of Jesus Christ Consider well 1. That the Spiritual Vnion and Communion of Saints is by all means to be preserved and increased For This is most agreeable to that spiritual Relation wherein they stand one to another in Christ being fellow-branches in the same Vine Christ Living stones in the same spiritual building upon Christ and fellow-members in the same mystical body of Christ that should have the same care one of another And whether one member suffer all the members should suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members should rejoyce with it For theâ—e should be no schisme in the body This is much urged and that with pathetical Arguments and importunity by the Apostle I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace There is one body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord One Faith One Baptisme One God and Father of all who is above all and through â—ll and in you all All these Vnities should perswade the Saints to unity And elsewhere Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement This is much commended by the Spirit of God Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethreâ— to dwell even together in unity c. There also it 's compared to Aarons precious Oyntment and Hermon's fruitfull dew This also was practised by Believers in the purest Primitive times And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul c. 2. That Divisions Schismes Fractions Dis-unions among Christs members is by all means to be avoided For Christ is not Divided Divisions are a fruit of the flesh not of the Spirit Divisions evidence professors to be carnal and to walk as men not as Christians And at last divisions will prove their Destruction that nourish them If ye bite and devoure one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another In these regardâ— there 's great need of maintaining and confirming Vnion and Communion of Saints and especially in such times as these are wherein professors of Christ have by their unparalleâ—'d Divisions both in Iudgment Affection and Practice brought such reproach upon the Gospel and way of truth prejudice upon their own souls hazard to the Kingdome of Christ and advantage to the Kingdome of Satan In this regard what need is there of the Lords Supper which in the nature of it tends so much to unite cement knit and sodder together the disjoynted members of Christs body For as the Apostle saith We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread As many grains of Wheat make up one loaf so many members make up one body of Christ. And as we all partake that one bread so we all thereby professe to be one walk as fellow-members in Christ with all Christian love union and mutual tendernesse one towards anotheâ— and if we dissolve communion with our fellow-members how can we maiâ—tain communion with Christ our head Thus you may examine what need you have of the Lords-Supper which is the second Generâ—al branch of Preparation What present fitnesse we have for the Lords Supper is the third and last but not the least Particular whereupon by way of preparation we are to examine our selves before we communicate Wherein doth our present fitnesse for the Lords Supper consist and how may we examine our selves about it Answ. Our present fitnesse for the Lords Supper consists principally in having and exercising of 1. A competent Knowledge 2. Faith 3. Repentance 4. New Obedience 5. Love to Christ and his Members 6. Thankfulnesse 7. A spiritual Appetite to this Feast Theâ—e are qualifications peculiarly necessary to fit us for the Lords Supper How necessary they are and how we are to examine our selves about them comes now to be declared I. KNOWLEDGE This is an inlet and foundation to all the rest therefore begin we with it Touching Knowledge Consider 1. The Necessity of it to worthy Communicating 2. Thâ— Triall of it What necessity is there of Knowledge before we receive the Lords Supper Answ. A competent Knowledge in Spirituals is necessary before we communicate 1. For the diâ—cerning of the Lords Body in this Ordinance How can the Lords body be discerned here but by Knowledge and Faith Theâ—e are the spiritual eyes of the soul. And whosoever discerneth not the Lords body he eats and drinks unworthily eates and drinks damnation to himself 2. For Directing Communicants in the due managing of the Lords Supper This Sacrament is a part of Divine Worship without due Knowledge thereabouts we shall worship we know not what and run into the error of the Athenians who erâ—cted an Altar to the Vnknown God whom therefore they ignorantly worshipped Grosse ignorance herein will make men guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and to stand in need of the like prayer that Christ put up for them that crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they do 3. For the leading on and inciting of all the other Communion-Graces Knowledge will stir up Faith Repentance Obedience Love Thankfulness and Spiritual Desire to their proper objects and actions whereas gross ignorance will either withstand them or mislead them How is Knowledge to be tryed Answ. Knowledge may be tryed whether it be â—ound and competent 1. By the Particular points of Knowledge which are more peculiarly requisite to worthy communicating 2. By the properties of true sanctified knowledge I. The particular points of Knowledge requisite to prepare Christians for worthy communicating are eâ—pecially these viz. A competent knowledge 1. Of God For in the Lords Supper we come to renew Covenant with God and to have the New Testament with all the Promises Priviledges and Benefits thereof confirmed and assured to us The Lords Supper being a Pledge and Seal of the New Testament in Christs blood Now one clause of this New Covenant is That The Lord will be to us a God and we shall be to him a People If therefore we have not a due knowledge of this God how can we acceptably renew and re-establish Covenant with him 2. Of our selves For we are to be the Communicants And tâ—erefore it 's necessary we be well known to our selves thoroughly acquainted with our own state and condition whether it be carnal or spiritual and if spiritual whether we be weaker or stronger in a state of grace c. Otherwiâ—e 1. How can we discover our right to the
most great and precious All Yea and Amen in Christ And all the godly mans peculiar inheritance That soul cannot be poor that hath faith to trade with God in his promises 6. All things are ours if we be Christs whether the world or life or death or things present or things to come All are ours if not in actual possession yet in Evangelical right unto them in Christ and we shall actually enjoy all that shall be good for us 7. Finally Co-operation of all things for our good crosses and comforts losses and gains pains and ease sicknesse and health c. life and death Every winde shall blow us profit We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are she called according to his purpose These and the like are their Priviledges that obtain Jesus Christ. Hitherto of the second point of knowledge viz. The Knowledge of our selves requisite to prepare for worthy communicating 3. Knowledge of Iesus Christ. Knowledge of Iesus Christ our Mediatour is the next branch of knowledge requisite to a worthy Communicant How necessary a competent knowledge of Jesus Christ is hath been formerly shewed Christ being the Author Matter and End of the Lords Supper without due knowledge of whom we cannot possibly discern the Lords body But what are we principally to know touching Jesus Christ in order to worthy communicating Answ. We should especially know these seven particulars 1. That there is but only one true Christ and Mediatour 2. That Iesus the Son of the Virgin Mary is the only true Messiah true Christ. 3. That this Iesus Christ is God and man in one Person 4. That Iesus Christ God-man hath in order to sinners salvation taken upon himself the office of Mediatourship betwixt God and man 5. That Iesus Christ is a Mediatour All-sufficient 6. That this All-sufficient Mediatour Iesus Christ saves none but those to whom he is actually applyed 7. That Iesus Christ is the substance and marrow of all Sacraments Promises Ordinances and of the whole Sâ—riptures I. That there is but one only true Christ and Mediatour and no more There are many counterfeit Christs false Christs fore-prophesied of able if it were possible to deceive the very Elect. But if any shall say lo here is Christ or lo there is Christ believe them not For unto us as there is but one God so there is but one Lord Iesus Christ. There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Iesus Neâ—ther is there salvation in any other for there â—s none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved II. That Jesus the Son of the Virgin Mary is this onely true Messiah true Christ and Mediatour that should come into the worâ—d to save sinners according to the prophecies and promiâ—es of God in the whole Old Testament This is evident three wayes 1. By certain Testimonies As To him that is to Iesus of Nazareth give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remissâ—â—â— of sins But those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophets that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled And Paul professeth himself to be separated unto the Gospel of God Concerning his Son Iesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David decording to the flesh and deâ—â—â—red to be the Son of God with power c. By the Genealogie of Jesus Christ. The â—ine or Pedigree of Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary is described by Matthew and Luke and drawn down from David Abraham yea Adam himself to Ioseph and Mary from generation to generation and principally for this end to evidence That thiâ— Iesus is the onely true Messiah promised under the Old Testament Matthew describes Iosephs line the supposed father of Christ because he was the Virgins husband and shews that he came from David for it 's said Iacob begat Ioseph the husband of Mary Luke delineates Maries line the mother of Christ how she also descended from David c. So that Matthew sets down Christs legal Luke Christs natural line For he saith Iesus being as was supposed the son of Ioseph which was the Sun of Eli. Ioseph was the natural son of Iacob who begat him as Matâ—hew shewes the legal son or son in law of Eli by marrying Mary the daughter of Eli as Luke imports Iosephs name is put in both the Genealogies because the Iews were wont to reckon their Genealogies by the men and not by the women So that Jesus descended of Abraham and David according to Gods promise both by father and mother c. therefore is the very Christ. 3. By the Histories of the four Evangelists describing Christs Birth Life and Death in all points so exactly agreeing with the prophecies and promises of Christ of old as may appeare by comparing the Prophets and Evangelists together it's clear that Jesus the sonne of the Virgin Mary is the very and only Christ indeed If we hold not fast this point That Iesus the Son of the Virgin Mary is the only promised Messiah we overthrow all the New Testament and the whole frame of Christian Religion III. That this Iesus Christ the onely true Messiah is God-man that is is true God and perfect man in one person The humane nature of Christs soul and body being personally united to the Sonne the second person in the God-head The Word viz. the substantial Word the Son by whom God makes his will known to us as man utters his minde by a word was God There 's his Divinity And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us there 's his humanity When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman This is The great Mystery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh A great Mystery indeed that the most glorious God infinitely above all created beings should stoop so low as to become personally one with dust and ashes and that frail dust and ashes should be advanced so far above Angels as to become personally one with the onely blessed God We cannot fully comprehend this Mystery let us faithfully apprehend it Consider here three things 1. Why was it needful Christ should be God and Man in one person Answ. Christ became a middle person betwixt God man 1. That he might be a fit Mediator reconciling God and man His office is founded in his person 2. That God might accept and the godly apply to themselves the properties and peculiar works of each nature as the properties and works of Christs whole person 2. Why was it requisite that Iesus Christ â—hould be man Answ. Christ our Mediator must needs be man 1. That he might exalt and sanctifie our nature which we had debaâ—ed and polluted 2. That he might be our Kinsman
in being and well-being He that made the world is still upholding all things by the word of his power 2. Governing and disposing all Creatures and all their actions even the least and smallest of them all The LORD hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdome ruleth over all Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father but the very hairs of your head are all numbred 3. Oâ—dering and directing all creatures and al their actions to his own glory and his peoples good Ioseph said to his brethren God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance So now it was not you that sent me hither but God Ye thought evil against me but God mean't it unto good c. So didst thou lead thy people to make thy self a glorious name For of him and through him and to him are all things As for Gods special Creation of man and Providence over man in his fourefold state viz. of 1. Creation 2. Corruption 3. Restitution and 4. Perfection They will come farther to be considered in the next branch the knowledge of our selves Hitherto of the first branch of knowledge requisite in some competent sort before communicating viz. The Knowledge of God 2. Knowledge of our selves Knowledge of our selves is the next point of Knowledge necessary to a worthy Communicant Christians eyes and apprehensions should be like the windowes of the Temple widest inward narrowest outward far more dispoâ—ed to look home then abroad better acquainted with themselves then with others And not like Plutarch's Lamiae or Witches that put on their eyes when they went abroad but put up their eyes in boxes when they came home The necessity of this Self-Knowledge hath before been evidenced The particulars of Self-Knowledge follow We are principally to know our selves 1. What we were in Adam before the fall 2. What we are in Adam since the fall 3. What we should and may be in Iesus Christ the second Adam I. What were we in Adam before the fall Answ. Before the fall Adam was the happiest creature under the Sun enjoying many surpassing Priviledges And all mankind being then in his loyns enjoyed in him the same happinesse and Priviledges viz. 1. A reasonable and immortall soul personally joyned with a suitable body both of them fearfully and wonderfully made yea curiously wrought according to divine Consultation of the blessed Trinity Adams soul was so rationall that he knew the nature of all the creatures which God brought before him and named them accordingly And so immortal that it cannot die a natural death as many Scriptures intimate But the souls of all other sublunary creatures besides man are irrationall and die with their bodies 2. A most pleasant Habitation God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden and there he put the man A garden is the glory of the fields A garden of Gods planting the glory of all gardens Herein grew every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food And a Quadripartite or four-streamed river to water the garden Oh what a garden of delights what an earthly Paradise Here man was placed to dresse this Garden Man must not be idle no not in Paradise 3. Liberall Provision Man was allowed freely to eat of every herb and of the fruit of every tree in the Garden except only the tree of Knowledge of good and evil His food therefore was most various and delicious 4. Vniversal dominion over the creatures Let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowle of the air and over the cattell and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth This dominion was not supreme but subordinate to Gods dominion Adam was Monarch of the earth God the sole Monarch of all the world Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him the Son of man that thou visitest him Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet So that all sublunary creatures were to do homage unto Adam 5 Conjugal society with his wife created out of Adams side while he was asleep She was thus taken out of man that she might be a meet help for man and become affectionately dear to man as bone of hâ—s bone and flesh of his flesh Man is naturally a sociable creature and loves society And Marriage-society is the sweetest of all natural societies 6. Innocency God made man upright As man came at first out of Gods hands he was spotlesse undefiled and wholly without sin Hence that state is stiled The state of innocency Except Christ never man on earth was perfectly without sin as Adam was in his first Creation The holiest Saints in this life have sinne in them though sin reigne not over them We were without sinne in the earthly Paradise and shall be without sin in the heavenly Paradise How happy is a sin-less state 7. The image of God God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him There was not only an utter absence of all sinfulnesse but also a presence of all due righteousnesse in him in which regard he was perfectly conformable to the will of God This image of God in man seems principally to consist in 1. Knowledge 2. Rigâ—teousnesse and 3. True holinesse or as the Greek phrase is Holinesse of truth This image of God in Adam made him ful of divine beauty whereby he was all glorious within surpassing all sublunary creatures 8. A Covenant-state with God In all times and states of the Church God hath pleased to deal with his people by way of Covenant Adam before the fall being perfect and without sin had perfect ability given him to keep that Covenant with God in which he was naturally enstated The Covenant into which Adam was admitted with God was the Covenant of Works the substance whereof is the Morall Law or Ten Commandements The Morall Law was perfectly written in Adams heart for the substance of it so that he was fully able to know and keep it for even since the fall the Gentiles which have not the written Law do by nature the things contained in the Law which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts Much more was the Law written in Adams heart before the fall This Covenant of Works the substance whereof is contained in the Morall Law required personal perfect and perpetual obedience under the severest penalties Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Vnto this Covenant of Works with Adam seem to be annexed two Sacraments viz. The Tree of Life assuring him of life upon his keeping Covenant and eating of that