Psal. 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that āre about him THERE are special Seasons wherein the Saints approach near unto God in this Life and wherein the Lord comes near unto them It pleaseth the Majesty of Heaven sometimes to admit poor Worms of the Earth to such sensible and sweet perceptions of himself as are found above all expressions and seems to be a transient glance upon that glory which glorified eyes more steadily behold above Believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory or glorified joy as it is 1 Pet. 1. 8. And yet how sweet and excellent soever these foretasts of Heaven are Heaven it self will be an unspeakable surprize to the Saints when they shall come thither Now among all those Ordinances wherein the Blessed God manifests himself to the Children of Men none are found to set forth more of the joy of his Presence than that of the Lords Supper At that blessed Table are such sensible embraces betwixt Christ and Believers as do afford a delight and solace beyond the joy of the whole Earth And where such special manifestations of God are suitable dispositions and preparations should be found on our part to meet the Lord. And certainly we shall find reason enough for it if we well consider the importance of this Scripture before us God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that are round about him wherein we have The 1. Object 2. Subject 3. Mode of divine Worship First The Object of Worship God God is to be feared In all divine Worship Men and Angels have to do with God All things saith the Apostle are open and naked to the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. with whom we have speech or business So it may be sensed when we Worship we draw nigh to God and that about the greatest concerns and weightiest business in the world Secondly The Subject or the Persons that approach unto God in his worship his Saints and all that are about him By Saints many Interpreters do in this place understand the Angels called Saints from the purity and holiness of their Nature and so make the next clause exegetical of this Those that before were call'd Saints in respect of their Nature are in the next words said to be such as are round about him his Satellites Attendants or those that stand as Servants about him to do his pleasure where they are described by their Office and both these seem to be grounded upon the precedent Verses Who in the Heaven can be compared to the Lord Who among the Sons of the Mighty or of God so the Angels are call'd Job 1. 6. can be likened to the Lord And though it be true that the Angels worship and serve the Lord with greatest reverence and dread for these are his nigh Ones or such as are round about him yet there is no necessity to limit this Scripture so narrowly by excluding the people of God on Earth they also are his Saints and more frequently so stiled though they be Saints of a lower Class and Order and they also are round about him as well as the Angels and when they worship him he is in the midst of them Matth. 18. 20. and the place where they Assemble to worship is call'd the place of his Feet Isa. 60. 13. But if we find not the Saints on Earth in the direct and immediate sense of this Text yet we must needs meet them in the rebound and consequence For if Creatures so much above us as the Angels do perform their Service and pay their Homage to the highest Majesty with so much fear and reverence shall not inferiour Creatures the poor Worms of the Earth tremble at his presence And this brings us to the third thing Namely the Mode or manner in which the Worship of God is to be performed viz. With great fear and reverence God is greatly to be feared Piscator Translates it Vehementer formidandus to be vehemently feared and opposes it to that formal careless trifling vain spirit which too often is found in those that approach the Lord in the duties of his Worship The Observation from hence will be this Observation That the greatest composedness and seriousness of spirit is due to God from all those that draw nigh unto him in his Worship And this is no more than what the Lord expresly requires at our hands Levit. 10. 3. I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh unto me So Heb. 12. 28. Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear for our God is a Consuming fire And as this disposition and temper of spirit is due to every act and part of Gods Worship so to accommodate this general to our particular occasion it is especially due to this great and solemn Ordinance of the Lords Supper It is the Observation of the Casuists that Sacramentum mortis articulus aequiparantur the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the very point of death require equal seriousness a mans spirit should be as deeply solemn and composed at the Lords Table as upon a Dead-bed We should go to that Ordinance as if we were then going into another world The Primitive Christians used to sit up whole Nights in Meditation and Prayer before their participation of the Lords Supper and these Nights were call'd Vigiliae their Watches Such was the Reverence the Saints had for this Ordinance which they usually call d mysterium tremendum a tremendous Mystery that they would not give sleep to their eyes or slumber to their eye-lids when so great and solemn a day drew near And that all this solemn preparation is no more than needs will convincingly appear to us upon the following grounds and reasons First From the solemn nature and ends of this Ordinance for what is the express design and use of it but a lively representation of the Lords death 1 Cor. 11. 26. As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Jesus Christ is therein set forth Crucified before us and not to make a bare representation of it to us as a thing wherein we have no personal interest or concernment but to represent his death lively and seal our title to it firmly This is my body which is broken for you ver 24. Now which of these is to be attended with a dead careless and slight spirit Is 't the representation of Christs death God forbid O if there be any subject of Meditation in the world able to drink up the very spirits of a man this is it The Sun fainted the Heavens mourn'd in black the very Rocks rent in pieces when this Tragedy was acted and shall our hearts be more senseless and obdurate than they at
mend every day I am now in Christ and it is but a little while before I shall be with Christ and arrive at the full satisfaction of my very heart O what pleasure doth every glance backward or forward give to the sealed soul 4. It is a Cordial in death and there is none like it This will make the soul triumph over the grave take death chearfully by the cold hand welcome its grim Messengers and long to be gone and be with Christ. Dark and doubting Christians may indeed shrink back from it and be affraid of the exchange but the assured soul longs to be gone and needs patience to live as other men do to die When one was asked if he were willing to die his answer was Illius est nolle mori qui nolit ire ad Christum Let him be loth to die that is loath to go to Christ. The sugar of assurance sweetens the bitter cup of death and makes it delectable to a Believers rellish 5. In a word it is a sweet support in all the troubles and afflictions on this side the grave Let the assured soul be cast into what condition the Lord pleases be it upon a bed of sickness yet this gives his soul such support and comfort that he shall not say I am sick sin being forgiven the soul is well when the body is in pain Isa. 33. 24. Let him be cast in to a Prison here 's that will turn a Prison into a Paradise Act. 5. 41. Let him be pincht with any outward want this will supply all As having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 10. Thus you see how desirable it is for its own excellency And as it is desirable for the sweetness of its own enjoyment so also from the difficulty of its attainment all excellencies are lockt up under many difficulties but none like this it is indeed easie to presume an interest in Christ and cheat a mans own soul with a dream and fancy of our own Creation but sure it 's hard to get a sealed clear title to Christ and his benefits and there be among others three things that make it difficult 1. The corruptions that remain and daily work in the best hearts these are evermore puzling and scaring the poor soul with fears and doubts about its condition Grace teacheth men due severity to themselves and fear of their own deceitfulness makes them think no hearts are like their hearts especially whilst they compare other mens outside with their own inside as generally they do O how do our own corruptions every moment raise mists and clouds that it is a wonder we ever should have one clear beam of assurance shining into such hearts as our hearts are 2. The multitudes of mistakes and cheats that are frequently committed and found in this matter makes upright hearts the more suspicious and doubtful of their own conditions O when they read Matth. 7. 22. that many will say to Christ in that day Lord Lord we have Prophesied in thy Name c. It scares them lest they also be deceived 3. The grand importance of the matter makes poor souls fearful of concluding certainly about it O when a man considers that the whole weight of his eternal happiness or misery depends upon the resolution of these Questions Am I in Christ or am I not It will makâ—… him tremble to determine In a word assurance is not in our power or at our command There be many holy humble diligent and longing souls to whom it is denied It is arbitrarily dispensed by the pleasure of the spirit to whom he will and such favours are rare even among true believers the more therefore it is to be valued and desired by all as the Spouse doth in this place And so much to the first thing Upon what account the assurance of Christs love is so desirable in the eyes of Chrians In the last place let us consider how this mercy which is so desirable may be obtained and this is our proper work and business at this time You are now come to a sealing Ordinance instituted on purpose for this noble end and Use. O that we could pray and plead for it as the Spouse here doth Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death jealousie is cruel as the grave c. Now in order to the attainment of this most desirable mercy take a few necessary hints of your present work and duty in the following directions 1. Direction Would you be well secured of Christs love to you and that you are set as a seal upon his heart then exercise and manifest more love to Christ and let him be much upon your hearts If it be clear to you that you have true love to Jesus Christ you need not at all to doubt but you are in his heart and in his love I love them that love me Prov. 8. 17. And surely you have now before you the greatest motive in the world to inflame your love to Jesus Christ. Behold him as he here represented to you wounded for your iniquities yea sacrificed to the wrath of God for your Peace Pardon and Salvation O what manner of love is this Behold how he loved thee If Christ's love draw forth thine it will so far clear thy interest in his love as it shall engage thy heart in love to him 2. Direction But seeing the activity of your love will be according to the activity of your faith therefore in the next place I advise you to make it the main work and business of this hour to exercise your faith upon Jesus Christ set your selves this day to believe the more strong the direct acts of your faith shall be the more clear and comfortable its reflex acts are like to be There are three distinct offices or imployments for your faith at this Table viz. 1. To realize 2. To apply 3. To infer from the sufferings of Jesus Christ. 1. Realize the sufferings of Christ for you and behold them here represented in a true glass to the eye of faith See you that Bread broken and that Wine poured out As sure as this is so Jesus Christ endured the Cross suffered the Wrath of the great and terrible God in his Soul and in his Body upon the cursed Tree for and in the room of poor Condemned Sinners Your faith for the one hath as much yea more certainty than your sense hath for the other This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. and without controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh c. 2. Apply the sufferings of Christ this day to thine own soul. Believe all this to be done suffered in thy room and for thy sake He offered not this Sacrifice for his own sins but ours Isa. 53. 9. Heb. 7. 27. He
contained so that every day he seems a new Christ for sweetness and yet is the same Christ still And in Heaven the Redeemed shall view him with as much wonder and love him with as much ardour after millions of years as they did at their first sight of him O! there is no bottom in the love of Christ it passeth knowledge 3. In a word bestow your best and chiefest love upon Christ whose love to you passeth all knowledge Let no creature be loved equally with Christ but as his love to you passeth all Creature-love so let yours to him be a matchless love Believer Christ loves thee with an unsearchable love he loves thee more than the dearest friend that is as thine own soul loves thee He loves thee more than thou lovest thy Child or the Wife of thy bosom more than thy soul loves thy body with which it is so intimately united And wilt thou content thy self with such poor narrow remiss affections to Jesus Christ. O look upon him this day in his red Garments behold him in the strength of his love breaking through the Curse of the Law the Wrath of God the Agonies of Death to bring home the fruits of his eternal love to thy soul. And whilst thou art beholding and musing upon it let thy heart melt thy eyes drop and thy very soul cry out Behold how he loved me Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. FINIS A HYMN UPON Rom. 5. ver 6 7 8 9 10 11. Verse 6. WHen we were destitute of strength our selves to help or save Christ for ungodliness at length his Life a Ransom gave 7. For one that 's Righteous we would grutch to lay our life to stake And for a good man it were much such an exchange to make 8. But God his matchless love commends in that Christ Jesus dies For us when we were not his friends but wretched Enemies 9. Much more being justified and free through his own Blood from sin From wrath to come we sav'd shall be even by the life of him 10. For if when Enemies for us Christs death did end the strife Much more when reconciled thus He 'l save us by his life 11. Yea more than so we triumph now in God with one Accord Having receiv'd Attonement through Christ Jesus our own Lord. Wherefore to him who is the first begotten of the dead Who over earthly Princes must be supream Lord and Head Evâ—… to him who lov'd us so to wash us in his Blood And make us Kings and Priests unto his Father and his God To him Dominion therefore by us be given when This present world shall be no more To which we say Amen ERRATA PAge 6. line 17. for dead read death-bed p. 36. l. 4. for wrapt r. rapt p. 46. l. 14. for effect r. affect p. 55. l. 15. add is the spoile p. 64. l. 16. for grounded r. ungrounded p. 99. l. 26. for hollowed r. hallowed p. 128. l. 24. for arâ—… r. is p. 135. l. 29. for and made r. that make p. 140. l. 11. for your r. their p. 141. l. 6. for any r. my p. 152. l. 3. blot out might p. 171. l. 25. r. applying p. 185. l. 26. r. fâ—…ast p. 206. l. 19. r. shower p. 214. l. 2. blot out all p. 216. l. 19. for unto r. under Concil Carthag Can. 6. Placuit â—…t defunctorum corporibus non detur Eucharistia c. Non putabam me tibi tam familiarem Tunc pessime dispositus quando aptisimé 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inennarabile glorificata Montan 1. 2. 3. Chrysost. lib. 3. de Sacerdot Reas. 1. 2. Reas. Mr. Tho. Goodwins Epistle to Mr. Fenners Sermon 4. Reas. 1. 2. 3. 1. Use. Psal. 106. 7. Use 2. 1. 2. Doct. 1. 2. 3. Dr. Preston when dying said I shall change my place not my Compány Cant. 1. 12. Whilst the King siteth at his Table my Spikenard â—…c 1. Infer 2. Infer 3. Infer 4. Infer 5. Infer Ob. Sol. 6. Infer 1. 2. Cum ad optima quaeque contendo experio aliam legem tunc maximi in surgit percipitar lex carnis Tolletus Doct. 1. 1. 2. 2. 1. 2. 3. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 5. Rule 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. Doct. 1 Query 2. Query 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 3. Query 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Query 1. 2. Durham in Loc. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. De Dieu Grotius 1. 2. 3. 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. Use. 1. 2. 4. 5. â—… 7. 1. 1. 2. 1. 1. 2. Caryl on Job 3. 4. 5. 1 Use. 9. 4. 4. 5. 2. 3. Doct. 1. Doct. 2. 1. 2. 4. 2. Use. 2. Doct. Use. 1. 1. Sympt 2. Sympt 3. Sympt 5. Sympt Use 2. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 1. 2. 1 Use. 2. Use. 1. 2. 3. Doct. 1. 1. Use. 2. Use. 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. Rule 5. Rule 1. Query 2. Query 1. Use. Amos 6. 4 5 6. 2. Use. 1. 2. 1. 1. 2. 2. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1. 2. 4. 1.