preparation to the eating of it So no man must come to the Supper without due preparing himself For if so long preparation was by God thought fit for the shadow what preparation can be thought fit and sufficient for the substance 2 Chron. 35. 6 It was the counsell of Solomon Prov. 23. 1. When thou sittest down at a great mans table consider diligently what is set before thee Much more here at the great Gods Table no consideration of the Author matter manner end fruit and use can be sufficient What a fearfull thing is it to come as most men do not considering the Lords body How miserable was the sentence of that guest that sate down at the Kings table without his wedding garment Our common preparation is to put on our best clothes and to cover our bodily nakednesse in most curious manner In the mean time the Lord seeth and mens own consciences witnesse against them how naked their soules lie and filthily discovered The due preparation to this ordinance would be attended with more comfort within and more reformation without than we can espie in most communicants 3. As the Paschall Lamb must never be eaten without soure hearbs so we must never come to the Sacrament without true humiliation and sorrow for sinne There can be no sweetnesse in the bloud of Christ till the heart be full of bitternesse for sin For as soure sauces whet the stomack and provoke the appetite so true sorrow for sin stirreth up our desire and appetite after Jesus Christ and prepares us to all good duties and holds us in a fitnesse to pray to hear the Word to the Sacrament to works of mercy c. What a sweet sourenesse and bitterness is that which brings such delectable sweetnesse and refreshing after it Any man of reason would make hard shift to drink down a bitter potion to help his bodily health and much more a godly man will be contented to digest godly sorrow for the procuring of heavenly joy and the sweet comforts of Gods salvation 4. As the Jew might not eat the Lamb till he had purged all leaven out of his house So we must not come to the Sacrament without the forsaking of our sin Never can a man expect any comfort by Christs Sacrifice that hideth the old leaven in the corners of his heart Whence the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. 7. exhorteth the Saints to purge out the old leaven because Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us Here is to be considered 1. What this leaven is 2. What is the purging of it 1. This leaven is not onely the leaven of corrupt doctrine which suddenly soureth the truth and lumpe of the Gospel as leaven doth a lump of dough but also the leaven of sin both in the corruption of nature which is the old leaven in our selves and hath soured all the lump of whole mankind and every man and every faculty of man as also in corrupt and vicious conversation which soureth and leaveneth others with himself in societies 2. The purging of this leaven is 1. In correcting and repenting sin past when a constant care is nourished to find it out and to cast it out 2. In serious conversion and turning to God both which are expressed in Psal. 34. 14. Sest VI. Quest. How may we purge out this leaven Answ. Imitate the Jew For why should a Jew be more carefull in the shadow and ceremony than a Christian in the truth and substance I. The Jew begins to purge within and banish it out of his house So begin thou to purge the inside first Jer. 4. 4. Wash thy heart O Jerusalem An hypocrite can wash his face but a found Christian looks to his heart Many can purge their mouthes and outward man about the time of the Sacrament but the heart is stuffed with maliciousnesse envie prophaneness and ungodliness Many can be busie to purge other mens houses but the Jew must purge his own house II. The Jew purged out all leaven and spared none not a morsell or a crum And shall not a Christian count every sin a pollution and hatefull to God Shall any say Is it not a little one I may swear a little be drunk if seldome I may not kill but rail and revile and speak my mind I may not be an adulterer but wanton in speeches looks behaviours and in my company I may not goe to plough on the Sabbath but may buy and sell ride abroad or be idle at home Why Is not a little serpent a serpent or a little poison poison Is not a little leaven enough to soure a whole lump III. The Jew carefully and narrowly searched and swept every corner and cranny of his house that not the least crum might escape him And shall not we as carefully throw out this leaven out of every power of the soul and every part and member of our bodies That every one may possess his whole house in holinesse and honour 1 Thes. 4. 4. How doth the Scriptures teach us to purge this leaven out of all corners As 1. Out of the conscience to serve God with a pure conscience 2 Tim. 1. 3. 2. Out of the affections prescribing love out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. and to take heed to our feet coming to the house of God 3. Out of our senses Psal. 119. 37. turn away mine eyes from regarding vanities Job 31. 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes So to shut the ear from hearing blasphemy against God or men and not to be agents and abetters of blasphemers 4. Out of our speeches Psal. 39. 1. I said I will look to my wayes that 〈◊〉 not in my tongue And instead of this leaven to accustome our selves to the language of Cannaan and â—…ous speeches tending to edification ministring grace to the heareâ—s IV. A Jew must begin his purging seven dayes before and hold on all the feast on pain of death How much more should we begin to purge our selves betimes and hold on so long as our Passeover lasts And because our Passeover is not annuall as that was but continuall we must continue our cleansing and separating from this leaven which is not easily washed out Thou hast but trifled in this busines that hangest down thy head for a day and art penitent for the time of the Sacrament unlesse thou continuest to reform and renew thy heart and life and conscionably avoidest all leaven of sin all thy life which is or ought to be a continuall Christian Passeover V. As the Jews must eat the Passeover with their loines girt with staves in their hands eating in haste as tending to their Countrey So we must never come to the Sacrament but with holy hearts and meditations 1. Seriously considering what strangers and pilgrims we are here below not having any continuing City here but are seeking a Countrey Heb. 13. 14. He that is a true eater of our Paschall Lamb must not pitch down his staffe here but
himself and all his members All the bonds of death and sinne with which he was bound in our steed he shooke off as Sampson did the seaven green cords and broke their power as towe is broken when it feeleth fire 5. Sampson never had help from any other in slaying the Lyon the enemies but with his own hands without any other second or weapon So Christ in the wildernesse alone in the garden at prayer alone before Pilate alone all the disciples fled on the Crosse alone No other must tread the winepresse none must share in the honour nor conquest with him 1. Not to judge of the piety or impiety of Gods children by their calamities Sampson hath many enemies many conslicts many dangers by the Lyon the Philistims the Azzhites and his own wife his life painfull his death violent Jesus Christ himselfe beset with enemies on all sides as the sunne with moats never free from conflicts with the Lyon the devill with his owne Jewes with Pharaoh Sadduces Herodians his person despised his miracles traduced his life painfull his death shamefull and accursed Yet may we not judge either of them forsaken of God who still assisted them with his own strength and was strongest in them when they seemed weakest Neither may we mis-judge the generation of Gods children in their conflicts with satan with temptations with sinners or with the terrors of their own hearts If they shall cry out My God why hast thou forsaken me waite a while and Gods strength shall do great things in their weaknesse II. God can and usually doth use strange weake and unexpected meanes to overthrow his enemies and the enemies of his Church his strength is most seen in weake things his wisedome working by the most foolish When a thousand enemies set upon Sampson at once without any weapon or meanes of defence he can use a jawbone to kill a thousand of them when they thinke him farre enough from any weapon and if Sampson wants a better and readier meanes against Gods enemies he can by two hundred Foxes a most unexpected meanes burne up their graine and fields at harvest time Our Lord by the foolishnesse of preaching can doth overcome his enemies nay God can and doth by contrary meanes wrack his foes Sampson shall marry a wife among the Philistims to be an occasion of warre and revenge and this came of God whereas marriages among Princes ordinarily are made to compose and make up differences not to make them Our Lord Jesus overcomes sinne death hell grave by suffering by death by descending into hell by lying in the grave most unlikely or contrary meanes Let Gods enemies fear revenge by every thing even where no fear is An enemy of God and his Church is never safe seeme he never so secure An Army of frogs shall drive Pharaoh out of his bed chamber in the middest of his greatnesse a fly shall choake Pope Adrian if other meanes be wanting and proud Herod shall be eaten up not by any army of men but of lice III. The greatest victory against the enemies of the Church is by passion and patience submitting our selves meekly unto God in obedience walking in our callings and doing the work of God Thus did these two mighty Sampsons most overcome their enemies when they seemed most overcome by them Our warre saith Isidore is contrary to the striving of the Olympicks There he gets the garland which striketh and overcommeth here he which is strooke and suffereth There he which being strooke striketh againe here he which offereth his cheeke to the striker And thus he concludeth Our victory consisteth not in revenging but in suffering Oh let the children of the Church lay aside worldly weapons clamour reviling revenging speeches or actions and betake themselves to the weapons of the Church prayers teares patience weapons mighty under God The power of a Christian is patience who must overcome evill with goodnesse IV. In that Christ is the true Sampson here is much consolation and many comforts to the Israel of God 1. Comfort As Sampson revenged the wrong offered him in his wife So will Christ Matth. 25. In that ye did it to one of these little ones ye did it to me And though Sampsons wife may be taken from him and given to another Christs cannot Ioh. 10. 28. none shall pluck them out of my hand 2. Comfort A mightier deliverer is here than Sampson for Israel For 1. Though Sampson was strong to overcome a Lyon our Sampson is stronger to overcome the Devill not in himselfe onely but for us in us and by us 2. Sampson was stronge but might abuse his strength as he did in whoring and wantonnesse which in prison he repented But Jesus Christ used all his strength for God against sinne and his enemies 3. Sampson abusing it might loose his strength for it was not the parting with his haire but his sinne grieving the Spirit that weakned him but Christ could not loose his strength because he could not loose his obedience 4. Sampson was so strong as the Philistims thought it bootlesse to assay him with power but by pollicy and indirect meanes they conquer him but our Sampson cannot be conquered neither by power nor by pollicy for he is stronger than all and in him are treasures of wisdome 5. Sampson overthrew the enemies but that was his owne overthrow but Christ not so his conquest was to his most glorious exaltation 6. Sampson as a type onely began the deliverance of the Church but hindered by death could not perfect it Our Sampson perfected the deliverance and salvation of the whole Church and did more after death than in his life or death and will most fully perfect it for all his members in the resurrection 3. Comfort The glory of Gods children appeares not yet but shall when he shall appeare 1 Ioh. 3. 2. Sampsons strength for a time lurked in the prison the glory of Christs Deity lay hid a while in the grave but both most powerfully brake forth So shall the glory of the despised Saints Psal. 37. 6. 4. Comfort We shall never doubt of meanes to comfort and supply us in want The same God that supplied Sampson a jawbone against his enemies supplied him out of the same jawbone a well of water to drinke when he was ready to faint Trust thy selfe with God in thy wants reserve to him all meanes instruments and wayes of bringing thee help If thou see no apparant or great meanes of thy comfort and supply he can use weak and unexpected meanes onely walk in thy calling and the rock shall yeeld thee water rather than thou shalt be destitute in Gods way or work V. In both learne to contemne the greatest and extreamest perill in Gods causes Sampson offered himselfe to death so did Christ he went out to meet his enemies so must thou learne not to love thy life to the death Revel 12. 11. and with Paul
against this generation For she 1. a woman of weak sexe 2. A Queen enjoying pleasures at home 3. Undertooke a long journey from the ends of the earth Matth. 12. 42. 4. Set aside the weighty affaires of her kingdome the charge of her journey and gifts to Salomon not small 1 King 10. 10. the dangers wearinesse and all to hear the wisdome of Salomon yet as a Gentile did all this But many men and women professing Christianity will not step over their thresholds to hear the wisdome of a greater than Salomon Object If Salomon or Christ were here we would Sol. 1. The Jewes would say so but would not 2. He that heares you heareth me 3. He that will not hear us would not hear Christ himselfe Object We have businesse and occasions Sol. 1. Many make occasions which might be avoided 2. Many pretend occasions 3. Many have occasions but so had this Queen who would not be hindered from Salomon by the weighty affaires of a kingdome 4. Whose occasions ordinarily hinder them they shall never taste of the supper 2. Hence we must labour to account it our happinesse that we may have liberty to wait on the true Salomon So the Queen of Saba Happy are thy servants that may attend on thee and heare thy wisedome So our Saviour himself Happy are they that hear the word and keep it Happy we if we saw our happinesse that we need not with such cost and toyle seek after our Salomon For he comes to us and knocks at the doors of our hearts and offers to enrich us with treasures of wisedome Let us open our gates that this king of glory may enter in Let us receive the rules of wisedome from his mouth and consider how unhappy they are that despise the word of which both the Salomons were preachers II. Comfort that Christ is the true Salomon 1. Great were the blessings which Salomon procured to Israel but all temporary and outward but our Salomon procures greater spirituall and eternall 2. Salomon prayes and is heard of all that pray in the Temple 1 King 8. Christ prayes and merits that all prayers of Saints be heard Joh. 17. 3. Salomon could not be present in all his kingdome at once Cant. 8. 11. Salomon had a Vineyard and let it out to dressers vers 12. but my Vineyard is set before mine eyes Himself still walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks and watcheth for the good of it 4. All the excellencies which now we see and enjoy in Christ are nothing to them we shall see as the Queen of Saba halfe was not told me in my country So as the glory delight pleasure which our Salomon now gives us must affect our hearts to renonunce carnall delights and pursue those that are above What is earth to heaven that is faith to fruition This is that Cant. 3. 7. Behold his bed is better than Salomons which was for price and safety most excellent for threescore valiant men stood about it every night But the spirituall marriage-bed in the marriage chamber the kingdome of glory surpasseth all comprehension all sweetned with incense of holynesse happinesse glory immortality better than the best perfumes there is perfect security and lasting joy on their heads for ever CHAP. XII 11. Jonah a type of Christ in 4. respects IOnah was a type of Christ as Matth. 12. 39. No signe shall be given them but the signe of the Prophet Jonah I. In his name and office Both Jonahs both doves one in name the other in nature Both mournfull one in a sea of sorrowes shut in the whales belly the other a man of sorrowes and such as no man ever sustained and overcame Both Prophets Jonah sent to preach repentance to Niniveh Christ the true Jonah the great Prophet of the Church was sent to preach the same doctrine to the world Mat. 4. 17 Then Jesus began to preach and say Amend your lives c. Both of them in expresse words must signifie to their hearers that without repentance they were in state of perdition II. In respect of his death and suffering In the 1. kind 2. manner 3. fruit 1. The kinde it was a willing death a free will offering For as Jonah when the tempest was raised freely offered himselfe to death when the Marriners would faine have saved him Ion. 1. 12. take me and cast me into the sea that the tempest may cease So when the storm of Gods wrath was boystrous against the sinnes of mankind Jesus Christ our Jonah offered himselfe to the death for he had power either to lay down his life or to retaine it Joh. 10. 18. No man taketh away my life from me but I lay it down of my selfe Joh. 18. 5. I am he 2. The terrible and dreadfull manner For as Jonah was swallowed up of the Whale who made but one morsel of him So Christ was swallowed up of death and seemed wholy devoured of the curse of God As the one cryed in the Whales belly and out of the belly of hell Ion. 2. 2. and vers 4. I am cast away out of thy sight So the other cries upon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Both of them were in so extraordinary death as in their sence they were in the deepest hell 3. The fruit of it 1. The appeasing of the wrath of God his Father For as Jonah once cast into the Sea the windes were stilled the sea ceased from hâ—r raging Chap. 15. 1. and there was a great calme So Christ by his death pacified his Fathers wrath stilled the rage of Satan abolished the horror of death which otherwise had never been still and calme towards us 2. To save his fellowes For as Jonah must be cast into the sea to save his fellowes from drowning Chap. 1. 12. So must Christ be overwhelmed with the waves of his Fathers displeasure and as Jonah be put to death by those that should have preserved him but not for any desert of his owne but to save his companions and brethren in the same ship with him from death and drowning For so was the signification of his name Jesus so himself affirmed Matt. 20. 28. The Sonne of man came to give his life a ransome for many So also Caiaphas prophecies It is fit that one man die for the people and that the whole Nation perish not Joh. 11. 50. III. In Jonah we have a type of Christs buriall noted by Christ himself For as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights Matth. 12. 40. So must Christ be detained in the grave and lie under buriall three dayes and three nights parts put for the whole as perhaps also in Jonah till the case seemed desperate in both not onely in their own apprehensions as 〈◊〉 have before shewed but in the disciples apprehension Luke 24. 21. We thought this should have been he that should have delivered Israel and behold
evidently expressed in the preparation of the Paschall Lamb wherein the Jewes were tyed to six observations I. Observation The Lamb must be severed from the flock v. 6. to signifie Jesus Christ separated by God the Father to the office of mediator and that two waies I. By Gods eternall decree he was a chosen servant of God to the most excellent service in heaven and earth Isai. 42. 1. My elect servant And thus is called a Lamb separarated from before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1. 20. 2. In due time actually separated from all the rest of the flock by 1. A supernaturall conception by the holy Ghost whereby he became an high Priest separated from sinners all the rest of Mankind remaining sinners 2. By a miraculous birth of a Virgin being the seed of the woman 3. By an unconceiveable union of the two natures divine and humane in one person by which he became our Immanuell God with us 4. By a solemne and heavenly inauguration into his office at the brinke of Jordan by which he was openly proclaimed the chiefe Doctor and Prophet of his Church Thus it became this Lamb of God to be actually separated from all the rest of the flock because for all the rest he was to pay a greater ransome and price than any other that could be found amongst all mankind II. Observation The Lamb thus separated must be reserved and kept alive four daies even from the tenth day of the first month till the fourteenth day of the same month vers 6. Wherein was signified the very particles of time of Christs both Ministery and passion 1. For his Ministery Christ must not be sacrificed presently so soon as he was born nor so soon as he is baptized and separated but after that separation must live about four years to preach the kingdome of God and then be offered up that his death might not be a seale to a blancke but might confirme all that holy doctrine delivered by his owne mouth and Ministery to the world 2. For his passion The time of it depended not on the will of man for his enemies sought many a time before to slay him as Herod in his infancy Matth 2. 16. the Jewes took up stones to stone him Joh. 8. 59. The Nazarites would break his neck from an hill Luk. 4. 29. And many other attempts were made against his life but his time was not then come the lamb must be reserved four daies And this very moment of time was determined and registred in Gods most certaine and unchangeable computation Act. 2. 23. being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God Whose wisdome so ordered that 1. As the lamb was taken in the tenth day of the first moneth so Christ came into Jerusalem about the tenth day of the same month to suffer as appeares Joh. 12. For upon the sixth day before his passion he came to Bethany vers 1. and the next day he went to Jerusalem which was the fifth day before his passion ver 12. 2. As the lamb must be slaine the fourteenth day of the first month which answereth to our March and at the full of the Moon So that no man might be deceived in our Paschall lamb he must be sacrificed at the Passeover the same day that the lamb must be slaine In the full Moon to note the fullnesse of time now come which was so long before appointed and in such a month as when light prevailes against darknesse and every thing revives and springs to signifie that Christ by his suffering chaseth away our darknesse and death and brings in light and life and a blessed spring of grace and glory III. Observation The Lamb must be slaine vers 6. signifying that Jesus Christ being as that Lamb of a year old in his vigour and strength who by reason of his age and strength might have lived longer must not onely die but by a violent death and that by Israel Noting 1. That Christ must be put to death by the Jewes 2. That the benefit aad merit of his death redounds to his Church onely The Redeemer must come unto Zion Isa. 59. 20. Objection How was he then a Lamb slaine from the beginning of the World before the Jewes were in being Sol. Two waies 1. In regard of Gods decree whereof a promulgation was made in promises and types and an acceptation as if it had been already done 2. In regard of man He was slaine onely one time as to the act but in all times as to the fruit because the perpetuall power and efficacie of Christs sacrifice was begun with the world and extended to all believers of all ages who onely diversly apprehend it IV. Observation The lamb must be slain between two evenings 1 To put them in remembrance of their deliverance in Egypt which was in the evening 2. To note that our Paschall lamb should be slain towards the evening of the world that is in the last times Heb. 9. 26. 3. that Christs sacrifice was to succeed in the same time of their evening sacrifices which were daily to be offered Exod 29. 41. and so to put an end to them Dan. 12. 4. to note the very houre as well as the day of Christs suffering on the Crosse. To understand which we must know that the Jewes distinguished their artificiall day into four parts From six to nine from nine to twelve from twelve to three from three to six This last part was counted the evening of the day and the next three houres the evening of the night In this fourth part of the day used the Paschal lamb to be slain and the rest of the time was little enough to dresse it whole for Supper even so the true Paschal lamb must be sacrificed the very same day and houre that the Mysticall lamb was For Christ at the third houre that is at three of the clock in afternoon between the evenings with a great voyce gave up the Ghost Matth 27. 50. V. Observation The lamb must be roasted with fire not raw not sod baked boyled or otherwise but all thoroughly roasted with fire vers 9. 1. Not eaten raw to signifie that we must not grossely conceive nor unpreparedly receive Christ in the Sacrament as the Capernaites did of the flesh of Christ Joh. 6. and the Papists of eating the raw flesh of Christ as it was born of a Virgine with their teeth 2. Roasted to Signifie two things 1 The manner of Christs death he was to be crucified and peirced As the lamb must be thrust through and fastened to a spit so must the lamb of God be peirced and fastened to the Crosse. As the brazen Serpent was fixed to a pole Joh. 3. 14. 2. That Jesus Christ was made fit food as that lamb for his people by enduring the fire of affliction but especially by suffering the hot burning fire of his Fathers wrath which had burnt up