit at it or about it then you should be put in mind that there is a time that though you be poor unworthy creatures worthy to be among the dogs yet the mercy of God is such unto us as he hath appointed us to have a familiar fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ when we come in his Kingdom to sit with him and even to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel yea to judge the whol world for so saith the Scripture shall not the Saints judge the world now this hinders spiritual meditation and comfort that the Saints have therefore we are to look to the institution and follow it that 's the first thing in sitting with Christ at his Table The second thing in the institution is that the Bread being taken by the Minister is to be blessed broken and then to be given Christ took it and blessed it and brake it and gave it and the people they are to look upon all this to look upon the Ministers taking blessing breaking and giving and then the cup by its selfe we find Christ in Matth. 26.27 he first blest the bread and then he blest the cup distinctly by its self saying This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins and you shall observe that the text saith he drank it and said drink ye all of it so that this is not according to the institution for a Minister to go up and down and to give it into every mans hand certainly this was not so from the beginning this is a way of mans own devising for the bread and the cup to be given into every bodies hand by the Minster Christ did but give it once he gave it to them all and said Drink ye all of this so it was done Quest But you will say Is it not better for to be given into every ones hand Answ No because that the giving of it once for all doth signifie more fully the fellowship and coÌ„munion that they have together as at a Table it were a stange thing that every bit of meat must be given to every one particularly no but the dishes must be set before them and they must take it themselves Indeed if they be children you cut every piece of meat and give it into their hands or mouths but that 's sutable to a fellowship at Table and communion to have the meat set before them being blest and then for all to partake of it And besides this giving it into every ones hand certainly it came to us from a Popish and superstitious conceit of the Papists for the Papists will give it into their mouths because the people must not defile it with their hands And it was to bring more reverence to the Sacrament now there 's a great deal of danger for to bring in mens devises for to cause more reverence we are to look to the Ordinance of Christ he gave it once and said drink ye all of it in General to them all and so the Ministers should do And besides there is this in it more And one would wonder that minsters should give it in particular and not in generall to the Church for by this means Ministers might abundantly ease themselves of a great deal of charge and guilt for upon this ground it will appear that a Minister though as an eminent officer he is to look to his Congregation that they be fit yet the truth is it concerns the Church as well to look who comes there and likewise the Minister I say to look about him that he doth not say The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was given to thee when he knows they are prophane and wicked it concerns the Minister to look that he doth not tell a lye but now when the Minister gives it generally to the Church Take eat and Take drink he gives it particularly to no body Now then his charge is divided to the Church and if there be any body that is unworthy let the Church look to it as well as he though he as an eminent Officer it 's more especially in particular his duty then any others heretofore the charge would lie much upon the Minister but the Minister according to the institution should give the Sacrament to no particular but in general to the Church and therefore if there were but any particular that the Minister upon a particular knowledge did know to be naught he might in great part discharge himself as professing against this or that particular man for it is not in his power alone to keep any from the Sacrament but if so be that he shall professe against such and such men the Church must joyn with him to labour to keep them from the Sacrament and that is the next thing for the institution Christ gave it not into any particular mens hands but he gave it to all saying Drink and eat ye all of it A third thing that is to be observed for the institution of this that all the while the Communicants are taking eating and drinking the bread and wine they should all of them that while have their thoughts exercised about the death of Jesus Christ for that 's the institution Do this in remembrance of me there should be no action intermingled in the time of the receiving of the Sacrament nothing but minding the work that you are about that is to remember the death of Jesus Christ and to discern the body of the Lord not only when you take your selves the bread and wine but when you see the bread and wine broken or powred forth and you see
others taking the bread and wine all that while you should be thinking of the death of Christ and discerning the Lords body and consider what these outward elements do signifie and that they do seale the great benefit of the Covenant of grace therefore it is not according to the institution to be singing of Psalmes in the mean time while the Sacrament is receiving and so to have your thoughts about other things singing of Psalmes in its due time is a good thing but for you to do it at that time when as the death of Christ is presented before you and Christ cals you to look upon his body and to think upon what he hath done and suffered this is no seasonable time of singing and if you reade the institution you shall find that Christ after all was done the text saith they sung an hymne so that according to the institution it is after the action is done of eating and drinking then for the Church to joyne together and sing a Psalme in the praise of God and then they must mind all the same thing togeâ—her for that 's the thing to be done in the Sacrament that look what one doth all must mind together for when one part sings and the other are waiting for the bread and wine this is not sutable to the holy Table-action and that Communion that God requires of us though the things in themselves are both good that are doing yet when we are about this holy Ordinance being it is an Ordinance for Communion all are to be doing the same thing at the same time and so when all have done eating and drinking then for all to joyne together in singing to the praise of God Now it may be this at first seems strange to many yet certainly observe this do but keep to the institution in the Sacrament though you may think it a more mean way yet you will find a greater beauty in this Ordinance than ever you found in all your lives for the more we keep to Christs institution and mingle nothing of our owne the more glory and beauty and excellencie doth appear in the Ordinances of Jesus Christ but when any man shall mix any of his owne inventions though he may do it to a good end and think to adde to and put a greater lustre upon the Sacrament the truth is that which he thinks to be a greater lustre reverence or honor put upon it it doth rather take off the lustre and glory of the Sacrament then are the institutions of Christ glorious when there is no mixture among them thus we 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 castly 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 partaking hath been exceedingly hindred There is but one thing more that I shall propound to you and that is the several 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 we have suggested here than in any thing and it is a great sign that men and women do not discern 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 he 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 discern what that signifies 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 work of God to make an Atonement between sinners and himself this Sacrrment doth hold forth thus much unto us wherefore else have we bread and wine but to signifie that the way of our reconciliation 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 truly man he hath taken our nature upon him the bread that puts us in mind of the body of Christ and the wine of his blood and therefore we are to meditate of the humane nature of Jesus 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 he body and blood 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 powring 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 powring forth of his blood this is a useful 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. Again a fourth Meditation is this That here we come to see we have occasion of meditating of that 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 powred 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 needful for us to be thinking of when we see the body broken and the blood powred 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 noâ— 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
acting upon the mercy of God in giving Jesus Christ for the nourishment of thy soul to eternal life as if thou didst hear a voice from heaven saying here is the body of my Son 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 comest to take hold of the bread thou art to put forth an act of faith faith being as the hand of the soul and at that instant when thou takest the bread and puttest it into thy mouth to eat thou shouldest stir up the act of faith a fresh 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 drawn forth whereby thy soul did cast it self 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 an acting of them only 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 acting and a stirring up of that grace many Christians are careful 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 and benefit of that Ordinance Thus much shall 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 briefe 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 it 's a duty of Gods worship that I suppose all of you cannot but acknowledge and that it is a natural duty of worship the other was instituted but this is natural its natural for the creature to draw nigh to God in prayer wherein the creature tenders up his homage to God and manifests his profession of his dependance upon God for all good that he hath and acknowledges God as the Author of all good therefore this is worship and it 's a great part of worship Prayer it is such a part of worship as sometimes in Scripture it 's put for the whole worship of God He that cals upon the Name of God shall be sav'd that is he that worships God aright Jerem. 10.25 and Powre out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not and on the families that call not on thy Name that do not pray that is that do not worship thee there one part of worship is put for the whole as being a principal part of the worship of God Surely we must sanctifie Gods Name in Prayer for it is that that sanctifies all things to us 1 Tim. 4.5 Every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer And if the argument of Christ was right as no question but it was that the Temple was greater than the gold upon the Temple because the Temple did sanctifie the gold and the Altar was greater than the offering that was offered upon it because it did sanctifie the offering then Prayer must needs be a mighty great Ordinance a greater thing than any other because that it sanctifies all things The word sanctifies the creatures but prayer sanctifies the very word unto our use and therefore when we reade the word we are to pray for a sanctified use of the word Prayer is a great Ordinance a great duty of worship that sanctifies all prayer hath a casting voice as I may say in all the great works of God in the world the great affaires of the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of his power and the Kingdome of Christ I say prayer hath a kind of a casting voice and doth order under God the great things of the world they are according to the prayers of the Saints they bring down blessings vpon the godly they powre forth judgements on the wicked the prayers of the Saints they are the vyalls that are powred forth in a speciall manner upon the heads of the wicked therefore Gods Name is to be Sanctified in Prayer It is to be sanctified first in preparation Psalme 10.17 Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear it is the Lord that prepareth the heart and then he causes his eare to hear and therefore in 1 Pet. 5.7 we are there required to watch unto prayer men and women should keep a narrow watch over their hearts and minds that they may not be hindred in their prayers that they may be alwaies in a fit posture to pray watch unto prayer it 's that that would help us against many temptations to evil if I give way to such and such temptations it will hinder my prayers I shall not have that freedom and inlargment in prayer as otherwise if I give way to such and such things therefore let me take heed of this for it will hinder my prayers As if the Apostle should say this should be the care of Christians then they are like to sanctifie the Name of God in prayer if this be their great care that there is nothing in the world that shall hinder their prayers O let me take heed I do nothing to hinder my prayers if I go abroad into company and am merry and jocond and there game and drink and sport my self in company will not thiâ— hinder my prayers will not this hinder the spiritualâ—â—sse of my heart in Communion with God in prayer when I â—ome home at night I appeal to you have you had that freedâ—m in prayer afterwards surely no therefore watch unto prayer Now for the preparation of the heart to prayer we must understand either First What is to be done in the course of ones life or Secondly What 's to be done just when one comes to prayer For the first the course of ones life labour to keep al things even and clear between God and your soules that so you may not come with shakels about your legs with guiltiness I mean upon your consciences men that have given way to any base sinful way when they come to prayer the guilt of their hearts doth even sink them but those that can keep their peace with God