to be faithfull and obedient Even thus hath it pleased the Lord Jesus Christ the Redeemer of rebeâ—lâ—ous degenerate mankind to proclaim free and full pardon to all that will heartily repent of and turn from their wicked ways and take him for their Lord and Saviour and submit to his directions for their attainment of happinesse and withall he hath commanded all that will thus become his disciples first to be listed under him by Baptisme whereby they are visibly entred amongst the number of professing Christians and afterwards they who were baptized in infancy are to come to this Sacramental Feast and there to joyn with their fellow-believers in a personall profession of their willingness and resolution to stand to that Covenant whereinto they were engaged by Baptisme in testimony whereof they eat the Bread and drink the Wine whereby the Body and Blood of Christ is represented as I shall further shew anon Now would it not in like manner be a strange piece of folly and monstrous hypocrisie for any man to rest satisfied with his having been baptized or his receiving the Lords Supper and think himself therefore a Christian good enough without taking care to perform those promises which he then made but rather encourage himself in sin by the consideration of what he had done as if he might the more safely rebell against God because he had expresly vowed against all such rebellion Could there be a more desperate dangerous wickedness than to make such a wilfull mistake And yet I wish there be not thousands guilty of it Alas alas how few that have taken the earnest-peny and wear Christs Colours that ever think to any purpose what they are hereby bound to How many in effect renounce their Baptisme by their ungodly lives and either neglect the Lords Supper or come to it to pacifie their Consciences that they may sin the more freely rather than to strengthen and engage themselves against every sin As for Bapâ—isme I shall not insist on it though I grant that this is the leading Sacrament appointed for the testimony of our being first devoted to God which engagement we ought to call to remembrance and renew at the Lords Supper whereof according to my promise I now come to speak CHAP. II. What it is to doe this to celebrate the Communion in reremembrance of Christ. And I. That it includes the true knowledge of him AND being desirous to contribute some assistance to those that need it to bring them through Gods blessing to a conscientious performance of this great duty I observe there are two sorts of persons faulty herein either such as neglect it or that miscarry and fail in the manner of doing it Those that neglect it are either such that doe it out of meer wilfulness as the grossely vicious that will not come to this Sacrament because they think this would lay an obligation upon them to forsake those sins which they never intend to part with whatever come on 't and the stupid sensless ones that know not the worth nor see the need of this Ordinance or any other duties of Religion who live as heathenishly as if they had never heard of God and Christ and another world nor doe they care to be instructed in these points as if they were not at all concerned in them or else they are such that abstain from it out of doubting and fear not thinking themselves worthy or not knowing whether they are worthy or not Of this sort there are many excellent Christians who too much indulge to their own melancholy and despondent apprehensions and also many weaker but I hope honest well-meaning people who seem to have a great esteem for this Sacrament but having always heard what a dangerous thing it is to receive it unworthily dare not venture upon it not being well acquainted wâ—th the nature and reason of it and being doubtful whether they are fit to come or not being also I fear too languid and heartless in desiring after it or in making preparation for it and for such as these principally doe I intend my Directions By those that are guilty of miscarriage in the doing of this duty I mean such as rush upon it ignorantly and rashly not well weighing what they doe and who notwithstanding their customary attendance at the Lords Table continue their old sinfull course of life These also I hope may receive some benefit from the following Discourse together with the most profane and ignorant whilst I shall endeavour plainly to shew the intention of this Sacrament and perswade them to attend thereupon in a regular manner For since in behalf of those for whom especially I write this my great business is to shew who it is that is worthy to partake of this Ordinance and wherein this worthiness doth consist the method I will â—ake shall be this namely to shew for what purpose it was appointed by Jesus Christ and thence to discover those qualifications and graces which are required in the Communicants that they may receive it aright to those purposes for which it was appointed and after I have done this I shall lay down some arguments or motives to quicken all to come to and celebrate it in this due manner and then briefly direct those that intend to come As to the first what was the reason and end why this Sacrament was appointed I know not whence we should be better informed than by looking back to the time of its first appointment and to see what Christ tells us he did ordain it for and this we may find expresly set down Luke 22.19 when he had broke the Bread and distributed he addes This doe in remembrance of me And the same words he used also after the delivery of the Wine as appears by the Apostle S. Paul's relation who delivered unto them what he had received of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.24 25. where after the giving of the Cup is added This doe ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me and so again ver 26. saith the Apostle As often as ye eat thâ—â— Bread and drink this Cup ye doe shew the Lords Death till he come that is you publish and represent it to the world you acknowledge and commemorate it So that by this it is plain that the great end of this Sacrament to which all others may be reduced is that by the celebrating thereof we may remember Jesus Chrâ—st and especially that we may keep up the memory of that inestimable mercy to mankind his dying for us a mercy which should never be forgotten by those on earth and shall never be forgotten by those in heaven Now hence it follows that they who are in a capacity and fitness rightly to remember Christ and his Death are worthy to partake of this Sacrament which was set apart for that purpose wherefore without going any farther I shall shew what is necessarily required to contained in or immediately flows from this remembrance of Christ that
thou dar'st not affirm either of these beware how thou mincest and lessenest thy sins when thou should'st repent of and bewail them for by so doing thou dost in effect thus blaspheme God Oh then let sin be call'd to the barre indict it for a murtherer as well thou mayst accuse it as guilty of the bloody death of the Lord of Life shew all the wounds and stabs that it gave him and see that thou pronounce sentence against it even utter death without any pity or remorse and heartily lament thy own basenesse in having so long given loving entertainment to such a monstrous murtherer and traitour And when ever thou find'st any favourable thoughts of sin arising in thy breast call to mind what it did against Christ and let that make thy heart rise against it and even boil with an holy hatred and desire of revenge And let the frequent remembrance of those streams of blood which thy sins fetcht from him open thy eyes to shed streams of tears or however work thy heart to an unfeigned sorrow for all thy iniquities for which thy Saviour was thus wounded 2. The next thing I would have have thee to enlarge thy meditations upon in the sufferings of Christ in order to the bringing of thee to a kindly repentance is that unspeakable love which is hereby manifested to the lost sons of men when I speak of Repentance I mean not meerly thy shedding of a few tears but an inward change of thy mind as I before shewed that thou should'st turn from Sin to the love of God and I know not what can be more likely to produce this than to shew thee the intolerable evil and mischief of sin that thou maist turn from it and the infinite goodnesse of God that thou maist be drawn to him Both these the Crosse of Christ most admirably holds forth so that well might the Apostle call Christ crucified the wisdome of God and the poweâ— of God 1 Cor. 1.23 24. How it shews the evil of sin to bring us to loath and leave it I have already shown and shall doe more in two following particulars That which I would now set thy thoughts upon is the inconceivable love of God in giving Christ for us and of Christ in being willing to lay down his life that as many as believe in him might not perish but have everlasting life Consider seriously how the great God hath sent after thee a poor worm the God whom thou hadst sinn'd against makes thee offers of peace the God who needs thee not yet appears desirous of thy happinesse when he might have poured out everlasting wrath upon thee he was willing to shew his compassion And see what he hath done in order to thy recovery He hath sent his own Son made of a woman made under the Law and delivered him to death for our offences and accepted of the satisfaction he hath made on the behalf of all that shall by him come to that God from whom they are faln and by his death not onely pardon of sin and deliverance from hell but a glorious Kingdome that shall never fade is purchast for all true Believers So that here 1. Thou seest plainly there is hope of pardon and acceptance upon thy hearty sorrow for and resolutions against sin And whom would not this encourage to come in freely acknowledging and protesting against their former backslidings and rebellions If indeed thou wast past hope it were as good keep thy sins while thou maist and make thy best of them But this is not yet thy case and if it hereafter should be thou maist thank thy own wilfulnesse For Jesus Christ hath brought in a better hope there is by him liberty proclaim'd to the captive freedome to all that are bound ease and rest to all that are burdened a pardon to all that are penitent And what will not this make thee stirre Is a golden Scepter held forth and wilt thou not lay hold of the opportunitie Is God willing to put up all the affronts he hath received from thee if thou wilt now come and submit thy self and will not this bring thee in Is he ready to be reconcil'd and art thou backward what dost thou rather hold off because he doth so invite and importune thee to him Because he is pleased with so much earnestnesse and compassion to call thee off from sin to himself dost thou the more securely run on in wickednesse Oh base ingratitude and meer madnesse Because there is hope of pardon discovered by the Gospel as procured by Christ therefore even therefore doe wretched sinners harden their hearts and embolden themselves to continue at a distance from God as if it was a matter of nothing to get their peace made with him or as if he must of necessity pardon and save them let them live as they list Thus vilely doe they pervert the very design of the Gospel Whereas were they ingenuous and reasonable they would acknowledge it to be a most forcible motive and engagement to cast away sin to hear that there was hopes of having forgivenesse and favour from God If a company of Subjects should rebell against their Prince what course would be more effectuall in all probability to reclaim them than to assure pardon to all that would throw down their arms But if they should be so base as to abuse the mercy of their Prince and think because he was so compassionate they might the safelier persist in their rebellion it is but just they should be destroy'd If thou love thy soul then beware how thou abusest the grace of God Wilt thou put away from thee the evil of thy doings wash thee and make the clean and so with humility and submission flie to God for mercy if so this mercy through Christ shall be assuredly thine But otherwise know there is not a word of comfort for thee in the whole Gospel nothing but what may strike thee with terrour For remember well that the death of Christ gives all the encouragement in the world to Repentance but not the least to Sin Yea it hath done more to destroy sin than all the terrours and threatnings of the Law Well then though thou art a lost sinner departed from God once without hope yet behold the God of heaven and earth takes pity on thee he would not have thee utterly perish though thou hast done so much to destroy thy self He calls thee back to him if thou wilt hearken and obey and humble thy self before him for thy departure from him and for all the dishonours done to his holy Name and wilt now at length devote thy self to his fear thou need'st not doubt of his favour So then here 's hope of mercy that may encourage all that hear it to Repentance 2. And in the next place there is so much love and goodnesse manifested in that way whereby this mercy is procured and tendered that may serve to work upon the hearts of all but flat
us all and with him freely gives all good things to his people Canst thou then find in thy heart to go on in provoking so good a God and in sleighting such matchlesse love If thou canst certainly thou hast banisht all gratitude and hast scarce one spark of common ingenuity left in thee yea thou hast put off thy manhood and art become little better than a senslesse bruit for what should sooner work upon a reasonable creature to love another than extraordinary and undeserved-kindnesse which he hath received from him Nay I might go farther and tell thee and that justly too the very beasts themselves have more good nature than such a stupid unthankfull sinner as thou For they have some sense of a good turn and some love to those that doe it they know those that feed them and keep them and use not to doe them any mischief The Dog does not use to bite his Master nor the Horse to kick at him that looks to him And so indeed God himself complains of ungratefull men that when the Ox knows his owner and the Asse his masters crib yet they did not know their Maker and Preserver But to be short let me tell the plainly if thou find'st thy heart nothing mov'd with all this love that God hath revealed in sending Christ to save us from wrath to come by his own sharp sufferings I can no way see but that thy case is full as bad yea rather worse than his who believes not a word of all I have said Nay how indeed can it be imagined that thou believest these things if they make no impression upon thee except thou never use to think of them after thou hast read or heard them but there 's the wonder if thou dost believe them how thou canst chuse but think on them and think again till at length they work some good effect upon thee But if thou hast hitherto been so strangely carelesse let me once again desire thee now at length to set upon the sober thoughts of this unconceivable mercy manifested in the Gospel that when thou hadst even destroy'd thy self God should make haste to thy help that he should send his own Son to undertake for thee who was also willing to this work and should upon him punish thy sins and now after all onely calls thee to cast away thy sin and to return to his love which if thou wilt doe he is willing to be reconcil'd to thee And see if there be not good cause that thou should'st hearken to these invitations and whether there can be given any just or tolerable excuse for thy disobedience If the bitterest enemy thou hadst in the world should but save thy life when it was in his hands much more if he should endanger himself or undergo any losse for thy safety I am confident this would soon take off thy spleen against him and make thee very ready to be restored to his friendship And why the goodnesse of God should not be as prevalent with thee I cannot imagine if it be but soundly believed and well thought on 3. I may farther adde to engage thee to return to the Lord from whom thou aâ—t faln another argument drawn also from the goodnesse of God shewn in the death of Christ as hereby it is most clearly discoverd That there is some unspeakable happinesse which was purchast by the Lord Jesus for those that come to God by him and to which he invites empty miserable creatures Thou canst not imagine that God makes all this adoe with men for nothing It was not upon any triviall errand that he sent his Son into the world nor are they any sleight inconsiderable things which he offers to as many as will receive him It s true the mercy had been rich and glorious if Christ had onely died to save us from misery and to have procured of God that we might have been reduced to nothing rather than to frie in everlasting burnings and no tongue can tell what a priviledge the damned in hell would account this But over and above we read of a Kingdome of glory which Christ will give to his followers And how great this is judge by the price that was paid for it not silver or gold or any such corruptible trifles but the precious Blood of the Son of God without price whose utmost value cannot be exprest by Men or Angels and no more can the glory hereby obtained For if the Merchant be wise the worth of his Jewel may be guest at by the price that he paid for it Precious is the Soul of Man and full dear did the redemption thereof cost more than the the whole world or ten thousand such worlds as this And is not think you the souls portion answerable to its own excellency And the purchased Possession answerable to the greatnesse of that cost that was laid out for it When a common Slave may be freed for a few shillings half a Kingdome will be thought little enough to redeem a captive Prince and we afterward see there is as much difference betwixt them when they have got their liberty the one sits on a dunghill the other on a throne For certain then Christ Jesus came into the world and laid down his life to exalt those that hearken to him to the highest joy and blisse of which the nature of man is capable in delivering them from all sin rendring them exactly conformable to God and placing them in constant full communion with him He that so loved his Church that he gave himself for it to sanctifie and cleanse it by all this design'd to present it â—o himself a glorious Church Upon this account therefore methinks thou should'st easily be perswaded to cast away sin which is thy misery and return to God who is thy onely life and happinesse and that no mean happinesse as I have told thee is evident amongst many other reasons by the infinite value of the price that was given for it Oh little doe any even the best and wisest on earth conceive what are the full fruits of Christs blood what miracles of divine love those are which through endlesse millions of ages will keep alive the admiration joy and praise of Angels and Saints and fill the mouths of Christs Redeemed ones with continuall thankfulnesse for that wisdome and mercy which contriv'd and wrought their delivery and exaltation So that you see laying these things together the death of Christ as discovering the mercy of God lays the greatest engagement that can be upon the sons of men to break off their sins and return to the obedience and love of God in that there is so much mercy procured and tendred as may beget hope and encourage to repentance which is not like to be rejected and as there is so great love exprest as may well call for the return of love and even soften the most stony heart and as it discovers so great a blessednesse to be had in God through
also 3. Pray tell me notwithstanding all these faults which you finde with your selves yet do you not hold on in the performance of other duties To instance in one do you not use to pray constantly If you doe why then will you not be brought to this work also For assure your selves if you be such whose prayers are acceptable to God your receiving will be acceptable also Without a dependance upon Christ the Mediatour and a resolution to conform your selves to the will of God your very prayers will be loathsome but if these things be in you all your services will be wel-pleasing to him Wherefore beware of pretending so much reverence for this Ordinance and so much necessity of preparation that least you should not demean your selves as you ought you will wholly neglect it for sure you cannot think this according to your Masters will that you should run away from your work for fear of miscarrying in it Nor pretend that this is of a nature so much different from all other duties that whilst you may do them you may not be admitted to this since if you be sincere and hearty in one as well as another endeavouring to improve them to the end for which they were appointed even to get neerer to God thereby be sure you shall be accepted in all Moreover bethink your selves what you would have done had you liv'd in the first ages of the Church when the Christians were wont for the most part at every time of their assembling to have a Sacrament Would you then have ordinarily with-drawn from them Or would you not rather have contented your selves with that measure of preparation that you had then been capable of making Though think not that I am this while encouraging you to lazinesse or to rush heedlesly and inconsiderately hereupon no be as diligent as ever you are able to prepare your selves for so near an approach to the great God but yet be not so over-scrupulous as to keep back from the Ordinance or make your coming lesse profitable through excessive fears And remember still that the habitual devotednesse of the soul to God without any hypocritical reserve is the best qualification for this and every other performance 4. Lastly one would think you of all persons should not be guilty of refusing your presence here where there is a commemoration made of the love of your dearest Lord. I speak to you that are serious Christians well may others slight this duty if you that lie under so great engagements to it will be kept back by any Ordinary pretences You are such that are somewhat acquainâ—ed with the greatnesse of that mercy manifested in the Redemption of the World and will you be easilie detained from shewing forth that death which procured it You are persons tender of your Master's honour and sensible of your own duty shew then that you are so by obeying his command and preserving the esteem due to his sacred Ordinances by your constant reverent attending upon them Others there are that may complain of their unfitnesse who finde themselves at a losse in their preparations for this duty which yet they are very willing to set about and are desirous of instructions for their right performance of it For these especially I have reserved some Directions to which I shall come presentlie But there are a third sort those the worst and I fear the most who will confess they are unfit for the Sacrament and therefore will by no means be drawn to it but will tell you though they are not fit now yet hereafter they hope they shall be whilst in the mean time there are no sâ—gns of any preparation they make for come to them one Moneth or Year after another still they are in the same posture and use the same excuses Now the very plain case of these persons I take to be this So much knowledge they have that they are convinc't no man ought to come to the Sacrament who is not firmly resolved to forsake his sins and to become a new man if before he have been a carelesse liver and yet their Consciences tell them that such and such sins they are guiltie of which they cannot endure to think of parting with and such and such duties they believe they ought to set upon which yet they have no mind to and therefore so much modesty they have that they will not come to bind themselves to that which they are not resolved to do and this while they fancy to themselves that their case is something better than if they should go and make promises of amendment and soon after break them and are apt to conceit that they may as yet safely take somewhat more liberty than will be lawfull for them when once they have taken the Sacrament whereby they imagine they should be strangely hampered and tied to a strictnesse which they have no liking to But yet hereafter when they have tasted a little more of the pleasures of the world they intend to be take themselves to such a course and then they 'l be constant at Sacraments and as devout as may be this they promise to themselves I dare appeal to the Consciences of many whether such as these have not been their thoughts Reader have they not been thy own And commonlie it is either tipling or wantonnesse or love to an idle and jolly life and a listlesnesse to all pains and diligence in spirituall affairs and a misapprehension of serious holinesse as if it was a most troublesome rigid thing that are the ordinarie causes of these and most mens continuance at a distance from godlinesse and make them so backward to devote themselves entirely to God Now these I confesse are not to be called immediately to the Sacrament but seriously to be dealt with in order to their recoverie from those sensuall inclinations and wretched delusions which render them so unfit for and averse from it to which purpose serve the former exhortations to Repentance and Faith whereon I staid so long Onely I shall here discover to them two dangerous mistakes wherewith they seem willing to impose upon themselves and which chiefly hinder the performance of their duty The first is A conceit that they may take some kind of liberty for a loose conversation before they have bound themselves to the contrary by the Sacrament which thereupon they are much more backward to Now first I shall grant that hereby a farther obligation is laid upon them to the greatest watchfulnesse against sin and to a faithfull discharge of their duty to God in the whole of their lives and the wilfull violation of solemn engagements renders sin much more hainous Wherefore it hath been my care all along to make you understand that it is not so much the bare Receiving that I would perswade you to as to get your souls into a fitnesse for the work and to do it in a right manner And once again let me warn you as you love
and think your selves secure enough if you come not hither in this evil mind If these be your thoughts pray answer me these two things 1. How can you desire of God the forgivenesse of your sins whilst you refuse to forgive others Have you the impudence to doe it Or the ignorance and presumption to think such desires would be granted See where the contrarie is expresly told you in that forementioned place Mat. 6.15 Nay tell me plainlie How dare you so much as say the Lords Prayer wherein you beg of God to forgive your trespasses as you forgive those that trespasse against you What do you pray that he would remember your iniquities and charge them upon you and take vengeance of you For thus it seems you deal with those that offend you Or do you think to make your case somewhat the better by never saying this Prayer or by leaving out this Petition Can you imagine this will hinder God from dealing with you according to the tenour thereof Methinks you should not be so weak No be you sure God will make good his word that if you forgive not you shall not be forgiven whether you give your consent or not If you say you do forgive your enemies then I ask you again why upon account of any differences you should neglect the Sacrament But if you dare not forgive them you see it 's as dangerous to say your Prayers whilst you are in this mind as to come to the Communion 2. But again If through these differences with your neighbours you are unfit for the Sacrament pray bethink you well whether upon the same account you are not as unfit for death And dare you continue in such a desperate condition as this Do you not believe that the charity which is required to make you fit for the Communion of imperfect Saints here on earth is as necessary for your admission into the communion of Saints in glory Are you not fit to go to the Lords Table and are you then fit to appear before his Tribunall Take this for an undoubted truth that if you so farre allow your self in malice or any other sin that you are according to the Gospel rule unworthy of the Sacrament if you die in this condition you will be thought unworthy of everlasting life Methinks then you should never dare to live in such an estate wherein you dare not die You take it to be a dangerous thing to die out of charity with any and is it safe think you to live out of charity or in any other sin for those that are liable to death every moment Wherefore to conclude my advice to you is that you would without any longer delay go to your brother and if you have wrong'd him acknowledge it and make all due reparation and do what in you lies to be reconciled to him but if he prove obstinate or have wrong'd you see that you heartily forgive and clear your breast of all spight or desire of revenge so being carefull in all other respects duly to prepare your selves come to the Lords Table there to receive a confirmation of peace betwixt God and your own souls And thus I have done with the severall objections that are made against this duty CHAP. XVI Directions for a due Preparation and right Receiving IN the last place according to my promise I come to give some Direction to those who are willing to addresse themselves to this work to instruct them for their immediate preparation to their behaviour in and after the same And though I have already at large shewn what the design of this Ordinance is that so we might the better know how to behave our selves thereat and have thence discovered what kind of persons Communicants ought to be yet I shall in a few words premise a repetition of the same that you may the better apprehend and remember it Know then that it pleased our blessed Lord Jesus in the evening of that night wherein he was betrayed to appoint this Sacrament of his Supper partly for the present comfort of his Apostles who began to be cast down upon the knowledge of his sufferings and removall from amongst them but principally for the benefit of them and all other Christians in the times that were to follow even till he should come to Judgement till which time it never ought to be laid down in the Church The great end of it was as I have said to preserve fresh in the minds of all Christians the memorie of their Lord and Master and especially of that unvaluable mercy shewn in his dying for them his Death being very clearly held forth by the breaking of the Bread and pouring out of the Wine But we must not think that it was for an idle uneffectuall Remembrance of him that he commanded this duty but for such a Remembrance as might tend to the great advantage of our souls even that by Remembring our Redemption we might be brought to have low mean thoughts of our selves who were lost and undone but recovered by Free-grace that we might keep up a sence of the exceeding great evil of sin which made us liable to those miseries whence onely his Death can deliver us and so might be stirr'd up to a greater sorrow for hatred of and resolutions against sin the occasion of his Death and that by the Remembrance of his love we might be the stronglier engaged to him and here in a visible and expresse manner might solemnize our Covenant with him and frequently renew our promises of faithfulnesse Moreover here Christ hath made a familiar representation of the blessings he hath obtained for Believers that hereby we might be quickned to earnest desires after them and so being at present fitted for the communications of grace to our souls might receive the same and might here also receive a confirmation of our faith that we shall in due time enjoy those priviledges that are invisible and yet to come And farther he hath ordained that his Death should in this lively manner at set times be represented to us that having it fresh in our thoughts we may be the more powerfully moved at such seasons as these to celebrate and adore that wisdome and goodnesse which hath so wonderfully appeared in the contrivance and accomplishment of our Redemption and that Fellow-Christians meeting together for this work may be the more endeared to one another and quickned to long after a perfect communion in the praises and love of God and their Redeemer in that future glory whereof they have here a shadow and forecast Now as the ends for which this Ordinance was appointed inform us what kind of persons they that frequent it ought to be as to their habituall qualifications so do they also teach us what ought to be the workings of our soul in our approches to it since here we are to exercise and put forth those graces which are before required to be wrought in us but yet for your plainer
you have a greater evidence of the graciousness of his nature than that very mercy which you are going to remember even his giving his only Son to die for us whilst we were yet ungodly and enemies And did he of his own free grace without our asking and against our deserving provide a Saviour for us and is he yet unwilling to save us did he find out a means for our reconciliation to himself and is he now backward to be reconciled Does he importune us to take that which he is unwilling to give us Be not I beseech you of such an easie belief of the Devil 's grosse fallacies and so hardly drawn to believe what God hath not onely said but done so much to make it past all doubting See the Apostle arguing much after the same manner Rom. 5.6 7 8 9 10. Oh let your hearts then be fill'd with admiration of that love which God hath herein exprest to men the wondrous greatnesse whereof is such that it almost surpasseth our Faith and doth farre surpasse our full comprehension That there should be a way for the recovery of self-destroying sinners contrived by him whom they had offended and brought about by the death of his own Son that they might be raised to the highest happinesse even an eternity of the most ravishing joys in nearest communion with the Divine Majesty and all this to be had for a cordiall thankfull acceptance This is the Lords doing and well may it be marvellous in our eyes Great things hath the Lord done for us whereof let our souls be glad If an host of Angels came from heaven to proclaim these good tidings of great joy to all people shall not the Congregations of Christians eccho back their Glory be to God in the highest who hath sent on earth peace and shewn such good will to men Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endureth for ever Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy Oh do you praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the children of men who hath shewn mercy to such as sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death and hath broken the gates of brasse and cut the barres of iron in sunder and hath sent his word and healed you and delivered you from destruction Oh do you sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing Psal. 107. Call upon your souls with the Psalmist in another place Blesse the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits who fogiveth thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeems thy life from destruction and who crowns thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Psal. 103. at the beginning Oh think what a deplorable condition we had been in if God had left us in the hands of Satan to whom we had enslaved our selves and had never lookt after us more Oh what a dungeon had this world then been where we should have lived in darknesse and fetters in horrours and torments and all as but an inlet and passage to miseries infinitely worse and altogether unavoidable But oh blessed and for ever praised be his Name who hath visited the earth with his goodnesse and caused the rejoycing light to shine in dark and disconsolate places and hath proclaimed liberty to the captive and shewn a strong hold to which he hath called the Prisoners â—f hope to turn themselves having laid help on one that is mighty sending forth the prisoners out of the pit by the blood of the Covenant Zach. 9.11 This is that blood which by the Wine in the Sacrament is represented to you yea which is thereby put into your hands and given you to drink in remembrance of that which was once shed for you And shall not the hearts-blood of your dearest Lord warm and revive your souls enflame and advance your love Will you not now begin that new song of the heavenly Chore ascribing blessing honour glory and power to him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever who by his blood redeemed us and makes us kings and priests unto God Rev. 5. This is that blood to which you owe all that you have or hope for This quencht those flames which else had fed upon you for ever This satisfied that justice which else had laid hold on you for your disobedience This purchast an inheritance which silver and gold could not buy This purgeth the conscience from dead works and makes the soul fruitfull unto God This pacifies the Conscience and appeaseth the disturbances that sense of guilt is apt to raise By this blood of the Lamb it is that the Saints in all their conflicts do overcome And can you withhold the most affectionate hearty thankfulnesse for this precious all-healing blood Methinks we should even be pained in our selves as not knowing how to give vent enough to our affections especially when our bleeding Lord is set before us Oh let him wholly possesse your thoughts and do you view that transcendent love which he manifested in his whole course but chiefly in the close of it that all may beget in you some answerable returns of love Read as you have leisure those heavenly discourses which were his Farewell Sermons to his Disciples and his last prayer for them which you may find in the 14 15 16 17. Chapters of John and see there how love breathes in every line Follow him to the Garden and there hearken to his groans and behold his bloody sweat which proclaims him to be sick of love of a love that would not be quencht by those crimson streams No still he goes on and go thou after him with the Women that followed him to his Crosse and weep not if thou canst forbear whilst there thou seest him die for love even for love of thee poor soul who do'st sincerely love him Art thou not astonisht at the thoughts of it What could the Lord Jesus see in such miserable worms as we that should incline him to undergo all this on our behalf Nay there 's the wonder he saw nothing and therefore he underwent it Nothing did I say yes he saw our guilt and defilement for which he might have justly loathed us But he seeing all this our misery was rather moved to a compassion for us Such a compassion as never dwelt in a mortall 's breast that he should pity those who pittied not themselves and die to recover those who had even murdred themselves yea that he should die to make them happy whose sins were the cause of his Death and even merit mercy for such as had no mercy on him and give life to them who took his away All this was voluntarily done by the Son of God who became Man on purpose that he might die and do all this for the
travailing to Emaus crying out We trusted this had been He who should have redeemed Israel Luk. 24.21 Then would our faith be vain we should be yet in our sins But we may now comfort our selves and use the Apostles gradation Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It 's Christ that died yea rather that 's risen again and is even at the right hand of God And now with joy let this Resurrection and Glory be remembred as being the fore-runner of yours When in your thoughts you have descended as low as his Grave and there stand weeping to think how your sins have slain him imagine you heard some Angel bespeaking you in almost the same language that he did the Women at his Sepulchre Mark 16.6 7. Fear not yee for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified He is not here for he is risen as he said and is gone before you not into Galilee but into Heaven there shall you see him When therefore you shall in this Ordinance see Christ crucified before you think with your selves This is the Lamb that was dead but is alive and lives for ever By the celebrating of this Sacrament you are to shew forth the Lords death till he come Remember then he is to come for this second coming would Christ have you keep much in your thoughts as well as his first He left not this pledge of his love with his Church as a dying Man leaves some gift with his friends to put them in minde of him whom they shall never see more but as one who goes a long journey leaves his Pâ—cture with his Wife that she may be mindfull of him in his absence and be quickned to long after his return And good reaâ—on have you to be mindfull of the Glory of our Lord since you your selves will be sharers herein and so at once you remember both Here I told you you take an earnest of the everlasting treasures and the consideration thereof is exceeding necessary to raise your value of that which will otherwise appear but worthlesse and mean And conceive of your selves as in a journey to that Kingdome having here taken in by the way to refresh your selves as travellers are wont to tuâ—n in and bait And like the Prophet 1 King 19.8 In the strength of this meal you are to go on toward the Mount of God These are provisions sent by your Joseph to serve you by the way till you come home to himself Yet a few more Sacraments and you shall be past the need of all Here are some fragrancies and drops of sweetnesse for the refreshment of Pilgrims till the day breaks and the shadows flee away when we shall get up after our Lord to the Mountains of Myrrhe and the Hill of Franckincense Here a Table is spread for us in the Wildernesse and some clusters of Grapes prest into our Cup till we shall come to Canaan and enjoy the vintage Behold in this transaction at the Lords Table an emblem and shadow of the future glory and let your thoughts take advantage from what is here presented to ascend to the joyfull contemplation thereof yet within a while and you who are here his welcome guests shall sit down with your Master at his Table in his Kingdome and there shall taste of the fruit of the Vine new with him and shall eat of a Manna that is yet hidden to you and shall exchange your present company for the society of innumerable Angels and perfect Saints And let this something quiet your mindes though not take off the quicknesse of your desires all you holy souls who are acted by so noble and strong a passion that you are imâ—atient of that distance at which you yet finde your selves from him whom you love and are even weary of the World where you cannot fully enjoy him much more of your own hearts that are so estranged from him comfort your selves for within a very short while your eies shall behold him and you shall be fully satisfied in your most intimate accesse to and abode with him You may look back with joy on the Redemption Christ hath wrought for you and may look before you and lift up yâ—ur heads with joy as knowing the day of full and finall Redemption draws nigh Only see that you now thirst ardently after that spiritual communion with him which is here attainable in being possest by him and closely uniâ—ed to him that being joyn'd to the Lord you may become one spirit This is the blessed and only possible transubstantiation to be transformed into the likenesse of Christ which is of infinitely more advantage to the believing soul than if according to that monstrous Popish fiction he should chew the very gross flesh and swallow the raw blood of Christ For by this means his body would only be changed into ours but by the change I speak of our Spirits become like to his And if now you hold but this fellowship with Christ in the spirit shortly you shall have a real presence even to the satisfaction of sense it self Then shall you see him as he is for you shall be made like to him in that day of his appearance Then indeed shall Sacraments vanish as useless shadows you having got the substance Christ himself You need then no more behold him in a Glass but shall see him face to face and be perfectly changed into his Image Oh the difference that will be betwixt that clear sight and this dark alas through our own fault too dark remembrance Oh that 's the comfort we shall then have laid by all that stupidity and dulnesse which here attends us whatever we are about That full view of our blessed Lord will for ever cure us of all coldnesse and unbelief and ravish us into one eternall affectionate admiration of divine love If that joy which arose from faith and love whilst he was not seen was unspeakable and full of glory how inconceivable how transcendently glorious must that be which shall arise from his immediate sight If it be such a precious priviledge to have a right to Heaven here solemnly given us what will it be to enter upon actual possession Oh then Christians whilst you are remembring Christ at his Table let it rejoyce your hearts to consider that he is remembring you at his fathers right hand and thither will shortly exalt you All you whom the King of Glory now espouseth to himself as it were by Proxie as Princes take Wives by their Embassadours remember that the day is hastening when your marriage shall be more publickly and triumphantly solemnized when all you blessed ones shall be call'd to the great Marriage-Supper of the Lamb. Yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry And do you now get your souls mounted as high as you can climbe by all the means that are afforded you and stand ever wishly looking and diligently preparing for his appeearance and
ignorance and superstition no blessed and for ever praised be our God for that unspeakable mercy to this unworthy Land for the happy effects whereof doubtless thousands of souls are praising him in glory and thousands more yet on earth have cause to be infinitely thankful for that clear light which visited this corner of the earth when sunk into little less than an Aegyptian Darkness So that I verily beleive there is no Nation under the Sun where there are greater numbers of knowing hearty Christians who walk agreeable to the Gospel rule such that would be owned and approved by Christ himself and his Apostles were they now amongst us and will be at the day of their appearance before him But having said this to prevent exception and mistake give me leave to resume my complaint that still there are so many that are in Darkness in the midst of Light and that walk as in darkness not as children of the light Notwithstanding the means of knowledge multitudes remain in gross ignorance and are unacquainted even with the great foundation-truths of the Gospel and can it then be otherwise but that they should bee vicious careless and worldly And many who have a superficial knowledge of their Duty and confess its best to be careful in doing of it yet are themselves wilful and gross neglecters of it and live in open violation of Gods holy Laws Many there are that can talk religiously and are ready in the Scripture that yet will not by any means bee brought to forsake those sins which they finde Gods Word every where condemns nor will they set themselves to live such an holy serious life which is again and again so expresly and earnestly urged upon them As â—or the Sacraments though most are careful to bring their Children to be Baptized yet I pray God it be not more out of Custome than Conscience for some of these can give no tolerable account of the Reason of that Ordinance nor why they would have their Children partake of it only as they see their neighbours do so do they But yet there are far fewer who make any conscience of enforming their Children what a strict Covenant they are entred into how they are related and solemnly engaged to God for alas can we expect Parents should teach their Children to walk as becomes those that are in Covenant with God when they themselves live rather like Rebels to his Majesty than faithful Subjects And as for the Lords Supper which I intend to make the subject of my following discourse how sadly is it neglected in many places or else rusht upon inconsiderately and carelesly as if it was but a matter of course and no such a dangerous thing to receive it unworthily as Scripture assures us that it is How many hundreds yea thousands are there in both City and Country who make no conscience at all of coming to the Table of the Lord perhaps they may come once a year and scarce that Nay many go from one year to another and never appear there as if they acknowledg'd not they had a Saviour died for them or as if he had not bid them thus to remember his Death or as if his Death were not worth the remembring Oh careless stupid sinners what have you got to take up your thoughts and mindes that Christ himself is thus forgotten by you You can think well enough of your Children and Friends yea of your Cows and Sheep and your very Swine and must Christ have no room in your thoughts or memory Do these indeed deserve more love than hee Have they done more for you than he hath done Or can they do more than he is able farther to do and willing also if your wretched obstinacy did not prevent him I know you can say many of you that he deserves not to live who can forget Christ and that you do indeed remember him and take him for your only Saviour and will pretend that you have God alwaies in your minde when you are about your work or upon the way and you think wee must take your word for 't because wee know not your hearts and cannot disprove you but if one may judge by your carriage you manifest nothing less If one follow you from morning to night he shall scarce hear one serious word come out of your mouths you spend not half an hour in a day in Prayer either with your familys or alone plain enough we can hear you swear and cuâ—se and take Gods holy Name in vain but scarce ever so much as once to mention him with reverence What ever company you light into you are still talking foolishly and vainly or else only of your own worldly affairs but nothing that concerns the service of God and the salvation of your souls But for mâ—ny of you I need no other evidence against you than your gross neglect of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper If this Paper fall into the hands of any such and I hope God wil direct it into their hands for it was for sâ—ch â—hat I did chiefly intend it If I say thou who art reading these lines be guilty of neglecting this Ordinance of Christ from one year to another when thou hast frequent opportunities and invitations to partake of it let me ask thee how thou hast the face to say thou remembrest Jesus Christ when thou wilt not do such a small thing as he enjoyns thee to do in remembrance of him never taking care to prepare thy self and come to his holy Table Canst thou remember him and yet forget his command and absent thy self from those who meet together to celebrate his remembrance at an ordinance appointed by Christ himself for that very purpose Ah poor creatures that you did but well know your selves and your own necessities and concernments then could you never bee sounmindful of Jesus Christ you would as soon forget your daily bread Oh did you well know what he hath done for you and under what engagements you stand to him you would sooner forget your dearest friend who had sav'd you from death and daily fed you and cloathed you and kept you alive for indeed this and much more than this do you owe to the Redeemer of mankinde Oh that you would but beleive and consider what glorious unspeakable treasures of love and goodness he hath purchast for and will bestow upon you if you will accept them upon his terms and then you would no more forget him than you could forget your Prince or Landlord from whose bounty you were in daily expectations of a plentiful estate And if you would but see to get your selves well informed of the nature of this holy Ordinance distinctly and clearly to apprehend the reason and use of it and what priviledges and blessings are contained in represented and sealed by it I dare say you would more long to partake of it than of the most delicious banquet or sumptuous feast that ever was prepar'd But what do
I talk of who can perswade carnal sensual stupid creatures to beleive that there is any substance any worth in those things that their senses cannot reach to what care they for that which no way tends to the pampering and pleasing of their flesh Give me leave before I come to what I principally design a little to lay open the wretched carelesnesses of the generality of men and briefly hint at the cause that they may be ashamed of themselves when they see their picture and description and seek out for the cure of their distempers Who would not by the lives of most conjecture that they thought themselves sent into the world on purpose to get food and raiment and to make provision for the flesh and that they had reason given them for nothing else but to be more witty and politick in carrying on their worldly designs And how well would it be for them at the last if those souls should have the greatest reward which were most loving to the body most solicitous for its welfare and did toil most in its service But what an heavy doom will light on them if they must hereafter fare as for certain they must according as they employed themselves in seeking their own proper happiness in the pleasing and serving of the great God Oh the strange folly and bruitishness of these men who are so forward of themselves to seek out after any thing which they believe makes for their temporal good and yet will not by any means be drawn or driven to that which is indeed for their spiritual and eternal good yea and their temporal too so far as may consist with these As if when they are contriving and working for the body then only they were about their own business but when they are minding the matters of their souls they were employ'd for some body else in works that will be of no use or advantage to them when yet God himself hath told us that in the matters of Religion If we are wise we are wise for our selves But this comes to pass by reason of that sottishness which inclines poor creatures to judge of all things by their sense and to measure their goodness by their suitableness to the flesh This makes the whole Gospel to be a meer riddle to them and little more regarded than a strange story for it treats of spiritual invisible things wherein immortal souls are concerned and they forget that they have such souls To hear of spiritual food and raiment to put on Christ and to feed upon him all which we meet with in the word are mysteries of which they are willing to be ignorant To be made glad with the light of Gods countenance to have fellowship with the Father and the Son to be beautified adorned and enricht with graces and good works and the like expressions are so dark and knotty that they know not what to make of them They account nothing beauty but what they can look on nor bravery which makes not a noise and show in the world They know no Rayment they need but what they wear on their backs nor any food but that which they put into their bellies That only do they account pleasure which they feel in their throats or which is so gross that horses and dogs have a share in it as well as they and nothing must pass for honour with them but having respect in the world and that they count their chiefest riches which they put in their purses and lay up in their bags And this same blindness and carnality amongst all other mischiefs that it does occasions the contempt of that sacred appointment of Christ the commemoration of his death by partaking of his Supper For here 's nothing provided to give that entertainment to greedy raging Sensualists which they covet and hunt after It is indeed very well worthy our observation that so far as our senses might be helpful to us in the service of God he hath graciously condiscended to use such means as might work upon and affect them that thereby faith it self our apprehension of those things which we see not may be quickned and advanced which as in some other instances so in this Sacrament especially is made manifest for here we have a crucified Christ plainly held forth to us and the benefits we receive by him are signified by those material things bread and wine which we eat and drink And thus far God hath made provision for sense it self the more to excite and stir up our dull spirits but so far as the pleasing and humouring the senses might bee an hindrance to the soul God hath made no provision for them Here 's no such pomp and gaudiness and outward splendour as may gratifie wanton carnal minds Papists may devise such things instead of Christs Institutions which they steal away from the people to the quenching of all true zeal and spiritual affection in Gods service but the Gospel warrants not any such hurtful devices and our Church doth justly reject them Nor is here a feast of dainties to satisfie a luxurious appetite or feed an hungry belly Here 's food for the soul indeed represented and convey'd by these Elements to the worthy receiver but the most are so ignorant of their concernments that they never yet found such a thing within them as a spiritual hunger What a soul be hungry how can that be Alas they have so much to do to supply the necessities of their bodies that they can't have while to regard their souls No they may sink or swim starve and damn for them for they have other matters to mind which they hold more necessary Is it not a wonder what we read Matth. 22. at the beginning that when the King had made a Marriage for his Son and prepared a feast and sent forth his servants to invite the guests they should make light of it and begin to frame excuses that they had other business to do and this and that way to go and therefore could not come What not come to a feast to a sumptuous Marriage-feast to a feast made for the Kings Son And when servants were sent on purpose to invite them to it Were not these a strange sort of stubborn foolish men that would disobey their own King sending them such a courteous message as this Reader dost thou not condemn them in thy own thoughts Dost thou not think thou wouldst never have been so silly and obstinate as they if thou hadst been so sent unto But for all thy thoughts it s well if thou prove not guilty of the very same fault thy self For what was the matter think'st thou that these people would not come when they were invited Why alas there was no such fare made ready as they had a mind to Be sure had there been but such good chear as would have fill'd their bellies they would have made hast enough and would have invented excuses how to get in rather than
this canst thou without tears and groans look back upon all the disorders of thy life whereby thou hast done all that in thee lay to make those wounds of thy tender compassionate Saviour bleed afresh which he first receiv'd upon thy account I believe thou thought'st not of this no if thou hadst one would think thou could'st never have done it Thy design was onely to please thy flesh by all thy sensuall courses thou wast onely full of projects to maintain and raise thy self and thy posterity by all thy worldly designs and businesses wherewith through thy whole life though hast been so swallowed up But thou seest how the case stands that this while thou hast been most viley rejecting and even trampling upon the Lord Jesus who would have have brought thee off from thy vain conversation from all thy ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and hath followed thee with his Word and Spirit to that end and hath prest thee with arguments drawn from his matchlesse love discovered by his Death and hath besought thee to regard him yea to take pity on thy self but thou hast made light of all and hast gone on as securely and quietly in the ways of sin as if thou hadst never heard what sin did upon Christ. And what art thou resolv'd to doe so still shall nothing stop thee in thy career wilt thou not stay to hearken what a way it is thou walkest in nor think what unvaluable mercies thou all this while treadest under feet Hast thou not yet sufficiently abused thy Redeemers love and patience hast thou not made him wait long enough in vain wilt thou still make shew of deafnesse to all those messages he sends thee If so yet be thou sure of this thou shalt not be able to say at thy appearance before him that thou never knewest that sin was such an evil thing and so provoking to him for beside all other warnings that thou hast had I now declare to thee who readest or hearest these words that if thou still continuest in thy loose ungodly life living in swearing cursing drunkennesse whoredome covetousnesse cozening malice or any other known sin and wilfully neglectest thy duty to God going whole days without prayer or reading Gods Word profaning the Lords Day neglecting Sacraments if thou hold on this course thou dost no better than again crucifie and deny the Lord that bought thee and so hast no reason to complain if thou fall under the same condemnation which thou thy self wilt acknowledge Judas and Pilate and the rest of Christs enemies deserve and therefore that thou maist not be found amongst them loaded with the same guilt at Judgement I doe once again in the name of Christ beseech thee with all speed to change thy heart and life and use all means appointed to that end and after all thy wandrings now at length return to him the good Shepherd of souls who laid down his life for his sheep 4. Lastly the Death of Christ may powerfully move thee to repent of and forsake all sin as it holds forth this weighty but sad truth That all those who are despisers of this Death and by living and dying in their sins reap no saving benefit by it shall in their own persons undergo insupportable torments for this their unbelief and wilfull impenitence If thou believest the Gospel thou canst not but acknowledge that all men had been in a most miserable condition if Christ had not died and thou wilt grant that sin is a most perilous mischievous thing and an unspeakable provocation to the most holy God since nothing could appease his wrath but the Death of Christ without whose bloodshed we had obtain'd no remission And what then dost thou think is like to be thy case if through thy own fault thou art never the better for all Christ hath done but must thy self answer for thy sins and bear the punishment they have deserved Let the Death of Christ I say instruct thee what thou art like to expect if this be thy condition If as he himself speaks such things were done to the green tree what shall be done to the dry If he who was without the least stain of originall or actuall sin drank such a bitter cup when he stood in our stead what will be the portion of their cup who being poor frail creatures must make satisfaction for their own sins How will they ever up under all the load of Gods hottest wrath when he shall meet them in judgement and cause his fury to rest upon them And above all thy impenitent obstinate continuance in sin and contempt of Christ will lie heaviest upon thee in the day of vengeance These sins aganst the Gospel against mercy the greatest and freest mercy are most provoking to God most inexcusable in themselves and will therefore prove most pernicious to sinners Methinks then if thou hadst but any regard to thy self to thy own ease and comfort this should make thee out of love with sin to consider how dear its like to cost thee how pleasant soever it may now seem It was not for nothing that Christ felt so much sorrow and pain as thou shalt know to thy everlasting woe if thou pluck the heavy judgements of God on thy own head by sleighting him who would have kept them from off thee Assure thy self poor sinner as bold and confident as now thou art thou wilt never be able to contest with that wrath which exercised even the strength of Christ to bear it thou art never like to go away lightly with that which he felt so heavy For shame at length leave thy foolish plea that God will be more mercifull than to torment his creatures for hast thou not seen how he bruised his own Son who never offended him how he bruised him I say for our iniquities and will he then spare thee who in thy own person hast been a most stubborn hard-hearted rebel and hast cast away with loathing the mercies that were again and again even prest upon thee Thou hast no reason for such fond expectations What wilt thou tell Christ at Judgement that thou didst not believe that ever God would be so severe as to punish thee so dreadfully and everlastingly as his Word threatned and that therefore thou took'st somewhat more liberty in thy life than he allowed thee Darest thou come with such a plea as this But if thou should'st what wilt thou answer to Christ when he shall lay open what he underwent for thy sake and how thou madest light of his love will not this soon silence thee If he ask thee whether thou hadst not evidence and proof enough of the evil and danger that was in sin by his suffering so much for others transgressions wilt thou have any pretence left to justifie thy self I may perhaps urge this consideration but I mention it now as offered to us by the sufferings of Christ which doe most plainly declare that dolefull are the miseries prepared for those who
prevail with them when they saw in good earnest what was like to betide them And if Christ would take this course and shew heaven and hell if that were possible plainly to their eye-sight it s like the most stubborn sinners would be awakened but he will not doe thus nor is there any reason he should Since we are made men to be ruled by reason why should he deal with us like bruits that must be led by their senses yet because he will not take this way with them bruitish sinners disregard him as if they needed him not But ah Sirs all you that could see no need of Christ when he was so urged and prest upon you when shortly you shall see all the world stand before him and shall behold the devouring flames into which all they must be cast who have not a part in his love then you will see what benefit comes by Christ then you will no longer count them fools that took it for their greatest businesse to get an interest in him Then if the most passionate wishes that you had been so wise would doe you any good if the loudest roarings and bitterest cries for mercy might preval you would think them all well spent but alas all will be to no purpose Cry Lord Lord with never so much noise and earnestnesse if thou wast here a worker of iniquity no other answer shalt thou obtain but Depart from me I know thee not And thou thy self shalt be forced to acknowledge that this Sentence is as just as terrible For didst not thou here hid Christ to depart from thee thou desired'st not the knowledge of his ways and is it not just he should then command thee to Depart from him as one he will not know nor own Heaven thou didst refuse since it was to be had on no other terms than submission to Christ and therefore thou must needs fall into Hell since there is no third place provided But perhaps thou wilt flatter thy self with a conceit that none of these things shall come upon thee in that as thou pretendest thou putst thy whole trust in God that he 'll save thee and reliest upon thy Saviour Jesus Christ alone to be kept by him from hell and the power of the Devil But beware I beseech thee how thou cheatest thy soul into that misery whence no trick or wile can ever fetch thee Dost thou put thy trust in God he 'll take thee to heaven when thou diest who now allowest thy self in those very sins for which he hath threatned to turn men into hell If indeed thou dost so then I hope it is some promise of his that thou bottom'st thy trust upon or else it is a vain confidence now shew me if thou canst one promise in the whole book of God that gives thee the least ground to hope for happinesse whilst thou continuest in an unregenerate naturall estate in love with thy sins take thy Bible and turn it over from one end to the other and see if thou canst find any such place but I could shew thee an hundred Texts where wrath is threatned to all unconverted sinners continuing such So that in plain English thy trust in God is no more than a wretched presumption that he will be so mercifull as to break his word to save thee and if indeed this word prove false than thy confidence will not deceive thee but if it prove true as for certain it will then woe be to thee for all this pretended trust And of the very same stamp is thy reliance on Christ whilst thou rebellest against him For tell me prethee does the Gospel say that every man who shall believe that Christ will save him shall be saved by him let his heart and life be what it will I am sure neither Christ nor his Apostles ever made known such a doctrine and if thy faith be grounded upon any other Gospel than Christ hath revealed thou art like to go seek another heaven than that he hath promised For he hath told thee plainly that without holinesse thou shalt never see the Lord that he is the author of salvation onely to those that obey him and that he takes off condemnation from none but such who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now if thou dost truly believe in Christ thou wilt set thy self to seek for happinesse in the way that he hath appointed not in one of thy own devising for else it is a sign thou dost not depend upon him for salvation but on thy own fancy or Satans delusions or whoever it is whose directions thou followest rather than Christs If thou wast in a place where two ways meet and one man should bid thee follow him in this way and another should bid thee follow him in the contrary way if thou would'st come to thy journeys end is it not plain that thou believest him whom thou followest Or if thou hadst some dangerous disease and an able Physician should tell thee that if thou would'st depend upon him by the help of God he would recover thee and should leave with thee such and such Physick to take if in the mean time thou should'st take a conceit that thou mightest be well without following his advice and some one else should direct thee to an easier and cheaper way whereupon thou throwest away his medicines dost thou then depend upon this Physician for cure Thus the Lord Jesus the great Physician of souls assures thee if thou wilt depend on and trust thy self with him or believe in him he will keep thee from that everlasting death whereof thou art in danger and to this purpose he sends his Word and Spirit to cure thee of thy ignorance and wickednesse which is the disease of thy soul he would bring thee to Repentance and thoroughly purifie and sanctifie thy heart but thou think'st this a tedious course and wilt by no means submit to it come on it what will but fanciest thou maist be saved without so much adoe and that forsooth by reliance on Christ. Is not this a very wise businesse to rely on the Physician for health and throw away the Physick that should procure it I know well enough what thou would'st have Christ shall keep thee from hell but yet by all means he must give thee liberty to live in sin that is he must let thee carry fire in thy bosome but yet he must keep thee from being burnt he must let thee drink poison but yet he must keep it from griping thy bowels But believe it Christ came not into the World for any such ends This he hath purchast That no sins great or small shall damn the man that 's truly humbled for and forsakes them and depends upon him for a pardon and is made holy in heart and life but not that he who lives and delights in sin should escape misery which is indeed a kind of impossibility For man is in bondage and sin is his fetters now
prepared for rebellious sinners should not be poured out upon thee who thus scornest and abusest thy compassionate Saviour By this time I hope thou art convinced that there is abundant reason why thou shouldest accept of the Lord Jesus Christ to bring thee to the salvation he hath prepared for his people in that way which he himself hath prescribed That thou mightest not want arguments of all sorts I have plainly told thee what 's like to come of thy obstinate refusall And now after all I again demand of thee whether thy heart be brought thus thoroughly to consent that Christ shall be thy Saviour and take his own way with thee to keep thee from misery and bring thee to true blessednesse Art thou resolved to give up thy self to him and follow his directions or not Shall all that hath been said doe nothing to encline thee thereto Dost thou think it better to be commanded to go from Christ hereafter than to come to him at his command for salvation here Canst thou bear his heaviest indignation rather than his easie yoke light burden Is there any thing in becoming Christs faithfull servant worse than being the Devils everlasting bondslave Bethink thy self whilst thou hast leisure and cease not these thoughts till thou arrivest to a true sense of the things that concern thee and at length art firmly resolved without any more baffling or dallying to bind thy self over to Christ by a firm Covenant to be wholly his never to depart from him but in all things sincerely to comply with him and be guided by him that thou maist escape the vengeance thy sins have exposed thee to and obtain that glory to which he will assuredly bring thee This is that Covenant with Christ or faith in him which I have been all this while perswading thee to wherein I told thee is contained thy Covenant with God the Father to love and honour him above all as thy Maker Ruler and End and with the Holy Ghost to be sanctified and led by him Which Covenâ—nâ— every man must be cordially entred into that he may be fit to partake of the Lords Supper whereby he doth professe to consecrate himself to the Father Son and Holy Ghost that is to be a true Christian as by his Baptisme he stands engaged And this is third qualification which is requisite to all Communicants And if I should name no more hence it may sufficiently appear who is fit to come to this Ordinance even he that being acquainted with the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ believes all that is there related to be true and is sensible of and deeply humbled for all his sins being stedfastly resolved by Gods assistance presently from this time forward to forsake them and is unfeignedly willing to receive the Lord Jesus to be his Saviour upon the terms of the Gospel that is as I shall next speak particularly he that relies upon him alone for the pardon of his sins and is willing to be sanctified by his holy Spirit that he may be made fit for an everlasting communion with God upon whom he hath placed his highest love This is the man whom Christ will bid welcome to his Table Wherefore Reader if this be a description of the state of thy soul let not Satan or thy own fearfull misgiving heart perswade thee that thou art unfit to partake of the priviledges held forth to Believers but with a chearfull boldnesse addresse thy self to this Feast which thy gracious Lord hath appointed for thy refreshment and strengthning till he take thee to himself into his heavenly Kingdome Since I have already thus farre discovered what kind of persons Communicants ought to be from the nature of this Ordinance as it is for a Remembrance of Christ and his Death which cannot be without the knowledge of him repentance for sin and believing in him I may therefore be briefer in the particulars that follow in shewing what more is included in Remembring Christ at the Sacrament since they serve but farther to illustrate and confirm what I have already mentioned concerning the qualifications of the Receivers and since I may repeat some of them in directing those that intend to Communicate CHAP. VI. IV. A right Remembring the benefits procured for us by the Death of Christ. 1. Justification HE that Remembers Christs Death as he ought cannot but Remember what were the benefits purchast by his Death for those that believe in him which benefits are held forth and represented in the Sacrament and by it conveyed and assured to the worthy Receivers and doe call for suitable dispositions and affections in them as I shall shew particularly Of these benefits I shall name three which are the principall and contain all the rest And these are Justification Sanctification and Glorification 1. The first is Justification or the pardon of sin for the difference betwixt them is so small that I shall here take no notice of it which pardon Christ hath obtained by the satisfaction he made to divine justice by his perfect obedience and grievous sufferings for the sake whereof Believers are releast from the rigour and curse of the Law received into the favour of God and preserved from those miseries which otherwise had according to their desert befaln them Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sinâ— c. Heb. 9.26 But now hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Rom. 3.23 24. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ with multitudes of the like places And the Bread and Wine set apart for the Sacrament do represent Christs Body that was given and broken for us Luk. 22.19 1. Cor. 11.24 and his Blood which was shed to procure our pardon as you may read expresly Mat. 26.27 28. And he took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my Blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins That is This Wine doth signifie and represent my Blood in which the new Covenant betwixt God and man is founded and establisht and by which remission of sins and all other consequent benefits of this New Testament or Covenant are purchast And those Sacramentall actions of giving and receiving the Bread and Wine to eat and drink it doe hold forth and confirm the mutuall Covenant betwixt God and man As it seals to the Covenant on mans part that he will receive Christ as he is offered and be devoted to him and to God by him I have spoken to it under the foregoing Head and to all who sincerely doe thus God hereby seals to them that he will be their God reconciled to them through his Son and that Christ with all his benefits shall be theirs
he brings whilst they will have none of him or them on the terms that God propoundeth No no it is onely the broken-healed heart the humble raised soul that can be feelingly and affectionately thankfull to God for a Saviour who hath wrought so great works for them and in them and laid up such great provisions for the time to come They that were lost but are found they that were dead but are alive in these will their heavenly Father take pleasure and these will rejoyce in his love and return praise to him who sent his Son to seek and save that which was lost To bring men into such a state and frame that they may be disposed and enabled from an inward sense of his goodnesse to render such thanks to the Father of mercies as may be well-pleasing to him I should onely onely need to repeat what was before laid down to bring them to accept of Christ which when once they are brought to and arrived to any hopes of their acceptance with God through him then both in heart and voice with their lips and lives will they adore and praise him who called them out of darknesse into his marvellous light Wherefore study well your many and great necessities which Christ alone can supply Consider to what miseries by sin you stand exposed from which he alone can keep you Remember what he did and suffered how low he condescended for the sake of man and remember your own utter unworthinesse that ever the least love or regard should have been manifested to you and yet consider what great things are done for you into how good a state matters are brought what abundant blessings are freely bestowed on the humble and believing what rich and precious promises are made them what mercies are given for this life and that to come grace and glory and whatever is good for men nothing is withheld from them Let but the consideration of all the rich and precious priviledges which Christ gives to his servants sink into thy soul and then thou wilt find it even impossible not to magnifie the author and purchaser of such gifts nor wilt thou be able to refrain from expressions of thy gratitude and love and therefore maist worthily come to the Sacrament there to exercise and expresse those holy affections CHAP. X. VI. It must produce an holy love to Saints HE that rightly remembers the Death of Christ and and well considers the infinite love herein shewn to mankind cannot but be thereby wrought to an hearty love to all his fellow Christians And that 's the last qualification I shall mention necessary for all Communicants and which flows from their remembrance of Christ to wit that they be in charity with all men and have an especiall endeared love to all true Christians both those that communicate with them and others To this great duty of brotherly love we have the most forcible engagement that ever could be imagined by the example of our blessed Lord laying down his life for us and his behaviour at death even praying for his persecutors doth sufficiently tell us how we ought to behave our selves towards our bitterest adversaries We see then what a spirit we shall have wrought in us by a right remembrance of our dying Saviour not onely toward our friends but our enemies themselves As for that love that ought to be amongst all true Christians we find this is the new Command that he hath inculcated upon us and obliged us to by the great example of his unparalell'd love that we also should love one another Joh. 15.12 13. 1 Joh. 3.16 And this he hath made the very badge of his true disciples whereby they should be known from the rest of the world Joh. 13.34 35. And one particular end of our meeting together at the Lords Table is to testifie and strengthen our mutuall love This we shew by our eating and drinking together which is the custome of friends and this is one reason why this Sacrament is called the Communion in that Christians have here the most endearing fellowship with each other For hereby is not onely represented their union with Christ their Head and their spirituall communion with him but that nearnesse of relation they have amongst themselves being mystically united into one Body whereof Christ is the Head 1 Cor. 10.17 For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread Each Christian is so related to and joyned with the other that they go to the making up of one body as the severall grains compacted together make one bread and by their joynt participation of this one bread they declare themselves to be but one body the Children of one Father living in one Family and feeding at the same Table upon the very same food even upon Christ himself who is the true bread that came down from heaven and upon their being united to Christ as Head is founded this their so near and intimate relation to each other to be Fellow-members of the same body as they that have the same Soveraign are fellow Subjects they that have the same Parents are brethren And by their feeding on this Sacramentall food and Christ himself therein from whom the whole body being fitly joyned together makes increase unto the edifying of it self in love Eph. 4.15 16. having here a communion with him which fills and acts them with the same Spirit hereby I say they receive a farther bond and disposition to the greatest unity of hearts and affections So that we are especially engaged before our attendance upon this Ordinance to go our way and be reconciled to our brother The leaven of malice amongst all other wickednesse is to be purged out when we keep this Feast 1 Cor. 5.7 8. And indeed we shall find this the generall sense of people that they ought to be in charity with their neighbours before they come to the Sacrament whilst they discover too little sense of the necessity of other graces that are equally needful yea whilst they remain destitute of this very charity it self which they acknowledge to be so necessary for alas they are not so easily brought to the practice of their duty as to acknowledge and commend it For the plain truth is none can rise up to this excellent temper of spirit wherein one half of our Religion consists but he who is engrafted into Christ and transformed into his likenesse by the spirit of love which may dâ—rect those who are yet void hereof what course to take for the attainment of the same namely to get united to Christ by a living faith and fervent love whereby they shall find kindled in their breasts a new affection to all that doe with them love the Lord Jesus For certainly it is not enough for us that we have no malice in our hearts against any nor wish them any hurt this is a poor description of Christian charity and may be found in a Turk
how will this aggravate the condemnation of the pâ—ofane in our days that whilst they could not be kept out of the Alehouse and Tavern but lay there day and night drinking away their wit their money and of entimes theâ—r life it self yet no entreaties could bring them duly to prepare themselves and come to eat and drink at the Lords own Table Hadst thou but such a favour offered thee as Haman to be entertained at a banquet with the King and Queen how forwardly would'st thou accept it and with what a pride would'st thou boast of it as he did But yet when the King of glory invites thee to be his guest thou think'st not his invitations worth hearkning to so mean are thy thoughts of his company and fare Yea dost thou not see how importunate Beggars are for an alms They come to thy door and stand begging for bread and will hardly be driven empty away and yet when thou art thus begg'd to accept of bread that comes from heaven thou wilt not receive it Here men must be compell'd that is importunately woo'd to come in and yet they will not be prevailed with or if they doe come it is oftentimes in such a carelesse manner that gives as much displeasure to him who sent for them and brings as much mischief upon themselves as if they had staid away But of this I spake in the beginning wherefore I shall onely adde that it is to me a matter of astonishment that those who know their bodies will shortly be in the grave and who say they verily believe their souls must live for ever that those very men should with so much care and unweariednesse feed and maintain their bodies whilst willingly and out of meer sloth they suffer these immortall souls to starve and perish eternally 6. Consider this is a juncture of time wherin especially thou art engaged to doe all that in thee lies toward the speedy securing of thy everlasting happinesse and therefore in the most solemn manner to consecrate thy self to God at the Sacrament there renouncing all the ways of wickednesse whereby thou hast provoked him that so thy peace may be made with him For consider how he hath lately appeared in judgement against us and shewn that he hath a sore controversie with us and shall not we the surviving inhabitants of the Land learn righteousnesse hereby Shall not we be so wise as to meet him in the way before his anger be kindled against us in particular It is to be feared the neglect of this very duty and the grosse miscarriages in the manner of performing it have done much toward the hastening of those judgements we have lain under And shall not this teach thee what to doe for the future Wilt thou go on to provoke the Lord to jealousie so that his anger should not be turned away but his hand stretched out still And if thou art one who hast lately been preserved from the very graves mouth whereinto thou wast ready to fall being in continuall expectation of death through the Visitation or any other Distemper I would with thee to look back and consider what were the thoughts of thy heart at that time thou I mean who hadst lived a loose and carelesse life Did not thy Conscience fly in thy face for all thy wickednesse And didst thou not resolve that if God should spare thee thou would'st become a new man and lead another kind of life than thou hadst done Did it not terrifie thee to remember how thou hadst neglected praying hearing and receiving Sacraments And didst thou not make promises within thy self that if God would try thee once again it should be no more thus But that thou would'st be as diligent and constant therein for the time to come as thou hadst been slack and negligent before Well now God hath tried thee according to thy desire thou who might'st have been sent to the place where Repentance will do no good art yet kept upon earth to see what will be the fruit of thy afflictions where yet thou art within the reach of mercy if thou throw not thy self out of it What then shall become of all thy good purposes and promises Are they gone as soon as thy sicknesse and pain are gone Are they all forgotten already Yet be thou sure God will remember them and fain would I perswade thee to remember them too and now in particular having prepared thy soul to addresse thy self to the Lords Table and there renew all those vows and resolutions which thou madest in the time of sicknesse and danger and humbly implore mercy and pardon for thy former carelesnesse and all thy transgressions and help from God to walk more closely with him for the future Let me now in season be thy Remembrancer from the Lord and bring to mind what engagements thou hast made to him and see thou be faithfull to them But if they be sleighted and all that I have said to thee sleighted because now thou art lusty and well and seest no death near thee and hast something else to do than to trouble thy self with being so religious as dying men use to be yet let it sink into thy thoughts that there is just such another time coming upon thee very shortly thou wilt be sick again and cast upon thy death-bed and dost thou not think the very same thoughts will then come into thy mind again When thou shalt consider thy self just lanching forth into eternity shalt look back upon all thy ungodly deeds and thy undervaluing the means of grace by an improvement of which thou mightest have been made ready for such an hour as this wilt thou not then begin again to fall to wishing that it had been otheâ—wise and to purposing thou wilt be better hereafter if once again thou maist be recovered But when thy Conscience with a redoubled fury shall rise up and 〈◊〉 thâ—e remember how thou didst long ago in the same condition seem as penitent as this comes to but yet all câ—me to nothing and that therefore thou hast no reason to expect a farther triall and shall moreover tell thee that it is most likely all this is out of meeâ— slavish fear and not out of any true love to God and Holinesse how wilt thou be able to hold up under such a dreadfull charge as this from thy own awakened Conscience It is my great desire to prevent thy being then overwhelmed with such sad thoughts as these and if thou art but as willing they may be effectually prevented even by speedily setting upon such a course as will be the rejoycing of thy soul at that day when nothing else will rejoyce thee but the testimony of Gods Spririt witnessing with thy Conscience that by the Grace of God thou hast had thy conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity For without this it would be but a poor refuge for thee to call for a Sacrament on thy death-bed who didst sleight it in thy health 7.
Consider whether by this thy contempt of the Ordinances of Christ thou maist not provoke him justly to withdraw them from us and to bestow them upon a people that will more prize and frequent and better improve them than we have done If Children be so indifferent to their food that they play with it or throw it away it 's fit it should be taken from them When people are wanton and curious that they know not how to be pleased but upon the least dislike reject their spirituall food it 's a sign they want that best of sawces a good stomach which it's just they should be brought to by being kept short Or if they be so lazy that they think it more adoe than needs to be diligent in those exercises of religion which our Lord hath appointed and take the greatest priviledges for burdens is it not just they should be eased of them for who will continue kindnesses to those who take them for injuries Yea can they expect any other than ere long to be removed into a world where they shall never more be troubled with such heavy impositions You that are now ready to say what a stirr's here with Sermons Prayers and Sacraments and think all your time lost that 's spent in them and are vext to think that you must have so many inâ—erruptions from your sins or worldly businesse be content a while and you shall have no cause long to complain of these things you now judge so grievous There 's none of this adoe in the Hell your ungodlinesse leads to but whether there be not sadder doings there your experience e're long is like to give you full conviction if nothing sooner will convince you Do but judge reasonably must it not needs be an high displeasure to God to see his Creatures contemn the most precious mercies as if they were nothing worth How would you take it if when out of courtesie you had invited a poor man to your Table and had made ready the best that could be had for him he should find fault with your meat and ask you why you troubled him to come from home to such a poor Dinner as this would you think he deserved to have the worst bit there If your Landlord or any rich neighbour should bid you to a Feast would you send word by his Servant that he nothing worth coming for but that you could provide for your self better at home Or if you should send such word do you think you shoâ—ld be invited twice And yet thus sawcy and unthankfull have you been toward the great God whilst you have kept away from his Table notwithstanding which he hath again and again sent forth his Servants to invite you thither in that way and to those ends which he hath revealed But oh Sirs do no more so foolishly so impudently I beseech you least at length you should move God to withdraw from you the mercies you trample on and you when it is too late should be put to seek with tears those blessings which once you cared not for and therefore must never have 8. Is it not a very great sign that you forget Christ himself whilst you can thus quietly passe from year to year without Remembring him at the Sacrament Could you possibly do thus if you bore him upon your minds and were sensibly affected with the frequent thoughts of all his love towards you Would you not then take all opportunities to expresse this your thankfull sense of his kindnesse The Children of Israel we read were enjoyned to keep the Feast of the Passeover as a memoriall of their deliverance out of Aegypt and if when they were come into Canaan they should after a few years have left it off might not God justly have taxt them with forgetting their deliverance it self And is not the case much what the same here So we find Exod. 12.26 27. that when their Children should see them keep this Feast and ask what the meaning was they were to answer It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeover who passed over the houses of the Children of Israel in Aegypt in that night when he smote the Aegyptians and delivered our houses If now these Children when they were of capacity should refuse to keep this Feast as they were commanded is it not a sign that either they believed not what their parents told them or else thought there was nothing in it worth the remembrance Thus if any of you should demand what 's the meaning of our assembling together at certain times to eat and drink Bread and Wine in so serious a manner it may be answered you This is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which he appointed in the night wherein he was betrayed for a memoriall of that Death whereby he destroyed the kingdome of Satan and delivered his people If you now take this to be true and think it deserves so solemn a Remembrance come as you have been directed and joyn with the rest in this work if you refuse this you can never sure have the face to say that you doe in your hearts Remember Christ. If one that had bestowed some great matters upon the Town he lived in should order at his death that the inhabitants of that Town should upon a certain day in the year meet together at a Feast to keep up the memory of his bounty if they neglected this might it not well be said they forgot their Benefactour And does not your neglect of this Sacramentall Feast as plainly shew a forgetfulnesse of your great Benefactour who ordained it Oh wonderfull that ever men who have heard who Jesus Christ is and what he hath done should be thus unmindfull of him Ah Sirs read the history of his Life think soundly of his Death and consider then whether he thus deserve to be forgotten by you Had he had no more thought of us where had we now been and what had become of us for ever Hath he done so much for you even without your seeking and when he requires so little of you is he denied If but a dying friend should take his Ring off his Finger and put it on yours and bid you look on that Ring and remember him should you not easily do it But much more if this friend had upon any account given up himself to die for your preservation and should onely engage you by remembring him to beware of that fault whereby your life was endangered and his was lost would not the memory of such a friend be ever fresh and precious with you if you had any humanity any sense of friendship and kindnesse And would not your bowels be even turned within you whenever you beheld his Ring But alas how farre comes this short of the kindnesse which Christ hath shewn to poor sinners in many circumstances as might easily be shewn And yet how is all disregarded with the most How few obey this that was one of his last injunctions to his followers
sons of men Let Plays and Fictions be hist off the Stage let Romantick follies be shamed into obscurity for here is that which alone deserves the name of Love here 's such Truth as commands our belief such worth and weight as calls for our regard and such stupendious greatnesse as may raise our wonder Here behold the power of love in the fairest display of it that ever was made to the world since its foundations were first laid beyond which imagination it self cannot ascend nay which falls vastly short of it how vastly short then doth expression fall but yet oh that we could feel as much as that little which we speak Was it ever before known that the Shepherd should lay down his life for his sheep not for innocent sheep but to reduce wilfull straglers to his Fold that he who was Lord of all should die for his Subjects not for obedient Subjects but for Rebels appointed to the slaughter Thus continue thy meditations till they have so good an effect upon thee that if Christ should appear to thee at this instant as thâ—u art got alone and should call thee by Name as once he did Peter and ask thee Soul Lovest thou me thou mightest be able truly to return his answer Lord thou knowest that I love thee And then to affect thee yet mâ—re consider of Gods saving love in Christ parâ—icularly revealed to thy soul that he was pleased to say to thee when thou wâ—â—st in thy blood Live Calling thee out of darknesse into his marvellous light laying hold on thee by his Spirit and recovering thee to himself when thou wast running farre away from him and many a tiâ—e preventing and restoring thee by his grace when otâ—erwise thou hadst utterly ruin'd thy self Oh praise him that he left thee noâ— in Satan's kingdome under the power of thy lusts but with a strong hand and outstretched arm brought thee out of that house of bondage and magnifie his name when thou beholdest that blood wherein thy sins were drowned as the Egyptians in the Red-Sea Oh blesse his name that he did not suffer thee to remain dead in trespasses and sins yea that he did not strike thee dead in them and sentence thee to the second death after which there is life no more This is a fit season for recollecting all the special mercies of thy life which God hath shewn either to soul or body to thy self or thine all which thou art to look upon as vouchsaft through Christ which makes the mercy infinitelie greater And when you have thus endeavoured to get your hearts brim-full with love and joy come and let them rise higher and boil over at the Table of the Lord. Let no sadnesse appear in your looks nor a tormenting thought by your good will seize upon your hearts this day Come loathing sin as much as you are able but come loving Christ as much Have as low thoughts of thy self as thou wilt and be as humble as thou canst in remembrance of all thy vilenesse but yet let thy Soul magnifie the Lord and thy Spirit rejoyce in God thy Saviour Thy gracious Lord will not upbraid thee with any former unkindnesse and neglect of his love which thou art heartily asham'd of and sorry for Wherefore though thou maist come blushing and weeping yet come not into his presence daunted and despairing He died on purpose to ease your souls of all those fears which make you all your life time subject unto bondage Will not you receive comfort for whom he hath shed his blood that it might be your Cordiall Let him see you then improve it this day to that purpose for your health and pleasure if it be solid is his delight And if he would have your joy at any time in this World full now it is If you must ever more rejoyce this I am sure is a fit season This is our most solemn Thanks-giving Feast Oh wonderfull That the commemoration of the Master's death should be the Servants Feast It is his pleasure to have it so and let us thankfully comply therewith Instead of his Vinegar and Gall he gives us Bread and Wine and better things than they Here he hath made according to his promise Isa. 25.6 A Feast of fat things a Feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of marrow Wines on the Lees well refined And you may be sure the Master of this Feast who entertains his guests with an affection as great as their fare is costly would not have them sit there sad and dejected as if they liked not their provisions or thought themselves not welcome Would it please you to see your friends in such a posture at your Table Oh question not your welcome all yee lovers of Christ but when you are there assembled imagine that you heard him saying to you Eat oh friends drink yea drink abundantly oh beloved Here he hath brought you into his Banquetting-House and his Banner over you shall be love Here will he comfort you with Heavenly Manna and stay with Flaggons all you that are sick of love You Children of Abraham that come from the slaughter of your lusts here doth your Lord meet you as his type Melchizedeck met your Father Gen. 14.18 Setting before you the Bread and Wine for your refreshment And here will he blesse you He shall cause you to sit under his shadow and his fruit shall be sweet to your tast Here may you expect the most comfortable commâ—nion with Christ that is to be had in this lower World Here then believing in and loving him whom you have not seen but whom you may here see represented do you rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 8. That your hearts may be more heavenly in this work and so more apt to be fill'd with joy and to break out in praise let me earnestly desire you here to have an eye to a glorified as well as a crucified Christ to remember not only his humiliation but his exaltation It was the minde of Christ that his Resurrection rather than his birth or death should consecrate a weekly thanksgiving to be observed by the Churh in all ages which should be call'd the Lords own day and be spent in his praise and service This being the accomplishment of his labours his finall victory over death and the grave and all Enemies that did assault his own person the memorial whereof must therefore needs be most rejoycing to his servants And as his Resurrection cannot be remembred without his birth and death which must of necessity precede it no more can his death be here rightly remembred without we also bear in mind his Resurrection and Ascension to Glory Can we remember what he was and not think what he is Sad meetings had we made indeed if our Lord had been held under the power of death if such a thing may be imagined All the World then might well be in the disconsolate posture of the two Disciples that were