Communicants do as it were set Seal to their own judgement and damnation All these considerations should mightily move us to prepare and examine ourselves with all industry and integrity before we communicate But upon what particulars are we chiefly to examine our selves Answ. We are principally to examine our selves touching these three particulars viz. 1. What right we have to the Lords Supper 2. What need we have of it 3. What actual fitnesse we have for it If we have no Right we shall but usurp it if we feel no Need we shall but despiâ—e it if we be not Fit we shall but abuâ—e it I. What Right we have to the Lords Supper We should carefully examine our Right for without a due Right and claime to the Lords Supper receiving it the Lord may justly count us intruders and usurpers upon the Childrens bread and say Friends How came you in hither c. Now as the Matter of the Lords Supper is two fold viz. Outward the Elements and Actions and Inward the spiritual mysteries represented by them So there is a twofold Right to the Lords Supper viz. Outward and Inward 1. Outward and Visible in respect of the visible Church of Christ wherein this visible Ordinance is dispensed when we outwardly professe to be Federates of the New Covenant whereof the Lords Supper is a Seal And this outward Right is either More Remote and Mediate when by vertue of our Membership being baptized though we be but Infants we have a Ius ad rem a remote Right to the Lords Supper though no present capacity and fitnesse for it More Near and Immediate when by reason of our Qualifications of competent knowledge and unblameablenesse of life we have Ius in re a Right in the Lords Supper in respect of the Church so that the Church may not exclude us but ought to admit us Now of this outward Right the Chuâ—ch takes Cognizance examineth and judgeth 2. Inward and Invisible Right in reâ—pect of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. And this Inward Right is when we not only outwardly professe to be but inwardly and indeed are Federates with God in Christ in the New Covenant sealed by the Lords Supper for of the Cup in the Lords Supper it 's said This is my blood of the New Testament Or This is the New Testament in my blood That is This wine in the Cup is the Signe and Seal of my blood and death whereby the New Testament is ratified and established Now of this our Inward Right to the Lords Supper in respect of God we our selves are peculiarly to take knowledge examine and judge But how may we try and know whether we have this Inward Right to the Lords Supper in respect of God Answ. Our true Inward Right to the Lords Supper we may discover by our inward Right to and actual Interest in the New Covenant or New Testament for the Lords Supper is the Token and Seale of the New Covenant Such therefore as is our Right to the New Covenant such is our Right to the Lords Supper Clear thine inward Right to the New Covenant and thine Inward Right to the Lords Supper is consequently evident The New Covenant is summarily described by Ieremy and Paul Compare Ier. 31.31 to 3â— with Heb. 8.7 to 13. and Ier. 32.38.39.40 According to the tenor of this New Covenant examine thy Right to the Sacraments Art thou a Party to this New Covenant 1. All that are Parties to the New Covenanâ— are clearly taught to know the Lord. Art thou clearly taught of God savingly to know the Lord And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the LORD for they shâ—ll all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. This clause of the New Covenant peculiarly concerns the Elect under the New Testament they all shall be taught as it were with open face to kâ—ow the Lord far more clearly then the Jewes were under the Old Testament The Jewes knew the Lord darkly aâ— under a veile and being as Children in Minority they stuck in principles stood in need of Tutors and Governours c. But now the veile is done away in Christ and the Elect as children come to riper age know not only Principles but many abstruse mysteries of Religion the Lord opening All treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ and bestowing a greater measure of his Spirit And yet this Text doth not countenance Enthâ—siasms nor annul and lay aside the publike Ministery or private brotherly instructions c. under the New Testament but this phrase They shall not teach every man his neighbour c. is an Hyperbolical expression to show as Calvin well notes how farre the knowledge of the Lord under the New Testament shall surpasse that under the Old Private instruâ—tion and publikâ— Ministery are appointed under the New Testament and are subordin◠〈◊〉 the Spirits teaching And as Paraeâ—â— observes We may as well â—rgue The Lord feeds all therefore there 's no more need of 〈◊〉 or husbandry as thus reason The Long â—aches all his people therefore they need no more humane instruction private or publick And though under the New Covenant all shall more fully and clearly know the Lord then the Jewes from the least to the greatest yet shall not all under the New Testament have an equal knowledge of the Lord but every one according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Hast thou now this cleare New-Covenant-knowledge of the Lord beyond Jewes of old beyond all carnal men now Then 1. Thou art translated from natural darknesse to supernatural light Ye were sometimes darknesse but now ye are light in the Lord. Is thy night of carnal ignorance past and thy day of spiritual knowledge come Hath the day dawned to thee and is the day-starre risen in thine heart 2. Thou art so savingly taught of God as by his teaching to be effectually brought to Christ to believe in him It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father saith Christ cometh unto me So that none are taught of God till they come to Christ by faith 3. Thou so beholdâ—st as in a Glasse the Glory of the Lord his New-Covenant Glory thâ—t thou art châ—â—ged into the same image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Is the Image of Christs spiritual Glory spiritual light in thee Dost thou grow therein from glory to glory from one glorious degree to another 2. They that are parties to the New Covenant have the Law and Covenant of God written in their hearts This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those dayes saith the LORD I will put my Law in their inward parts or into their minde as Paul hath it and write
Lords Supper 〈◊〉 How can we diâ—cern our need of the Lords Supper 3. How can we judge of our â—iâ—ness for the Lords Supper Ignorance of our selves will render us ignorant in all these things 3. Of Iesus Christ. For 1. Jesus Christ is the Author of this Ordinance that at first gave Being to it and still gives Benefit by it 2. Jesus Christ is the Matter the inward Matter and Marrow of the Lords Supper to be fed upon Take eat this is my body which is broken for you This Cup is the New Testament in my blood 3. Jesus Christ and the solemn remembrance of his death is one eminent end of the Lords Supper As often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come Consequently without a competent knowledge of Jesus Christ it 's altogether impossible to communicate worthily 4. Of the New Covenant or New Testament For this is one of Christs great Seals and solemn tokens of his New Testament This Cup is the New Testament in my blood So that when we renew tâ—e Lords Supper we renew the Lords Covenant And how can we renew that Covenant whereof we are grosly ignorant 5. Of the Lords Supper it self For should we intrude upon this Ordinance and not competently understand what is the nature oâ— Sacraments in general and of this in particular we should but give God a blinde and a lame service and offer the sacrifice of fools These are the principal points more peculiarly necessary to be known in some competent sort before communicating and these are the reasons why they are so necessary to be known Next consider what ought to be known of them severally in order I. Knowledge of God These things especiâ—lly ought to be known touching God in some competent maner before a man come to the Table of the Lord viz. 1. That God is or That there is a God He that cometh to God must believe that he is 2. That God is one or that there is only one true God and no more The LORD our God the LORD is One. We know that there is none other God but one But to us there is but one God He onely is the living and true God 3. That this one God subsisterh in three distinct Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost There are three that beare Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Father is â—f none neither begotten nor proceeding The Son is begotten of the Father eternally Hence called The onely begotten of the Father And The onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father The Hoâ—y Ghost eternally proceedeth from the Father and the Son But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father Theâ—e three are Co-essentiaâ— Co-equal and Co-eternal This deep mystery cannot be fully comprehended by our understandings must be truely apprehended by our faith It may darkly be reâ—embled by the light of Sun Moon and Stars united in the Arre Oâ— by the light of three diâ—tinct Torches united in one flame Or by one of your Bibleleases in three folds The first fold is not the second nor the second the third nor the third either of the other and yet all those three folds are that one leaf Thus the Father is not the Son the Son is not the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost neither the Father nor the Son and yet all these three are that one most Holy God 4. That this one God is a most pure invisible Spirit God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth The King invisible Whom no man hath seen nor can see 5. That this one God Father Son and Holy Ghost hath made himself gloriously known Partly by his essential Attributes or Properties Partly by his Works I. Gods essential Attributes or Properties are the high perfections of his Essence which are all one both with his Essence and with one another yet are revealed to us and apprehended by us as many and different because our weak understandings cannot comprehend this one infinite Act in one Act God is 1. Most absolutely simple No way compounded in himself or with any other thing God is a Spirit The highest Spirit The most spiritual Spirit The Spirit of spirits therefore absolutely uncompounded without body parts or passions Ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake to you out of Horeb c. A Spirit hath not flesh and bones And Paul proving to the Heathens that himself and Barnabas were no gods as they imagined said Sirs Why do ye these things we also are men of like passions with you 2. All-sufficient The LORD appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am God All-sufficient or God Almighty The Hebrew word according to its several derivations may signifie either of these 3. Immutable or Vnchangeable I am the Lord I change not Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shaddow of turning 4. Infinite without and beyond all bounds and limits His understanding is infinite Now Gods understanding is God himself Gods essence is infinite and boundlesse in all respects imaginable Whereupon God is Immense or unmeasurabâ—e Because he cannot be determined or described by any Dimensions of Height Depth Length or Breadth and because he cannot be limited confined or circumscribed with any place Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the LORD But will God indeed dwell on the Earth Beholdâ— the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain theâ— how much less this House that I have builded Omni-present or present in all places Gods essence filling all places yet not comprehended in any place is consequently in all places Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I asscend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the Sea even there shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me c. Incomprehensible Because God is boundless in respect of all created knowledge and understanding No man nor Angel can fully understand or comprehend him Great is the LORD And of his greatnesse ther is no search Canst thou by searchinâ— finde out God Canst thou finde out the Aâ—â—mighty unto Perfection It is as high as Heavâ—â— what canst thou do Deeper then Hell 〈◊〉 canst thou know The measure thereof
they be baptized they cannot be admitted to the Lords Supper Not professed Christians for when they come to the Lords Supper they either come worthily or unworthily if worthily then they are true believers already and need no conversion if unworthily then they are so farre from being converted that they eat and drink their own condemnation 4. Not for improving of Grace where Grace is ex opere operato by the bare work done in communicating The Lords Supper is not like Physick or Medicine that works a cure by a natural property therein whether the Patient sleep or wake c. but it is a spiritual Ordinance that through Gods blessing in the right use of it improves and increaseth Grace Rest not therefore in the meer work done but look to the well-doing of it But come to the Lords Supper actually scoping and aiming at these right ends in communicating for which the Lords Supper was indeed instituted viz. 1. For the solemne Remembring of Christ and lively shewing forth of his Death Christ saith in the Institution in reference to the Bread This do in Remembrance of me Paul reciting the Institution annexes this remembrance of Christ not only to the Bread but also to the Cup Take eat this is my body which is broken for you This do in remembrance of me This Cup is the New Testament in my blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me And he addes in reference to both joyntly For â—s oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords Death till he come This remembrance of Christ and his Death therefore is one eminent and principal End for which the Lords Supper was ordained and is to be celebrated 2. For the spiritual nourishment support and strengthening of the inward man Faith and all saving Graces Hence it 's called The Lords Supper And in this Supper here 's spiritual food The body of Christ broken and his blood shed As also spiritual eating and drinking of this heavenly provision This is an other true End and use of it for repairing the wants weaknesses decayes c. of the inward man the Regenerate part in a Christian 3. For Ratification of the New Testament or New Covenant to us This Cup is the New Testament in my blood That is This wine in the Cup is a Signe and Seal of my blood and death whereby the New Testament is confirmed For A Will or Testament is confirmed and becomes of force by the Testators Death So that this Sacrament being a pledge of Christs Death Ratifies to us the New Testament in Christs Death together with all the Promises Priviledges and Comforts of the New Testament as being all ours 4. For Sealing up to our hearts and helping on our Assurance of the Remission of our sins This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Without shedding of blood is no remission because otherwise Divine justice had no satisfaction And no blood could satisfie Gods justice fully and obtain remission of sins but the blood of Christ God-man Now as Christ hath loved us and washed us from our sins â—n his own blood So he ordained this Love-token his Supper to assure us that as certainly as we aright partake this Sacrament so certainly our sinnes are pardoned and our persons justified through his blood How sweet an use is this of the Lords Supper to every soul that hath experimentally felt the bitternesse of his sins the Wormwood and the Gall 5. For confirmation and increase of our Communion with Christ and him crucified The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ The double Question doth elegâ—ntly and vehemently put it out of queâ—tion and beyond all doubt that the Sacramental Bread and Cup are pledges of our Communion with Christs body and blood That is with Christs Death and with all the Benefits Victories Purchases and Priviledges of his Death That they are all ours as truly as this Bread we eat and this Cup we drink are ours This communion of the Saints with Christ crucified is as sweetest Honey out of the Rock as the Tree of life in the Garden of Eden even their spiritual Paradâ—se and Heaven on Earth Who ever truly tasted the sweetnesse of this communion with Christ but must highly prize and earnestly long for this Sacramental Seale of that Communion 6. Finally For testification and improvement of our Communion with Christs Members For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread The Saints have not only communion with Christ as their head joyntly but also with one another as fellow-members mutually loving pittying helping and taking care one of another This reciprocal fellowship of Saints is signified sealed c. in the Lords Supper As many grains of wheat make one bread and many grapes one cup of wine So they being many meÌ„bers yet are but all one mystical body in Christ. And therefore from this spiritual and mystical union and communion among them sealed in this Ordinance they ought to be more and more dear to one another every way careful â—or the spiritual good of one another These are the right Ends uses of the Lords Supper In the Act of communicating still keep thine eye intentively upon them As he that shoots keeps his eie steadily on the mark or as he that runs directs his aims still to the Goal III. In order to these excellent Ends manage the whole Sacramental Action according to Christs Institution Sacraments are not Natural but Instituted worship and therefore wholly depend upon Institution in their Being and are wholly to be regulated by Institution in their use Bread doth not naturally in it self signifie Christs body more then the flesh of Beasts doth Nor wine his blood more then water or the blood of Sacrifices doth But by positive institution bread and wine in the Lords Supper so signifie Chrâ—sts body and blood as no other Elements can because these alone were instituted to that purpose Therefore the institution must be the Rule and Standard for regulating the whole Action of communicating So Christ commandeth Do this That is Do this that I command that I do in this Institution follow ye my Precept my Patterne herein all-a-long Hence Paul intending to reform the grosse abuses and prophanations of the Lords Supper in the Church of Corinth calls them back to the first Institution thereof by Christ from which they had turned aside For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you c. Therefore in thy Giving or Receiving the Lords Supper keep close to the Institution then thou walkest safely 1. The Elements which Christ used were Bread and Wine Iesus took
of it which thou takest in hand Rouse up therefore thy judgement and spiritual senses to eye and discern these things truly that so all thine other Graces may be helped and quickened Knowlede being the inlet guide and enlivener of them all 2. Act Faith In discerning and tasting spiritually Christs body and blood how sweet and precious nourishment they are In assenting to the truth of the New Covenant and all the promises thereof to the truth of Christs death and all the benefits thereof to the certainty of this Sacramental comfort and that to the worthy Communicant The bread and wine are Christs body and blood indeed Sacramentally especially in Applying the Covenant and Promiâ—es Christ his love death and all the fruits of his death particularly to thine own soul as certainly undoubtedly as the outward elements are applied to thy body Say with Thomas â—â—â—ling Christs wounds My Lord and my God With Paul Christ loved me and gave hâ—mself for me Say as certainly as this Bread and this wine are mine so the New Testament and all the Promises thereof are mine pardon of sin mine Christ and his death with all the advantages thereof are mine c. Thus to act faith is to eat and drink indeed to communicate indeed 3. Act Repentance and godly Sorrow When thou seest the bread broken and the wine separated from the bread think how Christs body was wounded and his blod shed and separated from his body and this for thy sins Then look upon Christ by faith whom thou hast pierced and be in bitternesse for him by godly sorrow as one is in bitternesse for his first borne c. Fill thine heart with shame and confusion for those sins and with hatred iudignation and holy revenge against those sins of thine that cost Christ so dear and would have cost thee damnation And resolve for future to abominate thy corruptions as the thorns scourges nails and spear that did murder the Lord of glory 4. Act New Obedience Say to thy self O my soul was Christ thus obedient to the death for thee even to the death of the Crosse Did he count it meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work Did he delight to do yea and to suffer the Will of God in being sacrificed for thee How obedient then shouldst thou be to Christ live not to the world or to sinne or to thy selfe but to Christ willingly do any thing he commands forbear any thing he forbids and bear any thing he inflicts that Christ in all may be glorified 5. Act Love sincerely to Christ and his Members This Sacrament is Christs Love-token to his Church A Memorial of his death for us which was his greatest expression of love to us Behold how his love streamed forth to sinners out of every stripe and wound of head back hands feet and heart Behold how he loved thee wilt not thou love him again warme thy frozen affections at this fire of Christs love and melt them into reciprocal love to Christ. Love him in his Person Offices Ordinances and in his Image in whomsoever it appeares 6. Act Thankfulnesse Christ crucified represented here is highest matter of Thankfulnesse Acknowledge this mercy of mercies esteem it according to its worth and resolve to render again to Christ thy praises service affections sufferings and thy self both soul and body in way of Thankfulnesse Say with David Blesse the Lord O my soul And What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me c. 7. Act Finally a true spiritual Appetite Eagerly hunger and thirst after this bread and drink indeed the flesh and blood of Christ. These will so fully satisfie the soul that it shall never totally hunger or thirst more but shall live for evermore And as the hungry stomach delightfully closeth with corporal food extracting the nutritive juyce out of it so let thine hungring soul contentingly close with Christ drawing all hearty juyce and nourishment from him V. Improve thy corporal Senses discerning the outside of the Lords Supper to help thy spiritual Senses and Graces to discerne the inside of the Lords Supper As windows casements let in the light heat and influence of the Sun into an house so these windows and casements of the outward senses let in the light heat and spiritual influence of Jesus Christ the Sun of righteousnesse into the heart and soul. As in the Word preached Christ enters into the heart by the Sense of Hearing the Organ of Discipline so in the Lords Supper Christ comes into the heart by the senses of Seeing Touching and Tasting Doth Christ make use of thy Senses to condescend to thee do thou improve thy Senses to ascend up unto him Thomas would not believe that Christ was alive till he put his fingers into his wounds after he revived and then he cries out My Lord and my God so thou that doubtest of Christs love to thee and dying for thee cast hither thine eye to the bread broken and wine severed from it To the elements and actions and see the Lords dying for thee reach hither thine hand take and apply this bread broken to thine own self and as it were feel his wounded hands and feet and heart use here thy taste and discern what nourishment Christ is And be no longer faithlesse but believing O fix thy senses stedfastly upon the Supper of the Lord till thou hast fixed thine heart firmly upon the Lord of the Supper Let thy senses be acted towards the bread and wine till thy soul be affected with the bread and water of life VI Remember Iesus Chrâ—st and him crucified throughout the whole action This is Christs command in the Institution that we both eat the Bread and drink the Cup in remembrance of him And Paul explaining this remembrance of Christ interprets it especially in reference to his Death and the shewing of it forth The Lords Supper then was intended for a solemne Memorial of Christ crucified and as it were a Marble-Monument or piller upon Christs Sepulchre that Christ and his death might never be forgotten but that Christ dying might be everliving in his peoples hearts Therefore at the Lords Supper remember Christ remember his love to thee remember his death for thee think often and meditate much upon these things Quest. But how shall I remember Christ crucified at the Lords Supper for greatest advantage and benefit to my soul Answ. Remember Christ crucified three wayes vâ—z 1. Historically remembring the History of Christ and his death 2. Mysteriously remembring the spiritual mystery of Chrâ—st and his death 3. Energetically so remembring both as to imprint them with energy effect and effâ—cacy upon the soul. This will be remembring Christ crucified indeed 1. Historically Remember the History of Christ and of his death as it is recorded in holy Scriptures especially as it is delineated by the four
crucified before our eyes represented sealed and exhibited to the belâ—eving soul. Thou therefore O Chrâ—stâ—an Search the Scriptures that thou mayst there finde Christ Accept the Covenant that thou mayst therein embrace Christ And duly partake the Sacraments èspecâ—ally the Lords Supper that thou maâ—st more fully and undoubtedly assure thy self of Chrâ—st to thy salvation To this end serâ—ously consider 1. It is not bare partaking but due partaking of Sacraments that will commend us to God and interest us in Christ. It is possible that in a visible Church multitudes may partake Sacraments and yet be deeply displeasing to God The Israelites of old had not only the ordinary and standing Sacraments of Circumcision and the Passeover but also the extraordinary and transient Sacraments of the Cloud and Sea answering to our Baptism Of Manna and water out of the Rock answering to our Lords Supper All our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ But with many of them God was not well pleaâ—ed for they were overthrown in the Wilderness Ishmael was circumcis'd as well as Isaac yet Ishmael is branded for a Persecuter Esau circumcised as well as Jacob yet Jacob loved Esau hated of God Simon Magus baptized yet his heart was not right in the sight of God and he still remained in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Judas did eat the Sacrament of the Passeover with Christ and his Disciples yet after the eating of it Satan more strongly entered into him then ever before and he died an hypocrite a murderer a devil And the Corinthians not onely were baptized but received also the Lords Supper yet notwithstanding they were judged of the Lord many were weak and sickly among them and many slept viz. were dead as is thought of the plague of Pestilence Thus we may possibly be baptized yea eat and driâ—k the Lords Supper and yet for all that through unworthy communicating incùrre the Lords displeasure 2. They that partake Sacraments in a visible Church may so farre notwithstanding be displeasing unto God As 1. That all the Sacraments and Services they take in hand may be accounted by God as Nullities as no Sacraments no Services at all This is not to eat the Lords Supper 2. That all their Sacraments and religious performances may be accounted their sins and abominations 3. That the Sacraments which were intended for spiritual benefit shall become a spiritual mischief to their souls through their abuse That the Lords Supper instead of nourishing Grace should strengthen sinne instead of sealing of Remission of our sinnes in Christs blood should render us guilty of the body and blood of the Lord even guilty of murdering the Lord of Life and Glory 4. That by unworthy handling them they may incurre many temporal afflictions and chastisements in Gods displeasure 5. Finally they may enjoy Sacraments and yet so farre displease God therein as thereby to hazard their own Judgement and eternal Damnation and lose Heaven it selfe for ever As those Iews of old notwithstanding their enjoyments of Sacraments were overthrown in the wildernesse lost Canaan the Type of Heaven and it 's to be feared Heaven it selfe thereby typified 3. Hence consequently these things are clear I. That our bare enjoyment of Sacraments is no infallible signe either of Gods special love tow or of our good spiritual state towards God II. That it is altogether unsafe for Christians to rest themselves satisfied and contented with the meere having or the meer using of Sacraments It 's the Right having and Due using of Sacraments which will commend us and our actions about them unto Goâ— III. That it singularly concerns all Gods people to endeavour so to enjoy and use all Sacraments and particularly the Lords Supper Which is often to be received as therein they may be well-pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. Now that we may acceptably and profitably manage the Lords Supper these things are peculiarly necessary 1. A due Preparation for the Lords Supper before we commmunicate 2. A right use of the Lords Supper while we are communicating 3. A Christian conversation suitable to the Lords Supper after we have commmunicated In reference to these three General Heads seriously consider and practically improve these brief Directions following PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR Worthy Receiving Of the LORDS SVPPER I. Directions touching our due Preparation for the Lords Supper before we Communicate OVr due preparation for the Lords Supper before communicating consists chiefly in a judicious impartial and sincere Self-examination Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that Cup. There 's A publike Ecclesiastical Examination by Church-Governours preparing for fit communicating in respect of the Church And there 's alâ—o a â—rivate Self-examination preparing for worthy communicating in reâ—pecâ— of Christ. By That â—rovision iâ— made that the Lords Suppeâ— be not abused by grosse Ignorance and Scandals By This farther care is taken that the Lords Supper be not unworthily received through Carnalnâ—sse Vnbeliefe Impenitenâ—y Hypâ—crisâ—â— Vâ—â—hâ—nkâ—ulness Vnchaâ—iâ—â— blenesse c. Both are necessary and helpfull to each other but Self-Examination is more eâ—pecially needful O we have great cauâ—e to use all possiâ—â—e Preparations before â—ommunicating For 1. The Lord and Author of this Sacrament with whom we have to do hereâ—n is Iesus Christ who is most Holy Harmlesse Separate from sinners Higher then the Heavens Searching the Heart and Reins Whose eyes are as a flame of fire who 〈…〉 and all power in Heaven 〈…〉 and who will render to every man according to his works 2. The Nature of this Sacrament is sublime mysterious spiritual heavenly A 〈◊〉 of Chriâ—ts providing wheâ—â—in Chrâ—â—t is both the Master of the 〈◊〉 and â—he Mâ—â—er of the 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 Christ's engraâ—ing whose Supâ—rscription is Christ loâ—ing us whoâ—e Image is Christ dying for us whose 〈◊〉 is Chriâ—â—â— Nâ—w Tesâ—â—ment confirmed to his Members c. 3. The benefit of worthy comâ—unicaâ—ing 〈◊〉 surpâ—â—â—sing â—vveet Hâ—reby 〈◊〉 Soul-reviving death of Christ is a freâ—â— remembered the inward man with all the graces and abiâ—â—ties thereof is nourished Remission of sinnes through Christs blood is assured Communion with Christ crucified and all the benefits of his death is sealed our interest in the New Testament with all the Promises and Priviledges thereof is confirmed and our spiritual fellowship with Christs holy Members is established and increased 4. The danger oâ— unworthy communicating is exceeding great For hereby the guilt of Christs body and blood is â—ontraâ—ted hereby the deep displeasure of God is procured and hereby unworthy
Resurrection from the dead out of the grave the third day He both revived and rose again As a second Adam and Head of his Church for our Iustification Spiritual raising of our souls out of sin and Corporal raising of our bodies out of the grave at the last day declaring hereby his infinite God-head His Lordship over quick and dead His full satisfaction of Gods justice for us and his absolute victory oâ—er sinne death and the devil 3. In his Ascension up into heaven fourty days aâ—ter his Resurrection as our Head and Fore-runner Thereby to lead Captivity Captive most triumphantly To receive and give gifts for men To cause our hearts and Affections spiritually to ascend after him To prepare a place for us that where he is we might be also 4. In his Session or sitting down at Gods right hand as God-man our Mediatour in highest Majesty and Glory farre above all Angels Having compleat dominion not only over his Church but over all things in the whole world for the good of his Church Pouring his Spirit upon his people continually making intercession for them 5. Finally In his coming again at the last day to judge the whole world in righteousnesse In his Humiliation at his first coming he was judged and condemned by sinners unjustly In his Exaltation at his second coming he shall judge both men and Angels justly And he shall come in His own and his Fathers glory descending from heaven with a shout and the voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trumpet of God attended most gloriously with the triumphant train of innumerable Saints and Angels to render to every one according to his works Thus we are to know that Christ diâ—charged his office of Mediatourship as Prophet Priest and King both in his state of Humiliation and Exaltation V. That this Mediatour Jesus Christ is an absolutely All-sufficient Mediatour There can be nothing required for sinners salvation which is not compleatly to be had in Christ. Is it Redemption He hath obtained eternal Redemption for his Elect. And by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Is it reconciliation to God When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Is it Justification He is made unto us righteousness He is The LORD our Righteousnesse He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the Righteousnesse of God in hâ—m for he is the Righteousnesse of God viz. which God hath devised and will accept So that Christ hath more righteousnesse than we have unrighteousnesse more pardons than we have debts more justification than we have condemnation Is it Holinesse He is full of grace and truth that out of his fulnesse we might receive and grace for grace Is it any thing He hath all fulnesse in hâ—mself that we may be compleat in him And he is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to moke intercession for them VI. That though Jesus Chriâ—t be such an All-sufficient Mediatour and Saâ—iour yet he will saâ—e none at all but them onely to whom he is actually applied He that hath the Son hath life but he that hath not the Son hath not lâ—fe He justifies sinners but onely thoâ—e sinners that beleeve in him He gives soul-rest to wearied souls but onely to thoâ—e wearied and heavy-laden â—ouls that come unto him He gâ—ves Priviledge to become the sons of God But this Priviledge he onely gives to them that receâ—ve him c. Our union to Christ is the foundâ—tion of all our Communion with Christ. No Vnion no Communion VII Finally we are to know touching Christ that he is the subâ—tance of all the Sacraments both of Old and New Testament The Centre of the Covenant of grace and of all the Promises And the very marrow of all the Scriptures They that know not Christ aright know nothing of the Holy Scriptures to purpose for they principally testifie of him They are as the â—tarres that lead to Christ They are as the Sun-beams that discover this Sunne of Righteousnesse They are the secret swadling-clothes of the childe Jesus These things we should know touching Christ before we come to the Lords Supper 4. Knowledge of the New Covenant Knowledge of the New Covenant is the fourth point of knowledge requisite to a worthy Communicant before receiving of the Lords Supper In the Institution of the Lords Supper it is said of the Cup This is my blood of the New Testament That is this Wine in the Cup is a Signe and Seal of my blood by which the New Testament is ratified So that by the Lords Supper the New Testament or New Covenant is confirmed to us and in receiving the Lords Supper we renew Coâ—enant with God This we cannot do judiciously unleâ—s we competently understand the nature of the New Covenant Now for the opening of the New Covenant in some measure Consider these following Propositions which may afford some true taste of the nature of the New Covenant 1. The New Covenant is not the same Covenant which God made with Adam in Innocency but far different from it and that in divers particulars For 1. The Covenant with Adam was a Covenant of amity or friendship made by God with him as by a Creator with his creature But the new Covenant is a Covenant of reconciliation made by God as a Redeemer with the sinner 2. The Covenant with Adam was upon tearms of personal perfect and perpetual Obedience to the Moral Law written in his heart the curse and death being threatned to the least transgression thereof But the New Covenant is upon tearms of Faith and new obedience as the fruit thereof and testification of our thankfulness The Spirit of Grace being promised to work that faith and obedience whereunto eternal lifâ— is promised c. 3. The Covenant with Adam was with a person perfectly able to fulfil the Covenant in his own peâ—son alone The New Covenant is with persons unable of themselves to do any thing acceptably before God without divine Grace assisting and therefore performing Covenant onely in Jesus Christ their Surety 4. The Covenant with Adam was wâ—â—hout a Mediator Adam in his innocency nâ—eding no Mediator of Redemption or Reconciliation But the New Covenant is with a Medâ—ator Jesus Christ most necâ—ssary unto sinners for their salvation II. The New Covenant is the same in substance and essential constitution but far different in circumstance and manner of administration from the Old Covenant By Old Covenant I understand The Covenant of promise That is to say all the Covenants and Promises touching Christ from the first promise of The seed of the woman immediately after the fall till Christs
come in the flesh are two viz. 1 Baptisme or washing with water in the Name of Father Son and Holy Ghost whereby we are solemnly admitted into Christs mystical body visible signifying and sealing the souls spiritual washing from the guilt and filth of sin by the blood and Spirit of Christ. 2 The Lords Supper or eating bread and drinking Wine in reâ—embrance of Christs body broken and blood shed according to the Institution whereby oâ—r spirituall nourishment and growth in Christs mystical body is sealed Baptisme answers to Circumcision the Cloud and Sea The Lords Supper to the Paschal Supper Mannah and Water out of the Rock The Sacraments of the New Testament are for number more few for observation more easie for signification more excellent VI. In all Sacraments are two parts and a Sacramental union betwixt them 1. The Two Parts are 1 The outward signe or signes signifying as water and washing with it in Baptism Bread and Wine with the actions belonging thereto in the Lords Supper 2 The inward mysteries signified by those signes as the washing away of our sins by the blood and Spirit of Christ in Baptisme and the nourishing of our souls by the benefits of Christs death in the Lords Supper 2. There is a Sacramental union betwixt the Signes and things signified founded in Chriâ—ts Institution Whence the signe is sometimes said to be the thing signified As This is my body This is my blood This is the New Testament in my blood And theâ— thing signified is called the signe As Christ our Passeover is sâ—crificed This Sacramental union consists in a Sacramental relation which the signes have to the things in signifying sealing and exhibiting them Hence flows another union â—etwixt the worthy Communicant and the Sacrament So that he who truly partakes the signe according to Christs Institution partakes also the thing signified This is to be well obâ—erved as a special ground of comfort in communicating VII Finally The particuâ—ar nature of the Lords Supper may be notably discerned in the causes of it viz Efficient Material Formal and Final 1. The Efficient cause or Author of it is The Lord Iesus in the same night in which he was betrayed All power was given to him as Mediatour therefore to institute what Ordinances he pleased for his Church He first gave Being to the Lords Supper and he also can give a Blessing and vertue to it in the right use In that night he instituted it 1. To shew the abrogation of the Paâ—chal-Supper and the succession of the Lords Supper in the room thereof 2. To imprint more notably a living and lasting character of his death and sufferings upon this Supper 3. To restifie his singular care and love to his Church in that when he knew he was now ready to be betrayed and crucified he would leave this Legacy and Love-Token of his Supper to his Church Now if Christ be the Author of the Lords Supper we should highly esteem it Christianly partake it and walk accordingly knowing that all abuse of the Lords Supper reâ—â—ects and terminates upon the Lord Christ. 2. The Material cause or matter of it is Outward and Inward 1. Outward is 1. Partly the Elements viz. Bread and Wine Complete Provision against hunger and thirst Christ gives his Church full nourishment Bread is expressed Wine is figuratively implyed in the Cup because immediately after Christ said Henceforth I will not drink of the fruit of the Vine c. 2 Partly the Sacramental actions which are either on the Ministers part as Taking Blessing and Giving Thanks Breaking and Giving to the Communicants Or on the Communicants part as Receiving Eating and Drinking 2. The Inward matter are the Mysteries signified by the outward As by the Elements of Bread and Wine Christs Body and blood Christ crucified our spiritual nourishment By the actions Christs separation and Consecration to his Mediatory office Christs brokennesse and sufferings for his Elect Christs free Tender and bestowing himself for spiritual nourishment upon the true Believer And the believers Accepting and applying of Christ thus tendred particularly 3. The Formal cause or Forme of the Lords Supper understand not the outward but the inward Form is that Sacramental union that is betwixt the outward and inward matter betwixt the signes and things signified viz. such a Sacramental relation betwixt them in signifying sealing and exhibiting and this by vertue of Christs institution that he who duly receives the signes receives the things signified as was said before As the law of the land makes such a relation betwixt a twig and a turfe and the lands whence they are taken that he who in due form of law takes liâ—ery and seizin of them is also as fully seized and possessed of the whole Lands or Mannour 4. The Final cause or End of the Lords Supper is manifold viz. 1. The solemn Remembrance of Christ crucified and shewing forth of Christs death to the worlds end 2. The spiritual nourishment of our inward man of our faith and all our graces for strength and growth 3. The Confirmation and individual Application of the New Testament and all the Promiâ—es Comforts Benefits and Priviledges thereof to us 4. The Sealing up unto our heâ—rts the pardon of our sins in Christs blood 5. The Ratification and Augmentation of our Communion with Christ crucified in all the benefits of his death 6. Finally the publike Testification of our true loâ—e to and Communion with the Saints as Christs members and fellow-members with us in him For these ends especially was the Lords Supper instituted by Christ and ought to be celebrated by us Hitherto of those Points of knowledge principally necessary to qualifie a man for worthy communicating whereupon we are to examine our selves Next of the Properties of true sanctified knowledge and of our self-Examination therein II. The Properties of true sanctified knowledge are the second way whereby we may examine and try our Knowledge In the particular points of Knowledge forementioned an Hypocrite may possibly go as far as a true Believer but in these following Properties of sanctified Knowledge the true Believer goes beyond an Hypocrite What are the Properties of sound sanctified Knowledge Answ. Sanctified Knowledge is 1. Experimental 2. Heart-humbling 3. Communicative for others edification 4. Growing 5 Affectionate 6. Spiritualized 7. Pure 8. Obedientiall 1. An Experimental Knowledge whereby a Christian hath a particulal taste savour and relish of the divine things which he knows And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge and in all judgement The Greek word rendred judgement properly signifies sense Not a corporal but a spiritual â—ense whereby we have a spiritual and experimental sensiblenesse feeling and taste of the things of God in our own spirits This sense differs from Knowledge thinks Zanchy as the Knowledge of the sense differs from that of the understanding
onely bread and wine these the least matters But also Christs body and blood and all the benefits thereof So that we must here take A lively memorial of Christs death A rich banquet for our inward man A sealed pardon of our sins A blessed bond of our communion with Christ crucified A sensible ratification of the New Testament with all its promises and priviledges These things we must take eat and drink in the Lords Supper and wherewith shall they possibly be thus taken and applied but by true saving Faith alone 4. Finally faith is necessary for enabling us duely to walk after communicating This Sacrament affords heavenly nourishment Conâ—equently after it we should walk as nourished strengthened comforted enlivened c. Now it 's faith especially that acts moves ruleâ—+ doth all in a Christian from Christ assisting Faith in Christ being the very Lâ—fe of a Christian. Thus of the necessity of faith before communicating â— How this saving faith thus necessary may be typed and examined before we come to the Lords Supper This is the last branch to be considered touching Faith We may try and examine whether we have true saving faith or no Partly by the former description of true saving faith See if thou hast such a faith Partly by these ensuing properties and qualities of faith 1. True saving faith notably softens supples and melts the heart It thawes and dissolves the most stony hard adamantine spirit into streams and floods of penitential sorrow I wâ—ll pour upon the house of David the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced there 's faith and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon c. The Spirit of grace shall make men look upon Christ by faith as Israel looked upon the type of Christ the brazen Serpent in the wilderness and looking shall melt them make them mourn How mourn Mourn with a witness for their sins whereby they pierced Christ They shall mourn they shall be in bitterness there shall be a great mourning As for an only Son As for a first-born as for that peerelesse King Iosiah in Hadadrimmon Emphaticall expressions Naturally mans heart is closed up as a compacted Rock of Flint or Marble Faith comes as another Moses smites this Rock and brings forth Rivers of waters Faith brings the soul to Christ crucified sets him as it were with Mary under his Crosse in Golthotha makes him view the transcendent anguish agonies bitterness and torments of his sufferings and all this for our sins his thy my sins in particular For he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. The Lord hath made to meet on him the iniquities of us all He was made sin for us who knew no sin Oh how this strikes to the believers heart How this makes him sigh with Christ lament with him smart with him bleed with him cry out with him as it were die with him nothing melts the heart so kindly as faith looking on Christ pierced for our sins particularly Here faith reads the intolerable sinfulness of sin that could not be expiated but at so dear a rate Here in Christs sufferings faith reads the sinners doom If this befell the surety what was due to the principal If sin imputed be so plagued what might have been expected for sin inherent If this be done to the green tree what would have be fallen the dry Here faith reads the boundless Ocean of Gods matchless love in Christ What such a God give sitch a Jewel as his only Son to such a death and that for such worthless loveless hopeless godless sinners Greater love then this hath no man Oh the breadth and length and depth and height of Christs love passing knowledge Oh how do these and like considerations of faith pierce the heart break the spirit imprint contrition and overcome the soul 2. True saving faith having pierced the heart purifies the heart Purifying their hearts by faith Faith cleanses not only the outward but the inward man not onely the actions but the fountain of those actions the heart and affections washes not onely the outside but the inside of the cup and platter makes a man forbear not only outward grosse acts of sin but inward imaginations and impure inclinations to sin A true believer as truly makes conscience of and laments for the vileness of his heart and thoughts in the sight of God as the enormity of his life and actions in the sight of men But how doth faith cleanse and purifie the heart Answ. 1. By Augmentation from the word against sin which discerns the odiousness and danger of sin How shall I do this wickedness which God so forbids and abhors c. In this respect the Word hath a sanctifying efficacy Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 2. By application of Christs blood and death Christs blood is that Fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesse to wash in And faith is that hand which puts us into this Fountain applies Christs death and makes us conformable thereunto That as Christ died for sin so we die to sin 3. By inward efficacy and operation Faith is not only an Instrument of Justification but an eminent part of Sanctification and so doth of its own nature purge out sin as wine works out the Dregs Honey the Drosse or as fire purifieth unwholsome aire Shew now thy faith by thy purity A faithfull soul cannot have a foul heart As that soul that by faith looks upon Christ pierced for his sins cannot chuse but be wounded and pierced with Christ so that soul that 's pierced for piercing Christ by sin cannot but abandon and abhorre all those sins for which Christ was pierced Faith having endeared the heart to Christ embitters the heart against sin Sin being the Iudas that betrayed Christ the Pilate that condemned him the Crown of Thorns nails and spear that pierced him 3. True saving faith makes a man sincerely obedient and fruitful in good works This is a duty charged upon the faithful This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works This is an intrinsecal property of faith To work by love and Love is the fulfilling of the Law therefore the nursing-Mother of all good works And that faith that is without works is dead as a body without a soul. A workless faith is a worthless faith And this the faithful in all ages have practised the alacrity of their obedience hath born witness to the integrity of their faith as in
exclusively so as to shut out our Brethrens good and welfare Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others When men pretend oâ—e to the brethren and intend only their own ends and to serve their own turns of them neâ—er truly minding their brethrens good they exercise not brotherly love but self-love The world is full of this counterfeit love 6. True brotherly love is kindly affectioned Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love The word here rendred kindly affectioned is very emphatical and originally signifies that dear natural affection that is betwixt Parents and Children as also the loving of that affection It is as much as Be loving-kinde Now this Loving-kindness or kinde affectionateness discovers it self divers wayes viz. 1. In courteousness the Apostle urging divers Acts and expressions of brotherly love saith be courteous The Greek word here used seems to intimate such a sweet disposition as studies and endeavours things grateful acceptable to Gods people and to render it self well-pleasing to them Contrary unto which is churlishness crabbidness and crookedness of disposition 2. In compassionateness Be pittiful Or as the Greek may more exactly be rendred Easily compassionating Or Easily moved to bowels of compassion This implies both a compassionate disposition and a quickness easiness to that compassion When the heart beholding the distresses of brethren is tender over them quickly moved and melted towards them presently bleeds over them 3. In bearing one anothers burdens Bear ye one anothers burdens The Apostle having exhorted spiritual ones to restore a man overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekness presently adds this of bearing one anothers burdens He seems to intend the slips and frailties even among the spiritual which are a burden to them They must help one another to bear these burdens not by encouraging them countenancing or conniving at them this were to burden them more but by helping them to get rid of their burdensom corruptions by wise kind meek loving reproofs admonitions instructions exhortations having tender compassion over them 7. True brotherly love is best contented in the godly society of the brethren David was a câ—mpanion of all them that feared God and kept his Commandments He counted the Saints the excellent on earth in them was all his delight Such as truly love the godly above all people desire to live with the godly above all people Contenting Society is hardly dissembled But such as are weary of the company of the gracious and delight more in the Society of the carnal they are strangers to true brotherly love 8. True brotherly love is or ought to be servent See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently And Iohn intimates so fervently as if need require not only to part with our goods to the brethren but when we have a just call to part with our lives for the brethren Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren This is the highest expression of love this is fervent love indeed fervent love may have many inferiour degrees Generally there is such coldness and frozen-heartedness towards Gods dear children that it 's evident there 's little true love to them in the world 9. Finally True brotherly love is constant and continuing so ought to be Let brotherly love continue charity never faileth but whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease c. True love is not like Ionas his Gourd suddenly springing and as suddenly dying but like Cedar or heart of Oak long-lasting yea ever-living Love of the brethren will continue till death yea beyond death in heaven Then the Saints shall love one another perfectly without all disaffection or corruption and they shall joyntly be swallowed up in the love of God to all eternity Thus try the truth of thy brotherly love And having found it in thy self abound and persevere therein This it that which the Apostle so pathetically urgeth upon his Philippians and in them upon us This that excellent Grace which he so commends above all gifts to the Corinthians And this is that which Christ himself so earnestly commends to his Apostles as the very badge and character of his Disciples A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love to one another VI. THANKFVLNES is a farther qualification necessarily required to fit and prepare us for worthy receiving of the Lords Supper And touching which consequently we are to examine our selves Here understand that thankfulness which peculiarly respects Câ—rist his Death his new covenant and his Supper Now consider 1. The Necessity 2. The Discovery of this thankfulness 1. The necessity of true thankfulness for Christ his death his new Covenant and Sacrament peculiarly to fit us for worthy receâ—ving of the Lords Supper is evident upon these grounds 1. Thankfulness was used and expressed by Christ at his institution of the Lords Supper And he took the bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my body which is given for you This do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Câ—p after supper saying This cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you That he gave thanks is clear What was the matter or form of his thanksgiving is not evident Yet it 's most likely that Christ who did all things properly gave thanks with reference to the Action in hand viz. not onely for the outward Elements but especially for the inward mysteries to be represented by them that now his death approached wherein his body was to be broken his blood shed for the life of the world for the nourishment of his Elect which he delighted to accomplish And the Lords Supper from Christs giving thanks at the institution is denominated by the Greek Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Eucharist That is The Thanksgiving It being the Christians eminent Thank-offering Now if Christ gave thanks at the first institution proportionably we are still to give thanks in all after-Administrations of the Lords Supper especially because Christ saith Do this in reference to the whole Action 2. The matter of the Lords Supper eminently calls for thankfulness viz. 1. The Inward matter signified and sealed Christ body and blood That is Christ crucified together with all the vertues benefits victories Purchases and Priviledges of his Death This the inward matter and mystery of the Lords Supper Oh whâ—â— matter of thankfulness is this Think how â—â—â—ellent Christ is Gods onely Son The Son of his love yea God himself therefore farre beyond ten thousand worlds Think what his death
was Such a death as all things considered never was endured wherein malice of men rage of all the powers of darkness the wrath of God sins of all the Elect did meet in him at once And think what we worthless sinners gain by this Death of Christ What pardons Reconciliation Peace with God c. And all these confirmed to us in the Lords Supper that lasting Monument of Christ crucified Oh what manifold cause of thankfulness is here 2. The outward matter of the Lords Supper viz. the Elements of Bread and Wine together with the actions of taking blessing breaking giving eating and drinking them affords also much cause of thankfulness that Christ would thus condescend to our weakness as to represent such heavenly mysteries to us by such homely elements and actions He deals herein with us as once with doubting Thomas makes us as it were thrust our finger into the print of his nails that we may believe helps our inward graces by our outward senses 3. The ends of the Lords Supper are such that they notably challenge manifold thankfulness from us whensoever we partake the Lords Supper These ends are The solemn remembrance of Christs Death never to be forgotten The nourishing of the inward man of faith and all our graces The confirmation and application of the New Testament with all the Promises thereof to us The Ratification of the pardon of our sins in Christs blood And the sealing up unto us that sweet priviledge of Communion with Christ and with one another Not one of these but deserves much thankfulnesse How great thankfulness then is due for all of them together in the Lords Supper 2. The Tryal of our thankfulness which is thus necessary for worthy communicating comes next to be considered and we may try the truth of our thankfulness by the three eminent Acts or degrees of thankfulness viz. 1. Notice-taking or acknowledgement of blessings received 2. Estimation of mercies received and acknowledged 3. Retribution or rendering again for mercies received acknowledged and esteemed 1. Notice-taking or acknowledgement of benefits received is a first degree or Act of thankfulness Till a man take notice of a benefit and whence it comes he can neither esteem it nor render again for it as he ought Thus when David would express his thankfulness to God for enabling him and his people to offer so willingly and liberally towards the building of the Temple He takes notice of the benefit and whence it came even all from God alone Our God we thank thee and prayse thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee And in the Hebrew phrase Giving of thanks is most usually expressed by Confessing to the Lord. For confessing and acknowledging what good we receive and whence we have it is a prime point of thankfulness Contrariwise it 's a point of deep ingratitude not to observe and acknowledge the benefits and whence they come Israel is blamed for this She did not know that I gave her corn and new wine and oil and multiplied her silver and gold Such like Swine eat up and devoure the Acorns or mast but never look up to the Oak whence they fall Dost thou now duly take notice of that mercy of mercies Jesus Christ and his Death how mysteriously the saving of sinners by him is contrived in Gods eternal Counsel and revealed in the Scriptures How Chriâ—t his death and all his benefits originally flow from Gods meer grace and the good pleasure of his will Dost thou duly observe and acknowledge the mercy of the Lords Supper tendering and applying Christ and his death and how it was from Christs tender love and care of his Church that he instituted it This is some degree of gratitude But alas how many come to the Lords Supper who do not considerately take notice of this Mystery of saving sinners by Christ which is the sum of all the Bible c. 2. Estimation of Benefits received and acknowledged is a second Act or Degree of thankfulness The Virgin Mary thankfully magnifying the Lord for that extraordinary mercy to her Her Conception of Christ by the Holy Ghoâ—t She notably estimates and amplifies the Mercy by the Mâ—jesty of the Giver the meanness of the Receiver and the Greatness of the Gift My soul doth magnifie the Lord For he hath regarded the low estate of his hand-maid for he that is mighty hath done to me great things God had done great things for Mary in that Christ according to the flesh was conceived in her womb but he hath done greater for thee in that Christ according to the Spirit is conceived in thy soul. She was happy in bearing Christ much happier in believing in Christ. She was happy in being Christs natural Mother Happier in being Christs spiritual member Now as true thankfulness esteems and values mercies turns them over and over views them on every side c. so unthankfulnesse debases viâ—ifies discommends twits fleights the mercies as Israel the Mannah Our soul loatheth this light-light Bread as the Hebrew phrase is Art thou now qualified with thankfulness for the Lords Supper where then is thy due estimation of 1. Christ 2. His Death 3. His Supper All theâ—e are thankfully to be esteemed according to their respective worth by thankful Communicants 1. Dost thou esteem Christ the Matter of the Lords Supper according to his worth Paul so esteemed him that he desired to Know nothing but Christ. That he counted all things losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ yea all things dung that he might win Christ. The Church so esteemed Christ as to count him The chief among ten thousand How dost thou estimate Christ Dost thou amplifie and commend Christ to thy self by such consideration as may raise up greatest estimation of him As 1. The greatnesse of the Giver the all-sufficient self-â—ufficient God Having all happinesse fulneâ—s and perfection in himself and no way needing any of his creatures Yet he gave Christ for us 2. The eminency of the Gift or Benefit Christ is The Gift of God That is The Gift of Gifts No other Gift being comparable to him And therefore they are said to have Received no mercy that are not partakers of this mercy of mercies He is the Son of God the only begotten Son of God the brightnesse of his Fathers glory the expresse character of his person The Son of his Love Holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and higher then the Heavens c. Who can truly know Christ and not highly esteem Christ 3. The indignity of them for whose sakes Christ was given He was intentionally indeed given for his elect sheep and for his Church But these all undone by the fall of the first Adam
were tendered I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the LORD He had a lively appetite he was an hungry soul that was gladned with such spiritual invitations Hence some think the sound of the Silver Trumpets which was among other uses for calling together the Assemblies and solemnity of their sacrifices was called The joyful sound because it made them joyfull that had true appetites to the publick Ordinances Now then art thou glad when the Sabbath comes when the Sacrament approaches when they say to thee Come let us go to the Table of the Lord c Here 's a signe of a good appetite But they that say When will the Sabbath be gone the Sacrament be done c. having no kindly affectionate movings shew their appetite is extream dull and diseased if any at all 4. A good stomach retaines and closes fast with the food received that it may conâ—oct it When the stomach returnes and casts up its morsels there is not only no appetite but the Party is dangerously distempered So here the soule that 's truly a thirst for Christ when he hath received him in the Sacrament or any other Ordinance how doth he clasp and close with him that he may digest and turn him into life blood and spirits to the inner man by Faith Prayers and Meditation He holds fast his death and the benefits thereof labours to walk as one in Communion with Christ and refreshed therewith And charges all as the Church did once the daughters of Ierusalem I charge you that you stirre not up nor awake my love untill he please But when men presently disgorge the Sacrament forget Christ his Death his New Testament and Communion with him unto which they have sealed in the Lords Supper returning to their lusts covetousnesse worldlinesse drunkennesse c. as soon as they have turned their backs of the Lords Table they have no true spiritual appetites but are wofully diseased 6. Finally A man of a good appetite not only retains food received but also findes strengthening refreshment comfort and much benefit by food retained His hunger is slaked thirst quenched crudities expelled fainting spirits revived and decayed strength restored whereby he becomes active for all imployments So here he that hath a true spiritual appetite to the Lords Supper and to Christ crucified herein he will extract and derive much spiritual strength comfort and refreshing from that banquet Faith and all the graces in the inner man will be nourished â—latulencies of corruptions corrected Evidences of sin's pardon Communion with Christ and interest in the New Testament will be farther confirmed and cleared and spiritual strength improved for all heavenly services That the Communicant may walk in the strength of this food many dayes like Elijah till he come to the Mount of God This the very Scope of the Lords Supper thus to strengthen stablish nourish comfort a Christian in his inward man Perhaps for present these benefits may not be so evidently discerned at communicating as afterwards As in the corporal repast the stomack is oft-times little refreshed yea sometimes becomes more sick by eating yet afterwards the body is much advantaged by the food Thus we may examine our Communion-Appetite And hitherto of our Due Preparation by Self-examination for the Lords Supper before we communicate Next consider we of The Right use of the Lords Supper whilest we are Communicating II. Directions touching the Right Use of the Lords Supper in Communicating That thou maist rightly use and handle the Lords Supper in the Act of Communicating so as to be welcome and well-pleasing to Christ and to reap benefit thereby to thine own soul carefully observe and follow these few insuing Directions I. Approach to the Lords Table in an humble Sense of thy Self-unworthinesse rather then with uncharitable censoriousnesse of others Jesus Christ who invites us to this Feast is a great Lord and a Mighty King even Lord of Lords and King of Kings And we are but sinful lumps of dust and ashes What self-abasing thoughts therefore should dwell upon our hearts in all our approaches to him Christ was meek and lowly of heart and loves that we should learn of him to be meek and lowly also that thereby we may finde rest to our souls He justified the self-debasing Publican when he condemned the Self-applauding Pharisee Thou knowest worse by thy self then by any other have therefore meanest thoughts of thy self be vilest in thine own eyes cast the first stone at thy self say with Paul I am least of Saints but chief of sinners Say with the Canaanitish woman Truth Lord I am a dog yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters Tables Say not this person is ignorant that scandalous that unworthy c. but say Lord I am ignorant I am unworthy to come unto thee I am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants The Apostles at the Supper censured not one another but every one most suspected himself saying Lord is is I II. Propound to thy selfe and actually level at right not wrong ends in Communicating Good Ends cannot justifie a bad Action but bad ends will corrupt and condemne a good Action Good Ends are the crown and glory of good Actions Come not to the Lords Supper for these wrong Ends viz. 1. Not to make the Sacrament a bond of iniquity As the bloody Papists abused the Lords Supper to confirme themselves more strongly in carrying on the horrid Gunpowder-Treason To take the Lords Supper to strengthen a mans resolutions in any evil practice is blasphemously to make Christ a Patron to our sins and the Sacrament a stalking-horse to our corruptions 2. Not for Superstitious purposes as in Popery for Idolatrous Adoration of the Elements carrying them about in Procession Reservation of them for healing of diseases in man or beast for casting them into dead mens graves c. These are abominable fooleries to be abhorred utterly besides the intention of the Lords Supper 3. Not for Conversion or breeding Grace in a gracelesse heart True a man may possibly be converted at the Lords Supper by the Word then opened and applied but not be converted precisely by the Lords Supper For this sacrament was intended by Christ as a spiritual Feast The Lords Supper Therefore not to convert and give life to them that are spiritually dead but to confime and nourish them that are spiritually alive Not to breed Grace where there is none but to feed Grace where there is Again Who shall be converted by the Lords Supper either they must be Pagans from Paganisme to Christianity or professed Christians from a carnal to a spiritual state in Christ but neither of these are converted by the Lords Supper Not Pagans for they are to be converted by preaching the Gospel before they may be baptized till after
his caâ—â—all condition in the first Adam not having accepted Christ lyes under the Covenant of works requiring personal perfect and perpetual obedience under pain of death and the curse And since the Fall no man can keep this Covenant by reason of the infirmity of the flesh nor avoid the curse for not keeping it For Christ alone redeems us from the curse becoming a curse for us Hence every carnal Christlesse man is a cursed man 3. There 's no possibility of escaping damnation or obtaining salvation but onely by Jesus Christ and spiritual interest in him There is not salvation in any other For there is no other name under heaven given whereby we may be saved Hence it is â—aid Except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And except a man be born again of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into thâ— Kingdome of God He that believes not shall be damned Yea He that believes not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God 4. Our natural condition without Christ is most miâ—erable but our supernatural condition in Christ will be most happy For By nature we are utterly lost and in the way of perishing for ever but in Christ we that were lost are found By nature we are dark and blinde in spiritualâ— but of Christ we buy eye-salve that we may see and by him we are called out of darkness into his marvellous light By nature we are dead in sins and trespasses and câ—nnot acceptably act or move at all in spiritual courses but when we come to Christ we shall be quickned and inabled to do all things By nature we are enemies yea enmity against God and against all goodnesse but in Christ we shall be reconciled to God and made freinds by the blood of his Crosse. By nature we are old and corrupt but in Christ Old things shall passe away and we shall become new Creatures By nature we are unregenerate but by Christ we shall be born again By nature we are full of spots and deformities but in Christ we shall be washed and purified at last from every spot and wrinkle through his blood and by his grace become full of beauty Finally by nature we are not a people having not obtained mercy but when we shall come to Christ we shall become the People of the living God and shall obtain in him the Mercy of mercies Now therefore unlesse we resolve to die in this natural misery and to despise all this supernatural felicity it is most necessary that we hasten unto Jesus Christ and the acceptance of him The Duties which we are to perform being once brought unto Christ are many and of high importane Generally we are to walk in newnesse of life this comprehends all Particularly we are to walk 1 In repentance from all dead works not onely bewailing but hating and forsaking them 2. In Self-denyal We must deny our selves In all our Self-sinfulnesse In all our Self-righteousnesse In all our Self-wisdom In all our Self-will In all our Self-love Our self-sinfulnesse is abominable our self-righteousnesse is as filthy rags and rottennesse our self-wisdome is but folly our self-will is but a crooked Rule our self-love is but self-hatred and all the carnal worldly objects of self-love but losse and dung in comparison of Jesus Christ. 3. In faâ—th towards God and Jesus Christ. This is a fundamental duty And by faith we must live drawing all vital supplies from Christ depending upon Gods all-sufficiency and his never-failing promiâ—es 4. In all Christian obedience and in all manner of good works They that believe in God should be carefull to maintain good works and to be alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. For they are His workmanship created in Iesus Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them 5. In all piety to God righteousnesse towards men and sobriety towards our selves For the Gospel of Gods grace teacheth us that denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world 6. In all good conscience and inoffensivenesse towards both God and men Thus the Apostle Paul lived and so should we 7. In all Purity and Holinesse Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. As he therefore that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 8. In all exactnesse strictnesse accuratenesse of conversation Walk circumspectly Greec accurately exactly c. We must walk closely with God looking narrowly to our thoughts words and works 9. In a word we must constantly walk on unto Perfection labouring to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ. As he that swims if he presse not forward the stream carries him backward so in Christianity if we presse not on to perfection the stream of corruption and temptation will drive us back again Therefore Forgetting what is behind let us reach forth to those things which are before and presse towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus These and many like duties we are to perform if we be in Christ. 'T is no small pittance of grace that will serve turn for such performances 3. The Priviledges which we shall enjoy in Christ are generally such as carnal Eye hath not seen ear heard nor the heart of carnal man hath conceived More particularly these that follow especially viz. 1. Adoption into the family of God as his sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. So that now we are of Gods houshold and partake of the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba father And we are not onely sons but heirs of God coheirs with Christ. Behold what manner of love the father hath manifested to us that we should he called the sons of God This is a grand fundamental Priviledge 2. Sanctification of our natures by the Spirit of Christ renewing our whole man after Gods image with all kindes of Grace and mortifying more and more all the reliques of sin in us 3. Justification of our persons freely of Gods meer grace through Christs obedience and death imputed to us by faith whereby all our sins are pardoned and our persons accepted as righteous before God O thrice blessed are they that are thus pardoned and justified 4. Sweet Communion with God Father Son and Holy Ghost This fellowship is the Saints heaven-on-earth Such walk with God converse with God have their conversation in heaven They dwell in God and God in them Sup with Christ and Christ with them 5. All the promises of this and the world to come The promises of God are
can truly say The Lord hath written his law in their hearts and made them know him For carnal unregenerate men who seek not for a saving interest in Christ the second â—â—am according to the tenour of the New 〈◊〉 they do evidently content the◠〈◊〉 with their lapsed condition in the first Adam and so remaine still under the forfeit penalty and curse of the first Covenant of Works broken by Adams fall These things are principally to be known touching the New covenant by worthy Communicants that they may have a true notion or apprehension of that Covenant which is seaâ—ed unto them by tâ—e Lords Supper 5. Knowledge of the Lords Supper it self Finally the fifth and last point of Knowledge especially necessary to qualifie a person for worthy communicating is The knowledge of the true nature of Sacraments and particularly of the Lords Supper it self For How can that be duly managed which is not truly understood To this end we are to know 1. That the Lord hath been wont to deal with his Church and people by way of Sacraments in all times and ages As 1. With Adam and his posterity in a sort For it is supposed by the learned that when God cloathed Adam and Eve with skins he taught them also to sacrifice the bodys of those beasts with whose skins they were cloathed and this is the more probable because the Scripture declaring Abels Religion makes mention only of his Sacrificing the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof These Sacrifices were types of Christ yea pledges tokens and as it were Sacraments confirming the first promise of the seed of the woman Jesus Christ. 2. With Abram when God stablished his Covenant with him and his seed he annexed Circumcision as a Token or Sacrament of the Covenant 3. With Israel when God by the hand of Moses brought them out of Egypt destroying Egypts first-born that they might let Israel go he appointed the Sacrament of the Passeover as a pledge of the preservation of all Israels first-born from Gods wrath 4. When God brought them through the wildernesse in an extraordinary sort Israel also had four extraordinary Sacraments signifying to them spiritual Mysteries in Christ viz. 1 Baptizing in the cloud that both sheltred them from the heat and guided them in their way 2 Baptizing in the Sea which saved them when the Egyptians were drowned 3 Mannah that spiritual meat 4 Water out of the Rock that spiritual drink These four Sacraments were extraordinary and continued but a while viz. during Israels abode in the wildernesse The other lasted till Christs coming in the flesh 5. With the people of God under the New Testament the Lord dealeth also by way of Sacraments ordaining Baptisme and the Lords Supper as standing Sacraments till the end of the world But why doth the Lord thus deal with his people by way of Sacraments in all ages Answ. This comes to passe 1. From Gods familiar love and condescension to his people delighting most plainly and easily to make known spirituals unto them 2. From the abstrusenesse and mysteriousnesse of Christ and the things of Christ which are sublime high heavenly worthy of the quickest inâ—pection of Angels themselves and therefore so far above humane â—pprehension in their heavenly â—uâ—â—re that God represents them in earthly resemblances 3. From the dulnesse of our understandings in conceiving aright of the great Mysteries of Christ therefore God â—â—oops to us â—etting them forth in sensible and visible Elements He descends to our Carnalnesse that we may aâ—cend to his Spiritualnesse He helps our outward senses that they may help our inward graces II. Sacraments are part not of Gods naturall but of his instituted worship Gods Naturall worshâ—p is that which is required in the first Commandment and which the light of Nature dictates to be due unto him Instituted worship is that which is contained in the second Commandment which light of natâ—re cannot particularly lead us unto but onely some posâ—tive divine Institution Now Sacraments are not of Gods Natural but onely of his Instituted worship No light of nature can intimate to us that under the Old Testament God would be worshipped with Ciâ—â—umcision and the Passeover and under the New Testament with Baptisme and the Lords Supper had not God by expresse and positive Inâ—â—itution appointed both Whatsoever Sacraments are they are wholly by Institution We have no other particular ground or foundation for them at all Therefore in the administration of the Lords Supper and of every Sacrament both Ministers and People respectively must cleave close to the Institution The neerer we come up thereto the more acceptable we are to the Lord. As Paul both in planting Sacraments at first and reforming Sacrament-abuses afterwards precisely followed the Lords Institution III. All the Sacraments that ever were instituted since Adam's fall to this day were Tokens Pledges or Seals of the Covenant of grace As Circumcision was a Token of this Covenant a Seal of the righteousnesse of faith c. For since the fall God never set on foot any other Covenant but the Covenant of Grace The Old and New Covenant are both the Covenant of Grace When therefore we come to the Lords Supper we come to renew Covenant with God and to have his gratious New Testament sealed to us IV. Every Sacrament both ordinary and extraordinary of Old or New Testament represents principally Jesus Chrst and him as crucified Adam's sacrifices types of Christ the true sacrifice Circumcision a pledge of our heart-Circumcision through Christs blood The Passeover a token and type of Christ our Passeover sacrificed for us The extraordinary Sacraments Signes of Christ and his sufferings By Baptisme we are said to be baptized into Christ and into his death And by the Lords Supper we so oft as we eat and drink it are said to shew forth the Lords death until he come So that Christ and his death Christ as crucified is the golden thread that runs along through every Sacrament and is the substance and mystery of all Sacraments When therefore we come to the Lords Supper we come to partake a Seal and solemn Memorial of Christ crucified and of all the benefits of his death V. Sacraments are of severall sorts viz. 1. Sacraments of the Old Testament signifying Christ crucified to come afterwards and these were either ordinary or extraordinary Ordinary Sacraments of the Old Testament were chiefly two 1 Circumcision the initiating Sacrament denoting the cutting off of the corruption of the heart by Christ and his grace 2 The Passeover the consummating Sacrament signifying spiritual nourishment by Christ and preâ—ervation from Gods wrath through him Extraordinary Sacraments of the Old Testament were four 1 The Cloud 2. The Sea 3 Mannah from Heaven 4 Water out of the Rock All these were Sacraments of the Old Testament 2. Sacraments of the New Testament signifying Chriâ—t crucified already
in being and well-being He that made the world is still upholding all things by the word of his power 2. Governing and disposing all Creatures and all their actions even the least and smallest of them all The LORD hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdome ruleth over all Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father but the very hairs of your head are all numbred 3. Oâ—dering and directing all creatures and al their actions to his own glory and his peoples good Ioseph said to his brethren God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance So now it was not you that sent me hither but God Ye thought evil against me but God mean't it unto good c. So didst thou lead thy people to make thy self a glorious name For of him and through him and to him are all things As for Gods special Creation of man and Providence over man in his fourefold state viz. of 1. Creation 2. Corruption 3. Restitution and 4. Perfection They will come farther to be considered in the next branch the knowledge of our selves Hitherto of the first branch of knowledge requisite in some competent sort before communicating viz. The Knowledge of God 2. Knowledge of our selves Knowledge of our selves is the next point of Knowledge necessary to a worthy Communicant Christians eyes and apprehensions should be like the windowes of the Temple widest inward narrowest outward far more dispoâ—ed to look home then abroad better acquainted with themselves then with others And not like Plutarch's Lamiae or Witches that put on their eyes when they went abroad but put up their eyes in boxes when they came home The necessity of this Self-Knowledge hath before been evidenced The particulars of Self-Knowledge follow We are principally to know our selves 1. What we were in Adam before the fall 2. What we are in Adam since the fall 3. What we should and may be in Iesus Christ the second Adam I. What were we in Adam before the fall Answ. Before the fall Adam was the happiest creature under the Sun enjoying many surpassing Priviledges And all mankind being then in his loyns enjoyed in him the same happinesse and Priviledges viz. 1. A reasonable and immortall soul personally joyned with a suitable body both of them fearfully and wonderfully made yea curiously wrought according to divine Consultation of the blessed Trinity Adams soul was so rationall that he knew the nature of all the creatures which God brought before him and named them accordingly And so immortal that it cannot die a natural death as many Scriptures intimate But the souls of all other sublunary creatures besides man are irrationall and die with their bodies 2. A most pleasant Habitation God planted a Garden Eastward in Eden and there he put the man A garden is the glory of the fields A garden of Gods planting the glory of all gardens Herein grew every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food And a Quadripartite or four-streamed river to water the garden Oh what a garden of delights what an earthly Paradise Here man was placed to dresse this Garden Man must not be idle no not in Paradise 3. Liberall Provision Man was allowed freely to eat of every herb and of the fruit of every tree in the Garden except only the tree of Knowledge of good and evil His food therefore was most various and delicious 4. Vniversal dominion over the creatures Let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowle of the air and over the cattell and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth This dominion was not supreme but subordinate to Gods dominion Adam was Monarch of the earth God the sole Monarch of all the world Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him the Son of man that thou visitest him Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet So that all sublunary creatures were to do homage unto Adam 5 Conjugal society with his wife created out of Adams side while he was asleep She was thus taken out of man that she might be a meet help for man and become affectionately dear to man as bone of hâ—s bone and flesh of his flesh Man is naturally a sociable creature and loves society And Marriage-society is the sweetest of all natural societies 6. Innocency God made man upright As man came at first out of Gods hands he was spotlesse undefiled and wholly without sin Hence that state is stiled The state of innocency Except Christ never man on earth was perfectly without sin as Adam was in his first Creation The holiest Saints in this life have sinne in them though sin reigne not over them We were without sinne in the earthly Paradise and shall be without sin in the heavenly Paradise How happy is a sin-less state 7. The image of God God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him There was not only an utter absence of all sinfulnesse but also a presence of all due righteousnesse in him in which regard he was perfectly conformable to the will of God This image of God in man seems principally to consist in 1. Knowledge 2. Rigâ—teousnesse and 3. True holinesse or as the Greek phrase is Holinesse of truth This image of God in Adam made him ful of divine beauty whereby he was all glorious within surpassing all sublunary creatures 8. A Covenant-state with God In all times and states of the Church God hath pleased to deal with his people by way of Covenant Adam before the fall being perfect and without sin had perfect ability given him to keep that Covenant with God in which he was naturally enstated The Covenant into which Adam was admitted with God was the Covenant of Works the substance whereof is the Morall Law or Ten Commandements The Morall Law was perfectly written in Adams heart for the substance of it so that he was fully able to know and keep it for even since the fall the Gentiles which have not the written Law do by nature the things contained in the Law which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts Much more was the Law written in Adams heart before the fall This Covenant of Works the substance whereof is contained in the Morall Law required personal perfect and perpetual obedience under the severest penalties Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Vnto this Covenant of Works with Adam seem to be annexed two Sacraments viz. The Tree of Life assuring him of life upon his keeping Covenant and eating of that
tree And the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill assuring him of death upon breach of Covenant and tasting of that Tree 9. Finally Adam enjoyed sweet Peace and Communion with God all the while he continued in this his pure primitive state God familiarly conversed with him he with God in the Garden of Eden receiving from God no expressions but of love and favour This Peace and Communion with God was the Eden of Eden the Paradise of Adams Paradise Object These were Adams Priviledges before the fall and they were excellent But what is all this to us Asw. All this is very much to us For all Adams Priviledges were our Priviledges Adam being a publick person the generall Parent Root and Stock of Mankinde and we all at that time in his loyns Therefore as Levi is said to pay Tithes in Abram unto Melchizedech because Levi was in his father Abram's loyns when Melchizedech met him So we may be truly said to enjoy all the Priviledges of the state of innocency in Adam because at that time we all were in Adams loynes when he injoyed them Oh therefore How happy a man was Adam and how happy were all we in Adam before the fall Thus we should know our selves and our primitive state what once we were in Adam before the fall Next we should know what we now are by nature since the fall II. What are we now in Adam by nature since the fall Answ. As the pillar of cloud between the Israelites and Egyptians had a light side and a dark side Giving light by night to Israel but being darknesse to the Egyptians So our state before and after the fall had a bright side and a dark side I have already shewed you the bright side of the cloud Now I shall represent unto you the dark side We were not once so happy before the fall but we are now as miserable since the fall And this chiefly two ways 1. Through the Privation and Absence of all good which we had 2. Through the Position or presence of all evil which we had not 1. By the fall of Adam we have lost all the good we had all the happinesse we enjoyed in our first estate 1. Our reasonable and immortall soules are become brutish in the things of God and liable to die everlastingly 2 We are banished out of Paradise our pleasant Habitation 3 We are deprived of Edens liberall Provision In the sweat of our browes we must now get our bread and though we toyle never so much Yet the earth yields not its strength but brings forth thorns thistles 4 We have lost much of our dominion over the creatures many of them rebeling against us 5 The sweetness of Marriage-society is imbittered The wives subjection to her husband becoming grievous Her sorrows in Conception and bringing forth being greatly multiplied and both of them being exercised with cares and troubles in the flesh touching their children one another 6. Our innocency and spotlesnesse is swallowed up with nocency and sinfulnesse 7. We are disrobed of Gods beauteous image Having sought out many inventions till Christ the second Adam repair Gods image in us 8. We have brok Covenant with God by eating the forbidden fruit and so have debar'd our selves of all benefit of the Tree of Life 9. And finally we lost our sweet Peace and Communion with God sin defiling our consciences with guilt clothing us with shame and filling our hearts with fear and horrour at the presence of God our â—irst Parents and we in them endeavouring to hide our selves from Gods presence among the trees of the Garden Thus by the fall we are quite stript of all our glory and happinesse wherein we were created 2. By the fall of Adam we are also implunged into all manner of evil which we had not before viz. 1. Evil of sin 2. Evil of punishment 1 The evil of sin is most grievous upon us divers wayes Principally in regard 1. Of Adams sin whereof we are guilty 1. Of Original sin wherein we are naturally drowned 3. Of Actual sin of all sorts and degrees whereunto we are naturally disposed 1. We are all guilty of Adams sin of Adams fall For we all being in the loyns of Adam the publick Root of mankind we stood with him and we fell with him Hence it is said By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned And again By one mans disobedience many were made sinners So that Adams fall and first sin together with all the sinfull ingredients aggravations thereof As Vnbelief Pride Disobedience Rebellion Vnthankfulnesse Intemperance Murder Apostacy Hypocrisie c. may all most justly be laid to our charge And this is sin enough were we guilty of no more to sink us into everlasting death 2. We are all drowned in Original corruption For even Infants from Adam to Moses that lived not so long as to sin Actually as Adam in his Apostacy did even they were brought under death for their guilt of Adams sin and of Originall corruption of their natures Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression And David thus laments himâ—elf Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me This the common lot of all Adams posterity even of David among the rest Yea Iob long before David said Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one So then Adam by the fall becoming unclean all Adams children naturally and by ordinary propagation descending from him are naturally unclean also This sinful uncleannesse of nature we call Original sin or Original corrupâ—ion That we may the better discern the venome and sinfulnesse of Original sinne Let us a little consider 1. The names 2. The Nature 3. Thâ— Aggravations of it Thâ— Names given to Original sin in Scripture are divers and very observeable It is called 1. Sin by way of Emphasis as being the sin of sins the mother sin In sin did my mother conceive me 2. Sin-dwelling-in-us Because it hath its continual abode in our natures while we continue in these Tabernacles whether we wake or sleep c. As Ivy abides in an old wall till the wall be pulled down Hence Paul It is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me 3. The easily-encompassing-sin Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily-beset us By weight Beza seems rightly to understand all burdensome worldly impediments which hinder us in our Christian course By Sin easily-encompassing Original corruption of our natures that like snares besets us before behinde and on every side tangels our Mindes Consciences Wills Affections and all our members is as fetters to our feet manacles to our hands c. so that we cannot run
was so obedient that he lost his life rather then he would lose his obedience Now how can we think to meddle with this Memorial of Christs obedience for us acceptably unlesse we be truâ—y obedient unto God in Christ proportionably Or What fellowship can obedience haâ—e with disoâ—edience 2. The Tryal and Examination of New Obedience may be according to these Properties of Obedience True Obedience is 1. Consciencious 2. Cordial 3. Transforming 4. Resolved 5. Complete 6. Increasing 7. Continuing 1. True Christian Obedience is Consciencious Ariseth from a Consciencious respect to Gods Command and an awful filial fear of God commanding The End of the Commandment is Love out of a pure heart and a good conscience Such the ground of Noah's obedience who being warned of God touching things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Sâ—ch Abraham's who followed God not knowing whither he went meer conscience and awe to Gods call and command made him obey Such David's Mâ—ne heart trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Mâ—ne heart standeth in awe of thy Word Dost thou obey in an holy awe and conscience to Gods commands though thou hast no other Motives to obedience 2. True Obedâ—ence is cordial hearty and affectâ—onate Not an outâ—de but an inside-Obedience aâ—â—o not a meer superficial and compâ—emental shew but a reality flowing from the inward frame of the soul and the very heart-root Arising from the inscription of the Law in the heart I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within mine heart Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrâ—ne which was delivered you Is thine obedience from the heart-root But how shall I diâ—coâ—er whether my obedience be cordial and hearty Answ. Thou mayst discover the heartiness of thine obedience 1. By thy willingness to it The heart makes a man a volunteere ready and forward to all duties and performances Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power If ye be willing and obedient I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments 2. By thy chearfulness in it What is done heartily is done chearfully delightfully I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is in my heart This is love that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous Iob was so hearty in obedience that he esteemed Gods words more then his necessary food Christ so delighted in obedience that he said My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Dost thou go as chearfully to the doing of Gods will as to thy meat and drink when thou art hungry 3. By thy grief at contrary courses of disobedience in others and faiâ—ings of obedience in thy self Thus Paul finding that when he would do good evill was present with him and that however he delâ—ghted in the Law of God touching the inward man yet he saw another Law in his members rebellâ—ng against the Law of his minde and bringing hâ—m into captivity to the Law of sin He hereupon thus laments his failings O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of thâ—s death And as Paul grieved at his own failings of obedience So David at others disobedience Horrour hath taken hold upon me because of the wâ—cked that forsake thy Law And again Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law If thus thou art willing to obedience cheerfull in it and grieved for failings thine obedience is cordial sincere and acceptable to God 3. True Obedience is a transforming Obedience mightily altereth and changeth a man from impurity to purity from sin to sanctity from Sodomites to Saints c. As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but as he whâ—ch hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Otherwise as Samuel said to Saul when he bragged of his obedience What meaneth then this lowing of the oxen and bleâ—ting of the sheep c so it may be laid to all dissemblers in obedience Are you obedient What meaneth then the noyse of your prophanation of Sabbaths of your swearing drunkennesse uncleannesse c 4. True Obedience is a fixed and resolved Obedience Like Davids Worthies will break through an host of Philistines through an Army of difficulties impediments and discouragements to the contrary For No contrary commands of man shall deter the truly obedient from their duties They wil obey God rather than man when both cannot be obeyed without crossing each other No stream of the multitude or current of corruptest times wherein they live shall bear them down from their obedience Ioshuah and his house will serve the Lord though all Israel should serve Idols And Noah was upright with God when the whole world was overspread with violence and all flesh had corrupted his wayes No worldly profits advantages or priviledges shall bribe them from their obedience Abram will obey and follow God though he forsake all the benefits and contentments of his Native Countrey and of his fathers House not knowing where his lot should fall No carnal disputes or reasonings with flesh and blood shall disswade them Noah might have raised many Objections against that strange attempt of building an Ark a work of 120 yeers continuance but Noah waves disputing and fals to building his arke which God commanded Paul lateâ—y a Persecutor and but newly converted receives command to be a Preacher to the Gentiles immediately he conferred not with flesh and blood though he might have made multitudes of objections but went into Arabia and fell close to his Masters work No flood of Natural affections which oft-times proâ—e most dangerous stumbling-blocks to well-doing shall drown or conquer their obedience As in Abraham when Sarah desired him but to cast out Ishmael the son of the bond-woman the thing was grievous in his eyes yet when God commands him to sacrifice Isaac as a burns-offering though the son of the free-woman his onâ—y son the son of his old age his sonne whom he loved the son of the promise in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed he goes about it readily and never acquainting Sarah lest she should hinder his obedience he travelled three dayes journey to effect it Thus the Levites did execution according to Gods command by Moses upon them that had sinned in the idolatrous Galfe of Aaron without favour or affection to brethren or kindred Hence Levi is so commended Who said unto his father and to his mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his own children for they have observed thy Word and kept thy Covenant Natural affection is strong but supernatural obedience is stronger Finally no terrours of threats reproaches afflictions bonds imprisonments
or death for obedience shall deter and fright them from their obedience Paul professes to worship God according to the way of Christianity though it was reproached with the brand of Heresie The Holy-Ghost in every city witnessed that bonds and afflictions abode Paul yet saith he None of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received And when for fear of bonds Paul was importuned with tears not to go up to Ierusalem He answered What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound oâ—ly but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus And when those three heroick-spirited Jews were threatned by King Nebuchadnezzer to be cast alive into the burning furnace seven times hotter then usual if they would not worship his golden image they answer Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up Their bodies shall rather burne to ashes then they will contrary to Gods command bow to his Idols Hast thou now such a well-resolved obedience 5. True obedience is compleate It 's complete two wayes viz. 1. Partly in reâ—pect of the subject or heart obeying A man truly obedient obeys with an entire heart and perfect spirit I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart 2. Partly in reâ—pect of the object or Commandments obeyed A man truly obedient doth not indent pick and châ—se These commands he will obey not those the first Table but not the second c. but will obey all will have a respect and a regard to all As Caleb and Ioshuah who followed the Lord fully They were thorough-paced in their obedience And as David Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments 6. Finally True obedâ—ence decays not but is growing and lâ—sting Growing as in Thyatira whoâ—e last works were more then the first Laâ—â—iâ—g also and constantly continuing as in David I have inclined mine heart to do thy statutes alway even unto the end My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy â—udgements at all times Teach me O LORD the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end False obedience decays and dies Thus thou mayest try the truth of thine obedience V. LOVE is another special qualification of a worthy Communicant fitting for due receiving of the Lords Supper Touching which we should aforehand examine our selves Now because in this Ordinance we have Communion not only with Christ as our Head but also with one another as fellow-members Therefore we are to be furnished with and to examine our selves of a twofold love viz. 1. Love to Christ. 2. Love to Christians Love to Christ. Touching which consider diâ—igently 1. The Need that Communicants have of it 2. The Tryal they make of it 1. The Necessity of our true love to Christ before we communicate and as a qualification for receiving the Lords Supper appears upon theâ—e following considerations 1. They that do not truly love Jesus Christ are under one of the heaviest and bittereâ—t curses of God in the whole Bible If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Herein note 1. The ground or cause of this curse The not loving of Iesus Christ. He saith not if any man hate the Lord Jesus Christ or reproach him or blaspheme and curse him or persecute him c. but that which is far lesse If any man love him not The bare want of this aâ—fection to Christ is enough to separate from Christ. 2. The nature of the â—urse Let him be Anathema Maranatha These two words are of two several languages both denoting a curse To intimate this is a double a peremptory and bitter curâ—e as Pharoahs dreams were doubled for the greater certainty Anathema is a Greek word and elsewhere is translated Accursed If any man preach any other Gospel to you let him be Anathema or let him be accursed as if he should say Let him be devoted viz. to the devil and separated from Christ and his Churches Communion Maranatha some learned Writers take this as Beza observes to be a Syriack word Calvin seems not so well satisfied with their judgement Others count it a Chaldee word yet used in Hebrew and known familiarly even among the Greeks It seems to be compounded of three words Mara na atha that is Our Lord cometh As intimating that such as were under this curse were given up and reâ—erved to the Lords coming to be judged by him That they are to expect nothing but the terrible coming of Christ to take vengeance of them And that prophecie of Enoch seems to allude to some such curse Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them c. Beza thinks this anâ—wers to the heaviest curse among the Jews They had first their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niddui Secondly their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherem that is Anathema This their Cherem was either the simple and single Anathama or their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schematha or Maranatha Paul therefore not contenting himself to say Let him be Anathema he addes Maranatha to denote the vehemency and grievousnesse of the curse Oh what a terrible curse is this 3. The extent of this curse If any man As if he said let it be who it will that loves not Christ Jew or Gentiâ—e bond or free Master or servant rich or poor young or old King or begger that loves not Christ understand it especially of them within the visible Church let him be utterly accurâ—ed Now if the Non-loâ—ers of Christ be thus under this curse how can they possibly come to the Lords Supper so remaining without true love to Christ but be abominâ—ble to him 2. The Lords Supper is a sweet love-token betwixt Christ and his Church Christ and his members Herein they mutually seal up their reciprocal affections to each other What love doth Christ herein signifie seal and exhibite to us As is every way evident The time of instituting this Ordinance speaks love It was in the same night in which he was betrayed How warm were his affections even then to us when within a few houres after that he was to pour out his warmest hearts blood for us even then he was so mindful of his Church as to leave her this farewel-Token and legacy of his Love that she might never forget his love The mysteries tendred in this ordinance speak love Here 's Christs body not whole but broken Christs blood not as