morning And this is fearfull to return with the dog to the vomit 2 Pet. 2.22 But God's people cast them away Isa 30.22 as a menstruous rag never more to have to do with them 2. Get your hearts further strengthened to service Here is in this Ordinance a mutuall sealing of Covenants between God and you As God seals to thee so thou seals again to God God seals to the first part of the Covenant pardon mercy grace and thou seals to the second part of it service subjection obedience God gives Christ to thee here in this Ordinance and thou gives thy self back again to Christ As there is matter of bountie from God to thee so there is matter of duty from thee to God God here in bounty bestowes Christ upon every humble broken hearted and believing receiver They take him and re-give themselves back again to him for subjection and obedience There was never any soul to whom God said in this Ordinance I am thine whose hearts did not eccho again the same to God Lord I am thine This head is thine to contrive thy glory this hand is thine to work for thee this hart is thine to love thee He that sayes my beloved is mine sayes again and I am his Cant. 2.16 Cant. 2.16 Let us then labour to see our hearts further strengthened to service let this inable thee to walk 1. More strongly The Sacraments are our spirituall baitings and refreshments which God affords us to strengthen us in our journey to Heaven They are spirituall meat drink to strengthen us in the performance of al spirituall obedience such meat as will not only inable a man to work but to work more strongly And 't is to be feared that they who are never the stronger for service feed not upon the substance but upon the shadow they feed upon the elements but never tast of Christ the staff of nourishment Purum elementum non est alimentum and t is true here the meer element is no nourishment 2. More willingly and cheerfully Then shall wee be able to run the wayes of God's Commandements Psal 119. when God once here inlarges our hearts It is said of Jacob that when he had been refreshed with the presence of God he plucked up his feet and went on cheerfully So here when the soul hath been refreshed with the presence of Christ he will be able to walk more cheerfully in the wayes of God The food we feed upon is Angels ' food and will inable us to Angels ' imployments h. e. to do our work with an Angels spirit with all alacrity cheerfulness joy and delight though not in the same equality yet in the same quality Siquid boni tristè feceris fit de te magis quam à te Prosper though not in the same measure yet in the same manner And thus much for the second generall viz. How we must sanctifie God in an Ordinance Wee will now come to the third generall which is the Reasons why Who ever have to do with an Ordinance of God must sanctifie God in it 1. Reason Because God commands it God saith hee will be sanctified and God's will is our law God doth not only command the substance but the circumstances not only the matter of worship but the manner And though the matter be good if the manner of performance be naught God doth not regard it You see what hee saith to the Jewes He that sacrificeth is as he who killed a man and hee that kils a Lamb as if he cut off a Dog's head and he who burneth incense as hee who blesseth an Idoll Isa Isa 66.3 66.3 These seem strange expressions What were not these such duties as God commanded Doth not God command sacrifice c. Yes but because they did them not in that manner God commanded therefore were they abominable to him If therefore thou gives God the bulk of outward performance without the spirit of devotion thou deals by him as Prometheus by Jupiter who did eat the flesh and present him with nothing but bones covered over with skin Or to use the Scripture phrase you compass God with a lie Hos 11.12 Hos 11.12 Thou gives him the shell of outward performance but not the kernell of inward devotion thou gives him a body without a soul And as the body without the soul is dead and stinks so doth that service which wants the spirit As God's will doth command service so our will and affections must perform service Though our will must be no instrument of devising service yet it must be an instrumēt in performing service Though God will not own will-worship in regard of prescription yet he will own it in regard of performance and none else Thus you see God commands it and therefore c. Impü Petram lambunt sed indè nec mel nec oleum sugunt c. Ambr. Ser. de coena 2. Reason Because otherwise wee get no good by this Ordinance no good of Comfort nor none of Grace If indeed the Sacraments did ex opere operato confer Grace or if that this Sacrament were an Instrument for the begetting of Grace in graceless hearts then might you get good though you came unpreparedly The word it is set up for that end to be the instrument of regeneration and therefore though you come unpreparedly thither yet you may be wrought upon there * Nemo bonus qui non ex malo bonus Aug. Many that have come to the Word with purpose to scoff to taunt to deride nay to insnare and accuse who yet have been wrought on there and sent away other men Were the Sacraments set up for such an end to beget grace where there is no grace then might you get good though you come unpreparedly and unsanctifiedly thither but as I have told you it was never set up for such an end here its true habenti dabitur to him that hath shall be given he that hath grace shall in the exercise improve his graces but he that comes graceless hither goes graceless away nay worse then he came which is the next Reason 3. Reason Because otherwise we get much hurt The Ordinances are not idle but operative they either work for life or they work for death As Paul said of the Word it was the savour of life and of death so I may say of every Ordinance There is never a time you come to hear the Word but you are set a step neerer heaven or hell so never a time you come to receive the Sacraments c. The fruit of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill might be wholsome in it self yet Adam did eat his death when he tasted of it contrary to God's command So here the Sacrament though in it self it be good yet it becomes the bane and destruction of those souls who partake thereof unworthily As the Ordinances of God are precious things when God is sanctified in them so
God which is worth ten thousand of our lives and souls as the people said to David God doth inflict punishments upon offenders And there is no other way to preserve or make whole and repair the honour glory of God c. Men that will not learn by the Word must be taught by works if the Word will not prevail with you to forbear the prophanation of his Ordinances then his works come in If you will be so sensuall and brutish that you will see nothing to be sin but what you feel to be sin in God's hand upon you you shall feel blows enough A rod is for the back of a fool Take this with you What ever you will not learn by faith you shall be taught by sense God makes men feel those things to be evill by sense which by faith they would not believe to be evil When the word will not prevail with men to forbear prophanation of any ordinance or any sin then from word he goes to works lays afflictions judgements punishmēts on men And happy t is if the works bring men again to the word when Schola crucis is Schola lucis when God's house of correction is a school of instruction So saith David Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest and teachest in thy law It was so you see with the Corinthians the word did not prevail God goes to his works inflicts punishments on them sickness weakness death and then hee comes to the word again For this cause many are sick And no doubt but word upon works was more prevalent with them then when it went alone Reason Reas 6 6. To declare his hatred against sin God hates all sin and the neerer a sin comes to God the more he hates it Now this is neer him you dishonour his Name his Ordinances are precious they are his name and therfore God will not hold such guiltless c. Thus you see I have shewed you that God will sanctifie himself upon al those who do not sanctifie him in an ordinance And I have shewed you the grounds reasons of it now to application Vse 1. Oh! then take heed thou who art a prophane person a swearer a drunkard and forbear lest God make this true of thee this day and raise his glory out of thy ruines Thou wilt not be warned by the word look for works thou whom the examples of others will not make to beware take heed lest God do here make thee an example It was the third Captain's wisdome in the 2 Kings 1.13 14. who when he saw God's visible judgements upon the two former Captains hee takes warning thereby and avoids their sins so you that are prophane when you see and heare what God hath threatned against prophaners of this Ordinance and what fearfull judgements God hath executed upon all unworthy receivers which are all Christless all graceless persons Oh! beware of coming hither in thy sins God's Word is true As what hee promiseth is sure to come to pass so what ever hee threatens And though hee prolong and defer the time of execution yet your damnation sleepeth not as Peter saith 2 Pet. 3.7 8 9. verses It shall surely come If God should threaten to strike dead every unworthy receiver you would be afraid to come and how would it make the best of us to look about us whether we are worthy receivers or not But alas what is this threatning in comparison of the other you eat and drink damnation to your selves This is as far above the other as a temporall is below an eternall A punishment upon the body below the everlasting wrath of God and punishment of your souls Better you were strucke dead here then reserved for everlasting death hereafter Thy body escapes here and yet I cannot assure thee of that others who were God's own people were struck with death and sickness and I cannot assure thee that God will not destroy thee with the bread in thy mouth as hee did the Israelites with the Quails in theirs God hath threatened and we know not whether he will execute yea or no God said I will not hold him guiltless that takes my Name in vain Examples we have but other examples are worn out who knowes whether he will not give fresh examples and deal by thee as he did by Nadab and Abihu in the Text even in the face of the whole congregation destroy thee with fire from heaven that all may feare thou went with them but from fire to fire from a destruction by fire to preservation in fire from temporall to eternall burnings But suppose that God should forbear his stroke now yet it is certain to come Quorum ultio reponitur in futurum And wo be to them whose vengeance is reserved for another day Ah it will come then with a witness then with load enough when the guilt of al thy prophanations of this glorious ordinance come together and therefore beware beware as thou loves thy body nay thy soul that for ever beware of unworthy partaking c. Vse 2. If so Oh! then look to it you who go on in a way of prophanation of Gods Ordinances God hath said hee will be sanctified of them who draw neer to him And dost thou believe this Is it true or is it false I know thou dare not but say this is truth God himself speaks it Well then this being a truth what may thou expect who art a prophaner of his Ordinances And to all thy prophanations as it was said of Herod he added this that he cast John in prison so you adde this to all the rest the prophanation of this Ordinance of the Lords Supper Oh! this is a sin for which God will not bear with thee If God would not bear with his own people the Corinthians who yet had grace were habitually disposed were justified sanctified and wanted only actuall preparation and disposition in the Ordinance how shall he bear with thee thou prophane person graceless person If God deal thus with the green tree what shall become of the dry tree If God deal thus with his own what shall become of thee If thus with the bearing what shall become of the barren tree If judgement begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and sinners appear Answer me that if thou canst If God will be sanctified upon his sanctified ones what of thee If God doth punish the want of circumstances what wil he do to thee who wants the substance the main requisite But it may be thou thinks there is no such matter these are but Bugbears c. for thy part thou hast come hither and gone home and found no hurt And hast thou so Bless not thy self in that there is the more behind A black and dismall showre of wrath is sure to fall upon thee one day This is true God will be sanctified of them that come nigh him And this is true also Hee who eats and drinks unworthily is made
we must sanctifie God in this ordinance p. 40 1 Something is required before 41. 1 Habituall 43. preparation 2 Actuall 2 Something in the time 44. 1 Exercise of Grace 2 Sutable demeanors Faith Repentance 1 Faith where is discovered 1 What act of faith 45. 2 Vpon what object 50. 3 For what benefits 54. Faith is to be exercised for four benefits in the Sacrament 1. For the further assurance of our justification 56. 2. For the increase of sanctification 59. 3. For the subduing of corruptions 70. 4. For deliverance out of temptation 74. And how faith is to be acted upon Christ for these benefits is discovered 2. The second Grace to be exercised in the time is Repentance pag. 78. Where is set down 1 The kindes of mourning 1 Historicall 79. 2 Spirituall 79. 2 The advantages to it 82. 1 The discovery of love 2 Sufferings of Christ c. These are the Graces required in the time now the demanours p. 89. 1. An humble reverence 2. Discharge of worldly thoughts p. 90. 3. Something is required afterward to sanctifie God in this ordinance p. 93. Thankfulnes 94 2 Obedience 98. 3. Why we must sanctifie God 3. Reasons p. 103. 1 Because God commands 103. 2 Because otherwise get no good p. 105. 3 Because otherwise get hurt p. 107. Vse Of complaint How few do sanctifie God in this ordinance p. 100. 2 Vse Examination Whether you have sanctified God in it p. 112. Before 1 See if you have observed God's order p. 113. 114. 2 See whether observed God's rules p. 16. 3 See whether you have observed God's ends p. 118. 2 See if you have exercised Gods graces in the time p. 123. 3 See whether wee have returned home with God's quicknings and refreshments p. ibid. 3 Doctr. God will be sanctified of every one that doth not sanctifie him in Ordinances p. 130. 1 What is meant by God's sanctifying himself on men p. 131. 2 What are the reasons why God doth sanctifie himself on those who do not sanctifie him in ordinances p. 132. 6 Reasons of it 1 For terrour and dread of prophane persons p. 133. 2 For caution to others p. 134. 3 To declare his justice p. 136 4 To remove scandall p. 137. 5 To hold up his great name p. 148. 6 To declare his hatred against sin p. 142. Vse Caution to prophane persons 143. Vse To exhort us to turn our eyes backward and examine whether wee have not been guilty of the prophanation of this ordinance p. 151. The triall is put upon three further designes pag. 151. 1 Sign If the Sacraments have wrought no further good upon thee p. ibid. 2 Sign If thou art worse after then before p. 153. 3 Sign If thou hast fed upon nothing but outward elements thou hast been a prophaner of this ordinance p. 156. A briefe rehearsall and application of the whole to wicked and unregenerate persons Imprimatur John Downam LEVIT 10.3 Then Moses said unto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will bee sanctified in them that come nigh me WE are all here present met together at an Ordinance and many of us have intended to goe upon a further Ordinance And there is no man or woman who hath to doe with any Ordinance of God but hath to deale with God in it he drawes neere to God And God hath said he will â—e sanctified in all them that draw â—eere to him either he will be sanctified by you in your active glorifying â—f him or upon you in your passive â—earing his displeasure A te vel De te There is never a one of you here present but God will be sanctified and glorified in you this day And 't is my earnest desire that you may all actively glorifie God that he may not passively glorifie himselfe upon you and raise his glory out of the ruines of any of you I need not travell farre back to find you a coherence the verse before will afford it And the first word of my Text bids me go no further There is 1. The occasion of these words 2. The Preface to them 3. The words themselves 4. The effect of them 1. The occasion of these words and that was the untimely death of Aarons two sonnes their death gave birth to these words And a sentence it is not too deare if bought with the lives of thousands of men 2. The Preface to them This is that the Lord said why where did the Lord speak it Did he speak it to Moses only or did he speak it â—o the Congregation also we never reade it was booked before totidem verbis Some think this punishment was all the command they had but I cannot think that God doth first punish and thereupon raise a precept but he first gives his Law then punishes the breach of it And the words declare there had been some charge given This is that the Lord said so that there was some charge But where was it Wee read not of it here Some say it was spoken but not written and this they would have to countenance their unwritten traditions Some will have it in Exo. 19.22 Let the Priests sanctifie themselves lest the Lord break in upon them Others will have it in Levit. 8.35 36. Keep the Lord's charge that you die not Calvin will not have it referred to any particular place but a generall charge given at divers times and now the present occasion brings it forth to particular application to which I assent 3. Wee have the words themselves I will be sanctified Why what is that Can God be sanctified of us Indeed he sanctifies us but how can we sanctifie him God is sanctified two wayes 1. Actively 2. Passively 1. Actively as 1 Pet. 3.15 Sanctifie the Lord in your hearts and thus God is sanctified when wee cherish and maintain high esteems of God in our hearts when we do honour esteem and advance God in our hearts and in our lives 2. Passively by punishing of offenders Ezek. 28.22 When I have executed my judgement on her Sanctificatio Dei est poena peccantium Jerom. then shall I be sanctified in her Jerome on this place saith The punishment of offenders is the sanctification of God So you see it was in the Text God was sanctified on them not by their doing good but by their suffering evill not Actively but Passively And in both these senses the words are to be read I say the words are to be read in this disjunctive sense I will be sanctified of all them that draw neer to me that is either actively in glorifying me in the work or passively in glorifying my self upon the workman Si voluntas Dei non fiat a te fiet de te Aug. if you do not sanctifie God in an Ordinance he will be sanctified upon you 4. We have the effect of these words upon Aaron it is said it struck him dumb a dutifull dumbness he was silent to Jehovah he held his
that we might be healed scourged that we might be solaced drunk the cup of wrath a bitter cup to procure all our sweet draughts He was slain saith Daniel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9.26 but not for himself he was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes are we healed Isa 53.5 8. 3. Consider them as effectus peccati as the effects of our sin as those things our sins brought upon him Solvere gelicidium and needs must this melt and thaw our Icie stony hearts Oh will the soul say it hath been I who have been the traytor the murtherer my sins which have been bloody instruments to slay the Lord of glory I have sinn'd Ezek. 18. thou suffer'd 't was I that did eat the sowre grapes yet thy teeth were set on edge I have been thy death yet thy death hath given mee life I have wounded thee yet thou hast healed me yea and even out of that wound my sins made thou sent a plaister to heal mee This consideration must needs fill the heart with sorrow Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and how shall this sight affect them why it follows they shall mourn and be in bitterness of soul as one in bitterness for their first-born They say if one man kill another and you bring the murtherer into the place where the slain person lies the dead will bleed afresh Wee are the murtherers of Christ and we come here to an Ordinance where Christ is represented in his blood as broken and wounded for our sins O! that our hearts might bleed as he bleeds afresh to us so that wee might bleed a fresh to him A Prince wil weep himself when the Page is whipped for him but how should the Page mourn when the Prince is scourged for him My brethren there is infinite more disproportion between Christ and us then between the Prince and the Page the Lord and the slave And how can we then look upon him as wounded scourged pierced for us not be affected with afflicted for our sin the cause of it Bernard saith * Sivis ipsum cognoscere sicut se fregit ita te frange If thou would be conformable to Christ in the Sacrament as thou beholdest a broken a bleeding Christ so labour to behold him w th a broken bleeding heart Look on him in this Ordinance as Mary looked upon him on the Cross when Simeon's Prophesie was fulfilled that a sword should pass through her soul Luke 2.35 for then indeed did a sword pass through her soul when she saw him pierced on the cross so when you see him pierced and broken in the Sacrament which is the lively representation of Christ broken Oh that then it might be as a spear to our hearts as a sword to our spirits that we by our sins have wounded and pierced him This is the second grace to be exercised in this Ordinance And beside these two there are many more to be exercised here viz. Our love to God our hungring and thirsting after Christ There is that in Christ represented to the eye of faith in this Sacrament that calls out for all the affections dispositions and desires in you You cannot see Christ here but it will make every grace within you stir every disposition within you to move every wheel go Who can see him but love him who is so exceeding lovely Who can see him but prize him who is so exceeding precious Who can see him but desire him who is so exceeding desireable Who can see him but delight in him who is the joy and delight of the soul You cannot possibly see him here but all the powers of the soul will be up 1. Your judgements to prize him your wills to choose him and make a new match with him your affections to love him embrace him delight in him And the clearer your sight is here of Christ by faith the more will your hearts be stirred your spirits moved Men that sit here as logs lumps of clay never stirred never taken up they see not Christ they see no higher then the table the Bread and Wine and therefore dead and sensless Oh! but if if one crevise of your hearts were opened to let in but one beam one glimpse of Christ it would set you all on a burning heavenly fire this would warm you indeed But besides these graces to be exercised there is required some demeanours in the soul in this Ordinance if we would sanctifie God in it 1. An humble and holy reverence which is the fruit of that dread and fear of God which is in the heart There is abundance of lightness looseness and vanity in the spirits of men by nature And the Majesty and dread of that great God with whom wee have to do in this Ordinance must consolidate and make our spirits weighty in these great Ordinances The Sacrament is called an Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grata beneficiorum recordatio it is a gratulatory service and God is fearfull in praises Exod. 15.11 which hath speciall respect to the affection wherewith you are to praise him 2. There is required a discharge dismission of all worldly thoughts and businesses When Abraham went up to the Mount to sacrifice he left his servants in the valley Thou art now to go up to the mount where God appears Oh! leave all your servile affections your worldly thoughts in the valley And if any enter do as Abraham did by the Birds that would have eaten up his sacrifice chase them away do by them as you do by straggling beggars give them their pass and send them away In the Temple though there was so much flesh for sacrifice yet there was not one Flie appeared stirring oh that it might be so with us this day that not one thought might arise upon our hearts unsutable to the place and work in hand It is a thing unbefitting these great imployments to have our hearts and thoughts taken up with other businesses what have you to do here with your shops your bags your chests What have you here to do with things of this world Quid proficit si meditationes tuae in lege Dei sint ipsae in se ipsis sine lege sint Bern. in Cant. Oh make not this place an Exchange a Shop for merchandize men are not able to do business in a crowd nor you so great a business as this in a crowd of thoughts But this is the misery you are servants and slaves to the world at other times and therefore the world will master you now If you pass over your hearts to the service of the world at other times the world will make you serve it now Because you have not spirituall hearts in your temporall employments therefore have you carnall hearts in your spirituall employments The lesse of the Sabbath in the