participation with Christ in the Sacrament that whosoeuer eats Christ dwelleth in him and he in him 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body and haue beene all made to drinke into one Spirit The point that the Apostle is there speaking of is this The Communion that is betweene Christ and the Faithfull He shewes first the Author of it which is God by one Spirit and then he shewes the Instrument to the Signe and Seale which is the Sacrament by one Spirit are we baptized into one Body whether we be Iewes or Gentiles bond or free then it holds by consequence in the Lords Supper yea that seemes plainly to be intimated where it is said hauing beene made all to drinke into one Spirit a spirituall or a religious drinking and therefore it is to be vnderstood as respectiuely in the Lords Supper this spirituall drinking cannot respectiuely be vnderstood of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 As often saith the Apostle as you eat this Bread and drinke this Cup you shew the Lords death till he come or ye shall shew it that is to say The eating and drinking is a testimonie betweene God and you of a holy Communion ye haue with Christ and what interest vnto his Death that is that you are partakers of the Lord Iesus Christ that is the meaning of it Reas 1 The first Reason is drawne from the contrarie The vnbeleeuers they doe come to the Lords Table and not discerne the Lords Body to them it is a Seale of their damnation 1 Cor. 11.29 They are Enemies to Christ they haue nothing to doe with him They that eat and drinke vnworthily eat and drinke their owne damnation So then to the vnbeleeuers it is a Signe and a Seale that they haue no Communion with Christ nor interest in him but are damned wretches But to them that doe discerne the Lords Body it is a Signe and a Seale of their Communion with Christ Christ is one with them and they with him Reas 2 The second Reason is drawne from the comparison of this seruice with the seruice of Idols from which the Apostle raiseth the ground of this point in hand those that partake of the seruice of Idols what saith the Apostle They make themselues one with those Idols as in the twentieth Verse they are partakers and haue fellowship with Idols as who should say they that sacrifice to Idols or haue any thing to doe with them in their religious Feasts they testifie and seale vp vnto the World that they are seruants to those Idols So if we celebrate this holy Feast vnto the Lord we thereby testifie our Communion with Christ and testifie Christ his Communion with vs. Reas 3 The third Reason is drawne from the correspondencie and answerablenesse of that which Christ did vpon the Crosse and suffered vpon the Crosse to that which is done at the Lords Table for there is a verie sweet correspondencie between two Christ his Body and Blood was giuen for vs vpon the Crosse that which was giuen for vs vpon the Crosse that is giuen to vs in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Vpon the Crosse it was giuen for vs and therefore it is communicated vnto vs in the Lords Supper Luke 22.19 And he tooke Bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue it to his Disciples saying This is my Body which is giuen for you c. He tooke it at the Sacrament and said This is my Body this is my Blood which is shed for you giuing vs to vnderstand that what Christ did for vs vpon the Crosse the same he giues to vs in the Sacrament Christ his Body and Blood was giuen for vs on the Crosse and the same was giuen to vs in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper We know that the Lords Supper is nothing else but a representation or a shewing forth of the Lords death 1 Cor. 11. It is a shewing forth of the death of Christ Looke how it was with Christ vpon the Crosse so it is with vs in the Sacrament What was giuen there for vs is giuen here to vs. Vse 4 Another Reason is drawne from the nature of the Sacrament What is the nature of a Sacrament but to be a Seale of the Communion of Christ Christ ordained it so to be a Pledge of our Communion Doe this in remembrance of me Vse 1 The first Vse is matter of Instruction in sundry parts First It commends vnto vs the infinitenesse of the loue of Christ Iesus who as he did inlarge his Heart to vs in giuing himselfe his Body and Blood vpon the Crosse for vs so he doth communicate himselfe vnto vs by the worke of his Spirit yet further for our stronger and surer euidence of this Communion he doth from time to time ratifie and seale vp this Communion vnto vs by the participation of the Lords Supper These be singular mercies of God to vs and those that haue a sensible feeling of their own weakenesse dulnesse corruption and vnbeleefe and of their daily starting aside from God they cannot chuse but embrace this as a great mercie of God and so esteeme of it Yet there is none of Gods children that knowes their owne weakenesse and infirmitie how subiect they are to vnbeleefe and to start aside from God if they consider how powerfull the Sacrament is for the raysing vp of Faith in them though not for the begetting of Faith in vs we cannot chuse but acknowledge this a singular mercie and loue of God to vs in Christ Iesus We know we sinne daily and by euerie sinne we know we doe as much as in vs lyes make a separation from God and therefore how much need haue we that this Communion that is betweene vs and Iesus Christ should be daily sealed vp ratified and confirmed vnto vs A Woman that hath her Husband absent from her and doth not enioy his bodily presence yet she comforts her selfe in that she perswades her selfe that he is a faithfull Man and that he will not breake with her as a Ring after that Marriage is solemnized that is giuen as a token of loue for the further assurance of loue one to another when she lookes vpon this Ring though he be farre absent from her yet this puts her in mind of his loue to her and so me doth solace and comfort her selfe in the loue of her Husband by this outward pledge Euen so it is betweene Christ and the Soules of euerie faithfull Man and Woman we doe not enioy the bodily presence of Christ because he is in Heauen nay sometimes he with-drawes his sensible presence of his Spirit from vs yet we know there is a Couenant made betweene him and vs he is our Husband and we his Spouse he made one with vs and we with him and though he doe absent himselfe from vs yet we comfort our selues in this Vnion because we are conuerted vnto God and so this Communion is made betweene Christ
beginning of the Booke it is written of me c. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second The bodily comming of our Sauiour in the Flesh was the establishment of the New Testament Christ being bodily present in the Flesh at this Table in the Flesh because his Flesh was that onely which he was bodily present in and the Table being spread for a memoriall that he was come and suffered in the Flesh is therefore proper onely to the New Testament 1 Cor. 11.20 It is there called The Lords Supper Why is it so called but because it was instituted at the last Supper which the Lord in the dayes of his Flesh made and which he did appoint as a witnesse of his Will and Testament for euer Now what is the state of the New Testament but the state of sauing Grace which the Lord Iesus hath brought vnto vs from Heauen when he came amongst vs liued amongst vs dyned amongst vs and supped amongst vs But that state of sauing Grace which he preached and published with with his owne Mouth in the time of his Life But that state of sauing Grace which he sealed and confirmed with his owne Blood at his Death But that state of sauing Grace which he as it were in the twy-light betwixt the day of his Life and the houre of his Death did ratifie and confirme by this Sacrament of the Supper This state of sauing Grace is the New Testament and therefore the Lords Supper is the Sacrament of the New Testament 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of Blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ Here you see the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is the Communion of the Body Blood of Christ In the Sacraments of the Old Testament his Blood was shadowed In the New Testament it is really communicated In the Sacraments of the former Testament Christ was in some measure really communicated in his Body Blood to the Faithfull but darkely weakely and sparingly But here he is communicated vnto them clearely powerfully and bountifully In a word Christ his Body and Blood was communicated to the Faithfull vnder the former Testament in the Sacrament to be broken to be shed But here in the New Testament his Body as being already broken and his Blood as already shed This belongs to the New Testament and therefore this is the Sacrament of the New Testament In Luke 22.19 Doe this in remembrance of me speaking of this Sacrament Now remembrance is properly of the things that are past Christ hath ordained this as a remembrance of his doings already past the matter of our Saluation as of a matter already fulfilled This is the voyce of the Gospell of the New Testament Christ is already come as the voyce of the Law was Christ is to come That I say is the voyce of the New Testament And therefore the Sacrament of the Supper is a Sacrament of the New Testament 1 Cor. 11.26 As oft as you eat of this Bread and drinke of this Cup you shew forth the Lords Death till he come He saith not you foreshew that was for the Sacraments of the Old Testament but you doe shew that is you declare publish and expresse the Death of Christ You celebrate shew forth and sensibly act his Death the thing before acted vpon the Crosse The Reasons of the point are these Reas 1 First Christ himselfe is the Mediator of the New Testament Hebr. 9.5 and 12.24 that is Christ is the maker good of the Couenant of Grace betwixt God and Man for to be the mediator of the Testament is to make good a Testament Christ did this by his Blood by his Intercession and Redemption there is the Office of our Sauiour here is his taske here is the businesse he is to be imployed in He was not carelesse in going about his owne businesse He was not a medler in other Mens matters He would not make Lawes for others but for his owne He would not set his Seale to another Mans Testament but to his owne This Testament is his he made it good he ratified it with his owne Blood The Sacrament was his because he instituted it this being presumed vpon that he would not meddle with other Mens matters make Lawes for others or set his Seale to other Mens Bonds and so forth The Sacrament being ordained by him to be a Seale thereof is therefore the Sacrament of the New Testament Reas 2 Secondly The word whereunto this is annexed is the New Testament The Gospel what is that The Couenant of sauing Grace and that is Hebr. 10.16 17. I will put my Lawes into their Hearts and in their Minds will I write them Their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more The word whereunto this Sacrament is annexed is the Couenant of Grace such as the word is such is the Sacrament But the word is the New Testament therefore the Sacrament of the Lords Supper must be of the New Testament onely Reas 3 Thirdly The whole Couenant of Grace is the ministration of the New Testament onely 2 Cor. 3.6 God hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament Such as the ministration is such must be the holy things they administer The ministration is of the New Testament therefore the holy things administred the Word and Sacraments are of the New Testament Aaron and his Sonns were Ministers of the holy things of the Law Christ and his Apostles are Ministers of the Gospell and of the Couenant of Grace Aaron and his Sonnes must not meddle with the Sacraments of the Gospell Christ and his Apostles must not meddle with the Sacraments and Sacrifices of the Old Testament They must keepe themselues to their owne Such as the ministration is such are the things administred Our whole ministration is of the New Testament and therefore the holy things administred as the Sacraments are proper to the New Testament onely Reas 4 Fourthly The things themselues that are sealed by this Sacrament are pledges of the New Testament The Body and Blood of Christ are pledges of the New Testament they are proper to that and therfore the Sacraments where by it is signed sealed and represented and set forth vnto vs must be of the New Testament For the Blood is Christs This is my Blood c. The Testament is Christs he made it good The Sacrament is Christs he ordained and instituted it and he doth in this speech annex it to his Blood inseparably and withall to the Testament inseparably and so consequently he annexes the Sacrament inseparably to the New Testament And surely when our Sauiour saith This is my Blood of the New Testament he speakes it as in a proper sence of the Blood in his Body so in a Sacramentall sence of his Blood in the Sacrament he giues vs to vnderstand that the Sacrament in a sacramentall sence is the Blood of
And likewise by consequent they must be such Persons so quallified in some measure as the Discipies were that is to say They must be Beleeuers that it may be truly said of them as of the Disciples It is for you And this is the other part of Luke's meaning for you Take it thus The Sacrament of it selfe in generall is for many the whole Church of God must make vse of it The particular administration of it at that time was for the Disciples because they onely were the Receiuers But yet further wheresoeuer it shall bee so administred in particular Congregations there must be many at it many must communicate in it and likewise those many that communicate in it must be such as receiue it with particular applycation It must be for you They must be Beleeuers qualified as those Disciples that it may be truly said of them as of the Disciples This is for you This is the straine of our Sauiours speech and this is the according of both the Euangelists in substance agreeing together and these bee the points God willing we will now insist vpon The first thing we are to consider is this It is for many I shewed you one part of Mathew's meaning was this namely That the Sacrament it selfe is a generall and publike Ordinance for the whole Church to make vse of it Doct. The point is this That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a perpetuall Ordinance of Christ to be obserued in his Church for euer In the first of the Cor. 11.26 As oft as you eat of this Bread and drinke of this Cup you shew forth the Lords death till he comes That is to say Till he comes to Iudgment Which is a plaine proofe that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted by our Sauiour and left that it might be a perpetuall Ordinance of continuall vse in the Church of God from time to time to the end of the World Reas 1 The Reason of it is this There can be but one meanes one way one course to Saluation Now this is the meanes that our Sauiour appointed the Disciples to be saued by so farre forth as the nature of a Sacrament reacheth vnto and therefore all the Faithfull from time to time ought to be made partakers of the same sauing Ordinance for their Saluation Vse 1 The Vse teacheth vs the inuiolablenesse of this Ordinance of God that it must stand for euer without change not onely without abolishment but it must not be changed As Christ hath left it to be a perpetuall monument in his Church so it must be obserued and in the verie same tearmes Vse 2 Another Vse is this It commends vnto vs the bountifulnesse of the Lord Iesus and the prouident care which he had ouer his Church that he was pleased to prouide not onely for them that were then present where he liued but for vs to the end of the World we that were then vnborne and those that as yet are not borne the Lord Iesus intended it to vs as well as to them that liued in the dayes of his Flesh he prouided it as the meanes euen of our Saluation But this point I onely touch as it were by the way The second is some-what more materiall and that is this That it is for many that is to say Not onely that many shall haue vse of it as of the World but that when it is vsed in a particular Congregation it must be done in an Assembly Many must be met together for this purpose The point is this Doct. 2 That the due and right administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper requires an Assembly or multitude of Receiuers met together to communicate in it The verie name of Communion whereby the Sacrament is set forth vnto vs sounds plainly to this effect 1 Cor. 10.16 The Bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ The Wine that we poure out is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ You see there the Lords Supper is called by the name of Communion the Communion that is to say principally of the Faithfull with Christ their Head but respectiuely it is intended of that Communion which they haue amongst themselues Now this is sealed vp vnto vs in this Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well as the other as the Apostle proceeds to shew in the seuenteenth verse where he applyes it to this Communion of the Faithfull among themselues We that are many are one Bread and one Body because we all are partakers of one Bread The Bread is one that is Christ The partakers are many all the Faithfull from time to time but more specially those that communicate at the same time in the vse of the Sacrament So that whensoeuer this Bread is set before vs there must be many present to partake of it The words of our Sauiour in the first institution of it inforce it where bee saith Drinke ye all of this The Rule is perpetuall not onely for that Communion then celebrated but for all afterwards Drinke ye all of it How can all be said to drinke if not many there if not an Assembly at it In the two and twentieth of Luke and the seuenteenth Verse the Text saith He tooke the Cup and gaue thankes and said Take this and diuide it among you Now how should the Disciples diuide it among themselues how should the Faithfull also diuide it amongst themselues in the particular vse of it vnlesse there be a competent Assembly amongst them that one may diuide it to another Likewise the Rule of the Apostle for the reformation of the Abuses in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper confirmes this Point In the Church of Corinth many abuses were crept in 1 Cor. 11.21 c. one amongst the rest was this That they came together to eat but yet some did disorder themselues by eating and drinking before hand before the Congregation was all come in The Apostle reproues and reformes this abuse and corruption amongst them and wisheth them in the three and thirtieth Verse That when they were come together they should tarrie one for another Why so That there might be a competent and full Assembly to communicate together in those holy Mysteries of God And this the Apostle grounds vpon our Sauiours institution as appeares in the three and twentieth Verse thereby confirming that which we alleaged before namely that our Sauiour meant so in the institution of this Sacrament that still when there was any particular vse of it that many should be met together to communicate in it The practise of the Faithfull that likewise giues testimonie to this Truth For those verie Corinthians though they had much corrupted themselues in the matter of the Sacrament yet notwithstanding they still held this as a sure principle that whensoeuer they were to celebrate the Lords Supper they were to meet together as appeareth in the twentieth Verse I say howsoeuer when they were met
a Diuel Iohn 6. Iohn 13. why then did he administer the Sacrament vnto him amongst the rest Answ I answer Our Sauiour knew this not as he was a Minister but as he was God and that was not belonging to the Office of his Ministerie but in regard of the power of his Godhead so that it must not be drawne into the Office of his Ministerie because he knew he was a Reprobate yet he deliuered it vnto him We cannot know certainly that any Man is a Reprobate we are to cast him out if he so carrie himselfe till such time he reformes himselfe But our Sauiour as being a Minister knew him not to be reprobate and therefore was not to repell him The Reasons of the Point are these Reas 1 None haue part in Christ but Beleeuers and therefore none must haue part in this Sacrament but Beleeuers None haue right to the signes but they that haue right to the thing signified They that beleeue shall not perish And therefore none ought to communicate but Beleeuers Reas 2 Secondly It is so in the other Sacrament it is to be administred to them that professe Faith Marke 16.16 Acts 8.39 Philip said vnto the Eunuch If thou beleeuest thou mayst be baptized At the least a profession of Faith is required Reas 3 It holds likewise by proportion to the Sacrament of the former Testament in roome whereof this succeeded No Stranger but such as would become formable to the Congregation of the Israelites to partake in it Reas 4 Likewise It holds by proportion to the outward signes None can partake of the outward signes vnlesse they haue Hands and Mouthes and Stomackes to take feed and digest them And so no benefit in the spirituall Grace without the Hand of Faith the Mouth of Faith and the Stomacke of Faith the Hand of Faith to lay hold of it the Mouth of Faith to feed on it and the Stomacke of Faith to digest it No benefit without this and therefore none ought to partake of it but such as haue it Vse 1 The vse is matter of instruction to the Ministers of God that they be choyce and warie in admitting the People to the Lords Table They must haue some good probabilitie that they be found Christians they must deale with them in publike and priuate to see if they be fit and they must labour to make them fit Vse 2 But specially it concernes the People and therefore it teacheth them in the second place to examine themselues whether they be fit to come or no whether they haue on this Wedding Garment or no. Haue you Faith Are you Beleeuers Doth the Spirit of God witnesse so much within you Doe you find the fruits of Faith in holinesse of life conuersation Then come and welcome If otherwise you find not this more or lesse assuredly you haue no part nor portion in this busines Many scorne to be examined specially the elder sort they are loath to haue their infirmities their weakenesse insufficiencie and ignorance to be knowne Proud Hearts they had rather goe to Hell then to haue their infirmities discouered But all in particular must examine themselues and because they that are not of the Ministerie cannot so search themselues as we can therefore they must come vnto vs and if we vpon tryall say vnto them Now you are fit then they may come with cheerefulnesse Gods Messenger vpon the conference had with them hath bid them come and therefore they may come with much more cheerfulnesse and certainly shall find much more profit But what measure of Faith is required will some say Surely this I will speake no measure of Faith that Man can attaine will serue in Gods Iustice but any measure shall serue in the acceptance of Gods Mercie If true Faith though neuer so little and weake be of good cheere it shall saue thee Let it proceed from a good cause and yeeld good fruit within thee and then as I said though weake and small yet it is accepted of God in Christ It was the case of these Disciples at the same time Were they Men of great Faith No of small Faith for the most part were ignorant at the least doubting of the Resurrection of Christ without which all Faith is in vaine at the least they were not so thoroughly perswaded as they ought to be and yet well welcome in those beginnings and rudiments of Christian Faith He administred the Sacrament vnto them And therefore let vs looke our Faith be true and let vs desire and groane after more and then though it be mixed with many doubtings and failings yet the Lord will accept it and in mercie will couer our infirmities in the obedience of Christ and so we shall find the fruit of sauing Faith in the vse of this Sacrament He shall make it good vnto vs for all sauing purposes * ⎠* The end of the eleuenth Lecture THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER WEE are now to divert and turne aside into the Argument of the Lords Supper specially against this season of the yeare above all other wherin not only those which are sincere in Religion but even those that are counterfeit in Religion pretend a kinde of conscience to come to receive the Lords Supper The fist head that we reduced all those things which wee purposed to propound concerning the doctrine of the Lords Supper were the names and titles that are given to it wee have shewed foure of them namely the Lords Table the Lords Supper the Communion the New Testament now we are to proceed to a fifth name or title that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is stiled withall that is the memoriall or remembrance of Christs death though the Sacrament be not expressely and in so many termes so called in any one place of Scripture yet it is very necessarily and directly gathered both from the words of our Saviour himselfe as also from the words of the Apostle Paul from the words of our Saviour Luke 22.19 Doe this in remembrance of me but much more plainly out of the Apostles words 1 Cor. 11.26 You shew forth the Lords death till he come the eating of this bread and the drinking of this cup is the shewing or setting forth of the Lords death till hee come And these are the words that wee purpose 1 Cor. 11.26 God willing to insist upon for our proceeding in this businesse 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew the Lords death till he come You know that names are justly given unto things according to the nature of the things named what is the nature of this Sacrament the Apostle shewes here that to eate this bread and to drinke this cup is to shew forth the death of Christ by way of remembrance till hee come therefore this is a fit and proper name to this Sacrament the memoriall or remembrance of Christs death Now because as you see
this Text spends it selfe wholly in this very argument therefore we will take it whole before us and first we will shew the consistance of the body of the Text in it selfe Secondly the meaning of the words and thirdly the parts of the Text and so proceed to the doctrines First consistance of the whole body of the Text standeth thus These Corinthians to whom the Apostle writes this Epistle were newly converted to the faith of Christ by Pauls ministery and they made profession of this their faith by the use of Gods saving ordinances particularly by the use of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Satan according to his wonted malice when he saw hee could not utterly deprive them nor keepe them from the use of this notable meanes of grace hee labours cunningly to infect and staine it with sundry corruptions thereby to defile them in the use of this Sacrament and so to make it unprofitable to them and surely in a short time hee prevailed greatly on their weaknesse herein and brought in much disorder and abuse amongst them yea such grosse abuses that they poysoned their holy assemblies verse 17. they came together not for profit but for hurt whereas this Sacrament was ordained for their profit and good by this means it turned to their hurt such grosse abuses they were as brought downe Gods sensible Iudgments upon them verse 30. for this cause many are weake and sicke amongst you and many sleepe such as in a manner nullified the Sacrament to them vers 20. this is not to eate the Lords Supper you doe so corrupt and staine it that in effect you doe not eate it one speciall corruption amongst them was this verse 21. that they taryed not one for another that so they might communicate together but did prevent one another they came to the Lords Table as to a scambling Feast first come first served a horrible abuse in the holy and religious feast of the Lords Supper The Apostle so soone as he heard of these abuses in zeale for Gods glory in conscience of his owne duty and in a holy jealousie for the pure use of the Lords Ordinances and in a fatherly care which hee had over these Corinthians whom he had lately begotten to the faith presently takes a course to reforme and redresse these abuses and as the nature of all right and true reformations doth require that when things are out of square they are to be refined and renewed according to the first originall so the Apostle being to redresse the abuses of the Lords Supper amongst them he brings them backe to the first institution to the first Lords Supper that ever was and by that patterne frames his reformation and there he rehearseth the institution verse 23. This bread is my body c. and this cup is my blood c. there is the repetition of the institution the application for reformation is in the 26. verse For as often as you eate of this bread and drinke of this cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come The summe of all so farre as it concernes our present purpose is briefly this as if the Apostle should have said to these Corinthians O you Corinthians you are much to blame that you suffer your selves to be so stained with so many corruptions in the Lords Supper by name this is one that you tarie not one for another to communicate together but one prevents another the rich eate before the poore come as if we had more care of our bellies than of Gods Religion and Christs sufferings this is a grosse abuse it was not so in the beginning In the first supper that Christ instituted then all the Disciples were present and did lovingly communicate together and therefore if ever you looke to celebrate the Lords Supper with comfort and benefit to your owne soules you must doe as they did reforme this errour and tarie one for another Consider more particularly what a speciall Item the Lord Iesus gave them then Doe this in remembrance of me verse 23 24. whereby hee enjoynes all that come to the Lords supper that their hearts and mindes be taken up and wholly set upon the consideration of the death of the Lord Iesus and all their passages in and about the Sacrament must shew forth and carie a rellish of it you must not minde your meat and drink and hunger and thirst as this abuse proves you doe No no your mindes must bee wholly bent on Christs death and surely if you be spiritually affected and minde that soundly as you ought you will have little minde of your bellies but you will minde the body and blood of Christ and shew forth his death till hee come therefore reforme your selves and purge out this corruption This is the consistance and dependance of the Text. The second thing is the meaning of the words themselves For as often as you shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup you shew the Lords death till he come There is no great difficulty in the words yet for plainesse sake wee will goe over them with some familiar and easie exposition whereby also we shal make way to our observations These words in the 26 verse are Pauls owne words and not Christs the words before verse 26. and 25. are Christs owne words but these are Pauls in the former verse it is said Doe this in remembrance of me as Christ himselfe speaking it but here it is said You shew the Lords death as Paul speaking this concerning Christ neither is this any wrong to our Saviour that Pauls words should be sorted and joyned with his because they both proceeded from the same Spirit which was in Christ as also in Paul though not in the same measure yet in such a measure even in Paul also as that he was infallibly guided and freed from errour thereby in all his writings that are extant among us Pauls speech is here added to Christs speech not as any new or diverse thing but first to confirme it and give testimony to the truth of it secondly to expound it and make it plaine for their understanding thirdly to apply it to them and consequently to all the faithfull as being so meant by our Saviour himselfe and not to his Disciples onely and so he performes the office of a faithfull Minister of Iesus Christ which is to confirme his words as a witnesse to expound them as an interpreter and to apply it to them as a messenger sent to them for that purpose It is said here in the first place as often as you eate which containes an intimation that they did often communicate and withall an admonition that it is a necessary duty to communicate often it is spoken of here as a matter commendable in them and therefore imitable in us for he would never have enjoyned a second duty upon it but that hee did approve the first They must not thinke it enough that they have done it once and that shall
serve for all nor to say they will doe it hereafter though they omit it now but as often as they doe the one they must doe the other as often as they doe receive they must thinke upon the Lords death But some will say What are we never to remember Christs death but then when we communicate Yes this is not spoken by negation as if we should never remember him but then but by affirmation that we must specially remember it then above all other times as that Sacrament being instituted and sanctified specially for that purpose next it is said So oft as yee shall eate c. ye shall shew where you see the Holy Ghost presseth it upon every one for his owne particular shewing thereby that it is not enough that the Minister shew forth the Lords death for all them that bee there present but every one is to shew it forth for himselfe Further it is said Shall eate this bread c. you see here hee speakes of the Sacrament and he describes it by the use or the actuall participation of it thereby shewing that the benefit of this Sacrament doth not consist in the seeing or the having of it but in the use and communicating in it And note here further that the Apostle calls it bread even after the words of consecration it is bread still and yet it is the body of Christ in regard of the use it is altered and is the body of Christ but in regard of the nature of the creature it is bread still Consider yet further that he nameth not onely the eating of the bread but the drinking of the cup together with it he saith not Or drinke this cup but And drinke this cup whereby we may see that they who separate the cup from the bread in the use of this Sacrament as the Papists doe they doe wickedly put asunder that which God hath joyned together and this being spoken directly to the people doth extend the words of our Saviour when he said Drinke ye all of this as well to the people as to the Ministers next it is said You shew forth the Lords death that is to say you set it forth after a speciall and eminent manner you shew it forth by your practice for all they that truly receive the Lords Supper doe as it were act the death of Christ as a holy Tragedy upon a holy and spirituall stage the word may either be expounded affirmatively you doe shew forth or imparatively as enjoyning them that they must shew forth both tend to the same effect that this Sacrament is the very shewing forth of the Lords death the word in the originall entends a shewing forth in the highest degree with much seriousnesse and earnestnesse as prescribing a zealous and affectionate setting forth of Christs death in the use of this Sacrament It is said further the Lords death which we must not understand as if it were meant barely of his dying or of his crucifying but his death together with the benefit and fruit of his death and whereas hee calls it here the Lords death it may seeme some contradiction For if Christ suffer death how should he be Lord or if Christ be Lord how should he dye but if wee consider it well we shall finde that it is a sweet medley that the Apostle here makes when hee saith it is the Lords death Christ dyed as being man but Christ even in his death shewed himselfe to bee the Lord that had the power over death And because he that dyed was the Lord thence it comes that his death is beneficiall unto us As it is said Acts 20.28 God hath purchased his Church with his owne blood as his blood being therefore effectuall for the purchasing of the Church because it was the blood of him who being man is God also Lastly it is here said till he come that is to say in bodily presence to judge the world Therefore he is now absent in body even from the Sacrament if he were bodily present at the Sacrament as the Papists say then what need a memoriall of him till his comming Hereby we see also that so long as we are here we need the helpes of Sacraments to strengthen our faith and God hath provided that we shall have them so long as we need them even till the end of the world but when he comes then we shall have no further use of them and therefore then they shall cease all things are for us and for our good so long as we need them we shall have them but the things that are the Sacraments Gods saving ordinances shall utterly cease to bee when wee shall have no further use of them So much for the meaning The third point is the parts of the Text first an action to be performed in the former part of the verse secondly a caution or condition in the latter part First an action to be performed the receiving of the Lords Supper wherein the Apostle offers to our consideration these things First the parts of the action secondly the frequenting of the action the parts eate and drinke things diverse in themselves yet both together making up one and the same action of receiving as in our ordinary suppers wee eate and drinke and each differs from other our eating is not our drinking nor our drinking is not our eating yet in the generall both make but one action the taking of our supper Secondly the frequenting of this action often as this action is to bee performed and done so the doing of it is to be frequented as often c. we must not make an annuall thing of it to be performed once a yeare a prophane thing amongst Christians but there must be an often frequenting of it In the latter part of the verse is a caution or condition that we must performe in receiving wherein principally is to be observed first the caution it selfe shew forth the death of Christ secondly the frequenting of it which is to be borrowed from the first part of the verse as often as you eate shew forth the Lords death c. for this is a particle common to the whole verse and serue each part alike as who should say As often as you eate this bread and drinke this cup so often you shall shew forth the Lords death Lastly here is the continuance of this caution or condition till he come How long is it to continue even so long as the world stands till the Lord come to judgement Whosoever thou art thou must shew forth the Lords death in receiving this Sacrament till his comming that is for the parts of the verse Now we come to the Doctrines For as often as you shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come Where you see that this speech of Paul is inferred by way of reason from the words of our Saviour verse 25. Doe this as often as do it in remembrance of
remember it with thankfulnesse to God with compassion to Christs sufferings with hatred to thine owne sinne with faith in Christs pretious blood and with a true desire and endeavor to be like to him in his death by thy mortification how wondrously doe men erre touching this duty they will say we remember that Christ dyed for us all so pass it over as a sleight thing some will goe further and meditate upon it once a yeare or upon Good Friday somewhat more than ordinary alas this comes farre short of the right remembrance of Christs death whosoever thou art that lookest to be saved by the death of Christ see thou make it thy daily and continuall meditation and labour to grow acquainted with it every day better than other and take this for the conclusion of all so much as thou dost meditate religiously and affectionately on Christs death so much interest thou hast in Christ and in his salvation The end of the twelfth Lecture THE THIRTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER IN 1 Cor. 11.26 it followeth For as oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew the Lords death till he come This being the portion of Scripture which through Gods direction we have already entred into for our preparation to the Lords Table and the next Sabbath God will 〈◊〉 we purpose to communicate in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper therefore according to our wonted manner wee are now to consider of some meditations whereby wee may be the better sitted to the holy participation of that saving ordinance of Iesus Christ We have entred as you may remember into these words already and have shewed the drift of them and the dependance of them with that which went before we shewed you the parts of them that this verse consisteth of two parts as first an action performed in the former part of the verse As oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup Secondly a caution or condition that this action is to be performed withall is the latter part of the verse Ye shew the Lords death till he come I will not make my repetition of that which I have spoken before we spake onely of that which concerned the coherence and dependance of this verse with the former that whereas our Saviour saith in the verse going before Doe this in remembrance of mee the Apostle saith here As oft as you doe this you shew forth the Lords death till he come Now then wee are to come to the handling of the parts of the verse and first to beginne with the action in the former part of the verse wherein we are to consider these two things First the parts of the action The eating of this bread and drinking of this cup whereby the Apostle describes the Lords Supper Secondly the frequenting of the action As oft as you shall eate this bread and drink this cup the parts of the action are the eating of the bread and the drinking of th◠cup. To begin with that there be sundry other actions of much use and significancy in and about the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as namely the blessing of the bread the breaking of the bread the distributing of the bread and such like but because that this here the eating of the bread and drinking of the cup because this action is the accomplishment of all the rest for all that is done besides in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the blessing of the bread the breaking and distributing of it tends to this namely that the receiver may profitably eate and drinke and comfortably communicate in these holy mysteries therefore the Apostle makes mention of this action onely as this I say being the accomplishment of the rest even the eating of this bread and drinking of this cup we are here therefore to consider of some particulars and the first particular that here we are to consider of is this that the Apostle being here to describe the Sacrament of the Lords supper he doth describe it and set it forth by a matter of action or a matter of use He describes the Sacrament it selfe by the use of the Sacrament by the eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup. Doctr. The matter that hence wee are to observe is this namely That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in regard of the nature of it in it selfe as also in regard of the benefit of it to us doth wholly and altogether consist in the participation and use of the Sacrament I say both for the nature of it and likewise for the benefit of it for the Apostle speakes here of both he speakes of the nature of this Sacrament as appeares by the rehearsall of the institution in the three verses before going wherein the nature of the Sacrament is fully set forth and likewise he speaketh of the benefit of the Sacrament as appeares by the application of that institution as also by the whole discourse he makes from the sixe and twentieth verse to the end of the Chapter For explication of this doctrine understand that the Sacrament is then said to he in use when it is used administred and received according to Gods owne ordinance then is the Sacrament in use so long as the Sacrament is thus in use so long it is in the nature of a Sacrament and so soone as this use ceaseth so soone ceaseth the nature of the Sacrament in that particular So for the benefit of it the Sacrament being thus used there is much benefit to be received by it but without this use there is no benefit to be had by it at all it is true the benefit of the Sacrament to the faithfull receiver continues with us after the receiving of it and we finde benefit and comfort and sweetnesse by it but because the benefit doth arise wholly and onely from the use of the Sacrament therefore the doctrine stands firme namely That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in regard of the nature of it in it selfe as also in regard of the benefit of it to us doth wholly and altogether consist in the participation and use of the Sacrament the Apostle speaking of the Sacrament both in the nature and use of 〈◊〉 hee speakes of a matter of use So oft as you eate this bread and drink this cup you shew the Lords death till he come It is not onely to have it but to eate it and drinke it For proofe of this point take Christ his example Matth. 26.26 Iesus tooke bread c. there was bread there and there was wine at the feast of the Passeover but the bread and the wine did not make it the Sacrament of the Lords Supper no saith the Text Iesus tooke it blest it brake it and distributed it saying Take eate this is my body So likewise he did the cup. This was matter of action on his part then likewise matter of action on the receivers
before No man will suppose that the Apostle doth nick-name them Seeing then the Apostle calls it bread after the blessing and consecration of it and the Apostle cannot be suspected to nick-name them therefore out of question it must be so reputed that it continues in the nature of bread after consecration the Apostle doth not call it so here onely once in this chapter but three severall times 26 27 28. verses if so be he had spoke it but once we might have thought it to be an improper speech but speaking so of it often this shewes it is the true name title that is due unto them and that they are the very same creatures as they were before And the Apostle doth not onely call them so here but elsewhere as in 1 Cor. 10.16.17 The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ c mark he calls it bread even in the breaking or in the use of the Sacrament It is blessed before it is broken and it is bread when it is broken The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ therefore it is bread after the blessing Now the Apostle goes further and saith in the seventeenth verse For we that are many are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of one bread The Apostle doth not onely call it bread while it is in the Ministers hand but when the people receive it and partake of it he saith you are partakers of bread still it is bread notwithstanding the blessing And though by the blessing and institution of Christ and the promise of God it be consecrated to a holy use it still continues bread and loseth not the nature and substance thereof It is strange to see how miserably the Papists do shuffle and shift to avoid this very argument in this place because the Apostle is so plaine and expresse that it is bread To give you a taste of it because it is a matter of great controversie betweene us and the Church of Rome they would avoid the force of this reason therefore you shall see how they expound it This bread say some of them I will not tell you of the meanest but some of the best and greatest Champions amongst them it is called bread not because it is bread but because it was bread by a trope and figure because it was made of Bread Marke it is called so by a trope and figure Vnderstand thus much when as wee say that the words of Christ saying This is my bodie are to bee understood figuratively they exclaime against us for it What say they will you have a trope and a figure in the Sacrament that is ridiculous and yet to serve their owne turne they will have tropes even in the Sacrament But to goe to the sense of their answer This is called bread say they because it was bread as Mat. 11.5 The blinde receive sight the halt goe marke say they they are called blinde though they receive their sight because they were blinde before and they are called the halt because they were so before though they goe now so this is called bread because it was bread before but not so now but meerely the body of Christ Take it so apply this exposition to this place and then see what a speech they will have the Apostle to make As oft as ye eate this bread which before was bread but now is not you shew forth the Lords death till hee come it was so but it is not so why then should the Apostle tell them it is bread The comparison is very unlike they were called blinde because they were blinde before but that blindness which they had before is taken away and so they are said now to see If they can shew us that the substance which was in this bread before is utterly destroyed by the words of consecration then we shall beleeve that it is called bread because it was bread but else we must beleeve that as it was bread before so it is bread still and is so called here by the Apostle because it is now bread in regard of the present state of the thing Againe they say this bread is called bread because it is like bread not because it is bread because it hath the forme and fashion of it As the brazen Serpent was called a Serpent though it was but in the forme of a Serpent whereby they make the Apostle to say thus As oft as you shall eate this bread which indeed is no bread only it hath the outward forme of bread is not this a senslesse speech They give another answer It may bee called bread say they after the Hebrew phrase because it is food for they call all food by the name of bread because bread is the principall food I answer they call temporall food by the name of bread but let it be shewed that they call all spirituall food by the name of bread for they say it is spirituall food which the Apostle here speakes of but the cup being here mentioned as well as the bread doth cleerly answer this exception Lastly Iohn 6. doth not Christ say they call himselfe bread I hope that is not meant of ordinarie but spirituall bread It is true Christ calls himselfe bread but withall he gives other titles whereby to know it to be heavenly bread as where he saith I am the living bread or The bread that came downe from heaven but this is not so because it was such as they did eate in their owne meales and at their owne Tables there he speaketh of himselfe as the heavenly and spirituall bread But this the Apostle speakes of here is of the bread of the Lords Table He that eates of that bread shall never dye Iohn 6.50 but a man may eate of this bread and yet dye for ever as verse 29. Reason 1 The first reason of this point is this because the nature of the Sacrament requires it so the nature of the Sacrament agreed upon on our side and on theirs must consist of an outward and visible thing and of a spirituall and invisible grace heavenly and earthly and both these must bee there present in their true being else it is no Sacrament there must bee an outward in the true being of it and an inward thing represented in the true being too If the inward thing represented should bee present and not the outward thing representing it it were no true Sacrament or if the outward were there present and not the inward it were no true Sacrament and therefore there must be both Now if they say that there is the shew of an outward thing and that that will serve the turne they may say as well that the shew of a Sacrament will serve the turne therefore when they say onely the shew of bread is there we may well say there is indeed no Sacrament there but onely the shew of a Sacrament Reason 2 Againe
faithfull receiver to make them truly to partake of his body and blood and so by his Spirit is made wholly ours The end of the thirteenth Lecture THE FOVRTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER WEE are now to make our digression into the argument of the Lords Supper for our better and fitter preparation unto the participation of that holy Sacrament the next Sabbath day 1 Cor. 11.26 For as oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew the Lords death till he come You may remember we divided this verse into two parts First here is mentioned an action performed the receiving of the Lords Supper in the former part of the verse As oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup. Secondly here is a caution and condition that it is to be performed withall in the latter part of the verse You shew forth the Lords death till he come Concerning the action wee noted two things First the parts of it and then the frequenting of it the parts of it to eate this bread and drink this cup the frequenting of it So oft as you eate it you shew the Lords death till he come We have begunne with the parts of it already and therein we have shewed how that the Apostle describing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper sets it forth by the use of it not by having of it or by having accesse to it but by having the use of it by eating the bread and drinking the cup. Thence we noted That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper consisteth in matter of action and use Then againe we noted in the second place That whereas the Apostle here speakes of the elements of bread and wine as they are in use in the Sacrament he calls them by their ordinary names the bread by the name of bread and the wine by the name of cup from hence we gathered this doctrine That even after the words of consecration and blessing still the bread and the wine for their nature and substance are the same as they were before still they remaine bread and wine So farre we proceeded Now we are to proceed further Thirdly then we are here to consider that the Apostle here speaking of these elements of bread and wine as they are in use in the Sacrament of the Lords supper he sets them forth by a note of excellency this bread and this cup for by the cup is meant wine as oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup he sets them forth by a note of excellencie As in all things we must keepe a meane without going too farre or comming too short so specially in matters of religion we must be sure to keepe on the right way without turning either to the right hand or to the left we must take all matters of Religion in that very precise and true straine that the Lord himselfe hath set upon them we are apt enough to erre as well on the one side as on the other as well on the right side as on the left and to erre on either side is alike dangerous So it is in other matters of Religion and so it is in our estimation of these elements of bread and wine that are in use in the Lords Supper some doe erre on the right hand in their estimation of them thinking too highly of them as the Papists doe that the bread is corporally the very body of Christ that the wine is corporally the very blood of Christ on the other side others there be that erre on the left hand in their estimation of them they esteeme too meanly and basely of them as the prophane people of the world they generally esteeme the bread and wine at the Lords Table no better than the bread and wine at their owne table To meet with both these errors and so to keepe our hearts upright in the profession of Gods truth herein the Apostle in this short speech gives us a good caveat and preservative And first that we may not thinke too highly of them and so erre on the right hand as the Papists doe the Apostle still calls them bread and wine shewing that in the nature and substance of them they are the same as they were before next that wee might not erre on the left hand and thinke too meanly and basely of them as the prophane people doe hee extolls them by a note of excellency this bread and this wine though the bread be but bread in it selfe and the wine be but wine in it selfe yet hee speakes with a kind of grace and majesty of speech this bread this cup as singling them out by a note of difference from ordinary bread wine because they are dedicated to a sacred and holy use wherby they are advanced above all other bread and wine whatsoever As oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup saith the Apostle you shew the Lords death till he come The doctrine hence to be raised is this namely That howsoever it bee that the elements of bread and wine that are used in the Lords Supper are in nature and in substance the same creatures as they were before yet notwithstanding in respect of that same sacred and holy use that they are consecrated and dedicated unto to bee made parts of the Sacrament in this respect they are things of farre greater excellency than all ordinary things of that kinde are this bread is farre more excellent bread in respect of the use of it than any other and this wine is farre more excellent wine in respect of the use of it than any other this is the reach of the Apostle in that he speakes so emphatically this bread and this cup. Marke the doctrine howsoever it be that the elements of bread wine that are used in the Lords Supper are in nature and substance the same creatures as they were before yet notwithstanding in respect of that sacred and holy use that they are consecrated and dedicated unto to be made parts of the Sacrament in this respect they are far more excellent than any other ordinary creatures of that kinde this bread is more excellent than any other bread and this wine dedicated to this use is farre more excellent than any other wine We shall not need to goe for proofe of this doctrine any further than this Chapter This Chapter affordeth us very pregnant proofes of it If we marke the Apostle he points out here three differences betweene our ordinary food that we have at our meales and this extraordinary food that we have at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The first is in the 20. and 21. verse When you come together therefore into one place this is not to eate the Lords Supper for every man when they should eate taketh his owne supper afore and one is hungry and another is drunken Our ordinary food is our owne food our ordinary supper is our owne supper but this extraordinary food is not
againe it teacheth us not to stay there in the admiration of these things as many doe but know that you must goe on and as you esteem reverently of it so likewise earnestly and fervently to desire it Wee know for our parts that the best things wee most of all desire specially in the matter of our dyet the best the finest the whitest the wholsomest bread so for wine the best the quickest the neatest and the richest wine is desired most Oh that wee were as wise for the dyet and welfare of our soules as wee are for the dyet of our bodies This bread is the best bread the finest the whitest and the wholsomest bread that ever man did or can eate this wine is the best the quickest the neatest and the richest wine that ever any man did or can drinke therefore how should wee be stirred up with an earnest and fervent desire after this bread and this wine Mark and minde that of the Apostles in Iohn 6.34 Christ had told them vers 33. that the bread of God is hee which commeth downe froÌ„ heaven and giveth life unto the world then they said unto him Lord evermore give us of this bread That was spoken of Christ absolutely in himselfe but this is spoken of Christ in a sacramentall sense let us therefore follow their example and let the consideration of the excellency of this bread stirre us up to desire it earnesâ—â—y to pray that God would evermore give us this bread and this would make us not come once a moneth but every day if it were possible our little comming to it sheweth our little desire of it But to goe further wee must not onely reverently esteeme of it and earnestly desire it but also labour to be worthy receivers of it Whensoever wee come to the Lords Table let every one of us see we bring a pure soule and a cleane heart purged from the leaven of all maliciousnesse and cleansed from the sinfull humours of our owne nature emptied of the filthy and noysome corruptions of the world and of the old man Let us come with a pure heart and a sanctified soule a cleane vessell to put this holy and sanctified foode into For otherwise if thou come as an unworthy receiver all will bee marred that is to say both the bread and the receiver the unworthy receiver defiles this sanctified bread unto himselfe and this sanctified bread shall condemne the unworthy receiver so both shall be marred But when as there comes a sweet vessell for this sweet food to be put into then these will sweetly agree together As there is a marke of excellency set upon the bread and the cup it is this bread and this cup that is to say sanctified bread and a sanctified cup so there must answerably be a marke of excellency set upon the receiver thou must be this receiver that is to say a sanctified receiver a prepared receiver a worthy receiver And when these things shal thus meet together then there is a sweet meeting then is this bread and this wine well bestowed upon this receiver and then this receiver is well refreshed and well comforted with this bread and this wine Dogs and swine that is to say they that continue in their sinnes and filthinesse they are not to come to bee made partakers of these holy things and pretious pearles of God Lastly wee must not stay here neyther but we must goe one step further As we must reverently esteeme of it and earnestly desire it and worthily receive it So likewise we must in the last place thankfully acknowledge the goodnesse of GOD and magnifie his great love towards us that is pleased to invite and admit such unworthy guests as we are to such pretious bread and wine as this is Blesse GOD the Father in thy heart that hath sent thee this bread and this wine Blesse GOD the Sonne that hath given thee this bread and this cup. Blesse GOD the Holy-Ghost that is alwayes present with the beleeving receiver by the continuall assistance of his power grace to make this bread and this cup through his lively operation to bee the bread of spirituall strength and the wine of spirituall comfort the bread and wine of life and of salvation to every faithfull receiver So much shall serve to have spoken of this third thing It followes As oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew the Lords death till hee come Marke here the Apostle speaking of the administration and participation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper couples both these together the bread and the wine the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine he doth not say As oft as you eate this bread or drinke this cup as if they might bee divided one from the other but as oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup joyning these inseparably together in the use of the Sacrament Doct. The matter of Doctrine is this namely That the Sacrament of the Lords supper is not to bee administred in any one kinde onely that is to say not in the bread without the wine nor in the wine without the bread but in both kindes in the bread and in the wine both together Marke the doctrine that is raised from hence in that the Apostle joynes both these together Hence observe that the Sacrament of the Lords supper is not to be administred in any one kinde onely c. If the Apostle had left out the bread or the cup it had beene another matter but hee names them both and therby gives us the rule that the Sacrament of the Lords supper is to bee administred in both kindes in the bread and in the wine both together The institution of the Sacrament by our Saviour yeelds us a double proofe of this doctrine each of them very sufficient and each of them very cleare the first is our Saviours practice and the second is our Saviours commandement First concerning our Saviours practice it is said in these places Matth. 26. Marke 14. and Luke 22. that our Saviour tooke the bread and the wine and gave it to his Disciples Our Saviour himselfe he administred it not in one kine only but in both kindes Now the rule is this that our Saviours example in all matters of substance in all his ordinances must be the rule that we must follow this is a matter of substance concerning this saving Ordinance of the Lords supper and therefore his example in this is to be followed that himselfe did administer the Sacrament in both kindes and his example must be our rule therefore we must doe so too The second proofe is from his Commandement for how soever it be that Matthew and Marke mentions it not yet Luke chap. 22. and Paul here mentioneth an expresse coÌ„mandement that Christ gave charge that they should doe this in remembrance of him as he saith of the bread so the same he saith of the wine that is whatsoever
Wisedome there spoken of It is he that calls us to eate and to drinke of his meat and his wine And this is expresly fulfilled in the act of receiving the sacrament of the Lords supper cōsider this with thankful harts consider the fatherly care of God toward us that meets us at it were at every turne He gives us the bread to signifie Christ his body broken for us the wine to signifie the shedding of his blood for us Is any of us distrustfull that Christs body is not enough for us here is his blood too Have we tasted of the bread and of the body of Christ found little or no relish in it thē the Minister comes presently to give us the wine that by the presence of the wine he may quicken us to the better sense of the bread Lastly doe wee finde joy and comfort in the bread blesse God for it But that 's not al seeing we find this comfort in the bread he gives us the wine too that so our joy may be full in every respect to our harts desire This is the bountifull goodnes of Christ Iesus that hath given his body to be crucified upon the Crosse and his blood to be shed for our sins That he hath given us his whole body his body blood that so there may be nothing wanting to give us full contentment and satisfaction that our Lord Iesus Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour and a plenteous Redeemer The end of the fourteenth Lecture THE FIFTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER THAT wee may be prepared to the worthy participation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the next Sabbath day wee are now to meditate upon some argument fitting for that purpose and to proceed in that Text we beganne in namely 1 Cor. 11.26 For as oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew the Lords death till hee come The Text you may remember we divided into two parts First here is an action to be performed in the former part of the verse The receiving of the Lords Supper Secondly here is a caution that this action is to be performed withall and that is in the latter part of the verse yee shew the Lords death till he come Concerning the action in the former part of the verse we noted two things First the parts of the action to eate this bread and drinke this cup. Secondly the frequenting of the action in this clause As oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup c. It is to be done and it is to be frequented or done often Of the parts of this action we have spoken before wherein we noted first that the nature and benefit of the Sacrament consisteth in the use of the Sacrament because the Apostle describes the Sacrament by the use of it Secondly wee noted that the bread and wine the elements that are used in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper they are called by their owne name after the words of blessing and therefore for substance they are the same creatures as before Thirdly they are as I shewed set forth by a note of excellency this bread and this wine though in regard of their nature they are the same yet in regard of their use they are more excellent than any other Lastly he couples them together As oft as you shall eat this bread and drinke this cup thence wee noted that the Sacrament is not to be administred in one kinde onely but in both in the bread and in the wine and not in the bread without the wine nor in wine without the bread And so much of the parts of this action The other branch follows namely the frequenting or often performance of the action in these words As oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup whereby is given us to understand that as this action of receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to be performed so it is to be frequented and oft performed we must eate this bread and drinke this cup and that oft-times It may appeare by the circumstances of the Text that this Church of Corinth to whom the Apostle writ this Epistle that they did usually in most of their Church-assemblies and meetings if not in all communicate in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for the Apostle in the 17. and 18. verses tells them of things generally amisse in the Church and in the 20. verse he gives instance in this particular namely in the matter of the Lords Supper Marke the words When yee come together therefore into one place this is not to eate the Lords Supper The words doe sound to this effect that usually when the Corinthians came together in the Church-assemblies they did eat the Lords Supper howsoever they did much misdemeane and miscarie themselves in this holy action that they did not carry themselves so to Gods glory norwith reverence to his ordinance nor with that profit and comfort to themselves and love to their brethren as they ought to doe because they received it disorderly one before another yet notwithstanding for the matter of receiving that was usuall amongst them The Apostle tooke this for a thing granted that when they came together they did eate else the consequence had beene to no purpose but speaking generally of their assemblies Church-meetings he speaks of the eating of the Sacrament as a thing usuall in most of them if not in all and this is the reason why the Apostle falls into the mention of the frequenting of this action As oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup c. which yet we must take heed that we understand it not onely as a bare mention of a thing done by the Church of Corinth that they did eate and drinke oft as if he should say They did so indeed but whether it were well done or ill done it makes no matter the circumstances of the Text give us better light to see by for our resolution herein and we may therein discerne these three things First that it was not a thing amisse that they did so yea further that it was well done yea thirdly that it is a duty of necessity for them and all the faithfull to communicate in First that it was not a thing amisse among them for if it had certainly the Apostle would have reproved them for it as he did for other abuses especially seeing he tooke upon him to reprove and reforme such abuses as were crept into the matter of the Sacrament they doing this and oft frequenting the participation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper if so be that it had beene a thing amisse the Apostle of purpose reproving things amisse he would have reproved this but seeing he reproved it not therefore it was not ill done Secondly the Text makes it cleare that it was well done and it is spoken by way of commendation for the Apostle builds a precept upon this practice of theirs
So oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew the Lords death till he come The precept is they must shew the Lords death and that precept is built upon this their practice their oft receiving of the Sacrament and this is a generall rule that God never builds any precept but upon a good ground foundation the foundation must be his owne as well as the building else he never builds upon it but the Lord builds a precept upon this practice and therefore their practice is good and indeed a matter that God approves of so that you see that the Text makes it cleare that it is a commendable thing and if we should goe further to speake of the last clause of the verse Doe it till he come that also shewes that it is a matter commendable because it must continue to be done to the worlds end Lastly it is a matter of necessity that they must doe it it is an admonition to a necessary duty for the rise of this speech of the Apostle is fetcht from our Saviours owne words in the institution verse 25. now that is spoken by way of command Doe this in remembrance of me Marke it here you see that our Saviour plainly doth deliver this by way of a command unto them Doe this as oft as you doe it in remembrance of me he delivers it I say in the nature of a commandement as also by and by we shall shew more plainly Now if so be that Christ commanded it therefore it must needs be done and it is a matter of necessity the Commandements of God are not arbitrary to us to doe them or not to doe them but every Commandement imports a necessity that therefore it must be done because it is commanded And where it is said You shew forth the Lords death c. that clause shewes that it is not once to be done that will not serve the turne but oft the continuall repetition of it is necessary from time to time even to the worlds end So then this is the thing that here we are co seize upon that the frequent receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was a common and continuall use Doctr. The observation is this That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is an ordinary exercise of Christians oft-times to be frequented and usually to be communicated in by the faithful The circumstances of the text well waighed laid together afford this doctrine clearly for the proofe of this doctrine take the cōmandement of Christ and the practice of the Church the Commandement of our Saviour Christ enjoines this frequent use of the administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and of the receiving of it Luke 22 19. Doe this in remembrance of me saith Christ which words of our Saviour Paul in the 25. verse of this Chapter rehearseth thus Doe this as oft as you drinke it in remembrance of me Paul knew well the meaning of our Saviour therefore he sets it downe in these plaine termes So then when our Saviour faith Doe this in remembrance of me these words of his they cary in them the force of a double charge or command First of a thing antecedent or going before that is the receiving of the Sacrament and secondly of a thing consequent that this is to be done in remembrance of me see you remember me alwayes in the performance of this worke the Apostle adding this clause by way of explication Doe this as oft as you doe it in remembrance of me he makes it cleare that surely each of these are to be performed and that oft Doe this that is receive the Sacrament oft remember me that is remember mee oft by this clause Christ shewes his meaning that both of them is to be done oft the Sacrament oft to be received and the death of Christ oft to bee remembred and surely the necessity of the consequent doth inferre the necessity of the antecedent the necessity of the often remembrance of Christ inferres the necessity of the often receiving the Sacrament because the Sacrament is ordained for the memoriall of Christ if we must remember Christ oft and that in the Sacrament then we must receive the Sacrament oft Now those words of our Saviour as they bee applyed in that case to the Disciples though they are in effect the same with these words of my Text yet they are a more cleare and a more exceptionlesse proofe of this doctrine than my text is for some cavill at the words of my Text thinking them not sufficient to prove that the frequent use of the Sacrament is necessary for Christians for the Apostle say they doth but mention it as a thing done or if he doe commend it that is all it proves not the necessity of it the Apostle saith not that they must doe it but speakes of it as a thing already done by them Well put case it be so here but when Christ spake to his Disciples he said to them Doe this as oft as you doe it in remembrance of me now they had never eaten of this bread nor dranke of this cup before and therefore it could not be spoken as of a thing usually done by them therefore our Saviours words cannot be so eluded as they would elude the words of my Text. Now seeing Pauls speech and our Saviours goe together as both containing one and the same thing therfore when Christ saith doe this in remembrance of me and when Paul saith As oft as you doe this you shew the Lords death till he come both these testimonies prove this namely that it is a matter of necessity that the death of Christ is oft to be remembred and that the Sacrament is oft to be received And surely in all ordinary understanding this clause here where the Apostle saith As oft c. must necessarily imply a necessity of eating it oft as if so be this I should say to a Christian friend whensoever you pray pray for me or as oft as you pray pray for me if I should thinke that such a one would pray but once in his life time or but very seldome then I would not say As oft as you pray pray for me but If ever you do pray pray for me So if the Apostle had had an intent to give liberty to them to receive it oft if they would or seldome if they would not then he would have said If ever you receive it then doe it in remembrance of Christ but in faying As oft as you doe this that shewes it is a matter of necessity there is a necessity implyed as well in the oft receiving of the Saerament as well as a necessity of the oft remembring bring of the death of the Lord Iesus Christ The other proofe is the practice of the Church which ratifies and continues this besides the practice of this Church of Corinth Act. 20.7 there Paul and other of the Disciples being at Troas going to Macedonia the text
blood to put it selfe to such examination and tryall to such sifting and ransacking and rippings up and denying of our selves this is tedious but must we refuse to come to the sacrament of the Lords Supper for this tediousnesse No surely the old man must be trodden down under our feet scorned that God may have the honour of his owne ordinance many maysay so for hearing of the Word that it is a tedious thing to heare twice a day so also for prayer it is a tedious thing to pray twice day morning and evening so faith the Devill so saith the old man and the naturall corruption that is within us but must swallow downe all his hardnesse and the old man must be crucified and mortified if ever wee looke to bee saved and to come to heaven we must dispence with and wee must devoure many of those tediousnesses if ever we looke to have any portion in Christ tediousnesse must not fright us from that which God commands but if God command we must obey whatsoever flesh and blood alledge to the contrary Againe another exception is this if we come oft say they we shall degenerate into a kinde of formality and make it a matter of fashion I that comes from the carnality and hypocrisie of thy heart we cannot be conversant in any holy duty but in time we settle upon our lees and grow into a kinde of formality alas if we did consider our selves wee had need to be ript up daily and if we should put our selves daily to this duty we should be freer from this formality than those that use it so seldome Is this it that makes us doe it formally because we doe it oft No surely As in die matter of prayer because wee pray daily doe we therefore pray formally No. For if we doe it conscionably it will make us farre from formality for the frequent use of it brings us into that awe dread and reverence of Gods Majestie that it will make us call our wits together and ransacke every corner of our hearts that so wee may be fitted to come into the presence of God at all times Some other allegations they have but I will not now stand upon them The last Vse is this It teacheth all of us thankfulnesse to God that live here in this Land and in this place where through Gods mercy wee have opportunity and may have accesse to come to this Sacrament at least once a month to feast our selves and to make our selves merry with this spirituall food the body and blood of Christ it is a thing that if we had it not we would give all wee have to enjoy it and therefore having it let us make use of it and reverently esteeme of it and neglect no good opportunity to come to it if we knew the benefit of it wee would desire to receive it not onely once a month but every Sabbath yea every day if it were possible and the reason why we doe frequent it no oftner not thirst after it is because we know not the benefit nor sweetnesse of it Let us not lay any impediment to hinder us from it for none will serve the turne to be justifiable before God but those that God layes upon us I say we having just occasion and opportunity to come to the Lords Table being members of this Congregation without wee can give some good reason to the contrary for it is not enough to say I am not prepared nor I am not in charity these are no sufficient nor just occasions to hinder us were to sin grievously therein against God and against our owne soules The end of the fifteenth Lecture THE SIXTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER WE are now to proceed through Gods assistance because the next Sabbath is a Communion Sabbath in that very business that we have in hand 1. Cor. 11.26 For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come You heard even now the division of this Scripture into two parts the former part shewes an action to bee performed the receiving of the Lords Supper the latter part prescribes a caution that this action is to be performed withall You shew forth the Lords death As oft as you eate this bread and drink this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come We have finished the former part that which is contained in the former words of the verse namely the action here to be performed We are now to proceed to handle the latter part namely the caution or the condition that this action is to be performed withall Ye shew the Lords death c. Wherein first we are to consider the caution or the condition it selfe that is the shewing forth of the Lords death Secondly we are to consider the frequenting or the often observing of this caution For though it be not said here you often shew forth the Lord death yet that is necessarily implyed for the word often used in the beginning of the verse is common to the latter part of the verse as well as to the former as if the Apostle should say As oft as you eate of this bread and drinke of this cup so oft you shew forth the Lords death Then here is lastly the continuance of it how long this caution or conditiō is to be observed surely so long as the world stands till Christ come to judgment As oft as you eate this bread and drinke this cup you shew the Lords death c. or shew ye the Lords death till he come First to begin w th the caution or cōdition it selfe you shew forth wherein first consider the matter that is to be remembred it is the Lords death Secondly you must consider the manner how it is to bee remembred by a shewing of it forth by a kinde of lively representing and expressing of it ye shew forth the Lords death till he come this is our remembring of Christ his death for Christ saith in the former verse Doe this in remembrance of me and Paul in this verse shewes how that is by shewing forth the Lords death till he come or by a lively expressing of it First therefore to begin with the matter that is to be remembred or shewed forth and that is the Lords death Wherein first when the Apostle here names death wee are to understand hereby these two things first the act of death in respect of Christ himselfe secondly the benefit of Christ his death in respect of us we must remember the Lords death that is the act of his death in respect of himselfe we must remember and shew forth his sufferings in his soule and in his body his agony his obedience his woundings his nayling to the Crosse his shedding of his blood his giving up the ghost Secondly withall we must understand by the death of Christ the benefit thereof arising unto us the forgivenesse of our sinnes the satisfaction
should wee love the glorious Lord of heaven and earth seeing the Lord of heaven and earth hath so loved us as to dye for us Also it teacheth us patience seeing Christ the Lord hath dyed for us therefore we must not thinke much to suffer temptation and affliction yea death it selfe Christ the Lord hath gone through these before and therefore no doubt but he will bring us through the like with joy and with comfort Christ the Lord hath dyed for us this will breed and worke faith and boldnesse in us we may be bold to hazard our soules upon Christ knowing that our salvation is sure and firme it is the Lord that hath wrought it by his death and it is not all the Devills in hell can disanull that salvation which the Lord hath wrought for us Againe it ministers matter of rejoycing that we doe not onely beleeve in Christ crucified but we rejoyce in Christ crucified Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should rejoyce but in the crosse unto me and I unto the world this Crosse I oppose against all my feares afflictions and temptations and persecutions against all that ever can come I am crucified to the world and the world to me because the Lord hath dyed for me Lastly this is a matter of excellent comfort to Gods children for hereby we may discerne the infinite worthinesse of the death of Christ and the infinite preciousnesse of his death Why was the death of Christ so precious why because it was the death of Christ the Lord not the death of Christ as he was man but of Christ the Lord of life and glorie When wee consider that so many thousand shall be saved wee thinke with our selves how shall these bee saved why the infinite blood of the Lord is sufficient for us al this death being the Lords death it must needs be of force and power and vertue and merit to procure mercy and grace and forgivenesse of sinnes to all those that have a true faith and doe earnestly endeavour and desire to be conformable to this death of Christ The end of the sixteenth Lecture THE SEVENTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER NOw wee are to proceed as God shall inable us in the handling of the 26. verse of the 11. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians because this afternoones exercise we must spend in the matter of preparation against the next Sabbath for the receiving of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drink this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till hee come We divided this Scripture as you may remember into these two parts first an action to bee performed in the former part of the verse namely the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper set forth here by the name of eating this bread and drinking this cup. Secondly the caution that this action is to bee performed withall that we have in the latter part of the verse ye shew forth the Lords death till he come In this caution in the latter part of the verse we observed the caution it selfe namely to shew forth the Lords death secondly the often using or the often observing of this caution For though that be not here expressed yet it is to be supplyed out of the former part of the verse and is in common understanding to be read thus As often as ye shall eat this bread and drinke this cup so often yee shew forth the Lords death till he come Thirdly and lastly here is the continuance of it how long this is to continue why till the end of the world till the day of Iudgement till the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ ye shew forth the Lords death till he come In the caution first we observed the matter that is to be remembred that is the Lords death then secondly we told you here wee must consider of the manner of the remembring of it how must it be remembred by a shewing forth by a lively and a kinde of sensible expressing of it yee shew forth the Lords death till he come Concerning the matter to bee remembred namely the Lords death there wee shewed you first what is meant by the death of the Lord namely both the act of his death in respect of himselfe and likewise the benefit of his death in respect of us for that also must be remembred in the receiving of the Sacrament Then when as it is said here it is the Lords death I shewed you that howsoever Christ as he was Lord could not dye yet notwithstanding the death that Christ did suffer is rightly called the death of the Lord because Christ being man was also God and Lord yet by reason of the union of both these natures in one and the same person therefore that which is proper to Christ as he is man is rightly affirmed of him as being God and Lord. And thence we drew this observation in that it is here called the Lords death namely that howsoever Christ Iesus was cruelly and shamefully crucified and put to a most cruel and ignominious death upon the Crosse as ever any man could bee put unto yet notwithstanding even in that state of his death he was the Lord and shewed himself to be the glorious Lord of heaven and earth It followes now that we are to goe on Wee have spoken hitherto touching the Lords death as it is considered absolutely in it selfe we are yet further to speake of the Lords death by way of application or by way of reference of it to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for so you see here the Apostle speakes of it respectively unto this Supper As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come where by it is plaine that looke what the Apostle speakes here concerning the Lords death the same is confined expressety to the reference of the Lords death to the Lords Supper we must alwayes remember the death of the Lord Christ Iesus every one of us that looke to have any part or to have any benefit by it must remember it at all times but yet when as we come to communicate in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper then there is required of us a more speciall meditation thereof than generally at other times Again even in the participation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we must meditate upon whole Christ Christ borne Christ living Christ dying Christ buried Christ risen againe for Christ was given wholly for us upon the Crosse and Christ is given wholly unto us in the Lords Supper and therfore there we must receive Christ wholly and meditate upon whole Christ I but yet in this case when wee come to receive the Sacrament then wee must more meditate and our hearts and our mindes must more runne upon the death of Christ than upon any thing else that ever Christ did or suffered for us it is the death
as at all times so then especially when we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper let us labour to be so made partakers of the Lords death of that infinite benefit that ariseth by it that wee may be saved by it as by the all-sufficient price of our Redemption The end of the seventeenth Lecture THE EIGHTEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER WEE are still to proceed God willing in the handling of this Text by occasion of the next Sabbath being a Communion day so that now we are to goe on where we left I shewed you that in the latter part of the verse there is contained a caution that the receiving of the Lords Supper is to bee performed withall the shewing forth of the Lords death wherein I noted to you in the caution it selfe these two things first the matter that is to be remembred and secondly the manner of the remembring of it The matter that is to be remembred is the death of the Lord Iesus Christ the maner of the remembring of it how is it to be remeÌ„bred why by a kind of shewing forth by a kinde of lively or sensible expressing of it Wee have spoken of the matter heretofore and even now we made repetition of that which was last spoken concerning this caution namely concerning the death of Iesus Christ Now as God shall inable us we are to handle the manner the manner how this death of the Lord Iesus Christ is remembred in the Sacrament is a shewing forth saith the Text a setting forth or a shewing forth for so the words signifie that is to say a kinde of lively and sensible expressing of the death of Christ is in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper one translation comes a little short of the power of the word in the originall which is worthy to be knowne we read it hence we shew the Lords death the originall word intends two things very materiall to our present purpose for it is a Compound word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the simple verbe it selfe is very significant but the preposition that it is compounded withall addes somewhat more to the significancy of it and makes it more pregnant and more full to the matter wee have in hand First the simple verbe it selfe signifies to shew to publish or to declare not simply but to shew and publish by way of a message or as it were by way of a lively voice In the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there must be certaine speeches and certaine words that are to be used there is a message that is to bee published whensoever the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is rightly administred If you aske what that message is I answer it is the very message of the Gospell the very doctrine of the Gospell free remission of our sinnes by the blood of Christ that is the substance of the Sacrament that is the doctrine of the Gospell and our Saviour himselfe when he did institute the Sacrament as it is in Matth. 26.28 there he saith This is my blood of the New Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Here is the very preaching of the Gospell published in the administration of the Sacrament free remission of sinnes by the blood of Iesus Christ And surely the very same word that signifies the Gospell in the originall is derived from this simple verbe that here is used giving us some intimation that the message that is to bee published is indeed the message of the Gospell Why then in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Christ must be published by way of message or by way of lively voice But secondly the preposition that it is compounded withall that addes somewhat more what is that It must be done throughly it must be done earnestly for so the word signifies in the Originall as if â—â—e would say there must be a vehement publishing of it a vehement shewing forth It is not onely a shewing that will serve the turne much lesse a slender and a carelesse shewing of the death of Christ but it must be shewed throughly and earnestly as the matter it selfe is a matter of great waight and moment as ever was so likewise the shewing forth must be answerable thereunto It must be shewed most seriously and most affectionately and this the word signifies in the originall Yee shew forth the Lords death by way of a message and that earnestly till he come And whereas some reade it positively by way of approbation You doe shew the Lords death till he come and others doe reade it imparatively by way of command See ye shew the Lords death or You shall shew the Lords death both these in substance tend to one and the same effect And indeed the one of these doth consequently inferre the other For if wee reade it positively Yee doe shew the Lords death then this being a matter that is commended in them by the Apostle it doth imply that it is a duty and must be performed then if we reade it imparatively Ye shall shew or See you shew the Lords death till he come then it is implyed that all the faithfull that will conforme themselves to the ordinance of God they doe performe this they practise this at the receiving of the Sacrament they doe shew forth the Lords death till he come If we reade it positively it intends thus much namely that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a fit occasion or a fit meanes in and whereby we come to shew forth the Lords death If we reade it imparatively ye shall shew forth the Lords death it imposes a duty that whensoever we meet together at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we must be shewing forth of the Lords death there is little difference betweene them and in effect they are the same and because I am loth to vary from our own translatioÌ„ but upon good occasion because our translation comes neerest to the originall because the originall doth naturally sound to this effect you doe shew the Lords death rather than yee shall shew forth the Lords death therefore I will not change our owne translation but take it positively as it is propounded that you doe shew forth the Lords deathtill he come so we will take it that the Sacrament is a fit subject or meanes in and wherby to shew forth the Lords death and this is the principall matter that this Scripture doth ayme at and this doth confirme directly the very point that we made choice of this Scripture for namely to prove that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a memoriall of the death of Christ The Text saith plainly As often as ye eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till hee come or remember or expresse in a lively manner the Lords death Doctr. The Doctrine then that here we are to observe for our instruction is this In that the Apostle saith here Whensoever you receive the Sacrament
ye shew forth the Lords death Hence observe that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper being rightly administred and received according to Gods owne ordinance is a fresh and a lively memoriall a sensible representation a through setting forth or a through shewing forth of the death of the Lord Iesus Christ I say if it be rightly received and administred according to Gods owne ordinance for so the Apostle meanes here for having in the 23 24 and 25 verses reformed the Sacrament of the Lords Supper according to our Saviours first institution thence he gives them this Item As often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup c. as if hee should say that if it be rightly administred and instituted and received according to Gods owne ordinance then it is a lively representation and a right shewing forth of the Lords death Consider the whole frame and institution of this Sacrament made by our Saviour both for matter of circumstance and for matter of substance you shall see that both of them doe confirme this truth First for matter of circumstance there bee three circumstances that may be alledged to this purpose One is the time of this institution the night when he was betrayed another is the action that this institution did insue upon and the third is the cariage of our Saviour immediately before he instituted it First for the time the time when he instituted it when was it the night that hee was betrayed as it is in the 23 verse the Apostle doth not note the time but upon very just occasion Marke it over-night our Saviour instituted the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for the expressing of his death the next day our Saviour suffered that death which was in and by that Sacrament to be expressed How could our Saviour devise to have served himselfe better upon the advantage of the time to make the Sacrament to be a fresh and a lively representation and memoriall of his death than by respiting the institution of the Sacrament so neare as neare might bee to the time of his death the one was done over-night and the other the next day We know that such things as have some neare dependance one upon another in nature looke how more neerly they are performed in time so much the more doth the one give the better help to the remembrance of the other whereas if one be done long before the other they will not meet so readily and freshly in our memories for example the eating of the Passeover which was a type and memoriall of the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt was of purpose respited to the night before their departure they were to eate the Passeover over-night and the next day to depart that whensoever afterward they were to eate the Passeover it might renew upon them a more fresh memory of their deliverance out of Egypt whereas if they had had the Passeover a yeare or two before and a yeare or two after beene delivered out of Egypt then there would not have beene such a joynt concurrence of them together in their minds the Passeover would not have been such a palpable and present memoriall of their deliverance as it was so likewise Iesus Christ hee instituted the Sacrament of the Lords Supper over-night he suffered his death the next day that whēsoever after we come to receive the sacrament of the Lords Supper the time wherein his death was suffered following so presently upon the institution of the Sacrament the one of these might helpe forward the other that so the Sacrament might bee the more lively remembrance of his death the circumstance of the time of the institution being so neare the time of his death proves unto us that Christ had a full intent to make the Sacrament a fresh memoriall of his death The second is the action that this institution did ensue upon what was that why that was the eating of the Passeover as appeareth in the 14. of Marke 22. And as they did eate Iesus took the bread and when he had given thankes he brake it and gave it to them and said Take eate this is my body c. They were then eating of the Passeover so saith the Text as they were eating Christ tooke the bread and gave it to his Disciples c. The Passeover it selfe was as I have shewed you heretofore a Type and a memoriall of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt by Moses but principally of their deliverance from sinne and Sathan by the death of Iesus Christ and yet notwithstanding immediately upon the eating of this Passeover did our Saviour Christ institute the sacrament of the Lords Supper as if our Saviour should say unto them well now you have eaten the Passeover this Passeover did not onely signifie your deliverance out of Egypt but principally your deliverance from sin and Sathan by my death for indeed I am that true Lambe of God slaine and eaten and signified in this Passeover but yet howsoever that did signifie my death unto you yet it was but somewhat darkly and obscure you could not be so sensible of my death by that but now I will give you a Sacrament that shall expresse my death and your deliverance most cleerly and that is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The very straine of the story in Matthew Marke and Luke c. being well considered doth afford us this collection That our Saviour presently after the eating of the Passeover did institute the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as if that were not cleere enough but this should bee most cleere for that purpose Thirdly the cariage of our Saviour immediately before the institution of the Sacrament as it is in the 13. of Iohn 16. to 22. wee shall finde there that our Saviour did teach unto his Disciples many good lessons he taught them humilitie and charity both by example and by doctrine moreover then he did foretell them of his death and told them covertly who should betray him he quoted a place of Scripture for it and all this was done upon the instant of the institution his teaching them humility and charity his foretelling them of his death his putting them in minde of these things and raising them up to the consideration of his sufferings before-hand all these concurre together by way of circumstance to teach that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a manifest shewing forth of the death of Christ the use therof for Christs own humbleness and love which then hee shewed by his practice are matters of speciall note in the death of Christ and our humblenesse and love which then hee taught us both by his doctrine and example are speciall fruits and uses of his death in us Now to the substance of it whether we respect the signes used in the Sacrament or the actions or the words in the Sacrament First concerning the signes the very signes they shew forth the death of the Lord the bread shewes forth the body
of Iesus Christ expressing it lively the bread is a sollide substance so is the body of Christ the bread is the food of our bodies the strengthening of our hearts the staffe of our life in the state of nature here is a lively representation to spirituall minded men that the body of Iesus Christ is the spirituall food of our soules the strength of the hidden man of our hearts it is the staffe of the life of God in the state of grace to every true beleever and so likewise the wine shewes forth the blood of Christ the Wine is a liquid substance so is the blood of Christ but principally the sweetnesse of the smell of the wine the pleasantnesse of the taste of the wine the comfortable cheerfulnesse of the wine whereby it doth glad our hearts this is a most lively expressing unto us of the blood of Christ Iesus this shewes unto a spirituall minded man if this wine be so sweet and pleasant and comfortable oh what a sweet savour hath the blood of Iesus Christ oh what a pleasant relish is there in the blood of Iesus Christ oh what comfort and cheerfulnesse is there in the blood of Iesus Christ to every distressed and beleeving soule that can finde and feele these things within himselfe this they doe single each by it selfe now put both these together as both of them are tendred together to us in the Sacrament then here is a full refreshing set forth unto us that there is a full refreshing to every beleeving soule in the death of the Lord Iesus Christ so much for the signes Secondly concerning the actions in the Sacrament both on our Saviours part and likewise on our our part on our Saviours part he tooke the bread and brake it what is that to say but as if our Saviour should say Doe you see mee breake this bread thus thus is my body broken for you so for the cup when hee tooke the bread and brake it he distributed and gave it among them here is a manifest shewing forth of the extension of the death of Christ that the Lord Iesus Christ is the common Saviour of all them that beleeve He tooke the bread saith the Text and hee gave it unto them and so of the cup. Then againe here is an action on our part as our Saviour bid them to take it so wee doe take it wee take the bread we eate it we take the cup wee drinke it what is this but a shewing forth of the death of the Lord except our hands belye our hearts except we be otherwise then we seeme to be when we take the bread and eate it when wee take the wine and drink it we openly professe that wee are of the number of them that take hold on Iesus Christ and doe apply him particularly to the comfort of our owne soules Thirdly the words of institution in the Sacrament the words what are they why first and formost the Text saith He tooke the bread and brake it and bid them to take and eate here you see first he bids us to take it to shew us hee intended that his body is ours and that his death is a sacrifice to God for us whereby our sins are satisfied for and whereby we are reconciled to God then he saith This is my body he speakes demonstratively and he speakes it by way of an essentiall predication he saith this is my body as if our Saviour should say to every spirituall minded man and woman This Sacrament is as lively a representation of my death as if my body and blood were here crucified and shed before your eyes and so likewise it followes this is my body which is given for you and my blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins here is a full shewing forth of the Lords death here is the Gospell preached at the administration of the Sacrament that the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sinnes It followes in the last place Doe this in remembrance of me as if our Saviour should say doe this in remembrance of my death for so the Apostle expounds it hee had repeated our Saviours words in the verse going before Doe this in remembrance of me and he comes and expounds it here Doe this in remembrance of my death as if our Saviour should say consider well and advisedly of this Sacrament for this Sacrament is in it selfe a remembrance and a lively memoriall of my death and so you must esteeme of it and so you must make use of it and so to every beleever it shall be made good for all saving purposes Thus you see the doctrine is proved both by the circumstances the substance and the whole frame of the Sacrament that the Sacrament being administred and received according to Gods own ordinance is a fresh and a lively memoriall a sensible representation a through setting forth of the death of the Lord Iesus Christ the reasons of the doctrine are these Reason 1 The first reason is drawne from the nature of the Sacraments the sacraments are as it were glasses wherein we may see and behold the true forme or the true shape or the true likenesse of that which is represented in the glasse a glasse must be both true and cleere it must be true that it may not cast a false shadow upon us not to reflect another manner of shadow than is cast upon it it must bee cleere that the true object that it doth represent may be cleerly and lively represented unto us the sacrament of the Lords Supper is a glasse it must be a true glasse and a cleere glasse what is the object represented by it the principall object of the Lords supper that is resembled unto us in it is the death of Christ then consider the object that is to be seene and beheld in this glasse is the death of Christ the sacrament is a glasse wherein this is to bee beheld a glasse must be true and cleere and therefore the Sacrament of the Lords Supper must cleerly and plainly and lively shew forth the Lords death which is the principall object there to bee considered Againe Sacraments wee know are teaching signes fignes ordained of God that they may bee teachers unto us and teachers you know must speake plainly they must speake teachably they must deliver the matter with a lively voyce so as it may be best knowne discerned and understood and worke instruction in the hearts of those that it is to be learned by the Sacraments are teaching signes the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a teaching signe the lesson that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper teacheth is the death of Iesus Christ and therefore the Sacrament of the Lords Supper must teach the death of Iesus Christ lively and cleerly and so must be a through shewing forth of Christs death Reason 2 A second reason is drawne from the proportion of the word with the Sacrament the word that shewes forth Christ lively
and to save us by condemning him Fourthly there is another duty required the words of the institution must necessarily bee rehearsed and this is a matter that gives wonderfull light to the death of the Lord Iesus Christ in the sacrament for when wee heare the minister make rehearsall of the same words of Christ then wee doe esteeme highly of the sacrament as if Christ were personally among us speaking to us with his owne mouth and delivering his body and blood unto us as it were with his owne hands this is a notable meanes to set forth the death of Christ Lastly it is a Christian duty and a needfull duty about the time of the sacrament to shew forth both our thankfulnesse and our cheerfulnesse even by singing of Psalmes It is true indeed there is no Psalme amisse because all were penned by the holy Ghost yet some are more fit and seasonable then others the fittest Psalmes are either teaching Psalmes or psalmes of thanksgiving if wee will have Psalmes of thanksgiving there is specially the 103 Psalme and the 116 full of good meditations to this purpose but if we will have teaching Psalmes teaching us the death of Christ for that is then most seasonable that teacheth us the matter of the death of Christ then take the second Psalme for that teacheth us concerning the death of Christ as it is applyed by the holy Ghost Act. 4.25 and so the 22 Psalm as it is alleaged 27 of Matth. for there are three severall places quoted out of that Psalme singled out applyed expresly unto the death of Christ and therfore they are most seasonable to be used and it is necessary that wee make choice of the most seasonable Psalmes that are fittest for that purpose Vse Another use is matter of reproose of the Popish Church many things in the Popish Church are hereby reproved I will but touch them that they doe directly oppose themselves against this doctrine and the truth and tenure of it directly whereas here the Apostle saith as often as you eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come the Popish Church doth flatly crosse this rule divers waies First in their halfe Communions they have the bread but not the cup is this to shew forth the Lords death no it is but to shew forth halfe the Lords death this is horrible wrong to the people and disgrace to the Sacrament and dishonour to God hath God given us a great light to see Christ by and shall men scantle it to halfe a light hath God given us both the bread and the wine to discerne the Lords body and blood by and to shew forth the Lords death by and shall we have the body and not the blood shall wee have but one halfe and bee deprived of the other Againe many times in the Popish Church they have their Masses as they call them without any preaching at all many times and usually it is so with them I cannot say that by this they overthrow that very masse of theirs from being a Sacrament I will not stand upon it but yet I say that practice of theirs is a wicked and a gracelesse practice directly against this doctrine of God you shew forth the Lords death how should it bee shewed forth but by preaching and teaching but they have little or no preaching or teaching amongst them but chiefly the words of institution they are to bee rehearsed oh but say they wee have these words of institution rehearsed and therefore you cannot but say that we have teaching I answer though they have the words of institution yet the Priest mumbles them to himselfe and the people heare him not Secondly if they doe heare him it is in an unknowne tongue they understand him not Thirdly when hee rehearses them hee turnes his face from the people as of purpose to suppresse the right shewing forth of the Lords death and therefore this practice of theirs shewes that they wold not have the people discerne the Lords death in this Sacrament These are fearfull abominations and this lyes heavy upon those people of God that live under Antichrist and therefore wee should with great thankfulnesse injoy and use these blessings that God hath bestowed upon us in the cleere exhibition of the death of Iesus Christ in the Lords Supper I but say the Papists we shew forth the Lords death more then you for wee lift up the Host is this to shew forth the Lords death no this is to shew forth their owne Idoll their owne breaden-God that themselves have made The end of the eighteenth Lecture THE NINETEENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER NOw we are to proceed as the occasion requires for our preparation to the Sacrament the next sabbath in the handling of that Scripture which wee have made choise of out of the 1 Cor. 11. and the 26. vers For as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shew forth the Lords death till he come We have shewed you the two generall parts of this Scripture an action to bee performed in the former part the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and a caution that this action is to bee performed withall in the latter part of the verse the remembrance or the shewing forth of the Lords death til he come we have handled the first part of the verse wholy we have entred into the second part where we shewed that there is first to bee considered the caution it selfe the shewing forth of the Lords death Secondly the frequenting of this action or the often using of this caution to bee supplyed out of the former part of the verse as often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup for that particle often serves indifferently for the whole verse as well for the former as the latter part as if the Apostle should say as often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup so often ye shew forth the Lords death till he come Thirdly we shewed you here the continuance of the observation of this caution how long it must be kept why till Christ Iesus come to judgement to the end of the world The caution it selfe the shewing forth of the Lords death of that I have spoken already now therefore wee are God willing as the Lord shall inable us to speake of the second thing namely the frequenting or the often using of this caution the often shewing forth or remembring of the Lords death as often as ye eate this bread and drinke this cup so often ye shew forth the Lords death till he come which words we must not so understand as if so bee that the remembrance or the shewing forth of the Lords death were precisely confined and limited to the use of the sacrament of the Lords supper as if the Apostle should say that then onely the death of Christ is to bee remembred when the Sacrament is to bee received and
not else that is not the meaning but we must take the words to be spoken with implication of a further extēt of this duty namely that therfore so often as we receive this Sacrament wee must remember and shew forth the Lords death after a speciall manner that thereby we may bee fitted and inabled to remember the Lords death at all other times both by preparation before and by continuall meditation after for thus wee are to conceive of the present businesse the death of Iesus Christ must never be out of the minds of those that doe beleeve in him their hearts must becontinually running upon the thoughts of him and of his death now because all of us are dull of understanding dead and cold in affection weake in memory that either wee doe not understand the death of CHRIST or not affect the death of CHRIST or not remember the death of CHRIST as wee ought therefore the Lord hath appointed the sacrament of the Lords supper as a principall meanes to releeve us in this case In that sacrament the Lord teacheth us the death of Christ that we may understand it in that sacrament the Lord expresseth the death of Christ unto us lively that we may be affected with it in that sacrament likewise the Lord tenders unto us the death of Christ that so wee may the better retaine the memoriall of it and that it may sticke the faster and the closer by us not onely for that present time whilest we are receiving but also for all times afterwards for as it is in our bodily repast we eate and drinke at some one set time or other as namely at dinner or at supper not that our bodies should bee refreshed and comforted then onely for the present whilest wee are eating but because by that strength which then wee receive our bodies might also bee refreshed and comforted afterwards when we are to be imployed in the duties of our calling so likewise in our spirituall repast we sanctifie the sabbath keepe it holy unto the Lord we doe not keepe the sabbath holy because we would bee holy onely upon the sabbath but because that that holinesse which wee attaine unto by meeting God in his owne saving ordinances upō the sabbath day that the same holinesse might season us and strengthē us and continue with us and thrive in our hearts all the weeke following and all our lives following so likewise it is in this particular in the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the death of Christ is remembred and shewed forth very lively and very freshly not that wee should be indued with the thoughts and affections of the death of Christ onely for the present whilest we are receiving but that thereby wee might be brought to make it to be our continuall meditation alwaies after and this as it is implyed in this second clause so often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup so often yee shall shew forth the Lords death so it is further and more plainly inforced in the third clause so often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup so often yee shall shew forth the death of the Lord till he come which injoynes the continuance of it for it is as if the Apostle should say Your remembrance your lively and sensible remembring of the death of Christ in the participation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper must not onely serve you for the present time but it must frame and fashion your minds to the habit of this grace that is to say to the continuall remembring of the death of Christ Iesus that you may make it your practice day and night every day and every houre of your life so it is with you saith the Apostle to the Corinths and not with you onely but so it must be with all the faithfull from age to age till Iesus Christ shall come to judgement And this I take to be the right straine of the Apostles speech in this verse so often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come touching the remembrāce of Christs death simply in it selfe yet with raising it from this ground namely from the remembrance of Christs death in the participation of the sacrament the death of Christ is alwaies to be remembred in a lively manner in the participation of the Sacrament that so it may be fresh in our memories at all other times so long as wee live Doct. The doctrine that ariseth is thus much namely that the death of the Lord Iesus Christ ought to be alwaies had in continuall remembrance of all those that professe his name and embrace his religion ye shew forth the Lords death as often as ye doe this marke the words the death of the Lord Iesus Christ must alwaies be had in continuall remembrance by all those that doe professe his name and embrace his Religion for proofe of this doctrine take that first which is in the 12 of Zach. v. 10. where God promiseth to poure out his Spirit upon his people the spirit of grace and of compassion and they shall looke on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his first borne or his onely sonne That Scripture sheweth the ordinary and continuall practice of the faithfull when once they are effectually converted unto God God poures out his spirit of Grace and compassion into their hearts and so converts them And what doe they then Then they doe ever after looke upon him whom they have pierced they have their eyes and their mindes altogether fixed upon Christ pierced upon Christ crucified or upon Christs death And this is no slender remembring or no short remembring of the death of Christ but it is a very affectionate remembrance and it is a lasting remembrance it is an affectionate remembrance as being joyned with sorrow and griefe and much lamentation as there the Text saith And this sorrow it is a lasting sorrow and so this remembrance a lasting remembrance Hee shall mourne as one sorroweth for his first borne A man that hath lost his onely sonne mournes and sorrowes and hee never forgets him so they shall never forget the death of Christ The sense of the death of Christ is so foundly fastned upon them by the Spirit in the act of their conversion that it stickes deepe within them and cleaves close unto them for ever after they make it their continuall meditation The Apostle in 1 Cor. 15.1 2 3. admonisheth the Corinths that they should continue and keepe in memory those things that hee had preacht and delivered unto them and that they had received that is in the first and second verses in the third verse hee shewes what the things are that he delivered unto them the death of Iesus Christ Why then the death of Iesus Christ must be continued in as it must be received so it must be continued in and it must bee kept
to us let none of these nor all these hinder us from being set upon this duty but let us breake through them all in an holy zeale and set our selves soundly to meditate upon the death of Christ in hope of these heavenly blessings that the meditation of this duty will bring us unto therefore still remember the death of Christ and as ever thou desirest to have a living teacher within thee remember the death of Christ as ever thou lookest to have comfort from God so look that thou remember the death of Christ as ever thou lookest to have spirituall growth and encrease by the Word and Sacraments still looke to the death of Christ as ever thou lookest to have a strong bridle to restraine thee from sinne so still let the death of Christ bee thy continuall meditation as ever thou desirest to come before God cheerfully and with comfort in prayer remember the death of Christ as ever thou desirest to be fitted and prepared to dye remember the death of Iesus Christ as ever thou desirest and lovest any one or all these blessings together remember the death of Christ and that continually let it never goe out of thy minde The end of the nineteenth Lecture THE TVVENTIETH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER WEE purposing God willing the next Sabbath to be partakers of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are therefore according to our ordinary course to make preparation thereunto by this Sabbaths evening Exercise that so we may come with better grace in our hearts to that heavenly Table 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as yee shall eate this bread and drink this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come Which Scripture containes as you have heard these two parts an action to bee performed in the former part of the verse the receiving of the Sacrament as often as ye eate this bread and drinke this cup. Secondly a caution that this action is to be performed withall in the last part of the verse the remembrance or the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come We have fully finished the former part and through Gods mercy we have proceeded in the handling of the latter part to the last clause of all till he come ye shew forth the Lords death till he come I shewed you that this latter part of the verse containes the caution that the receiving of the Sacrament is to be performed withall it ministers unto us these things to be considered of First the caution it selfe namely the shewing forth of the LORDS death wherein wee shewed you what it was that was to be remembred the death of the Lord Iesus Christ and also the manner of the remembrance of it by a shewing forth or by a setting forth by a lively or a sensible expressing of it Secondly it doth commend unto us the frequenting of this caution that the death of the Lord Iesus Christ must be often remēbred for though that particle often bee onely named in the former part of the verse yet by all common understanding it is also to be understood in the latter part of the verse As often as ye doe receive the Sacrament so often yee remember the Lords death Thirdly and lastly here is the continuance of this caution the continuance of this duty take it so how long is it to continue why till he come so long as the world standeth till Iesus Christ shall come to judgement So then here we are now come to the last clause of all containing the continuance of this duty let this be done til he come till Christ come to judgement in which clause there be two things offered to our consideration the first is the continuance of this duty it selfe and that is directly and expresly affirmed ye shew forth the Lords death till he come That this duty must be continually and must never cease to continue in the Church so long as the world stands The second thing is covertly implyed yet plaine enough too if the words be well weighed and considered and that is the end or the reach that wee must ayme at in the performance of this duty namely the fitting and the preparing of us to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ unto judgment for so the very same particle till is used in the very same sense In the 1 Cor. 15.25 where it is said that Christ must raigne till hee have put all his enemies under his feet till he have put all his enemies the meaning of it is this First that Christs reigning shall be continuall till the very end of the world Secondly and the end of Christs reigning is this the utter destruction of his enemies and the trampling of them under his feet so it is in this case Doe this duty till he come that is to say this duty must be continued till Christ come to judgement and the end and the reach that we must ayme at in the performance of this duty is that we be fitted and prepared for his comming We cannot understand this clause clearly and fully except we take it with these two explications the first is this that howsoever this duty is imposed by name upon the Corinthians onely yee shew the Lords death till he come yet notwithstanding it is proportionably implied to all the faithfull by succession from time to time to the end of the world for the Apostle knew very well that the Corinthians in themselves in their owne persons should not live till Christ should come to judgement and therefore it was impossible that they should keepe this commandement till he come but the Apostle imposeth upon the Corinthians this duty for their time that they must observe it so long as they live and likewise imposeth the same duty upon the succeeding Churches from age to age to the worlds end that they must observe this duty so too so that is the first explication the second explication is this that howsoever this clause be here expresly referred onely to the latter part of the verse to the caution to the remembrance of Christs death Ye remember Christs death till he come yet it is implyed and intended to belong also unto the former part of the verse to the action it selfe the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For as that particle of frequenting the word often is used onely in the former part yet it extends it selfe in sense to the latter so this clause of continuing till hee come though it bee named onely in the latter part yet in sense it doth extend it selfe to the former part of the verse so that both the remembrance of the Lords death and also the observation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper both these are to bee continued till Iesus Christ shall come to judgement for so the Apostle here expounding pounding our Saviours meaning in the words going before when he saith Doe this in remembrance of me he addes this rule of continuance doe
what we can while we live to further Gods ordinances to those that shall live after us leave some good monument behinde us to that effect If God have given us riches let us give something to maintaine Gods ordinances to the end of the world It is an excellent thing when God hath given any man abundance of wealth and hath given him withall a heart to part with some of it for the maintenance of Gods ordinances to the worlds end yea if occasion so require let us seale Gods truth with our blood this is the best monument of all Lastly and so I end all mans power being nothing of himselfe God being all in all wee must therefore pray to God while we live here not onely that he would continue his Word and Sacraments to us but pray that he would continue the same to our posterity after us to many generations yea even to the end of the world if it bee his blessed will In 1 King 8. Salomon when he built the Temple hee did not onely pray for that time but for the time to come Then whensoever hereafter thy people shall be oppressed with the sword or famine or such like and shall pray to thee in this Temple heare thou in heaven and be mercifull unto them So we must labour not onely to pray to God to fence his Church and plant his Vineyard and nourish those plants that are in it already but that he would still continue to make a supply of such plants so long as the Sun and Moone shall endure and this would testifie a true zeale that wee beare to the glory of God We know beloved in regard of our owne businesses if we purchase lands for our selves or our children we desire that it may continue for ever to our childrens children What shall we not be as zealous for Gods glory as wee are carefull for our owne children yes wee ought much more and therefore we should bee stirred up still to labour as much as in us lyeth by prayer and all other good meanes for the continuance of the Word and Sacraments and all the saving ordinances of God not onely unto us but to our posterity to our childrens children to the Church of God even to the end of the world The end of the twentieth Lecture The One AND TWENTIETH LECTVRE VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER THE first to the Corinthians Chap. 11. verse 26. the last part of the verse till he come For as often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come You may remember how wee divided this Scripture into two parts we shewed that in the former part of the verse there is an action performed in the latter part of the verse there is a caution that it is to be performed withall in the former part of the verse is the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The caution that it is to be performed withall in the latter part of the verse is the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come Not to trouble you with repeating of many things In this latter part of the verse we observed unto you first the Caution it selfe the shewing forth of the Lords death secondly the frequenting of the Caution that it must bee often done for howsoever this word often is not used in the latter part of the verse yet in all common construction and understanding it is to bee supplyed out of the former part of the verse As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup so often shall ye shew forth the Lords death and lastly I came to speake of the continuance of this whole duty the whole that is here spoken of how long must this continue till Christ come that is to say as long as the world stands till Iesus Christ shall come to Iudgement Wee are entred upon this clause already I shewed you that this clause doth offer unto us two things for our consideration the first is the continuance it selfe of this duty how long it shall be to the end of the world that the observation of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the remembring or the shewing forth of the death of Christ must continue among the faithfull and be duly observed by them to the very end of the world that is directly affirmed here as you see I shewed you that there is another thing that is here covertly implyed and yet plaine enough if wee consider and weigh the words aright namely the end or the reach which the performers of this duty ayme at or which wee must ayme at in the performance of this duty namely to fit us and prepare us to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ unto Iudgement Wee have spoken of the former part already now as GOD shal inable us we are to proceed to the latter part and so to finish up this Scripture at this time Therefore here secondly wee must consider that which is covertly implyed namely the end or the reach that these actions or these duties aime at or that we must aime at in the performance of these duties to fit us and prepare us to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ unto judgement that the doctrine that hence we are to raise may appeare to be built upon a firme and a sure ground wee must shew these two things First that this particle that here is used till hath the same use in the same sense elsewhere in the Scripture not onely to signifie the continuance of an action till that time but withall to signifie that that continuance is such a preparation to such an action Secondly we must shew that it is so to bee understood here for it is not alwaies in the Scripture so meant therfore there must be some speciall inducement alleaged why it must bee so taken here Concerning the first that this particle is used in the same sense elsewhere I gave you one instance in the opening of the Text in the 1 Cor. 15.25 where it is said that Christ should raigne till he had put all his enemies under his feet For there is the same particle that is used here and it signifies not onely that Christ should raigne till his enemies should be destroyed but by his raigning his enemies should be destroyed Take another instance or two for better confirmation Gal. 4.19 My little children saith the Apostle of whom I travell in birth till Christ bee formed in you there is the very same particle also In those words the Apostle as you may see compares himselfe to a spirituall mother he is alwaies in paine and in travell in the spirit and in the worke of the ministery till such time as Christ should be formed and fashioned in the hearts of these Galathians till that time there that same word till intends these two things First that the paines and the travell of Paul in this spirituall child-birth did indure with in him till
such time as Christ was formed and fashioned in the hearts of the Galathians and moreover that those very paines and trauel of the Apostle in that very spirituall child-birth were a meanes wherby Christ was so formed and framed in them for so the comparison doth necessarily inforce from a naturall mother we know a naturall mother hath continuall paines and throes ever and anon till the child bee ripe to the birth and brought forth into the world it continues with her all that time I and besides those paines and those throes of hers are a meanes whereby the childe is so made ripe to the birth brought forth into the world and so it was with Paul in his spirituall child-birth the paines that hee did beare in this his child-birth it is to be understood that they did continue with him till that worke was effected and moreover that they were a meanes whereby it was effected Another instance Phil. 1.6 I am confident that the Lord that hath begun this good worke will performe it till the day of the Lord there is the same particle in the very same sense the Apostles meaning is this that he is perswaded that as God had given them the light of his Gospel and wrought faith in them so he would give them the light of his Gospell hee would still teach them and keepe them in the faith till the day of the Lord Iesus Christ And moreover that by this teaching and keeping of them in the faith hee would make them fit and ready for the day of the Lord so much for the first point namely that this particle which here is spoken of till is so used in this same sense that we doe now speake of it elsewhere in Scripture Secondly we are to shew what inducement is there to proue that it is so used here why the circumstance of the text affords it clearly these words that I have here you fee they are added as a reason of the words that went before for so the inference is for as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come The words that went immediately before are the words of our Saviour Doe this in remembrance of me the Apostle gives the exposition of these words by way of a reason for as often as ye shal eate this bread and drink this cup ye shew forth the Lords death til he come and so the exposition of the Apostle makes our Saviours words and our Saviours meaning to bee cleare as if our Saviour should say Doe this in remembrance of me till I come or against I come as who should say see that yee doe duely observe this same Sacrament of the Lords Supper till I come see that yee doe duely and affectionatly meditate upon my death till I come that when I doe come then ye may bee fitted and ready for my comming ye may be prepared by these meanes to give me the better entertainment and I seeing your faithfulnesse and your constancy and readinesse in observing my ordinances and my directions so duely I may then when I doe come give you a comfortable portion Doe this in remembrance of me till I come or against I come that so you may bee fitted and prepared for my comming This is the very straine and reach or the Text we are to understand one thing further and that is this that howsoever this is here intended particularly of these two duties of the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lord and of the meditation of Christs death yet notwithstanding by way of proportion and by way of consequence the same is also to bee affirmed concerning all duties in religion whatsoever all other outward meanes yea all other meanes of grace whether outward or inward for they all must joyne together in one and the same finall end This being the finall end of these two duties to prepare us to the day of the Lord Iesus Christ except wee will make a disproportion in religious duties as if some of them should tend to one end and some to another we must consequently understand that all the duties of religion they tend to this end to fit us and prepare us to the comming of Iesus Christ unto judgement The grounds being thus laid the doctrine ariseth plaine Doe this till I come the Sacrament of the Lords Supper duely observed and the effectuall meditation of Christs death and consequently all other duties and exercises of religion and all other meanes of grace both inward and outward they are so many serviceable meanes and instruments and helps unto the faithfull whereby they are fitted and prepared for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ unto judgement Where I named the receiving of the Lords Supper and the effectuall meditation of Christs death that is cleare in this text concerning all other duties other Scriptures doe serve to make that cleare and give plentifull witnesse of it Matth. 25. from the first to the thirteenth there is the parable of the ten Virgins five were wise and five were foolish they went all out to meet their Bridegroome five had oile and five had none the Bridegroome comes they were all awake as they were asleepe before the wise they had their oile they went in with the Bridegroome the foolish they had none and they were kept out in a word the meaning of the parable is this Those Virgins are the visible Church here upon earth the wise Virgins they are true beleevers the foolish Virgins they are hypocrites their Lamps that they have all of them is the outward profession that they make of religion in the use of the outward meanes the Word and Sacraments these bee the Lamps these bee common both to the foolish and to the wise the oyle they have in their Lamps is the inward graces of Gods Spirit in their hearts faith and repentance and such like and these onely the wise Virgins had the foolish have none at all all these Virgins they goe forth to meet the Bridegroome as in the first verse the Bridegroome is the Lord Iesus Christ the comming of the Bridegroome is his cōming to judgment and so their meeting of the Bridegroome it is their fitting and their preparing of themselves for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ unto judgement well then you see all these Virgins the whole visible Church the foolish as well as the wise the wise onely in truth the foolish in shew they as well as the other make use of their lamps of their cōmunion in the Word the sacramēts to what end to fit thē to Christ his comming for that is their pretence the wise they make use not onely of their lamps but also of their oyle too that is of their inward graces to what end to fit them to meet the Lord Iesus that when the Bridegroome doth come they may bee ready to enter in with him the case you see is very cleare all the duties of religion
Soules Physitian but the worke he came to performe was this not so much to take away the sicknesse of our Bodyes but the sinnes of our Soules It is not to be denied but that our Bodyes also are nourished in this Sacrament and that both directly and corporally by the outward Elements of Bread and Wine for so it must be that the proportion may hold and be the more significant and sensible and also by way of consequence and spiritually as the Body also partaking with the Soule in the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the grace of Saluation but that which is chiefly and principally nourished in this Sacrament is the Soule which receiueth and embraceth Christ by Faith Reas 2 The second Reason The Communion which we haue with Christ is a spirituall Communion 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is ioyned to the Lord is one Spirit Therefore this Sacrament which is a speciall meanes of our Communion with Christ to knit vs vnto him must accordingly be a spirituall Banket Reas 3 Thirdly It is the nature of this Sacrament to be the Seale of the New Testament Luke 22.20 The Couenant or Testament is a spirituall Couenant the Couenant of Iustification and Sanctification Hebr. 10.16 17. Therefore the Seale must be spirituall as the Couenant is Reas 4 Fourthly The Word and Sacraments are in generall of the same nature The Word is a Banket of our Soules and therefore the Sacrament being an appendant vpon the Word must also belong vnto our Soules and be a spirituall Banket too The Word begins and nourisheth our eternall life the Sacraments nourisheth it but not begins it the Word brings vs vnto Christ the Sacraments make vs to grow faster to him the Word workes vpon the Eare and being seconded by the Spirit so quickens and feeds the Heart the Sacrament is seene felt tasted wee eat it and drinke it and receiue it into our Bodyes and so being seconded by the Spirit nourisheth our Soules the Word conueyes Christ into vs more largely this Sacrament more neerely each of them verie powerfully and effectually Reas 5 Fifthly The verie time wherein it was instituted proues as much for it was instituted after Supper when their Bodyes were fed already and therefore it is proper and peculiar to their Soules Reas 6 Lastly The proportion betwixt the Signes and Things signified proues as much for seeing the Signes that is to say the Bread and Wine are apt to nourish the Body therefore the thing signified that is to say the Body and Blood of Christ must needs be intended to the nourishment of the Soule therefore it is plaine that this Sacrament is a spirituall Banket wherein the Faithfull are nourished to a spirituall and heauenly life Vse 1 The Vses First It should teach vs that seeing it is a Feast for our Soules therefore we should vse it as a spirituall Feast And how is that We must bring spirituall Mouthes and spirituall Stomackes and spirituall preparation and spirituall affections We must be wholly spirituall our Mouthes are our Minds or our Soules our Stomacke or Appetite must be hungry and thirst after Grace and Righteousnesse and forgiuenesse of Sinnes and newnesse of Life our Preparation must be humblenesse of Mind and brokennesse of Heart in the sight of our owne wretched estate and Faith and confidence in the promise of sauing Grace for our deliuerance It makes no matter when we come to this Feast whether we haue our best Cloathes on or no he is best well-come that comes with the best Heart and the best Soule for whosoeuer comes not thus prepared wants his Wedding-garment and shall speed as he did He shall be cast into vtter darkenesse Lastly our affections must be spirituall our Mirth and Cheerefulnesse and Ioy must not be any carnall Ioy or corporall Reioycing as at our bodily Feasts but we must reioyce in the Lord reioyce in the Spirit reioyce in God and Christ and his Saluation Vse 2 Secondly If it be a spirituall Feast then we must learne to discerne the Body and Blood of Christ the spirituall Food for our Soules we must lift vp the Eye of Faith and apprehend and take hold vpon Christ being in Heauen though we be vpon Earth Our bodily Eyes cannot see so farre but the Eye of Faith sees into Heauen and beleeues that Christ Iesus sitting at the right Hand of God is here present at the Table after a spirituall manner and so doth giue and communicate himselfe vnto vs The Eye of the Body sees the Bread broken and the Wine poured out the Eye of Faith sees and considers the breaking of Christ Body and the shedding of his Blood for the taking away of our sinnes and this is that which the Apostle presseth 1 Cor. 11.29 about the discerning of the Lords Body as who should say That he that comes without this discerning Eye of Faith he comes to this Table as to an ordinarie Feast discernes the Bread and Wine with his bodily Eyes but not as to a spirituall Feast to discerne Christs Body by the Eye of Faith and so can haue no benefite by it For as appeares in the Doctrine it is the Faithfull onely that are here nourished to a Spirituall life but as for vnbeleeuers they are thereby nourished to eternall death as the Apostle there shewes Vse 3 Thirdly Examine our selues whether we haue carried our selues this day or any time heretofore as at a spirituall Feast Haue we hungred and thirsted after the spirituall refreshing of our Soules Haue our Soules beene fatted with these Iunckets God hath set before vs Haue we had Faith in the Promises of God Haue we had repentance of our Sinnes Haue we prepared our selues in the Inward-Man for the entertainement of Christ and his Spirit into our Hearts Haue we beene refreshed with the comforts of God Haue we delighted in the Saluation that hereby is brought vnto vs Haue we had an inward ioy and cheerefulnesse of Heart that we haue found Christ the Lord and Master of the Feast hath bid vs well-come That we are better encouraged to goe on in godly duties More confirmed in the assurance of the forgiuenesse of sinnes And more thoroughly resolued to leade a new life That we haue well profited in the state of Grace and Saluation If we find these things we plainely shew that we haue made it a spirituall Banket and that thereby our Soules are nourished to a heauenly life If wee find none of these things at least in some measure let vs know that wee haue come like brute Beasts or at least like carnall Men we had better haue kept away if wee haue come onely with bodily and not with spirituall Eyes let vs know wee haue committed a greeuous sinne against God Wee came here to receiue a generall quittance for our sinnes past and wee haue added a greater sinne then euer we committed before Let vs therefore examine our selues and lay vp these things in our Hearts to meditate vpon them that thereby we may be
I will not stand to make repetition of that which I haue formerly spoken because of the ordinarie repetition that we haue euerie Sabboth of that which was deliuered the Sabboth before and therefore to omit the exposition of the Text which then we did largely insist vpon we are now to proceed to the matter of obseruation We began with one point namely concerning the New Testament shewing that all the hold that euer the Faithfull haue in Christ is onely by the force and power and vertue of the New Testament That was the first obseruation That being finished we are now to proceed as God shall giue strength and assistance to the other obseruations that the Text will afford vs. We see that this Text doth mainly and directly concerne this businesse that we haue in hand and therefore it is needfull that we should insist so much the more vpon it Yet I doe not meane to make any curious search into euerie particular for that would be too tedious onely I will fixe and insist God willing vpon such speciall and needfull points as are most naturall to the Text and materiall to our purpose The second thing the speciall and principall point that here is to be spoken vnto is concerning the Blood of Christ This is the Blood of the New Testament The New Testament we spake of before now we are to speake of the Blood This is my Blood of the New Testament Which may be taken as this Euangelist reports the speech of our Sauiour Christ so in Marke 14.24 This is my Blood of the New Testament Then the entendment is that this Blood is proper and peculiar to this Testament But if we take it as Luke reports it Luke 22.20 and as Paul reports it in the 1 Cor. 11.25 This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood c. then the entendment of it is this namely this Testament is ratified and confirmed by the Blood of Christ as by the speciall Scale thereof and that the fruit and power and benefit of this same New Testament doth wholly rest vpon Christ his Blood answerable therefore to this ground we will draw the Doctrine and obseruation Take it thus namely that seeing our Sauiour saith that this is my Blood of the New Testament obserue this point Doct. That all the power and efficacie of the New Testament and of the worke of our Redemption by Christ is founded and grounded and established vpon the Blood of Christ This is the New Testament in my Blood We will speake first a word or two by explication to vnfold the knot and so proceed to the proofe of it First for explication all the power and efficacie of the New Testament and of the worke of our Redemption by Christ is founded and established vpon the Blood of Christ You see here I ioyne the New Testament and the worke of our Redemption both together The reason is because they are in effect one and the same the verie substance of the New Testament is the verie worke of our Redemption and one and the same Person Christ is the Mediator of them both It is Christ that is the Mediator of the New Testament and it is he that is the Mediator of the worke of our Redemption Secondly I say it is founded and stablished in Christ For this Testament is a Couenant or a Promise Now wee know that all the Promises of God are in Christ Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 All Gods Promises they are made in Christ and are verified in Christ and haue all their force in Christ and so is this Promise of the New Testament Thirdly and lastly I say vpon the Blood of Christ as Christ shedding his owne Blood for it if so be it were the Blood of any or of all the World besides it could doe no good it could not make good this Couenant But when Christ saith This is my Blood of the New Testament here the New Testament is perfectly confirmed and the worke of our Redemption is thoroughly accomplished And so much for the explication of the point Secondly For the proofe of it that all the power and efficacie of the New Testament and the worke of our Redemption is founded and stablished vpon the Blood of Christ Esay 53. from Verse 3 to the 12. there the Prophet sets before vs Christ Iesus as our Mediator as our Redeemer Hee speakes more like an Euangelist then like a Prophet he speakes so plaine But for the most part all the description that he makes concerning Christ is concerning his humiliation and so speakes concerning the benefits that we haue by Christ as comming to vs by his humiliation he was despised reiected of Men he was wounded oppressed afflicted broken and the like and in Verse 5. it is said With his stripes we are healed the healing of vs commeth by the stripes of Christ Iesus all tending to the Blood of Christ And in Verse 12. we are giuen a portion of God to him because he hath not spared to poure out his Soule vnto the death The Holy Ghost sets forth Christ as a Mediator of the New Testament and of our Redemption and these things they concerne his Blood and sheweth the benefit that we haue by him which is by his humiliation by his stripes and he ceased not to poure out his Soule to the Death To speake some-wnat more particularly of the point because it is a verie necessarie point to be spoken of and though euerie one of vs can speake of it yet we haue not a true rellish of it we cannot digest it and therefore I would faine worke the true rellish of it into your Hearts The Scripture doth propound our Sauiour vnto vs as the Mediatour of the New Testament and of the worke of our Redemption in sundry particular tearmes and generally all of them tend to this effect to shew that all the power vertue and efficacie of the New Testament and of our Redemption is founded and stablished vpon the Blood of Christ these sixe particulars especially First Christ in his Suffering or Christ punished for vs. Secondly Christ in his Offering or Christ sacrificed for vs. Thirdly Christ in his Obedience or Christ humbled for vs. Fourthly Christ on the Crosse or Christ crucified for vs. Fifthly Christ and his Death or Christ dying for vs. Sixthly Christ and his Blood or Christ killed and slaine for vs. First Christ in his Suffering or Christ punished for vs which is not onely restrained to his sufferings and afflictions in this life as slanders persecutions hunger and the like but to be extended to the maine and greatest suffering of all namely to the losse of his Life the shedding of his Blood and the pouring out of his Soule Luke 24.46 47. Christ speakes there so of himselfe Thus it behooueth Christ to suffer and to rise againe That repentance and remission of sinnes might be preached in his Name The suffering there spoken of is Christ his dying as appeares by the opposition
indebted to God when they are discharged then we are no further debtors that is to say God is a Friend to vs he is reconciled to vs and we to him Our sinnes are our foulnesse when they are washed we are clensed Our sinnes are our hatred when they are abolished God loues vs and we loue him Our sinnes are our separation take away this wall of separation and God is a Father to vs and we dutifull Children to him To conclude we are one with him and he is one with vs. Reas 2 The second Reason is drawne from the intirenesse of Christ Christ our Mediator is our Sanctification as well as our Righteousnesse and our Righteousnesse as well as our Redemption and our Redemption as well as our Wisedome 1 Cor. 1.30 He is our Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Is Christ diuided No surely and therefore whosoeuer hath part in him for his Righteousnesse hath also part in him for his Wisedome Sanctification and Redemption Reas 3 The third Reason is drawne from the necessarie dependance of the whole worke of Saluation and of all the Graces and Mercies that God bestowes vpon vs they are all inseparable they goe all together and are neuer sundred Iustification being the first If that once be obtained all the rest necessarily follow Those whom he iustifies he sanctifies If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.19 If we be once reconciled to God whereby our sinnes are forgiuen we are new Creatures So that where there is Iustification there is Sanctification and where there is Iustification there is also Glorification Rom. 8.30 Whom he iustifies them also he glorifies There is a necessarie dependance betwixt the matter of Iustification consisting in the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the matter of our Sanctification and Glorification Whosoeuer bath interest in one hath also right interest to all the rest Reas 4 The fourth Reason is drawne from the Office of our Sauiour Christ He came for sinne Rom. 8.3 To saue his People from their sinnes Math. 1.21 To sane sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 His Office is to take away sinne and to saue sinners If therefore our sinnes are taken away and forgiuen we are interested into the worke of our Saluation It is made sure vnto vs howsoeuer the Glorie is respited to another World Vse 5 The last Reason is drawne from the comparison of the state we were in before our sinnes were forgiuen with that which we doe after inioy Before we were Enemies to God after we are reconciled to God and made his Friends If God vouchsafe vs this fauour to forgiue vs our sinnes when wee were his Enemies shall hee not also vouchsafe vs this loue according as he hath promised to accomplish and worke vpon vs the whole worke of our Saluation to saue vs being now reconciled to him It is the Apostles reason Rom. 5 10. For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life Vse 1 The Vses First this shewes vs what we must specially labour for in all our practise of Religion namely to obtaine remission of sinnes that is the maine That being obtained all the rest be obtainned But some will say there be other things to be laboured for It is true But that is the first and principall and till we haue that we can haue no other mercie from God and when we haue that we haue all Without that no fauour at all can be expected from God either for Soule or Body It was Dauids case and practise when he was sicke or persecuted or whatsoeuer occasion befell him still he labours for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes O Lord be mercifull to my sinnes This also was the practise of our Sauiour some came to him about one Disease some about another the Leprosie the Palsie and the like His answer is Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Sinne no more c. By which tender he teacheth vs what we must specially labour for and chiefely ayme at in the practise of Religion namely for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes But some will say how shall we come by this I answer we must seeke for it pray for it and vse the meanes which God hath appointed to obtaine the same heare the Word and meditate vpon it receiue the Sacraments and labor to profit by these things to get the knowledge of Christ And this we must vnderstand that howsoeuer we can doe nothing to procure the forgiuenesse of our sinnes but the Lord must first forgiue before our workes can be acceptable yet notwithstanding God hath appointed meanes wherein he hath promised to meet vs Let vs humble our selues before him and by that meanes we shall be made capable of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes let vs labour for Faith and by that we shall receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes let vs labour for newnesse of life and so we shall walke worthy of this Grace let vs vse the meanes wherein God hath promised to meet vs and this is to labour for remission of sinnes and doubt not but he that doth this out of a Heart vnfaigned shall find the blessing of God vpon it But where shall we find this I answer In the Blood of Christ there this Treasure lyes Digge deepe into his wounds by the Hand of Faith diue into this euer-liuing Fountaine the Blood of Christ by the worke of Faith so shalt thou be sure to find forgiuenesse of sinnes and then though thou be neuer so loathsome in thy selfe yet his Blood is verie precious and will make amends for all though thou be vnable to go forward one Foot in the way of Saluation yet his Blood is all-sufficient though thy Prayers be weake thy desires feeble thy Faith and Hope faint yet his Blood is a strong and a mightie Intercessor that calles for forgiuenesse though our sinnes be like the Blood of Abel that calles for vengeance yet the Blood of Christ speakes better things for vs then the Blood of Abel it calles continually for mercie for vs though our sinnes be great and grieuous as red as Scarlet deepely dyed by our continuance in them or by our relapsing or by our much hardnesse of Heart against Gods warnings yet diue thou deepe into the Fountaine of Christs Blood and that will put thee into another hugh his Scarlet Blood will put downe thy Scarlet sinnes though neuer so deepely dyed and procure thee Mercie and present thee faultlesse before the Lord. But how shall I know that I haue forgiuenesse of sinnes I answer his is the mercie of God that he not onely forgiues vs our sinnes but also telles vs they are forgiuen To forgiue vs our sinnes is a great mercie but to tell vs that they are forgiuen is a greater mercie If a Man be neuer so well prouided for so that he shall neuer want it is well but yet vnlesse he know so much he will still feare and stand in
We left in Math 26.28 This is my Blood of the New Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes which place as I shewed you doth most copiously and plainly proue vnto vs this title that belongs to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper namely that it is called the New Testament for that is the head we did reduce this place vnto Wherein we haue shewed you First concerning the New Testament the Matter and Subiect here spoken of Secondly we haue shewen concerning the Blood of the New Testament whereby this the Testament is confirmed and sealed This is the Blood of the New Testament Thirdly the benefite both of this Testament and of the Blood of Christ Remission of sinnes Lastly the Persons that are partakers of this benefit That is many The whole World of Beleeuers This is the Blood of the New Testament shed for many So much then shall suffice to be spoken of these words as they are considered absolutely in themselues so as they concerne the death of Christ We are now further to consider of them as they are respectiuely intended and applyed to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for you shall vnderstand that our Sauiour here performed two businesses in one First he sheweth the redemption of the beleeuing World by his sauing Death This is my Blood shed c. This Blood of the New Testament it is the onely procuring cause of remission of sinnes and of the Saluation of you and of all that are or shall be saued and to this effect tends all that hitherto hath beene spoken The second thing our Sauiour performes here in this case is the confirmation or applycation of this his sauing Death to the Disciples and the rest of the beleeuing World in and by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper This is the Blood of the New Testament c. That is to say This Sacrament which I now haue in hand is a speciall and excellent meanes whereby to apply this my sauing Death to you and to euerie beleeuing Receiuer And thus and in this sence we are now to treat vpon it This is the Blood c. As it is spoken respectiuely by applycation to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Thus we must conceiue of it that it is vttered by our Sauiour by a kind of maiestie and speciall grace of speech This these Elements this Bread and Wine this Sacrament this Action we now haue in hand For indeed it imports an institution of a new Sacrament and of a most excellent Sacrament As if he should say All the Faithfull that euer haue liued from the beginning of the World haue had some Sacrament or other as the Cognisance of their profession as the nourishment of their Faith as outward testifications of the mutuall Couenant betwixt God and them But this saith our Sauiour is the Blood of the New Testament This is a new Sacrament such as none of them euer had this is a more liuely and sensible representation of your reconciliation vnto God then euer the Faithfull before you were made partakers of This is the Blood of the New Testament To make our Sauiour his meaning plaine and perfect to euerie Mans vnderstanding we must supply two Rules that are here implied and presumed vpon The first is this That euerie Couenant betwixt God and Man must be confirmed by some outward signe and Sacrament The second that there must be a due proportion betwixt the Couenant that is confirmed and the Sacrament that doth confirme the Couenant The first Rule euerie Couenant betwixt God and Man must be ratified and confirmed by some Sacrament and outward signe God deales with vs herein in great wisedome and mercie meeting both with our Infidelitie and with our Apostacie our slipperinesse to fall from him with our Infidelitie because we hardly will beleeue him vnlesse he bind himselfe to vs by some outward signe with our slipperinesse to fall from him because we easily start and budge from him except we be bound to him by some outward signe as by a continual remembrancer calling vpon vs to hold fast our hope we haue in him The second Rule There must be a due proportion betwixt the Couenant that is sealed and the Sacrament which ratifies and seales it Old and weake Couenants and well enough if they be sealed with old and weaker Sacraments But saith our Sauiour This is a New Testament and then here must be a new Sacrament An old Couenant an old Sacrament A new Couenant a new Sacrament A new Sacrament and a new Couenant agree But a new Sacrament and an old Couenant are mis-matcht they must be sorted in their kind our Sauiour giues the Rule Marke 2.21 22. which by application may be alleaged in the case No Man puts new wine into an old Vessell c. Old Sacraments doe not agree with the New Testament let them goe with the old This New Testament must haue new Sacraments This Testament saith our Sauiour which I come to make and to seale with my Blood Is the New Testament and therefore here is also anew Sacrament The Testament being better then the former the Sacrament must therefore be better then the former And here it is that he speakes with such a maiestie as if he should say This is such as neuer any of the Faithfull had before my comming in the Flesh And so much for the fitting of this speech of our Sauiours to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For in the words there is no difference Apply them to the Death of Christ and then the case is plaine This is my Blood c. That is My Blood of the New Testament is effectuall for the forgiuenesse of sins Apply them to the Sacrament and in a Sacramentall sence It is the very Blood of Christ shed for the remission of sinnes We come to such obseruations as here arise for our instruction when it is said This is my Blood speaking of the Sacrament hence obserue that Doct. The Sacrament of the Supper is proper to the state of the New Testament onely This is my Blood of the New Testament Our Sauiour appropriates this Sacrament to this Testament onely 1 Cor. 10.21 It is called there by the name of the Lords Table which very name proues the point in hand the Lords Table that is the Table of the Lord Iesus not onely such a Table as where in Christ was the Food fed vpon for so he was in some sort in the Sacraments of the former Testament but such as wherein the Lord Iesus himselfe was bodily present in his Flesh such as he himselfe with his bodily presence did speed ordaine and institute for a memoriall of those things he had done and suffered alreadie for the worke of our Redemption as a Mediator and therefore may well be called the Table of the New Testament as Luke 22.20 Christ already come Christ bodily present amongst vs this belongs to the New Testament Hebr. 10.7 c. Loe I come In the
the New Testament as the Blood of Christ in a proper sence is the Blood of his owne Body The Vses of the Point follow Vse 1 First It commends vnto vs the excellencie of the New Testament aboue the Old What a gracious mercie of God is it for vs that are respited to liue in those dayes wherein the Lord hath vouchsafed vnto as all other things so the Sacraments of the New Testament fit for the Couenant of Grace which we professe and imbrace he hath beene pleased to giue vnto vs Christ himselfe in a more fuller manner then to the old People in the former Testament in the time of the Law To them in Promise in Sacrifice in Saddowes To vs in Substance To them a farre off To vs neere he came amongst vs he suffered was conuersant and dwelt amongst vs. Besides this he taught them the Doctrine of Saluation but it was shaddowed in Mysteries in a kind of darke Cloud But we see it in so cleare a Glasse that euerie Man that runs may read it Yet farther God hath giuen vs Christ more fully the Word and Doctrine of Saluation more fully and the Sacraments of the New Testament more liuely senceably teachable spirituall and heauenly then the Sacraments of the Old Testament where they are more liuely representations of Christ and more palpable and pregnant figures of the fruit and benefit purchased by his sufferings when they vnder the former Testament were to spell Christ in the eating of the Paschall Lambe it was a hard matter for them so to doe But when we come to doe this in this Sacrament in the breaking of the Bread and pouring forth of the Wine where the words of Institution are added thereunto as also the Doctrine of Saluation concerning the Death of Christ if we cannot now spell him our blindnesse is horrible This is that glorious Ministerie the Apostle speakes of 2 Cor. 3.7 c. The ministration of the Law was glorious but the ministration of the Spirit is more glorious This is in an other maner he giues two reasons for it The one It is the ministration of righteousnesse The other the ministration of the Spirit The ministration of the Law by reason of Mans corruption was Death The ministration of the Gospell is Life Here is matter of Righteousnesse the free mercie of God in Christ That was of the Letter this of the Spirit Looke what was deliuered to them in the Word and Sacraments it was done outwardly there was not that neere acquaintance of the Word and Spirit as now is It is common to the Gospell to be generally attended by the Spirit of Grace and there it is the ministerie of the Spirit When we are to preach the Word and to administer the Sacraments the Spirit attends vpon these Ordinances to sanctifie to the Heart and Conscience of the Beleeuer those things are tendered vnto him Vse 2 The second Vse teacheth vs that the more mercifully God deales with vs the greater meanes he affords vs the greater our sinne and condemnation and the more vnexcusable are we if we neglect the same Haue we greater light then they had Let vs then walke according to that light He lookes for that he giues to euerie Man where he giues much he lookes for much where he giues a better light to walke by he looks that we should walke by a better light and therefore seeing he hath vouchsafed this vnto vs he requires that our liues and conuersations should be more holy and religious then those that liued in a more obscure light vnder the times of the former Testament Especially we must not contemne and neglect these things He that despised the Law of Moyses dyed without mercie And what shall become of vs if we trample the Blood of the New Testament vnder our Feet If we neglect so great Saluation If those that contemned the Sacraments of the Old Testament were in a damnable case In what a fearefull condition are we if we defile the Blood of this New Testament which we shall doe if we come not with prepared Hearts with resolution to serue God to breake off our sinnes to be raysed vp in consideration of God Promise in Christ and with a full purpose and determination for hereafter to become new Creatures and therefore as we would not bring Damnation vpon vs so let vs be carefull that we are not omissiue herein Vse 3 The third Vse warnes our Ministers to looke to themselues that they defile not themselues with the corruptions of the World If the Priests and Leuites though they bare but the Vessels of the Lord were to be sanctified how much more is this required of vs that carrie such precious treasure the Word the Couenant of Grace the Sacraments the Signes and Seales thereof And likewise for your selues it teacheth you carefully to lay vp those heauenly things in good and honest Hearts that Gods purpose and your faith may meet together and so redound to your euerlasting comfort and Saluation Vse 4 The fourth and last Vse of the Point is this Here is matter of reproofe against many bad vngodly and gracelesse Receiuers First of those that are ignorant of the matter of Saluation this is a Sacrament of the New Testament and that is a state of life and knowledge they that are destitute of this the Sacrament is not them nor such persons must not come vnto it In the second place it reproues superstitious Receiuers that come as the Papists and thinke that for the deed done they shall be iustified and find good will as if the action of it selfe were of effect that it workes Grace whether they haue Faith and Repentance or no. The Sacrament of the Supper is the Sacrament of the New Testament The state of the New Testament requires God to be worshipped in Spirit and Truth not formally but in Faith and Repentance Thirdly it reproues those that come to it vncharitably such must not come till they haue dispensed with their high stomackes and are reconciled to their Brethren This Sacrament is the Sacrament of the New Testament The New Testament is a Couenant of Peace not onely betwixt God and Man but betwixt Man and Man Not onely glorie vnto God on high but peace vpon Earth good will towards Men And such as come vncharitably they are Vsurpers they meddle with that they haue nothing to doe withall Fourthly it reproues those that are vnregenerate they conceit with themselues that howsoeuer they vnderstand not the matter of Saluation though they haue no perswasion of Gods loue yet that the Sacrament may worke this No they are deceiued the Sacrament makes vs not good but confirmes vs in the state of Righteounsnesse in that good which God hath already wrought in vs. The Word and Spirit makes vs new Creatures the Sacraments strengththen vs already made This Sacrament is a Sacrament of the New Testament and therefore belongs to such as haue part in that Couenant of Grace Such as are
mee the conferrence of both these speeches together ministers this profitable observation namely that the true and right remembrance of our Saviour IESVS CHRIST is our affectionate and religious remembrance of the death of our Saviour Christ Remember me saith Christ verse 25. that is saith Paul the Lords death verse 26. Remember it so that you shew it forth that is religiously and affectionately Zach. 12.10 I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace c. there is a promise of the Spirit to be poured downe on the faithfull under the Gospell and one principall effection of it there mentioned is this that they shall looke on Christ that is they shall remember him and meditate upon him Well what is the principall object in Christ that they shall set their meditations upon his piercing that is his death and sufferings when he was pierced with thornes and nailes and Speare and how shall they be touched with this remembrance of him Surely very religiously and affectionately grieving and lamenting as for their first borne Here then is the right remembrance of Christ that is our affectionate and religious remembrance of the piercing and death of Christ Rev. 13.8 Christ Iesus is the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world But how doe the faithfull whose names are written in the Lambes booke of life apprehend him Not simply as a Lambe but as a Lambe slaine that is in his death and crucifying that is the true and right apprehending of him Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman c. when the Lord himselfe first published the Gospell he propounds the seed of the woman to be beleeved in that is CHRIST but with speciall reference to his death for that is the very bruising of the Serpents head CHRIST on his Crosse spoiled principalities and powers Col. 2.14 and the bruising of his heele there spoken of is an intimation of the death and sufferings that the Devill and his Instruments should bring upon CHRIST and yet these very sufferings of Christ shall break and destroy all their power this was Adam and all the faithfull to beleeve of Christ and this is their true and right remembrance of Christ This was shadowed in the sacrifices before the Law as in the Passeover Exod. 12.6 7. they should kill it and strike the blood on the two posts c. what is the meaning of this wee must carry the streames of our meditations on Christ towards his killing and death and blood And so under the Law Heb. 9.22 almost all things are by the Law purged with blood What is the meaning of this That all that beleeve in Chritst are thereby admonished still to have the eye of their mindes setled on the meditation of the blood of Christ if ever they looke to bee purged from their sinnes by Christ they must bee purged by the blood of Christ so the Prophets set forth Christ in this manner Esay 53. from the first to the seventh verse hee that of all the Prophets spake most plainly of him sets him forth principally in regard of his death as he was wounded and broken and oppressed and afficted the Prophet leaves them the best memoriall of Christ and therefore he acquaints them with the death of Christ The Apostles observed the same rule 1 Cor. 17.3 First of all I delivered unto you how that Christ dyed for our sinnes no doubt but hee would teach them Christ so as hee might worke a most affectionate impression and remembrance of Christ in their hearts and how doth he this By teaching them Christs death first of all as the chiefe and maine ground of all the rest And looke how he taught them so hee practised himselfe 1 Cor. 2.2 I esteemed not to know any thing amongst you save Iesus Christ and him crucified for his knowledge he esteemed to know nothing else and so Gal. 6.14 for his rejoycing God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ and both these are spoken by way of exclusion disclaiming all other knowledge and rejoycing in comparison of that because that is the rise and ground of all the rest To conclude the Word and the Sacraments are purposely fitted to worke this remembrance in us 1 Cor. 1.18 the word is called the preaching of the Crosse that is it the Minister must specially preach and the people learne Gal. 3.1 the Apostle taught Christ and his death to them so plainly as if hee had beene crucified amongst them and so the Sacraments are fitted to this end first Baptisme Rom. 6.3 4. we are baptised into his death and buried with him in baptisme and so the Lords Supper as you see here is to set forth the Lords death c. The reasons First Christ in his death was most pleasing to God and wherein should wee or can wee bee better affected with the remembrance of Christ than in that state wherein hee was most pleasing to his and our heavenly Father God cannot properly be said to be pleased with his Sonne at any one time more than another but we speake it after the manner of men and by way of supposall if ever God could be better pleased with him at one time than at another it was at his death Ephes 5.2 then he was an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God I but you will say then God was most angry with him pouring on him his fierce wrath and vengeance from heaven True he was most angry with him in regard of our sinnes which he beheld on him and punished in him but in regard of his owne decree thereby accomplished and Christ his perfect obedience therein yeelded and the absolute satisfaction for our sinnes there made by his precious blood even then God was best pleased with him we feele it through Gods mercy for we are sure it was his death and blood that we are reconciled to God by and that God was pleased with us for and therefore Christ himselfe must needs be most pleasing to him in that estate Secondly therein Christ shewed his greatest love and affection to us and how shall we remember him with our best affections but in that state wherein hee shewed most love and affection towards us Iohn 15.13 Greater love than this can no man shew than to give his life for his friend this love Christ hath shewed us he gave his whole state for us he spared not his precious body his precious blood his precious life his precious soule for us all these are precious yea infinitely precious in themselves yet hee thought nothing too precious to give for us but exposed them all in his death to the wrath of God for our redemption whosoever thou art that canst thus remember Christ thou hast many strong bonds and motives to binde thee fast to thankfulnesse and love and obedience to God in Iesus Christ and that is to remember him
as thou shouldest remember him he that can once speake by experience in his owne heart as the Apostle doth Gal. 1.20 that Christ hath loved mee and gave himselfe for me will empty himselfe also and say as the Apostle did I live and yet not I now but Christ Iesus lives within me his love to us in dying for us stirres up our love to him in dying with him and as the nature of true love is to transanimate or transforme the lover into the thing loved so we are turned as it were into Christ we live not but he lives in us and surely we can never be perswaded to give over our selves thorowly to God service till wee be brought unto it by the thorow meditation and remembrance of Christs death Thirdly therein Christ hath beene most beneficiall to us and wherein is he most worthy of our remembrance but in that whereby we have most benefit by him and that is his blood or his death We have reconciliation by his blood Rom. 3.23 Redemption by his blood Heb. 9.12 and forgivenesse of sinnes by his blood 1 Iohn 1.7 all good things temporall and eternall are purchased to us by the merit of his death and contrary all evill things are thereby turned away Why doe wee remember Christ Not because of any good that he receives from us but because of the good that we receive from him now his death is that whereby we receive greatest good from him yea in some sort all the benefit that ever we enjoy by him his Incarnation Resurrection Ascension are so farre forth beneficiall unto us as they have reference to his Death and therefore except we remember Christ in his death howsoever we remember him otherwise it is no true remembrance of him at all Lastly therein he shewed himselfe most powerfull and victorious over his and our enemies Heb. 2.14 He hath destroyed through death him that had the power over death that is the Devill 2 Col. 14 15. He hath nailed our sinnes upon the Crosse and there hath spoiled principalities and powers how can we remember him better than in state wherein he gave the utter overthrow and deadly stroke to all our enemies he told them that it was then their very houre and power of darknesse and it is true to doe what they could but not what they would for that was but as it were a mocke to them for indeed it was their very houre to be destroyed and his very houre to triumph over them as our Saviour himselfe speaking of his death shewes plainly Iohn 12.31 Now is the judgement of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out If there were a Champion that should undertake a combat for us and overcome our enemies wee would not consider so much other circumstances of his person or state but specially his cariage and behaviour in managing our combat and his act of overcomming Christ our Champion hath overcome all our enemies in his death upon the Crosse and therefore that is the fittest object for our hearts to be set upon in the remembrance of Christ The Vses The first use serves for reproofe of those that are so nice and dainty that they cannot endure to meditate on Christs death the matter of his resurrection and ascension and glorification are pleasing unto them but the matter of his death that is harsh and distastfull all of us could be content to goe with Christ to Mount Tabor where he was transfigured that we might see his glory but we are loth to goe with him to mount Calvery where hee was crucified to taste of his sufferings the Iewes bewrayed this humour in the corrupt nature of man when they said Let him come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeve in him If Christ could be separated from his crosse and sufferings and from his death generally all would be forward enough to take hold upon but let us know that except we have our part in Christ crucified we shall never have our part in Christ glorified the crosse of Christ was his way to glorie and our due meditation and participation on his Crosse is the onely way for us to come to the participation of his glory But some will say to thinke upon Christ crucified and slaine and murdered and tormented these be bloody thoughts how should we digest them I answer First it is needfull for us that we should bee possessed with such bloody thoughts that thereby we may bee brought to see and take notice of the uglinesse and fearfulnesse of our sinne but secondly wee doe not dwell in the grosse and carnall meditation of his wounds and blood-shedding as the Papists doe but we are spiritually minded in the meditatiō of his death and therein we behold Gods decree in giving his Son for our redemptiō his wrath against sinne and his mercy to us in the forgivenesse of our sins and this is it that makes our meditations and thoughts of Christs death to be most comfortable and heavenly thoughts Secondly this teacheth us that wee should labour to bee skilfull and well practised in the meditation of Christs death and to have our eye continually upon Christ crucified That which our Saviour said to Thomas Iohn 20.27 Put thy finger here and see my hands and put it forth and put it into my sides though it were spoke there of his materiall wounds yet every one of us must take it spiritually to be spoken to our selves wee must put our fingers our hands into the holes of his sides we must dive deep by our meditatiōs into the secret mysteries of his death that therby we may become his true beleeving Disciples the death of Iesus Christ is of all other things most serviceable and profitable and comfortable to us even in respect of all the parts of Religion Wouldest thou behold the love of God towards thee and know how dearly hee loves thee See it in the death of Christ God hath given his Sonne not onely to become man for us but even to dye for us and to endure the greatest extremities for us that ever could be thought upon here is a cleere glasse wherein we may behold the height and the depth and the length and the bredth of Gods love towards us touching the forgivenesse of our sinnes every one would faine bee perswaded of it but we can never attaine to any sound perswasion thereof till wee search and see thorowly into the death of Christ Gods wrath against sin is infinite and it passeth all our apprehension to conceive how hee being so just and righteous can possibly forgive a sinner till by our thorow acquaintance with the death of Christ we finde therein infinite matter of satisfaction to Gods infinite justice so in our hatred to sinne we can never loath sinne as we should doe but by looking into the death of Christ where we see that it was so loathsome and so odious to God that it did kindle Gods infinite wrath even against
his owne Sonne having taken our sinnes upon him when we consider this right then wee begin to fall out with sinne and to hate it and to defie this cursed brat of the Devill that hath brought the Sonne of God to such a cursed and shamefull death so in our mortification we can never attaine to any true measure of it till we have toyled our selves in the due meditation of Christs death when we see and consider that Christ himselfe hath suffered such things afflictions temptations infirmities death it selfe then we begin to dispence with our owne mindes and are contented to suffer together with him and to mortifie our flesh and to crucifie the old man and with patience to undergoe and endure all the fiery tryalls It is the Apostles rule 1 Pet. 4.1 2. so in the matter of temptation the best helpe and strength wee have is Christ crucified Rev. 12.11 they overcame Satan in the blood of the Lambe When the Tempter comes our faith presently takes hold upon the blood of the Lambe upon the death of Christ we know that by that Satan was overcome and so by that we have comfort against temptation we consider we have crucified Christ by our sins already and therefore we will not harken to him to crucifie him the second time we consider that all the promises of God are sealed up unto us in the blood of Christ and thereby wee stand fast striving and suffering and waiting upon God in faith and patience and so we overcome the enemie in the blood of the Lambe so in our expectance of any good thing to come from God first wee are perswaded that Christ died for us that God spared not his owne Sonne but gave him to death for us and thence we doe comfortably conclude how shall he not with him give us all things also Rom. 8.32 In the matter of our perseverance we still are fearfull and faine we would be comforted how we should persevere Meditate soundly upon the death of Christ and there thou shalt have sound comfort for thy perseverance Rom. 5.9 10. If God reconcile us to himselfe by the death of Christ when we were his enemies much more now being reconciled by his blood we shall bee saved by his life the Lord that hath shewed us so great mercy as to bring us out of the state of sin and damnation when wee were his enemies will surely so uphold us being reconciled unto him that wee shall never finally fall into that cursed state againe Lastly for the matter of our repentance we can never truly repent till we meditate soundly upon the death of Christ Zach. 12.10 They looke upon him whom they have pierced and then they lament and be sory as for their first borne when they see him pierced and consider that they have pierced him then they shall lament In that Sermon of Peter Acts 2. whereby so many were converted unto God though many powerfull and profitable instructions were delivered yet they were never thereby stung till hee tells them in verse 36. This is Iesus whom you have crucified this went as a dagger to their hearts for presently they were pricked in their hearts and cryed out Men and brethren what shall we doe verse 37. here beginnes repentance when they see they have crucified the Lord of life and so it is with us when once the Holy Ghost takes us along into the meditation of Christs death and presseth it soundly upon our hearts that we be they that have crucified the Lord of life then we are astonied and at our wits end and then we repent and forethinke our selves of the evill we have done we can never understand what a broken heart is till we find our owne hearts broken with the meditation of the death of Christ when we consider advisedly with our selves concerning Christs sufferings what an agony he endured in the garden where he sweat water as it were drops of blood and was faine to be comforted by the Angels and when we thinke with our selves that we heare him complaine as though we were present with him My soule is heavie unto the death when wee consider him how his hands and feet and sides were wounded and nailed and pierced upon the Crosse and how tender his pretious body was one goring to him in his sinlesse body being more to him than many thousands to our bodies that are hardned with sinne and when we consider what a fearfull complaint came from him in the anguish of his soule My God my God why hast thou forsaken me how can we chuse if wee have any tendernesse of bowells in us in the world but melt and bee broken in our hearts and spend our spirits in the compassionate meditation of such a wofull spectacle but then if we consider further that all this was endured for us Innocent Lambe hee had done nothing amisse but it was all for us and for our sinnes This should make us more broken hearted at the thought of these things yea if wee had but good nature in us for who is there among us who being condemned to dye if any other should take our death upon him but wee would bee wonderfully moved in the thought of his death how much more then ought we to be compassionately moved at the thought of that cruell and shamefull death which the Sonne of God endured for us I say if we had but good nature in us But consider lastly how that he hath not only endured these things for us but that wee in a despitefull manner have brought all these things upon him and see if we have not just cause to breake our hearts asunder with griefe at the thought of Christs death the Iewes hands were the outward instruments our sinnes the actors they cryed out on earth to Pilate Crucifie him crucifie him but our sinnes cryed our in heaven to God much lowder Crucifie him crucifie him and that was the voice that prevailed and brought him to that shamefull death when the sinfull soule considers this with it selfe I have crucified the Lord of glory I have killed the Lord of life then the heart melts and relents and is gored and pierced with these thoughts as sensibly as our Saviours body was with the nailes and speare and the blood did not more freely gush out of his sides and body than bleeding teares doe gush out of a broken heart and wounded spirit of a poore wretched sinner thus affected with the meditation of the death of CHRIST Lastly this teacheth us what manner of remembrance of Christs death it is wee must labour for it must bee both religious and affectionate the Iewes remember Christs death but not religiously they doe it in scorne and hatred of him Hypocrites remember Christs death and that as a matter of religion as they professe but it is without affection and without truth but thou that desirest to remember Christ rightly and savingly thou must labour and see that thou remember him religiously and affectionately
saith vers 7. They being come together to breake bread the first day of the weeke Paul preached unto them The first day of the weeke what is that that is the Sabbath day the Lords day What is the breaking of bread what is meant by that why the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The Disciples being come together that is to say after their usuall manner the first day of the weeke to breake bread Paul preached unto them The manner of speech declares that it was their practice their usual and ordinary practice at their comming together in their Christian assemblies to communicate in breaking of bread And it appeares to be so also by other circumstances there mentioned as namely the company many Disciples verse 4.5 being then in a strange place at Troas and in their journey travelling by the way If they did it abroad when they were travelling then much more would they doe it when they were at home and at rest and therefore these circumstances of the Text make it cleare that it was an usuall practice of the Church so to doe Act. 2.42 there it is said of them that were converted that they continued together in the Apopostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers by breaking of bread we are to understand the participation in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper They continued in breaking bread Marke what the Text saith they continued in it not once or twice but they continued in it they made it their daily and continuall practice And see with what holy exercises it is ranged withall They continued together in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread and prayers as who should say it was as usuall and familiar with them to receive the Sacrament as to heare the word and to meet together in prayer and the ranging of this duty amongst other holy exercises seemes to give some secret intimation of a reason why they made this their ordinary and usuall practice because when these duties are performed together they are marvellous helpfull one to another one seconds and backs another they continued in the Apostles doctrine in fellowship love-meetings breaking of bread and prayer If we should looke into the state of the Church in succeeding ages we shall finde by stories that still the nearer the Church lived to the time of the Apostles the more frequent and more usuall was their practice in the receiving of this Sacrament often in so much that in some places it was every Sabbath in others at least every moneth the doctrine then is cleare both by the Commandement of Christ and also by the practice of the Church Reason 1 The first Reason is this The death of Christ is to be remembred often now the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a cleare looking glasse to behold hold the death of Iesus Christ and the memoriall thereof most brightly and plainly and therefore that is oft to be received That the death of Christ is oft to be remembred I hope no Christian will deny the death of Christ a matter so weighty in it selfe the greatest businesse that ever was acted since the world stood the death of Christ being a matter of so great consequence to Mankinde that every man and woman so farre forth is saved or damned as they have their portion or have not their portion in the death of Christ the death of Christ being so comfortable to the faithfull that it is the very life of all the good that they have here or shall have hereafter and can we ever remember this oft enough and can we omit any occasion of the remembring of Christ his death without sin and without much dishonour to God much wrong and indignity to Christ and damage to our owne soules sturely we cannot I but some me wil say I can remember the death of Christ though not by receiving the Sacrament I can remember it in the word for there Christ is crucified before me and in my prayers and in all my good and holy meditations and in other things as well as in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper It is true thou maist and it is true thou must yet notwithstanding wee must conceive that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is instituted of purpose for this meere end to remember the death of Christ and therefore if thou canst meditate profitably upon the death of Christ in other exercises then much more thou maist doe it in this yea we may be bold to expect a better blessing from God upon our remembrance of Christs death by the receiving of this Sacrament than by the hearing of the word and other good exercises because this Sacrament is ordained instituted meerly as it were of purpose for that end God will most blesse his own ordinances to the same end whereunto he hath so nearly fitted and appointed them Besides that in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there is a most sensible occasion offered unto us to remember the death of Christ the death of Christ is as it were acted before our eyes by the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine wherby we may fitly and must of necessity bee stirred up to remember with our selves how freely the Lord Iesus Christ gave his body to be crucified and his blood to be shed for the taking away of our sinnes If therefore the death of Chris must be remembred then the Sacrament wherein wee behold the death of Christ as in a glasse must needs be oft received and participated in Reason 2 Secondly it is for the confirmation of our faith our faith we know had need to be confirmed everie day the Sacrament is a notable meanes to confirme cur faith That we had need to be confirmed in our faith every day is certaine for we know this by experience that in the strongest of us our faith is weake and in the greatest of us our faith is small and while we are here it is still but upon the growing hand we know our weake and crasie bodies because they are weake must have a continuall supply of bodily food so our weake soules because we are weake in faith and apt to unbeleefe and distrust through our owne corruption of heart and Satans remptations our soules I say being so weake in faith therfore the strength of it must be continually relieved and supported by a continuall supply of spirituall food which is ministred unto us especially in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper so much more in it than in the word by how much more the assurance is given to the truth of an evidence by the seale than by the writing without the seale a writing without a seale shewes that such a thing is done but if the seale be set unto it then it confirmes it unto us the more God tells us in his word that wee are reconciled to him in the blood of Christ it is true we beleeve this and this begets and
of our punishment our reconciling unto God the perfect and absolute redemption of our soules and bodies from that miserable and damnable estate that we were in this is the death of Christ and the right remembring of his death remember Christ dying the act of his death remember Christ dying the benefit of his death to us and this is the right remembring of Christ his death which is tendred unto us in the Sacrament of the Lord supper But yet withall when it is said remember his death we must not take it so as if therfore we shold neglect or forget the remembrance either of that which went before his death or of that which came after his death we must remember them also we must remēber that which went before his death as his birth his life his meannesse other parts of his humiliation also we must remember that which followed after his death namely his resurrection his ascension and other parts of his glorification for Christ is given wholly unto us in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and therefore we must receive him wholly for all the passages of our Saviour Christ before his death in his death and after his death they all make up together one and the same worke of our redemption and therefore all these passages must bee wrapt up together in one and the same apprehension of ours Wee must remember the death of Christ especially in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but yet under the comprehension of the death of Christ wee must meditate upon those things that went before his death and those things that came after his death every thing in their kinde and in their place and order this we are to understand by the death of Christ Next it is faid here the Lords death By the Lord wee are to understand the Lord Iesus Christ who is Lord over all blessed for evermore Christ is the Lord by nature and being as the Father is Lord and the Holy Ghost Lord so also is Christ the Lord by nature and being But yet Christ is intituled to the name Lord by a kinde of excellencie and specialtie in regard of his office of Mediatorship wherby hee is Lord over all but especially Lord over his Church And wee must understand that our Saviour Christ is more usually called Lord at the time of his Death and Resurrection and afterwards then hee was before The Reason of it is this because howsoever our Saviour Christ was Lord alwayes and even in the dayes of his flesh did many wayes shew forth himselfe to be Lord yet notwithstanding at his death and afterwards he did then especially and most certainly prove himselfe to be the Lord and then hee did most manifestly shew and declare himselfe to be the Lord by doing that then which never any could doe but the Lord himselfe What the things are shall bee shewed God willing by and by The Lords death some may say this seemes to be a strange speech Here are but two words and yet they seeme to imply a flat contradiction one to another If hee be the Lord how could hee dye And if he dyed how could he be the Lord Could the Lord dye For answer hereunto wee must consider that our Saviour Christ consisteth of two natures God and Man he is perfectly God and Lord and withall hee is perfectly Man and by reason of the union of these two natures his Godhead and his Manhood in one and the same Person Christ there ariseth a certaine communion of the properties of both these natures whereby that which is proper unto Christ as hee is God is yet affirmed of him even as he is Man and whereby on the other side that which is proper unto Christ as he is man is affirmed of him as hee is God It is a deepe mystery of our faith and yet a necessary point to be knowne for without the knowledge of this wee cannot rightly know Christ I desire to make it plaine Christ I say is perfectly God or Lord and perfectly man and because that these two natures his Godhead and his manhood are so nearly united into one and the same person of the Sonne of God hence it comes to passe that there is a communication of properties that is to say those things that are proper to him as he is God are affirmed of him as hee is man and those things that are proper to him as he is man are affirmed of him as he is God To give an instance of the first those things as are proper to Christ as he is God are affirmed of him as he is man Iohn 3.13 For no man ascended up to heaven but he that hath descended from heaven even the Sonne of man which is in heaven Our Saviour Christ speakes it of himselfe even the Sonne of man that is in heaven when our Saviour Christ spake these words hee was upon the earth and not in heaven as he was man and yet there it is said the Sonne of man that is in heaven as though then hee were in heaven at that instant even as the Sonne of man How can these stand together he being man was on earth and yet in heaven at that instant The doubt is clearly answered thus Consider Christ consisting of two natures God and Man perfectly God and perfectly Man and then you shall finde by reason of this union in one person that well may the properties of the one be affirmed of the other Christ the Sonne of man is also the Son of God and as God so he was then and alwayes in heaven and because God and Man in Christ are but one person therefore Christ the Son of man is said then to be in heaven The Sonne of God was then in heaven Christ the Son of Man is the Sonne of God therefore Christ the Sonne of man was even then in heaven One thing must be observed for the right understanding of this mystery and that is this namely that those properties that belong to God are affirmed of Christ as he is man and so on the contrarie but we must understand it of the person of Christ and not of the natures of Christ that is to say for the person of Christ to speak of Christ in his person it is a true and a necessary rule the property of Christ as he is God is affirmed of him as he is man but in regard of the natures it is contrary that that which is proper to the nature of man is not to be affirmed of the nature of God to say that the Godhead dyes that is blasphemy but to say that the manhood dies that is true If Christ shold have said Ioh. 3.13 my manhood that in heaven that had beene an untrue speech for that was not then in heaven but that he in regard of his Godhead and the union of the two natures was in heaven that is a most true and holy speech The reason why we must put this difference is because
Christ hath but one person his manhood hath his subsistence in the person of the Sonne of God so that Christ both God and Man is but one person but the natures that is to say his Godhead and his manhood are still distinct and severall things notwithstanding the union of the person Now on the other side that which is likewise proper to Christ as he is man the same is affirmed of him as he is God As for example Luke 1.35 That which shall be borne of thee shall be called the Son of God That Christ should be borne of the blessed Virgin in respect of his Godhead is blasphemy to imagine but because Christ in respect of his manhood was borne of the blessed Virgin and the same Christ man was also Christ the Son of God therefore by reason of this neare union of the two natures in one and the same person of the Son of God it is truly said that Christ the Son of God was borne of the blessed Virgin Acts 20.28 there it is said that God purchased his Church by his owne blood if a man should speake this of himselfe it might seeme blasphemie but God spake it and therefore it is true it is spoken of Christ for it is he alone that hath purchased it and it is a proper thing to purchase it as he was man but not as he was God for man hath blood God hath none yet notwithstanding by reason of the union of these two natures it is said that God purchased his Church by his blood because the same Christ that is man is also God and therefore truly may it be said God hath purchased it c. So here the Lords death saith the Text that Christ dyed this is a proper thing belonging to him as he was man but as he is Christ the Lord it is not so proper yet it is affirmed to be the Lords death that is by reason of the neare union of these two natures and therefore that which is proper to Christ as he is man is affirmed of him as he is God this is a deepe mystery and yet notwithstanding it may reasonably well bee conceived of us it agrees with the whole current of the Scripture and therefore we must hold it as an undoubted truth the matter being thus cleare concerning the Lords death let us come to the Doctrines that hence arise for our instruction the death of the Lord the doctrine hence to be observed is this Doctr. 1 That howsoever Christ Iesus was shamefully crucified and put to a most ignominious and cruell death upon the Crosse as ever any man could be put unto yet notwithstanding even in that state of his death he was then the Lord and still shewed himselfe to be the Lord even the glorious Lord of heaven and earth The doctrine containes two branches and each of them is to be proved severally The one is that Christ was the Lord in his death and the other is that Christ shewed himselfe to bee Lord in his death This I take to be the reach of the Text that he was the Lord in his death Acts 2.36 Let all the house of Israell now know for a surety that God hath made him both Lord and Christ this Iesus I say whom ye have crucified Marke it he speakes there of Christ in regard of his death This Iesus whom ye have crucified and in that state he calls him Lord God hath made him Lord even this Iesus whom ye have crucified so that Christ was Lord even when hee was crucified See how the Apostle layes these termes together the Lord and Christ and Iesus Some man may say It may be he was the Lord before his death but not in his death or else after his death but the Apostle shewes that he was Lord even in his death so long as hee was Christ and Iesus so long he was Lord but he was Iesus and Christ in his death and therefore he was Lord in his death Acts 3.15 God hath glorified his Sonne Iesus whom ye betrayed and denyed ye have killed the Lord of life whom God hath raised from the dead He speakes there of Christ in the state of his death he calls him the Sonne of God that is to say hee was the Lord when he was betrayed when hee was denyed and when he was killed yet he was the Lord still in all that meane estate When they had him in their bloody clutches yet still he was the Lord when they killed him yet still he was the Lord of life Ye have killed the Lord of life saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.8 Which none of the Princes of this world have knowne for had they knowne him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Mark the Text saith they have crucified the Lord of glory though they knew him not to bee the Lord of glory yet God knew it that he was the Lord of glory whom they crucified hee called him the Lord of glory even when he was crucified Marke it glory and shame are most directly contrary one to another even as the East is to the West or Heaven to Hell to be crucified is the greatest shame that ever can befall man to be the Lord of glory is the highest and the greatest degree of glory that ever can be conceived of God Christ being crucified was the Lord of glory even in that low and base and meane estate in that shamefull state of his still hee was the Lord the glorious Lord of heaven and earth and so he shewed himselfe to be the Lord of glory which is the next point and the other branch of the observation and now to be proved For proofe of that look into Phil. 2.6 7 8. there the Apostle tells us that Christ whilest he was of no reputation whilest he was in the form of a servant whilest he humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse all this while he was equall with God hee was the Lord all this while even in all the time of his crucifying In the ninth tenth and eleventh verses there you shall see he shewed himselfe to bee the Lord of glory wherefore the Lord hath given him a name above all names that at the name of Iesus should every knee bow both of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord unto the glory of God the Father As Christ was the Lord when he was crucified so hee shewed himselfe to bee the Lord when he was crucified for then was that done by Christ in regard of his obedience by which and for which hee did obtaine a name above all names and he did justly deserve to bee acknowledged a Lord of all Lords a glorious Lord that at the name of him should every knee bow and every tongue should confesse that he is the Lordunto the glory of God the Father So that Christ did doe that upon the Crosse whereby hee shewed himselfe
to be Lord. Rom. 1.4 there it is said that Christ was declared mightily to be the Sonne of God He speakes there of our Saviour Christ and calls him the Sonne of God that is to say the Lord. He saith He was declared mightily to be Sonne of God and how I pray you By the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead Now this you must understand that the power whereby Christ raised himselfe from death was in him whilest he was in the state of death and whilest Christ lay in the grave then was this power in him to raise up himselfe now by this power hee shewed himselfe to be the Sonne of God to bee the Lord and it is a mighty declaration of him to be the Sonne of God and therefore Christ declared himselfe mightily to be the Lord even in the state of his death Luke 23.42 the Thiefe he gives testimony to this truth our Saviour being upon the Crosse he saith O Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome Those that crucified him did not see nor take notice that hee was the Lord but the poore Thiefe did see him to be the Lord and did know that hee was the Lord and he beleeved in him and called upon him as the Lord wee never reade that ever he did know before that he was the Lord nothing brought him to know Christ to be the Lord but that which he discerned in him upon the Crosse So the Centurion in Matth. 27.44 the Text saith that the Centurion and others that saw those fearfull things that came to passe at the death of Christ Of a truth say they this man was the Sonne of God The Centurion for ought we know did never know nor take notice that this man was the Sonne of God till he came to behold his death but when he came to behold him on the Crosse by the eye of Faith he saw such evident signes of him to be the Lord that hee perswaded himselfe and takes his oath of it and saith Of a truth this man is the Son of God howsoever it is that they killed him yet of a truth this was the Sonne of God In the 51. and 52. verses those fearfull accidents that are mentioned there as the veile renting the Rockes cleaving asunder the graves opening and many of the bodies of the Saints that slept arose what did all this shew but that Christ did clearly manifest himselfe and prove himselfe to bee the Lord even in his death that the dead and insensible creatures were sensible of it the earth the stones and graves discerned it and the bodies of the Saints that were dead discerned it and did acknowledge it in their kinde What a fearfull upbraiding to the Iewes was this that either they did not see Christ to be the Lord or would not see him nor acknowledge him when the very stones and other insensible creatures were sensible of it So then you see the Doctrine is clearly proved by Scripture that Christ Iesus howsoever he was shamefully crucified and put to a most cruell and ignominious death as ever any man could be putunto yet notwithstanding even in that state of his death he was the Lord and shewed himselfe to be the Lord the glorious Lord of heaven and earth The Reasons of the Doctrine are these Reason 1 The first is this Hee was the Lord and shewed himselfe to be the Lord over his Church The first Reason I say is drawne from his Church Christ Iesus in his death was Lord over his Church and so shewed himselfe to be for then indeed by his death he did purchase and redeeme his Church he bought his Church then the faithfull were his owne by actuall redemption You know that those things which a man purchases and buyes at a deare rate and gives for them as much as they are worth they are his owne by a true title If so be that any man do redeem a man out of the gallies he is truly his Lord in the right kind of owning and the other is his servant Christ when he was upon the crosse then did he purchase and buy his Church by his blood and then therein he shewed himselfe in a most right sense to bee the Lord of his Church then were they his owne by actuall redemption and this is that which the Saints did acknowledge Revel 5.9 Oh worthy art thou to take the Booke and to open the seale thereof and why is he worthy more than any other Because thou wast killed and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and therefore thou hast a true interest into us and thou art surely our Lord and worthy art thou so to bee acknowledged And our Saviour gives some intimation of it in the 18. of Iohn If I were lifted up from the earth saith our Saviour I would draw all men unto me What is meant by lifting up that is to say his crucifying If I were crucified I would draw all men after me The reach of the place is this That Christ by his crucifying and his death drawes all men and gathers all his Church to himselfe he purchases them and makes them his owne by redemption that he may be acknowledged their Lord and they his people and servants and surely as Christ did gather all beleevers from the beginning of the world by the power of his word and death and blessed Spirit so specially in the actuall performance of his suffering then chiefly did he draw all men unto him for then his Lordship after a speciall manner was advanced and the territories of his kingdome were much inlarged and now no longer was it to be bound and to be contained within the borders of Iudea but to have dominion from sea to sea unto the worlds end Oh what a mighty Lord did he shew himselfe to be even in his death Reason 2 Secondly as he was Lord over the Church so he was and so hee shewed himselfe to be even a Lord over his enemies What is the greatest honour of a Lord or whereby doth a man come to be most justly and rightly called Lord but by subduing his enemies under him Psal 110. The Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole Here is a true and a right Lord when he can subdue and trample his enemies under his feet Christ being upon the crosse in his death then indeed did he especially vanquish and trample his enemies under his feet Satan and all his instruments Then he tooke them downe to their greatest shame to their irrecoverable losse and utter ruine for ever See how the Apostle speakes of it Coloss 2.15 Hee hath spoyled Principalities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed over them in the Crosse What bee the enemies that our Saviour Christ hath why they are Principalities and Powers he hath vanquished them all the Devill and his Angells not onely as a man would say petty Devills but
Belzebub himselfe Principalities and Powers and if there be any stronger and mightier and greater than the rest Christ hath subdued them all And how hath hee subdued them He hath spoiled them saith the Text he hath subdued them even as a man should take away all that a man hath so Christ he hath spoyled these Principalities and Powers he hath taken away their weapons their forces and power from them yea and their hearts too in some sort they know they shall never overcome Gods children He hath spoiled Principalities and Powers and made shew of them openly It is speech that is drawn from a Conqueror and hath beene in warre and gotten the victory and comming into the Citie hee brings thofe that hee hath taken captives with him and he rides in great jollity up and downe as who should say these are my captives that I have overcome so hath Christ spoiled Principalities and Powers and made shew of them openly and triumphed over them saith the Text he hath gotten himselfe agreat victory Christ did not onely overcome them but hee triumphed over them that is to say he trode them under foot as a base thing never able to rise up againe But where how and when and by what meanes was all this done Why upon the Crosse saith the Text So then Christ shewed himselfe to be a Lord in his death upon the crosse Consider the state of the businesse as then it was consider Satan and all the powers of darknesse they were then in the greatest hope that could bee as they thought when they had once gotten Christ upon the cross the greatest possibility that ever they had against him On the other side Christ was in the most unlikeliest condition to overcome and to deliver us and most likeliest to have beene overcome and to be made a prey unto them Consider againe in the next place the Devill and his instruments were in the height of their malicious pride and power as Christ saith Now is the very houre and power of darknesse and Christ on the otherside he was in the deepest of his insirmitie forsaken of God in his apprehension forsaken of all the world made a prey to his enemies no way to acquit himselfe or to raise up himselfe his soule being heavie euen to the death consider these things I say they being in this faire hope and upon the top of their pride and Christ in the deepest of his misery now that Christ should free himselfe from them all so that not a bone of him was broken nor a haire off his head did perish and not onely so that he should so acquit himselfe from the Devill but should acquit all Gods children and that this hee should doe to the utter breaking of the power of Satan for all those that have true right and interest into the death of Christ oh what a glorious Lord did Christ shew himselfe to bee when hee was upon the Crosse there he did breake the Serpents head Iudges 16.12 13. when the Philistimes had gotten Samson and had him in their power that they could doe with him what they list and had plucked out his eyes and insulted over him in that miserable desolation now were the Princes of the Philistims in their greatest jollity the servant of God at least for that businesse he was the servant of God what doth he in this case He said unto the servant that led him by the hand Lead mee that I may touch the pillars that the house standeth upon and that I may leane to them and after his prayer he bowed himselfe with all his might saith the Text and the house fell upon them all and so they were slaine and he killed more at his death than in all his life So Christ hee was in the hands of Satan and his instruments and they had him upon the crosse they mocked and scoffed at him and did unto him as they would but then he bowed himselfe upon the Crosse and yeelded up the ghost and brought destruction upon them all and those that he slew at the houre of his death were infinitly more than those whom he overthrew all his life time Reason 3 The third Reason is in respect of death it selfe death we know is the commander of every creature that it hath any power over no creature could ever overcome it Christ overcame death by death therfore he was the Lord no creature that is subject to death can rid himselfe from death but Christ hee by death overcame death and therefore he is the Lord of death Act. 2.24 marke what the Text saith He loosed the sorrowes of death because it was unpossible that he should be holden of death There is no creature in the world that is subject to death that can possibly bee rid of death but Christ being subject to death cannot be held of death and therefore he was Lord even in his death Heb. 2.14 Christ through death hath overcome him that had the power of death that is the Devill Hosea 13.14 O death I will bee thy death 1 Cor. 15.54 Oh death where is thy sting Mark the triumphing of Christ upon the crosse by his death that he suffered upon the crosse hee overcame Death none can overcome Death but the Lord of Life Death and Deaths sting that is sin Death and Deaths master that is the Devill Christ hath overcome them all together upon the crosse and triumphed over them through the power of his humiliation Reason 4 The fourth Reason as it was so that Christ was the Lord and Christ shewed himselfe to be the Lord in his death upon the crosse so we will adde one reason to prove the necessity of it that it must be so namely because of his office he must be the head of the Church hee must be our Mediator and Redeemer and that in his very death therefore he must be the Lord. It is true that there be some things that he was to performe as he was man and belonged to him as he was a Redeemer but yet there were some things belonging to him as Redeemer that could not be performed but as he was the Lord of heaven and earth it was part of our Saviours office as hee was Mediator to reveale the will of the Lord unto us who knowes the will of the Lord but the Lord himselfe It was part of our Saviours office to forgive sinnes who can forgive sinnes but God alone It is a part of his office to redeeme us and deliver us out of the power of damnation except he had beene the Lord he could not have done it who can redeeme us but the Lord to deliver himselfe out of that great extremity that he was in was more than the worke of a man but if hee could have rid himselfe as being a man of extraordinary grace and strength to passe thorough such pikes as never any other man could yet he could not have beene our Redeemer by delivering himselfe to deliver us without he
hee should come and deliver us from hell death and damnation now if so be that it were so in the Sacrifices and Sacraments of the Old Testament it must needs be so in the Sacraments of the New Testament too if it were so with them that lived before the death of Christ that had but the shadow in respect of us how much more must it be so with us that live in the cleare light Christ having already suffered in the flesh I grant we have no sacrifices propitiatory for sinne as they had Christ Iesus himselfe the onely true propitiation for our sinnes being once sacrificed on the Crosse there is no further place or use for any other propitiatory sacrifices whatsoever but yet seeing our Sacraments are as much to us as both sacrifices and sacraments were to the Iewes still the reason holds that if the sacrifices and sacraments of the Law tended chiefly to the meditation of the death of Christ Iesus the Messias as that being the chiefe object that they were therein to lay hold upon then certainly the principall and chiefe matter in the Sacraments of the new Testament and so particularly of the Lords Supper must be the death of Christ Iesus Reason 2 A second Reason is drawne from a comparison of the Word with the Sacrament it is so in the Word therefore it is so in the Sacrament it is so in the Word that Christ Iesus is the very substance of the Word the chiefe contents of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell is called the preaching of the Crosse of Christ that is to say the preaching of the death of Christ or the preaching of Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1.18.23 We preach Christ crucified unto the Iewes even a stumbling block and unto the Grecians foolishnesse And the Apostle in 1 Cor. 2.2 saith I esteemed not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified or as we may expound it according to the originall I esteemed nothing worthy to be knowne save Iesus Christ and him crucified What nothing else worthy to be knowne is not the rejecting of the Iewes a matter worthy to be knowne is not the calling of the Gentiles a matter worthy to bee known is not the resurrection of the dead a matter worthy to be known Yes all these are worthy to be known but nothing worthy to be known in comparison of Iesus Christ him crucified there is the chiefe matter there is the substance of the Gospell now if so be that it be so in regard of the Gospel then it is so in the Sacraments too for the Word the Sacramēts as they must go together so they tend to one the same thing that which the Word tels us the Sacrament seales unto us If it be so therfore in the Word it is so in the Sacrament and this we must know as the letter of the word being only written or read can never profit us to salvation without we have the sense and the spirit of the word which is Iesus Christ crucified so the bread the wine in the sacrament profiteth nothing to salvation without Christ be seized upon and apprehended in our hearts all the other is but a shadow without this we have not the substance if we have not Christ crucified Reason 3 The third is drawne from the comparison of this Sacrament with the other Sacrament in the new Testament namely Baptisme the chiefe contents the chiefe substance of Baptisme what is it It is the death of Christ Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that all we which have been baptized into Iesus Christ have beene baptized into his death What are wee baptized into into the death of Christ there is the substance of our Baptisme what is it that we are washed by by the death of Christ or the blood of Christ Our Saviour saith in the 16. of Marke and the 16. verse He that shall beleeve and be baptized shall be saved but he that will not beleeve shall be damned he that doth receive the Sacrament and in or by the Sacrament doth apprehend Iesus Christ crucified and doth therein beleeve to bee washed and cleansed from his sin hee shall be saved saith our Saviour there is the outward element in Baptisme as water there is an outward action as sprinkling but the outward element and action is nothing without Iesus Christ doe wash us with his owne blood So it is in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the substance of it is the death of Christ Iesus the bread and the wine are the elements and they doe no more good of themselves than the water doth in Baptisme But the death of Christ being discerned in and by this holy mystery thus it comes to be a saving ordinance of God The reason stands thus The death of Christ being the substance of Baptisme it must also be the substance of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for Baptisme we know enters us into that estate which the Lords Supper confirmes us in and the Lords Supper confirmes us further in that holy estate which Baptisme enters us into now we must not enter into one estate and bee confirmed in another Therefore the substance of each Sacrament must be one and the same and so consequently the death of Christ being the substance of the one it must also be the substance of the other Reason 4 A fourth reason is drawne from the nature of this Sacrament it is the Testament of Christ and a Testament cannot be of force without the death of the Testator That the Sacrament is the Testament of Christ it is our Saviours owne speech in the 26. of Matth. verse 28. For this is my blood of the new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes there is the Sacrament called by the name of the new Testament it is not properly the new Testament it selfe but it is not called because it is a signe and a seale of the new Testament now likewise that the Testament is not of force but by the death of the Testator that the Apostle Paul confirmes in the 9. to the Hebrewes the 14 15 16 and 17 verses by the example of mens Testaments and applyes it to the Testament of Christ Iesus saith he The Testament of man is not of force till he be dead Lay all this together and marke it well Christ Iesus himselfe is the Testator the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is his Testament the Testament cannot bee of force without the death of the Testator and so you see the whole force of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper consists in the death of Christ Iesus and therefore that is the chiefe matter in the Sacrament Reason 5 The last reason is drawn from the benefit thereby confirmed unto us What is the chiefe benefit Remission of sinnes and under that is comprised all the good that we doe receive by Christ Matth. 26.28 For this is my blood of the new Testament that is shed for many for the
remission of sinnes Remission of sinnes is the benefit there is no remission of sinnes but onely by the blood of Iesus Christ as it is in the 1. of Iohn 11.7 It is the blood of Iesus Christ that clenseth us from all our sinnes On the other side in Hebr. 9.22 Where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes then consider of it there is no purchasing of remission of sinnes by Christ but by his blood there is no obtaining of remission of sinnes by us but onely by participating or by communicating in the blood or death of Christ Iesus the death of Christ Iesus is not communicated unto us in the Sacrament except we partake of it and seize upon it by faith in the Sacrament therefore the chiefe and principall matter in the Sacrament is the death of Iesus Christ if so be that in the receiving of the Sacrament we come with our harts sprinkled with the blood of Christ Iesus by the Spirit of God why then we are sure to be made partakers of the whole benefit of the Sacrament remission of sinnes but if wee doe not come with the blood of Christ so sprinkled in our hearts by the Spirit of God we doe not seize upon the death of Christ wee have no benefit in the Sacrament if there be not shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes Christ himselfe could never have redeemed us from death without his blood had beene shed for us and so we can never have any benefit by his redemption without his blood be sprinkled in our hearts and we take fast hold upon the death of Iesus Christ The Vses of the doctrine are these Vse 1 The first is this this yeelds us matter of reproofe of divers that doe come unto the Lords Table and yet are not sensible of the death of the Lord Iesus Christ they come to the Lords table but they know not what they come about Alas as Salomon saith Eccles. 4.17 Such men doe but offer the sacrifice of fooles they doe not know they doe evill they doe but offer the sacrifice of fooles because they doe not know what they doe that is the meaning of the place that they doe not heare or learne they doe not understand they are not well taught what it is that they must principally meditate upon when they come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Sily men and women that so come to the Lords Table alas they know not that they doe evill they know not that they prophane the Sacrament in that they doe not receive the holy things of the Sacrament that is the death of Christ they know not that they make themselves guilty of the blood of Christ in that they receive not the body and blood of Christ by faith Christ he is tendred unto them but they know not that they doe eate their owne damnation in that they apprehend not the death of Iesus Christ which is the chiefe matter that is there tendred unto them and that the Lord calls them unto they offer the sacrifice of fooles they know not that they doe evill I will give you a comparison If so be that a man should goe into the market to fetch such and such commodities that he stands in need of he makes himselfe ready and goes forth and makes full accompt to bring them home with him but the foolish man never considers the price of these things what they will cost him and so hee takes no money to pay for them when as the price is the chiefest thing to be respected in that he goes about but he never considers that Is not this a ridiculous man is not that man like to come home as foolish and as emptie as he went out It is so with many of our Communicants many here come to the Lords Table for what forsooth to furnish themselves with such and such commodities for to receive the holy Sacrament the body and blood of Christ for to receive remission of sinnes and grace and comfort and such like these they come to receive I but they do not consider the price of these things what is that the death of Christ for these things cost Christ Iesus his most precious blood they doe not bring faith in their hearts whereby to purchase and get these things for themselves therefore such men goe away as foolish and ridiculous and as empty of grace as ever they were before yea they are so much the more damnable because they come thus unfurnished It is with many of us as it was with the Iewes that the Apostle speakes of in the 2. to the Corinthians chap. 3. vers 14 15. Their mindes are hardned for unto this day remaineth the same covering untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which veile in Christ is put away but even unto this day when Moses is read the veile is laid over their hearts They could see the outward things the sacrifices the ceremonies and the letter of the old Testament as the Apostle speakes I but saith the Apostle they could not looke unto the end they could not looke unto the substance of those things that were tendred unto them in this outward shadow that is to say they could not looke upon Christ that is the substance of all no saith the Apostle there is a veile over their hearts and to this day they continue in their hardnesse so I say it is with many among us wee come here unto the Lords Table we can see these outward things well enough the bread and the wine I but yet many of us doe not looke to the end of these things to the substance that is tendred unto us in these holy mysteries namely to the death of Christ wee doe not discerne the Lords body there is a veile over the hearts of many of us a covering of blindness over the harts of many of us therefore though we doe come often this month and the next month yet still wee continue in the hardnesse of our hearts we are never the better till this veile be taken away as the Apostle speakes of the Iewes till this veile be taken away by Christ till Christ Iesus doe take away this veile of blindnesse and shew them his death and present his death unto them and cause them to looke upon him whom they have pierced till such time that this veile be taken away and that he present his death to their hearts by his Spirit they shall never be the better for it they do continue in their hardnesse and they shall continue in their hardnesse for ever Therefore beloved let us not deceive our selves to thinke that wee are more holy and religious receivers than indeed we are let us try our selves when wee come to the Lords Table examine our selves upon this point what apprehension we have of the death of Christ what portion wee have in the death of Christ and accordingly as thou findest some measure of this grace within thee so
in his death and whosoever we are that have our hearts rightly seasoned with the death of Christ why surely it will worke a conscionable obedience to the will and commandement of God to be sorrowfull for our sins past to deny our selves to mortifie the lusts of the flesh to dye to sinne these be the naturall effects of the death of Christ in the hearts of beleevers these we must bring with us to bee conformable to the whole wil of God as Christ was in his life and specially at his death I am come saith he to doe thy will O God and thus doth the death of Christ frame the hearts of every one of us to true obedience I am content to doe thy will O God this is as it were even the practising of the death of Christ crucified namely in our obedience to God denying our owne selves in mortifying our owne sinfull lusts and affections for wee must know that these meditations must not be dead meditations but such as must be lively and operative to quicken us up to obedience to Gods wil. The last grace is Thankfulnesse to acknowledge all honour and thankes to be due unto God for this great worke of our Redemption by the blood of Iesus Christ this is a chiefe grace that we must chiefly bring with us to the Lords Supper to give God the praise and glory of it and this is our rejoycing in the death of Iesus Christ it is not possible that a man should know Christ Iesus or that a man should love Christ for his death or that he should obey Christ but he must also rejoyce in the death of Christ and how should wee rejoyce in the Lord but by giving him thanks and singing of praise to him for this great benefit every one must bring these graces in some measure or else hee is not fit to come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Now if so bee the Lord should come among us and make an inquirie and rip up every one of us alas how should he finde every one of us to be empty of these graces or else full of imperfections in every one of them well yet though we have failings still let us labour for these graces let us pray to God for these graces and let us never doubt if we do pray and labour for them conscionably but that first God will give us in some measure every one of them secondly if wee come with a true desire God will graciously accept of our desire as if we had possession of the graces themselves but the chiefest matter is this that that which wee have and that which we want of these graces the Lord will supply them all out of the fulnesse of Christ who is full of grace and truth and of whose fulnesse we all receive grace for grace therefore let us seeke for these graces and labour for them and use the meanes and let us put our selves to the mercy and leasure of God and let us not doubt but that the Lord will be mercifull unto us and he will give them us so farre forth as shall suffice for the saving of our soules Another matter of instruction is this this teacheth us what it is that wee must especially looke after when wee come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper that which is specially tendred unto us the death of Christ I shewed you first there must be hungring and thirsting and secondly what graces we must bring with us now what is the chiefe matter that we must ayme at the very death of Iesus Christ to discerne it and here we must inlarge our thoughts to many considerations First and for most we must consider with our selves that Christ dyed for us that he suffered a shamefull and a cruell death then when we have considered of that we must consider that Christs death is a sufficient ransome for mans redemption I but I must goe further and say that I am one of the persons that shed Christs blood thogh it were the Iewes act yet it was my sinne and then further that that blood which I have spilt the same shall bee effectuall through Gods rich mercy for the saving of my soule and then withall I must tye my selfe to obey the death of Iesus Christ and to be made like unto it and conformable thereunto The last Vse It should teach us what is the straine the highest straine the highest pitch that a man should reach at in the receiving of the Sacrament Wee must so discerne the death of Christ in the Sacrament that we may bee made partakers of Christs death First to be swallowed up of it with an holy admiration and a fervent meditation thereupon and secondly to be more and more incorporate into it by a holy kinde of union thirdly and lastly to be saved by it as by the all-sufficient price of our redemption First we must come to meditate and so to partake of it as that we be swallowed up with the meditation of the death of Iesus Christ the death of Iesus Christ is a bottomlesse depth man cannot reach it the Angels cannot reach it and wee cannot comprehend it and therefore the best way is when we have considered all the occurrences of it that we can let us lay our selves wholly into the hands of God to be swallowed up with that holy meditation of the death of Christ and to bee comprehended of that which wee are not able to comprehend Secondly to bee more and more incorporated into it by a holy kind of union every man that is a true beleever that is converted unto God is already incorporated into Christ his death so then when we come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we must partake the death of Christ so as that we may be the more incorporated into it that is to be made more and more one with Christ in his death than ever we were before more crucified and more mortified than ever wee were before there is no way whereby we can have part in Christ but by union and there is no way whereby we can have uniō with Christ but by being incorporate into him by the power of his death and there is no better way to make us more incorporate into the death of Christ than the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is and therefore when we come to this let this be our straine not onely to bee swallowed up with the meditation of the death of Christ but labour to be more and more incorporate into the death of Christ thereby Last of all let us so labour to bee made partakers of it that we may be saved by it as being the all-sufficient price of our Redemption for by the death of Iesus Christ the wrath of God is appeased the Law of God is fulfilled there the Iustice of God is satisfied for there our sinnes are pardoned there our ransome is payd there is all performed whatsoever is necessary for the salvation of mankinde and therefore
vnto us therefore the Sacrament that shewes forth the death of Christ lively to us too that the word shewes forth the death of Christ lively it appeares Gal. 3.1 Oh ye foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not beleeve the truth to whom Christ Iesus was before described in your sight and among you crucified The Galathians they never saw Christ crucified in their lives but yet Paul did preach Christ crucified so plainly and so effectually to the Galathians that he did as it were present Christ crucified before their bodily eyes he did so worke by the operation of Gods spirit in his ministery that they had a more sure and plaine apprehension of the death of Christ within them then many of those that stood by and saw him crucified if it be so in the word it is so in the sacrament if the word do so lively represent him the sacrament doth it much more for the sacrament is a visible word that is to say looke whatsoever the word sounds unto us in our eares that the sacrament presents and exhibits before our eyes the sacrament is a visible word now that which I see to bee done before my face is more lively represented unto mee than that which I heare with my eares therefore if the Word describe the death of Christ lively then doth the Sacrament much more Reason 3 The third Reason is drawne from the end of the institution What was the end of the institution of the Sacrament what purpose had our Saviour when he instituted the Sacrament Even this purpose chiefly that he might leave among his Disciples to the end of the world a pledge a token and pawne as the memoriall of his death that he suffered for us the end that Christ aymes at he will not have frustrate that which Christ doth he will doe it throughly If hee come to set fire upon the earth what is his will but it should burne If Christ ordaine a memoriall of his death it shall be a cleare memoriall this Sacrament was ordained of purpose by him for his remembrance Doe this in remembrance of me saith hee therefore it is a lively representation of his death and except wee will impeach either the power or the goodnesse of Christ Iesus as who should say he could not make a lively representation of his death or else he would not we must needs confesse that this Sacrament is as lively a memoriall of his death as ever could be devised I might adde other reasons as namely concerning the state of the New Testament The state of the new Testament requires that all things should be most cleare and most plaine and especially the death of Christ that that should be most clearly represented unto us Zach. 12.10 I will poure forth my Spirit upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem and I will make them that they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced that is behold me as it were with their bodily eyes Now the meaning is that hee shall deale with them to this effect by his Spirit but yet collaterally it reaches also to the Word and Sacraments for if he doe deale with them so by his inward Spirit then the outward meanes must bee answerable so then the reach of the place is to teach us that in the time of the Gospell Christ Iesus shall be represented before our eyes and this shall bee by the Spirit of God in our hearts but still it must bee understood that the Word and Sacraments must be answerable hereunto and therefore the Word and Sacraments must represent Christ Iesus unto us as clearly as if hee were nailed upon the Crosse before our eyes Vse 1 The Vses of the Doctrine are these The first Vse is this First here is matter of instruction calling upon us for many good duties that the consideration of this doctrine should raise us up to performe Is it so that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is such a lively representation such a fresh memoriall of the death of Iesus Christ then this should teach us that our private and publike preparation before wee come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I say our publike but especially our private preparation should be such as may bee answerable unto that businesse that we have in hand and seeing when we come to the Lords Table wee come to behold Christ here before us as it were with our bodily eyes in the outward signes and with the eyes of our mindes under and within those veiles therefore every one of us must labour so to be fitted and so prepared before we come hither that we may be worthy and profitable beholders of Christ crucified and worthy receivers of the mysteries and benefits of his precious death Take this for your rule and remember it well and let this bee practised if not in the same kinde yet in the like whensoever wee have a purpose to come to the Lords Table let us still have our hearts meditating upon Christs death all the weeke long but especially over-night and that morning that we are to receive let us labour carefully to endue and informe our selves with the thoughts of the death of Iesus Christ How should that be why reade some good booke of that argument especially reade the Booke of all Bookes I mean the Booke of God if thou canst not reade get another to reade it to thee read the 53. of Esay there we may see how lively he sets before us the death of Christ long before Christ himselfe felt the smart of it and so proceed to reade the story of his death in one of the Euangelists as Matthew Marke Luke or Iohn as all are very pregnant for that purpose and we know that howsoever there bee some men that have set forth this argument very worthily yet all of them come farre short of one line of the Holy Ghost one chapter in the Booke of God being well understood shall doe us more good being seriously meditated upon than all other Books besides I say reade the Chapters of the story of the death of Christ and as thou readest them take them to heart and pause deliberately upon them and consider of them well and pray to God to imprint the same into thy heart by the finger of his Spirit and if thus thou doest from one Communion to another thou shalt finde through Gods blessing that whensoever thou commest to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper thou shalt there see thy Saviour most clearly but if thou be not carefull thus to meditate of Christ before-hand thou shalt be but an unprofitable receiver and beholder of these mysteries I will make the matter somewhat cleare by a comparison If there were a Martyr to suffer for the profession of the Gospell two men having knowne him before goe together to see his death the one of them knows him but a little and hath heard of the cause only in some generall termes but the other hath more neere
acquaintance with him and hath better informed himselfe of him and was by when he was arraigned and heard his arraignment and his inditement and all the passages of the businesse and what was alledged against him by his accusers and what he answered for himselfe and why the sentence of death was passed against him which of these two men shall be most affected with the death of this Martyr Out of question hee that was so lately acquainted with his arraignment and his inditement and with the whole cause of his death the death of that Martyr shall strike much into this mans heart and worke soundly upon him whereas the other man which knew of him but in generall shall bee moved with it but little or nothing at all So it is in this case when wee come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wee come to behold Iesus Christ executed and put to death to every spirituall receiver in a spirituall manner to reade the story concerning the death of Christ to meditate upon those things conscionably and religiously with a desire to profit by them it is as if so bee a man should have stood by when Christ was arraigned and indited and heard what was spoken against him and what sentence was passed upon him For when the Holy Ghost pennes a story he will pen it throughly and if we lay downe our hearts to be wrought upon by the power of the Word wee shall finde such a powerfull working by it that it shall bee more effectuall to us than it wee had beene there present to have seene the death of Christ So then by reading the story before-hand wee being as it were present with him at his arraignment and inditement thinke with your selves whether this will not be a notable meanes to make the death of Iesus Christ effectual unto us in the Sacrament and if we looke for any benefit by the Sacrament let us come with this preparation before-hand Iohn 13.19 Christ saith I tell you these things before-hand that when ye see these things come to passe ye might beleeve He speakes there partly concerning his death the words that Christ spake concerning his owne death hee puts upon his Disciples before-hand that when it did come to passe they might beleeve this would bee a meanes to cherish faith in them and to make them beleeve it the better so if wee come to the Sacrament reade the Word of God that part of the Word that principally concernes the death of Christ and meditate upon that which Christ hath told us of before-hand that so we might beleeve it and this will bee a notable meanes through Gods blessing to make us that we shall beleeve that the death of Christ is ours and that it is effectuall for our redemption The second Vse for instruction is this Is it so that the Sacrament is such a lively representation of the death of Christ then this teacheth us that the publike cariage of the whole businesse of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper must be framed and fashioned so as it may make most for the lively setting forth of the death of the Lord Iesus Christ and herein are many duties required of us The first duty of all is this the Word is to be preached that so the people may understand and know that which belongs to God and to their owne salvation else it will bee but a blinde Sacrament but especially the Gospell the voice of the Gospell namely the free remission of sins by the blood of Iesus Christ that is to be pressed upon them againe and againe that they may be stirred up in their affections to esteeme and receive it graciously it is a course that God hath used in all Sacraments still to joyne together with the Sacraments the Word preached Before the sacrament of Circumcision was administred the Word was taught so likewise the Passeover as is cleare in Exod. 12.35 It is noted there that when their children should come to aske what was this Passeover Tell them saith God that this is the memoriall of the great deliverance of their fathers many hundred yeares before out of the bondage of Aegypt So likewise Christ saith in the Sacrament of Baptisme Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Matth 28. He doth not say Goe and baptize and let teaching alone but Goe teach there is the ground and foundation and then he builds upon it the administration of the Sacrament Goe teach and baptize in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost If teaching be not joyned with the Sacrament it is but a dumbe sacrament if men should come here to the sacrament of the Lords supper and be not taught what it meanes and what belongs to it it should be with them as it was with the Israelites Exod. 16.15 That saw Manna like Coriander seed the Text saith they knew not what it was but when Moses came and said This is the bread that God gave them from heaven now they come to relish it So when we come to this sacrament and see the bread and the wine except we be indued with the knowledge of Christ and we understand Christ and him crucified know the nature of the sacrament wee shall not know what to make of it but if the Word be preached then we beginne to grow to some understanding and some life in the businesse and to relish this Sacrament as the spirituall Manna the heavenly food of our soules Secondly as the word must be preached so likewise confession of Faith ought to made Generally here amongst us wee make confession of our Faith by the tendring of our bodies but indeed the confession of our faith ought to be published before the receiving of the Lords supper this is a right shewing forth of the Lords death Marke it the Apostle saith yee shew forth the Lords death hee speakes not to the Ministers onely but to the people yee shew forth therfore they should make some publike confession that they beleeve in Christ Iesus And this is a matter that tends much to the setting forth of the death of Christ Thirdly Prayers are to be made for therein likewise wee shew the death of Iesus Christ First there must be confession of our sins and wee must search into our hearts and lives narrowly and throughly and the more we search into them the more clearely we shall see Christ his death Together with confession of sinnes wee must use supplication and petition calling earnestly upon God for Christ his sake which thus was crucified for us that hee would forgive us our sinnes in his blood and this will give great light to the setting forth of the death of Christ and then also thankesgiving must be given to the Lord we must thanke and praise God that it hath pleased him so to set his love upon us as to give his Sonne to die for us cursed and miserable sinners as we are
at any time forget us this should and must perswade us to make the death of Iesus Christ our continuall remembrance Reason 2 Secondly God alwayes remembers the death of Christ it is our duty and it is our grace and our happinesse to doe as God doth therefore seeing that God remembers Christs death alwayes oh how ought we to remember Christs death alwayes too It is true God cannot bee said properly to remember any thing because remembrance is of things past nothing is past in respect of God all things are still present before him neither can he be said properly to remember one thing more then another because hee cannot forget any thing But yet to speake according to the manner of man God may be said and God is said to remember things done yea some things more then others because he testifies and shewes by his outward proceedings more respect unto some things then unto other thus may God be said to remember the death of Christ and that more and above all things else because he shewes in his outward proceedings more respect to the death of CHRIST then to any thing else Whatsoever God doth in the administration of the world he doth it respectively to the death of Christ let it be to the preservation and salvation of the faithfull It is respectively to the death of Christ because they have their parts in him and he in them Let it bee to the destruction of the wicked it is respectively to the death of Christ they have no part in Christ whatsoever dangers thou escapest thou escapest them by the power of the death of Iesus Christ whatsoever benefits thou receivest it is by vertue of the death of Christ whatsoever grace God giveth thee he giveth it thee only in the remēbrance of the death of Christ whatsoever sinne God forgiveth thee he forgiveth it thee meerly in the shedding of Christs blood Is the death of Christ so precious that it is worthy alwayes to bee remembred by the Lord himselfe how much more then is it to be remembred by us Reason 3 A third reason we have continuall need and continuall use of the death of Christ and therefore wee must have it alwayes in continuall remembrance we must alwayes have it in a readinesse about us we have continuall need and use of the death of Christ great need as much as our bodies and our lives yea as much as our soules are worth our faith that requires daily to be strengthened why our faith that is stablished in the blood and death of Christ so the Scripture speaketh Through faith in his blood as the blood of Christ or the death of Christ being the very chiefe foundation that the faith of Gods children is rooted in and setled and stablished upon wee must pray continually every body knowes that it is the expresse commandement of the Apostle Pray continually we can never put up any the least pleasing petition to God but the eye of our faith must be fixed upon the death of Christ and therefore we must alwayes remember it wee are tempted daily to sinne no sound resistance of any temptation but in the death of Iesus Christ Rev. 12.10 11. If we ever overcome the accuser it must be by the blood of the Lambe sin must be mortified the death of Christ is the onely sword to mortifie and to slay sinne within us And last of all we sin dayly and therefore we have need of the forgivenesse of our sinnes and reconciliation and peace to be made with God continually no hope of forgivenesse of sinnes and of reconciliation but onely and meerly by the blood of Iesus Christ now ordinary wisedome and reason teacheth us looke what we know wee have continuall use of wheresoever wee goe wee will bee sure to carry that about us be it money or strong waters or the like wee will alwayes have it about us wee have continuall use and great need of the death of Christ even as much as the price of our life and soule is worth therefore let us alwaies have that in our hearts alwaies in a readinesse about us because we have continuall use of it Reason 4 A fourth reason is this the death of Christ Iesus doth alwaies labor for us and worke for us as a man would say and travels for us and that not in any small employment but in the best and the greatest worke that concernes our best good namely in satisfying our debts and in making our peace with God Heb. 12.24 the Apostle saith there that the blood of Christ Iesus that speakes better things then that of Abel the intendment of that Scripture is this wee sinne daily against God the sinnes that we doe commit doe cry out daily to heaven for vengeance to be poured upon us even as the blood of Abel did cry for vengeance to bee poured upon Cain but the blood of Christ Iesus that steps in for us and that speakes better things than the blood of Abel and calls to God for mercy and for forgivenesse and so prevailes against the cry of our sinnes and procures mercy and forgivenesse at the hands of God Heb. 10.19 20 vers there the Apostle calls the blood of Christ the new and the fresh and the living Way Well what is the meaning of it the meaning is this that whereas wee doe sinne and offend God daily the blood of Christ Iesus that daily makes our peace the death of Christ that is as it were day by day fresh and bleeding anew in the sight of God and so makes our peace with God It is true indeed when Christ offered himselfe upon the Crosse that then his blood was actually shed and never else yet it is as true that the blood of Christ bleedeth anew effectually in the sight of God when any sinne is forgiven any soule The death of Christ thus working and travelling for us shal not we remember it continuallie We must never forget those that worke and labour for us and for our good and shall wee not alwaies remember CHRIST IESVS especially in his death whereby hee doth effect our greatest good Reason 5 The last reason is this the thoughts of the death of Christ Iesus are most sutable and agreeable unto us in this present estate that we are in and therefore wee ought to remember it alwaies so long as we are in this estate the thoughts of his resurrection they are alwaies comprehended within the thoughts of his death and the thoughts of Christ his glory that being a matter which we can see here onely a farre off are not so fit for us in this abasement and humiliation and corrupt estate we are now in continually to feed upon but the thoughts of the death of Iesus Christ are most fitting for this present estate In this estate we are daily to bee cast downe before the Lord nothing will humble us so throughly as the thoughts of the death of Iesus Christ still wee must have sinne to be crucified
mortified and killed within us In this state of humiliation that we are in there is nothing so powerfull and effectuall to kill sinne as the death of Iesus Christ in this state we must be fitted still and prepared to the glory that shall be revealed the thoughts of the death of Iesus Christ continually meditated upon are an excellent preparation for us to glory for if we remember the death of Christ affectionately as we ought wee suffer with him and therefore we shall be sure to raigne with him wee are dead with him and therefore also shall live with him these thoughts being so sutable and agreeable to our present estate therefore the remembrance of Christs death must alwaies bee present with us The uses of the doctrine are these Vse 1 the first use is this here is matter of reproofe this serves then to reprove two sorts of people First it serves to reprove the prophane and carnall gracelesse wretches of the world that will never enter into any serious thoughts of the death of the Lord Iesus Christ if so be that to blaspheme Christs death to blaspheme Christs blood to make mentiō of it in their fearfull oathes damnable protestations if that be to remember Christs death they remember it often enough oftner then they are able to justifie but as for any holy religious reverent devout and saving remembrance of Christs death that they never enter into no they seek all the means they can take all the courses that ever they can to turne such thoughts out of their hearts such thoughts are too sad and too sorrowfull for them they cannot endure them take a man that lies wholy in his sinne hee had as lieve thinke upon hell as upon the death of Iesus Christ soundly and seriously as he ought to doe but let such gracelesse wretches know that for this they shall never bee had in remembrance before the Lord for any mercy because they doe not remember the death of Christ wherein alone mercy is tendered to mankind Secondly it serves to reprove some of our nice and sluggish professors that content themselves now and then with the thoughts of the death of Iesus Christ happily when they come to the Lords Table happily when any affliction or cross or extremity comes upon them when they have any pang or torment of conscience comes unto them for their sinnes then happily they will entertaine the remembrance and the thoughts of Christs death but they cannot endure to make it their continuall taske which is the duty here prest upon us these men must know that God doth not love to be served by spirts and fits whatsoever we doe in the service of God let us doe it soundly and constantly God cannot endure such service as theirs is God requires intire obedience that we should obey him in all our courses and that at all times especially when just occasion of any duty is offered unto us Now then seeing just occasion is daily offered that wee should alwaies bee meditating and our hearts running upon the death of Iesus Christ therefore God requires it at our hands that wee should alwaies remember it this fire should never go out of our hearts it must glow and burne within us night and day It is fit that Gods children should have some set time when they should enter into a serious meditation of the death of Christ and yet not to thinke our selves acquitted if we doe it onely then but that that should prepare us to remember it ever after as we shewed before in our bodily repast A second use of this doctrine is this Vse 2 here is matter of tryall for us whereby wee may know our selves whether we be in the right way or no whether we doe truly professe the faith of Christ as we ought to doe all of us professe Christs religion wee know wee can have no part in Christ except we have part in the death of Christ and we know we can have no part in his death except it be remembred of us and applyed unto us in our continuall meditation therefore let us conclude this that so many of us as professe religion if wee doe not apply the death of Christ to our selves from time to time by due meditation whatsoever wee professe surely wee professe in vaine and this will be a witnesse against us that we are not the true children of God if so be that you would learne how you might come to know whether you have the right remembrance of the death of Iesus Christ within you learne it by these two or three markes see it in the morning when you awake doe you finde your hearts seasoned with good thoughts of the death of Iesus Christ with thoughts concerning forgivenesse and mortification and reconciliation to GOD and likewise if you have these thoughts or the like at night when you goe to bed this is a certaine evidence that your soules are seasoned with the death of Iesus Christ againe when we are in the duties of our calling all the day long we must still have our hearts lifted up and setled upon the death of Christ and our thoughts must be running upon our justification and our sanctification and our conformity to the death of Christ yea in our very mirth we must still preferre Ierusalem when we are in our greatest mirth in our honest recreations for those that are unhonest there is no hope of any spirituall comfort in them but in our honest recreations doe we prefere the death Iesus Christ before all those things that wee for a while doe solace our selves withall especially in the use of the meanes of salvation in the hearing of the Word the receiving of the Sacrament When we come to heare the Word do we finde in our selves a desire to be drawn on to see Christ crucified before our eyes When wee come to the receiving of the Sacrament is it our chiefe practice to remember Christ crucified affectionately and to have our hearts throughly seasoned with the power of his death these bee undoubted signes and assurances unto us that wee have our part in the death of Christ Vse 3 A third use is matter of exhortation for us Ministers teaching us that we should still labour to sprinkle all our speeches private and publike with some matter concerning the death of Christ with some matter concerning Christ crucified it was almost the whole doctrine of the Apostle still to preach Christ crucified but the use doth concerne all both Ministers and people therefore this should stirre up every one of us both Ministers and people that we should labour to make the thoughts and the remembrance of the death of Christ to be ordinary with us to bee familiar with us still make that as familiar with us as ever possibly we can in all our courses let us remember the death of Christ if wee remember that soundly then it shall goe well with us whatsoever befals us that we may bee the
better inabled and the more quickned to the performance of this duty First I will give you a taste of the meanes whereby wee may attaine to make the death of Christ so familiar to us and then I will shew the benefits that we shall receive hereby if we conscionably travell in this course The means of it are these in few words If we would have the death of Christ familiar unto us we must be sure that we doe never passe it over with a sleight meditation but let it be soundly taken to heart doe not thinke upon it as an ordinary common thing but conceive of it as a matter that doth concerne us and our good most of all let us thinke upon the death of Christ in that which he suffered and endured in his soule and body for our sinnes how hard it went with him in the Garden when hee sweat water and blood when his soule was heavy even unto death and how much more harder it went with him when hee was upon the Crosse when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me That he that was in singular favour with God should be made the very marke of Gods wrath to light upon that he who was the worlds Redeemer should bee exposed to the obloquy and reproch of the whole world that he who was the Lord of heaven and earth should be now in the hands of the powers of darknesse wee should yearne in our very bowels and be much troubled in our inmost affections at the thoughts of these things Secondly we must be frequent in the use of the meanes in the hearing of the Word in the receiving of the Sacrament and prayer for by this meanes wee shall make this death of Christ our owne there God tenders unto us the death of Christ let us come thither with hearts desirous ready and willing to receive it and there we shall be sure to have it Let it be our reach in all these duties to have an eye upon the death of Iesus Christ seeking to have that soundly fixed and fastened upon us whatsoever we faile in else still let that above all other sticke most close to us Then againe wee must labour to worke the remembrance of Christs death into our affections this is the right memory of heavenly things when the heart affects them the heart will surely remember that which it doth much affect When I see any thing that causeth deepe affection within me either much sorrow or much joy or the like I will remember that soundly then let us labour to worke the remembrance of the death of Christ into our affections let it still worke love in us because Christ loved us to die for us and let it worke hatred in us against sinne because it was sinne that brought him to his death and let it worke sorrow in us that he should bee so cruelly murthered and put to death for us And let it worke rejoycing in us that wee for our parts by his death are saved and by his stripes are healed Let the death of Christ worke these affections in us and then it shall be our owne never to forget it Lastly let us put our selves to the power and the rule and the directions of it let us suffer our selves to be swayed by the death of Iesus Christ in all our courses let it beare rule with us the counsell that our Saviour gives in the like case Iohn 7.17 If any doe my will the same shall know my doctrine any Christian that labours to be well acquainted with any duty the best way to bee acquainted with it is to labour for the obedience to that duty so if wee would remember Christ his death then let us labour to submit our selves to the power and obedience of it Whatsoever we doe let us examine it whether it be agreeable to the death of Christ if it be not then to say with our selves wee will not doe it though we may gaine all the world by it these are the meanes whereby wee may attaine to the habit of this grace namely to the continuall remembring of the death of Christ Iesus a saving remembrance The other point is the benefits that hereby will arise unto us If wee remember continually the death of Christ in our hearts we shall have many and great blessings The first blessing is this By this means we shall have a Book alwayes ready in our bosome alwaies a book about us to teach us every Christian duty for the death of Iesus Christ is such a Booke that will instruct us in every duty that belongs unto us To give you an instance in two or three Would you learne humility and meeknesse looke into the death of Christ Philip 2.5 6. that shall be sufficient to teach you humility and meeknesse and obedience Would you learne patience the death of Christ is a book to teach you patience Heb. 12.1 2 3. Looke to the author and finisher of your faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame c. consider him therefore that yee faint not Would you learne love to the brethren Christ his death teacheth you this duty in the highest degree 1 Iohn 3.16 If Christ so loved us that he laid downe his life for us then how ought wee also to lay downe our lives for the brethren Lastly to deny our selves is a speciall lesson that all Christians are to learne this is effectually taught us by the death of Christ 1 Pet. 4.1 2. Christ hath suffered in the flesh that we should not live to our selves but to him and this is a lively teacher if the death of Iesus Christ be soundly layd up in thy heart it will both teach thee the duties to bee performed and also inable thee to performe them A second benefit is this thou shalt have wonderfull peace and unspeakable comfort from God by this meanes Our sinnes they accuse us our consciences they accuse us the devill hee accuseth us daily before the Lord O but if thou have a remembrance of the death of Christ in thy heart there is a Supersedeas for them all that pacifies and appeaseth them all and that is a generall release and acquittance from all that ever they can charge thee withall Thirdly we shall have much spirituall growth and increase by the word and the Sacrament and much spirituall growth if once our hearts be seasoned with the death of Christ What doth the word and the sacrament teach but the death of Christ that is the substance of them all Then if once the death of Christ be grafted in thy heart before Oh with what comfort and chearfulnesse and with what great profit shalt thou heare the word and receive the sacrament When our stomacke hath some liking to our meate and our meate hath some affinitie to our stomacke then there is a quicke digesture Why so if so bee our hearts be seasoned with the death of Christ why then
dayes that shall be that which is last established there is nothing comes after that these being the last dayes the Word and Sacraments are established in the time of the Gospell being the last change about the passages of the Church that ever shall come they shall never be altered but they shall continue to the end of the world Reason 4 A fourth reason is drawne from the necessity of the Church so long as the Church of God lives here upon earth wee have need of the helpe of this Sacrament to relieve our infirmities and our imperfections and to put us in mind of the death of Christ as the Scripture sheweth us plainly it doth not stand with the goodnesse of the Lord Iesus Christ to suffer his Church to lacke any thing that it standeth in such speciall need of for such a speciall duty therefore surely our Saviour will never suffer his Church to be destitute hereof but it shall continue with the Church for ever It is partly the Apostles reason 1 Cor. 13.9 10. in generall We know but in part we prophesie but in part but when that which is perfect is come then shall that which is imperfect be done away our knowledge now is imperfect all our graces are imperfect indeed if we could attaine to any perfection in this life then happely this sacrament might be taken from us but there is no perfection to be attained unto but so long as here wee live so long we shall continue in need of this helpe and therefore this helpe must be continued unto us so long as we live here In the 12. verse of that chapter Now saith he we behold in a mirrour or through a glasse darkly but then we shall behold face to face It is true indeed when perfection comes wee shall see perfectly we need no glasse but now so long as the Church is upon the face of the earth wee had need to looke upon Christ in a glasse Is not the sacrament a glasse wherein wee may behold Christ seeing then the Church still needeth such a glasse it doth not stand with the wisedome of Christ to suffer it to want any needfull helpe therefore during all the time of this our imperfection that is so long as we live here this Sacrament must continue Reason 5 A fist reason may be drawne from the vnity of the faith of the Church GOD hath but one Church all the faithfull from Christs first comming to his second comming they are but one flocke they have all but one and the same faith and they must all have the same Sacraments to be continued to them the whole reason is fetched from the Apostle in Ephes 4.5 where hee saith There is one Lord one faith one baptisme if the faith must continue one and the same then the Sacraments must continue one and the same one and the same faith must continue to the end of the world therefore one and the same Sacraments must continue to the worlds end Reason 6 The last reason is drawne from the vnchangeablenesse and from the absolute authority of the ordainer which is Iesus Christ himselfe Christ is the Lord of his Church he hath ordained this Sacrament and therefore it must be duely observed to the end of the world man must not alter that which God hath done the servant must not presume to controule that which the Lord and Master hath done and therefore none is to lay hands upon this Sacrament either to take it away to adde to it or to detract from it but duely to observe it as Christ himselfe hath established it and as none must alter that which God hath done so none can establish a better Sacrament then this is nay none can establish the like but Iesus Christ himselfe that which Christ will do in this case he hath done already and he is unchangeable he will not take away this and ordaine another and therfore this Sacrament is a perpetuall Sacrament of Christ to be observed by all the faithfull to the end of the world The uses of the doctrine are these Vse 1 The first use of this doctrine is this this serves for matter of reproofe first for those that doe neglect the use and the conscionable observation of this holy Sacrament a grievous fault among us either we come not at all or wee come very seldome or at least we doe net come with that care and that conscience to observe this commandement without spot and unrebukable to observe this holy ordināce of God with that zeale that devotion that God hath required at our hands Great is the negligence of many Ministers and many people in this case but neither of them shall be excused but if the blinde lead the blinde both shall fall into the ditch if the Minister beare with the negligence of the people if the people will beare with the negligence of the Minister and so this saving ordinance of Christ be not put in practice as it ought surely both shall be in danger of the horrible indignation of the Lord what a horrible indignity is this to God that hee shall be preparing his Table and calling us to this Table and providing a great many sweet dainties for us a matter that concernes us as much as our soules are worth and yet wee to turne our backes upon this Table as who should say we will have none of this how can the Lord take this at our hands In Luke 14.24 the King made a feast and sent forth his servants to call those that were bidden and they began to make excuses one said I have bought a farme and he must goe and see it another had bought five yoake of oxen and hee must goe proove them and another made an excuse that he had maried a wife and therefore he could not come what saith the great King in this case Well goe forth call in the poore those that lye under the hedges for I tell you that never a one of those that were bidden shall taste of my Supper Is it so have I so graciously provided for them and invited them and are they so carelesse in comming Well I will be eaven with thē I tell you that never a one of these shall hereafter taste of this Supper It would be as fearful a found as ever sounded in our eares if God should tell us by a voyce from heaven Well seeing you have neglected this saving ordinance of mine seeing ye have refused to come to this Supper of mine ye shall never be partakers of it in time to come and therefore take heed of this and let every one labour to reforme one and amend this negligence and let us hereafter come with zeale and true devotion come with godly desires and affections truly indeavouring to honour God in the use of his owne saving ordinance in that kinde as he hath institute it Secondly here is matter of reproofe for those that doe any manner of way alter any thing in the
be presumed to be so too and indeed it is the speciall reach of the Euangelist here to shew their care in publike and common exercises here are the duties which they did performe which is the first part of the verse The second part is their cariage in the performance of these duties they continued in them our translation comes farre short of the force of the Originall for that signifies not onely that they continued in them though that bee a great commendation but that they continued in them with much diligence and with strong patience they did not as many of us doe intermit them at their owne pleasures and use them as their owne case of worldly businesse would give them leave but they continued with much diligēce al other things laid by to give way to these exercises in their season Nor yet were they dismayed with the scoffes and reproaches of the world nor with the opposition of Sathan as no doubt they had verie many but strongly and patiently went through them all and still continued their godly courses This is the fulnesse of their cōmendation the duties themselves are excellent duties and their carriage in them is as excellent Good exercises sleightly performed are not praise-worthy no not amongst men but such excellent duties as these The Apostles doctrine c. so excellently carried as they are here continuing in them these have praise and that of God Lay al these together and see what a comfortable spectacle here is in these Christians to a religious beholder They had the Apostles doctrine there is their faith and knowledge They had fellowship amongst them there is their love and obedience They had breaking of bread there is their remembrance of the death of Christ They had prayers there is their zeale and devotion and they continued in all these here is their constancy and perseverance First they had the Apostles Doctrine that is the ground and substance of their religion Secondly Fellowship that is the fruit and life of their religion Thirdly Breaking of bread that is the seale and bond of their religion Fourthly Prayers that is the sinews and strength of their religion And lastly They continued in all these that is the grace and beauty of their religion It being the reach of the Holy Ghost to set before us as I shewed before the right forme of a true visible Church in these professors We may see here what a glorious forme of a true visible Church is here presented unto us So much of the reach of the Holy Ghost and of the parts and meaning of these words Now we will proceed to the observations and the first is from the reach of the place And first in that the Holy Ghost doth here set forth these religious Professors unto us by their practice of religious duties hence the observation is this namely that it is or must bee the practice of all true Professors of religion to be daily conversant in the exercises of religion both in the duties of the first and second Table piety towards God love towards men both these are here specified The Apostles Doctrine breaking of bread and prayer and their continuance therein are duties of the first Table Fellowship or Christian love and continuance therein are duties of the second Table The whole tenure of the Booke of GOD both in the old and new Testament tends directly to the proofe of this Doctrine I will cull out some few and first I will give you a place or two for the generall of all duties together both of the first and second Table and then I will come to the particulars First for the generall Matth. 28.19 20. Goe therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you c. In the 19. verse there is their commission to plant Churches throughout the world and how must they plant them by teaching and baptizing and how are these Churches to cary themselves after they are thus planted verse 20. they must observe and doe all those things that the Lord Iesus commanded his Apostles now Christ Iesus he is a perfect Law-giver an exact Teacher instructing his Apostles no doubt in all duties both of the first and second Table and therefore all that professe to be of the Church must bee daily conversant in the practice of all good duties both towards God and toward men Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared and teacheth us that wee should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that wee should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world The saving grace of God is here compared to a Schoole-master or Teacher and consequently professors thereof to Schollers now what is the lesson that this Master teacheth to all these Schollers To deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godly that is to abstaine from every sinne and to doe every good duty to God and men and our selves all the duties both of the first and second Table Philip. 4.8 9. Furthermore brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to love whatsoever things are of good report if there bee any vertue or any praise thinke on these things which yee have both learned and received and heard and seene in me these things do and the God of peace shall be with you These Philippians were much furthered in the profession of the Gospell by Pauls ministery many heavenly lessons had they received from him by word writing and example and this is the last of all his exhortations in this Epistle as containing the summe of all the rest and here he reckons up all sorts of good duties Whatsoever things are true c. and he presseth his exhortation with a serious obtestation If there be any vertue or if there be any praise thinke on these things as if hee should say You professe the things that are true thinke on the things that are true and doe them and the God of peace shall be with you you professe the things that be honest think on the things that be honest and doe them and the God of peace shall be with you you professe the things that are just thinke on the things that are just and doe them and the God of peace shall be with you you professe the things that are pure thinke on these things and doe them and the God of peace shall bee with you you professe love thinke on love and practise love and the God of peace shall be with you you profess things of good report think on them and doe them and the God of peace shall be with you if ever you looke for peace with God see that you think on do the good things that you professe ye professe religiously thinke and doe