is it not pitty such ingenious youths should be lost for want of Instruction and Correction Let Parents and Governours Tremble lest the Blood of Relations Souls should lye at their Door and both be Tormented for wilful neglects Even Heathens had great care of Childrens Education it was actionable in the Law-Courts among the Romans to neglect this yea if the Son was Debauched the Father was sued since it was supposed the Sons Miscarriage was through the Fathers Default But that might be a mistake Yet God that sees all things and whose Judgment is always according to truth will Commence a Suit against and Condemn the careless Parent Lord when will Parents have as much care of their Childrens Souls as Bodies Yea express as much tenderness to a Child as to a Beast You labour hard to provide for them Food and Rayment to put them into callings that they may live like Men in the World and are their Souls of no Worth Is there not another World worth thinking of looking after Have you not many helps the Bible Catechismes good Books Ministers to Move Admonish and instruct you in training up your Children Do you not promise to do this for them at their Baptism Could you be content to see a Mastiff Dog drag away your Child pull out his Entrals feed upon him and not stir a foot speak a word to rescue him O miserable parents O Cruel Tygers Worse than Sea monsters Lam. 4â— that draw out the Breasts they give suck to their young ones and have not you a word to speak not a breath to breathe in Prayer not a Hand to reach out to them to pluck them from this Gerberus this Dog of Hell Oh where 's Grace yea where is Nature The Lord pitty these merciless Parents For shame learn your Duty and do it and take this Book for an help And you that are Children if Parents neglected their Duty do not you neglect God and your Souls They lookt no further than your Preferment in the World but do you look after an Everlasting Happiness in the other World Some commended Patricius Augustines Father for Educating his Son a Scholar who became so Famous a Father in the Church Alas said he my Father sought only to make me a Rhetorician not a Christian for he was an Heathen But whatever your Parents Trained you up for Law or Physick or a Trade Study Christianity If thy Parents were Carnal Lament it Act Faith in Christ to get Guilt taken off thy Fathers House and double thy Diligence for thy own Soul and for thy Seed If thy Parents were godly devoted thee to God set thee a good Example instructed prayed for thee O make much of the Covenant of Parents plead it embrace it and see thy Heart and Life be Squared by it Else thy Priviledges will be a Testimony against thee another Day 〈…〉 â—â—shop of Millain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in the primitive 〈…〉 or white Garâ—â—â— was put upon the party Baptized and the Minister 〈◊〉 take this white and immaculate Vestment and see thou king it forth without Spot at the Judgment Seat of Christ Withal he tells of one Elpidophorus being Baptized afterwards proving a prophane Wretch the Minister produced this Garment saying This Linnen shall 〈◊〉 thee at Christs coming which is witness of thy â—…tacy You young people make a great account that you were made Christians in Baptism and indeed it stands in good stead in your Infant-State by vertue of your Parents Covenant but being grown up you stand upon your own Legs and must personally renew your Baptismal Covenant or expect no benefit by it Baptism will not save you without the Answer of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3.21 Tit. 3. â— The lover of Regeneration will not avail to Adult Persons without the renewing of the Holy Ghost You must be born again of water and of the Spirit or you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.5 To which Austin Subscribes saying Nihil profuit Simoni Mago visibilis Baptismus cui Sanctificatio invisibilis desit you know Simon Magus was in the Gall of Bitterness and Bond of Iniquity Act. 8.13.22 though he was Baptized You are to thank God for External Priviledges and Religious Education they are Signal Mercies not common to all Bucholzer thankt God that he was Bred up under Melancthon Mr. Whately under Mr. Dod yea a Plato that he was Pupil to Socrates But rest not here be not satisfied except the unfeigned faith dwell in thee 2 Tim 1.5 also that was in thy pious Auncestors Mind their Godly Examples and do not contradict them A King of Poland was wont to carry the Picture of his Renowned Father in a â—â—ate of God about his Neck when he went about any notable Exploit kissing it he said God grant I may 〈◊〉 nothing Remissely 〈…〉 of so 〈…〉 you 〈…〉 Heb. 6.12 who through Faith and patience do now inherit the promises 〈…〉 to be â—pish imitators of their outward Acts but see you have the same Spirit of Faith Love fear of God Repentance and nâ—w Obedience Think you hear your Dying Parents charging you as Mr. Bolâ—â—â—â— did his Children that 〈◊〉 of you dare to meet them at the great Day without a Wedding Garment To this 〈◊〉 attend daily at a 〈◊〉 Ministry examine your Consciences by the Word of God pray much in Secret be Humble and Dâ—cible Disdain not to learn Catechisms watch against Occasions of Sin got into and improve Christian Society keep Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man Read Meditate on labour to and stand and practice Scripture Truths and Rules Study to do all the good you can and be useful in your Generation But I shall detain you no longre in the Porch I humbly desire you to Read and Study this ensuing Treatise which though short is yet Pithy Accurate and Sententious and will like a Clew lead thee through the Labyrinths and Meanders of the World Omit the reading of it and thou are a loser read it slightly and thou gainest no good contradict it at thy peril these Sheets will rise up in Judgment against thee another Day My earnest Prayer shall follow this and other Soul-helps that the God of all Grace would stamp his own Blessed Image on the Souls of the Rising Generation awake their Consciences inlighten their Minds renew their Natures subdue their Wills raise their Affections to Heavenly Objects that they may fill up our vacancies when our Heads are laid in the Silent Dust and may see better Ways and have better Heads to improve all Occurrences to better purpose than we that are now going off the Stage And thus good Reader I take leave wishing thee much content and Advantage in perusing this sweet Posy of Spiritual Flowers gathered out of the Scripture Garden As That Soul-Friend and Servant in Christ O. H. A PARENTS ADVICE to his CHILD How to Live well The Introduction Daughter MY hearts desire and prayer to
person or no i. e. whether you be a Real and Serious Christian one that is truly and in good earnest Godly When the King saw one amongst his Guests that had not on a Wedding Garment that was not Vested with the Robes of Christs Righteousness for Justification nor of Inherent Righteousness for Sanctification he commanded to take him and bind him Hand and Foot and to cast him into utter Darkness Math. 22.13 The Wrath of God will be up against such unworthy Guests as the King 's was against Haman at the Banquet of Wine and will give Sentence against them accordingly The Indians when they first came into these Northern Countreys thought Roses had been Fire Surely the Rose of Sharon will be really a Consuming Fire a devouring Flame to unworthy Communicants He that Eats and Drinks unworthily Eats and Drinks his own Damnation 1 Cor. 11.29 it 's as if the Apostle should say he swallows Damnation and this is more thâ—n to swallow down Flames here in the World It would be well for such if this Sacrament proved only an empty Feast to them but it proves mortal Poyson and like Poyson taken in Wine works with the fiercest Violence If you be an unworthy Guest at the Lords Table you will be guilty of the Body and blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.27 your Soul will be diepred in Blood I mention not this to dishearten you from going to that Blessed Feast for you ought to go but to persuade you to go as a worthy Guest that your going may be for your Everlasting Comfort and not for your Confusion CHAP. XXXIII Of Actual Qualifications MAke your self actually ready to come to this great Solemnity this Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper It 's not enough that you be habitually unlese you be actually prepared If you were invited to a Feast by some great Person you would not satisfie your self to go in your ordinary Dress though it were neat and handsom but you would put your self to some more than ordinary pains to spruce and trim up your self so as not to have a Hair amiss And ought you not to be more careful to Beautifie Deck and Trim up your Soul afresh by Special and more than Ordinary Devotions and Actions of Piety before you come to this High and Majestick Solemnity this Tremendous Mystery as Chrysostom calls it Before Meat it 's good to use some Exercise as Physicians say to stir up the Natural Heat for to promote Digestion And so before this Spiritual Feast it 's good to Exercise our Souls for the stirring up our Spiritual Appetite thereunto for the warming heating and quickning of all those Graces and Affections that are necessary for a worthy Communicant which are Faith Repentance Hungring Desires Love to God and our Neighbour Joy Thankfulness and Resolutions of New Obedience You must not only have the habit of these Graces but they must be made ready new scoured and prepared so as they may work more kindly at the Sacrament there must be a tuning of the Viol and a winding up of the Strings the several Faculties of the Soul Now you must rally up all your Affections all the Forces of your Soul and get them all in a ready Frame and due Posture for exercising themselves at this Sacred Solemnity You must premeditate before you go of all the work that you are to do at the Sacrament and so thereby fit your self for the better doing of it when you come there CHAP. XXXIV Of Suitable Behaviour at the Table of the Lord. BE careful so to behave your self at this Divine Feast as becomes one of the Lords Guests It 's not sufficient to get your Heart into a Devout Frame before you Approach to this Table of the Lord but it is requisite also that it be kept up in a Holy Tune in a right Disposition and suitable Deportment during the whole Solemnity It 's not enough to Trim up ones self to go to the Table of some Noble Person but there must be also a becoming Behaviour there lest Offence be given by any undecencies And therefore that your Demeanour here may be proper and becoming I shall instruct you how and in what particular Seasons or Passages of the Administration your Sacramental Graces respectively are to be exercised I hinted to you in the former Chapter which are those Graces that are most proper to be exercised at the Sacrament and shall now shew you in what Order and Method and in what season they are aptly and pertinently to be acted there When you are called up by the Minister to draw near to the Table of Blessing think you hear Christ himself by his Minister calling you up and bidding you welcom And then Exercise Humble Thankfulness and Joy together with hungring desires and let your Heart say Lord what am I that thou shouldst so far condescend as to invite me a poor Worm thy worthless Hand-maid to thy Royal Table And to admit such a wretched Creature to the Banquet of Spiced Wine who have deserved nothing but Gall and Vinegar to Drink My Soul therefore doth Magnifie the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for he hath regarded the Lowliness of his Hand-Maid from henceforth all the powers of my Soul shall call thee Blessed Lord hast thou now called me into thy Banquetting-House I do promise here that while the King sitteth at the Table and I there with him my Spicknard shall send forth the smell thereof My Faith Desires Love and Thankfulness Yea all my Graces shall send forth a sweet and holy Perfure to please him O that the same Love that hath prepared a Table for me and now called me to it would prepare me for it and refresh my Soul with Love and Sweetness there At the Ministers reciting the words of Institution Separating and Blessing of the Bread and Wine whereby they are Consecrated Exercise Faith and Thankfulness and fervent Desires to God the Father and say Lord out of thine infinite Love thou didst separate and set apart the Lord Jesus from all Eternity and appointed him for our Redeemer and didst bless him with the Spirit above measure making him the rich Treasury and common Stock of Grace a Fountain over-flowing to the supply of all Believers Let him not be to me a lockt Treasure or a Fountain Sealed up but Bless and Sanctifie these Creatures of Bread and Wine to me that they may be the Body and Blood of Christ in effect to me for my Attonement Peace and Propitiation and pardon of all my Sins and convey Spiritual Life Nourishment and Comfort to me abundantly O let my Soul be steept in sweetness and let the Rock pour out Oyl into me even the Oyl of Grace and of Joy and Gladness also When you look upon the Bread and Wine after Consecration Exercise Faith to discern the Lords Body and look now upon them not as common Bread and Wine but as Sacramental Representations Spiritually Exhibiting the Body and Blood
of Christ look by Faith beyond these outward Elements and say Lord thou dost here send me a covered Dish of Royal Cheer from Heaven from thine own Table as to a Beloved Friend or Dear Child Teach me to take off the outward Cover and to see plainly and clearly the rare Delicates that are laid in it Let me so imploy my outward Senses in minding the out-side of the Sacrament so as to raise my Spiritual Senses to see and discern the inside thereof and the Glorious Mysteries couched in it And here exercise further longing desires after those vailed Mysteries and say As the Heart pants after the Water-Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God my Soul is athirst for God yea even for the Living God When you see the Bread broken and the Wine poured out then you see the lively Spectacle of a Dying Saviour Let then Repentance be renewed Faith Love and Resolutions for New Obedience and Holy Desires also Acted and Elevated in the Soul Represent now to your self in this Mystery what our Lord Jesus endured when he hung upon his painful Bed of Sorrows the Cross and say to your self canst thou look upon a broken Saviour without a broken Heart upon a bleeding Christ without a bleeding Soul Upon a pierced Jesus without a Heart pierced thorow with Godly sorrow for thy Sins that pierced him Doth not every Orifice made by the Nayls the Thorns and the Spear in that pretious tormented and pained Body and every drop of Blood that issued thence call aloud to thee for Repentance of those Sins that caused these Torments I do therefore here Vow and Covenant to take a revenge upon my Sins and give them their mortal wound and cause them to Bleed to Death using them as they used my Dear Lord and Saviour O what Streams of matchless Love were these that flowed from a Dying Saviour laying down his Life for me and do not these call for streamings of Love back again from my Breast towards him O that my Soul may be sprinkled with that Blood which issued from that Fountain of infinite Love O that it may be Bathed in that Blessed Bath set open for Sin and for Uncleanness Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there 's none upon Earth that I can desire besides thee my bleeding Saviour When the Minister comes and delivers to you the Bread or Wine look on him as doing it in Christs Name and here stir up Faith and Love to God Think with admiring Love how God in Christ delivers up himself in Covenant to you offering to be your God your Reconciled Father and Redeemer And believe with Joy and Thankfulness that you hear Christ by the Minister saying to your Faith Take my Body and Blood all the Riches of that Covenant which was Sealed with my Blood all the Blessings coucht in that Blessed Charter of the Gospel When you take these at the Ministers hands then let the Hand of Faith stretch forth it self to reach God and stir up your self to take hold on him and put forth intire Resolutions of New Obedience and say Lord by taking this I do Covenant with thee that I take thee with my whole Heart to be my Lord to be ruled and governed as well as saved by thee and I do here seriously devote my self both Body and Soul to the intire Obedience of thee When you are eating the Bread then lift up your Heart by Faith to God and say I believe Lord that thy flesh is meat indeed thou that didst Dye for me art the Bread of Life that shall nourish my Soul to eternal Life My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my Mouth shall praise thee with joyful Lips And here by eating this Bread I do Covenant with thee to be thy Servant and Obedient Child for ever And when you are drinking of the Wine or immediately upon it say Lord thy Blood is Drink indeed O that my Soul may tast the refreshings of this Heavenly Wine O stay me with Flagons Comfort me with thy Love which is better than Wine I believe that thy Blood was shed for the Remission of Sins O that I may be washt from all mine in that Holy Laver And that I may hear the soft Voice of thy Spirit whispering to my Soul Daughter be of good Cheer thy Sins be forgiven thee Bless the Lord O my Soul and that is within me bless his Holy Name who forgiveth all thine Iniquities and healeth all thy Diseases When you look upon the Communicants receiving with you exercise Love to the Saints and say where the Carcass is where the Crucified Body of my Saviour is thither will the believing Eagles be gathered together and shall not I be joyned in love with all that Heavenly Flock and Holy Society These Eagles do all feed on Blood the Blood of a Crucified Christ and hath not this a Cementing Virtue to unite Affections These are the Friends of the Bride groom and shall not I make them my Friends Shall not the Beloved of my Saviour be the Beloved Ones of my Soul CHAP. XXXV What is to be done after the Administration is ended VVHEN the solemnity is over go home with a glad heart and a chearful Spirit and say to your self what did Haman go from Esthers Banquet of Wine with a glad Heart glorying in the honour of his being there And shall not I much more rejoyce and glory who have been in the Spouses banqueting House where his Banner over me was love and have been royally entertain'd by the King of Saints with the choicest delicates of Heaven When you are come home retire your self into privacy for a little time and ask your self what your demeanour was at the Lords Table and what happy fruit you have found of your being there What meltings or softnings of Heart What glimpses of Love What cherishing Beams of the Spirit What strength vigor and liveliness of Soul What secret springings and elevations of Spirit What spiritual quicknings and refreshings have you had at that Feast of Fat Things and refined Wines And according as you find it with your Heart upon this short tryal so do you answerably make your addresses unto God If you have found the efficacy of the Ordinance and sweet satisfaction there bless God for it and sing glory to God in the highest and pray earnestly to him that it may abide upon your Soul but if you find no Divine relishes no drops of sweetness but are come away with an earthy and drossy Soul then humble your self before God and labour to find out the Sin that was the obstruction and remove it 3. Be watchful afterwards lest the World or any trifling occasions damp those influences which you found at the Sacrament All persons are most careful of themselves after they come out of a hot Bath lest they shouid take cold When you have been at this Spiritual Bath of the Sacrament be exceeding careful that cold get not info
of any delight in them 5. In this account ask your self what have my Receivings been from God this day what Talents and Mercies have I had from him and how have I laid them out for him what Mercies have I received and what returns have I made for them 10. Close your eyes at night with some thoughts of God and Christ When you are composing your self to sleep commit your self then both Body and Soul into his hands to keep them for you while you sleep as the Child when it goes to Bed gives its Mother what it would have kept safely Or going to Bed you may suitably meditate on Death whose Image and Picture Sleep is Look upon your Bed as upon your Grave think to die as often as you fall asleep Sleep is a short Death and Death is nothing else but a long sleep the Bed is a grave for one night and the grave is a Bed for many Ages We expect to awaken from our Beds and we hope to rise again from our graves If you seriously follow this course every night you will have Jesus Christ lie all night as a bundle of Myrrh betwixt your breasts and will find your heart in a good frame when you awake If you thus rake up the fire over night you will find it in in the morning Solomon's virtuous Woman lets not her Candle go out by night Prov. 31.18 Let your Lamp be well trimm'd your Grace well lighted and put in exercise when you compose your self to rest and like a good Watch-candle you will find it burning when you awake O how many are there that lie down as the Beasts in their Straw without so much as bidding their Souls good night Ejaculations which may be used at night before sleep I Will both lay me down and sleep for thou Lord make stme dwell in safety Psal 4.8 When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid yea thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet Prov. 3.24 Lord I commit my self both Body and Soul into thy hands who art the keeper of Israel and neither slumbers nor sleeps The Lord is my keeper the Lord is my defence who neither slumbers nor sleeps Psal 21.4 5. 11. If there be any interceptions any interruptions or breaches of sleep in the night fill up those vacancies with meditations on some Sermon lately heard or on what you read the day before in the Bible or some other good Book or else with some Parenthetical Ejaculations as devout Souls those spiritual Crickets of the night have used to do Ejaculations that may be used in the Night in breaches of sleep BY night upon my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth Cant. 3.1 O let me not have occasion to say I sought him but I found him not or to go about as the Spouse there did in a dark night of desertion crying out like a desolate Widdow Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Isa 26.9 My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips while I remember thee on my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches Psal 63.5 6. O when shall I come and appear in the presence of God in the City of the New Jerusalem which hath no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it and tke Lamb is the light thereof And there shall be no Night there and they need no Candle neither Light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them Light and they shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 21.23 O when shall my Soul be received into the number of that heavenly Chore that sing for ever Hallelujahs that rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. 4.8 I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also my inward thoughts instruct me in the night season Psal 16.7 CHAP. XXIII How to spend the Lord's Day IN general Be a curious spender of your time on the Lord's Day This will be a holy curiosity Let this day be your delight spend it wholly in walking in the Spouses Garden amongst Duties and Ordinances with a sweet and holy pleasure where there is so great variety that you may go like a diligent Bee from one Flower to another from one Duty to another and never take surfeit It 's the whole day that God commans to be sanctified and therefore the whole must be spent in holy exercises Therefore do not think it sufficient for the sanctification thereof that you have been at the Publick Worship in the Assembly unless the whole day were spent there as was antiently done by the Primitive Christians in their Publick Assemblies almost from morning to night On other days of the week Duties call for time but time calls for Duties on the Lord's Day If I were to pass my Judgment on the Religion of any person I would take my measures from the manner of their observation or the Lord's Day 2. Before you go to the Publick Worship spend what time you can in private beside Duty in the Family that so you may be better prepared for the Publick for private Devotion before will be a great means to prevent worldly thoughts and distractions when you are in the Assembly Worldly thoughts and cares do play the part of little Children if they cannot keep the Mother from going abroad they will cry to go along with her and these if they cannot keep you from Church they will strive to go thither with you but solemn preparation before lays a restraint on them gives them a discharge to prevent and hinder their accompanying of you 3. Be a constant diligent and reverent Attendant on the Publick Ordinances and make the best improvement of them for your Soul This is a frequenting the Royal Exchange of Christians and would exceedingly tend to the Souls advantage Christ's presence is most to be found in the Publick Ordinances he walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks here the whole Assembly with united and concentricated Forces do besiege the Throne of Grace and so their prayers have more power with God Musick in Consort is the most pleasant That is the sweetest Posie that is made of most Flowers The prayers of many smell sweetest with God Besides Affections are more wrought on in publick than in private which some great Naturalists have observed as one of Natures great Mysteries and where Affections are most raised there God usually confers the greater blessing Indeed sometimes it falls out that Christians are more dull under the publick means which may be in Judgment when they either put too much confidence in such places or are fallen to a loathing or slighting of that spiritual food either because they have it so oft or by reason of
what they eat If you have not the light of knowledge so as to see what you eat in the Lords Supper which is the great Mystery of our Religion you do not then discern the Lords Body and so cannot be a worthy Receiver Now as for the Nature of this Holy Sacrament consider both the outside and also the inside of it The outside contains 1. The Sacramental Elements Bread and Wine 2. The Sacramental Rites or Actions The Sacramental Elements are Bread and Wine which being duly Consecrated are plain and visible Representations and Divine Memorials of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ But yet they are not bare Representations thereof they are not meer shadowy Significations and Resemblances For God doth not nourish and feed our Souls with thin and empty Shadows weak and languishing Representations or naked Emblems And therefore we must further look on them as real Pledges and Seals or Instruments of Conveyance of Christ and the fruits of his Death in a Mystical manner to the Faith of his People which comes to pass by Virtue of our Lords Institution whereupon he that duly receives the Elements receives the thing signified by them and vail'd therein As among Men a pledge confirms a contract and a Seal conveys an Estate House or Land by Virtue of the Law of the Land So by Virtue of Christs Institution the Covenant of grace is by the Sacramental Elements confirm'd betwixt God and the worthy Receiver and Jesus Christ with all his benefits truly exhibited and conveyed from God to the believing Communicant though not as through a Conduit Pipe as if they were Locally contained therein yet as an Estate is Conveyed from the Giver by Wax and Seal which is delivered by the Hand of his Messenger or as the Possession of a House is delivered by a Key and of Land by a Sod or Turf And so when Christ saith by the Minister Take This is my Body or my Blood he doth as much as say Take these they are to thee my Body and Blood i. e. real Pledges together with which I give thee my self according as a Man in worldly Matters doth by Pledges give the thing signified thereby as if he that 's about giving possession of a House should give a Key and say Take it here is possession of my House or delivering an Evidence Sealed should say Take this here is my Land And upon this account the Cup is called by the Apostle the Communion of the Blood of Christ and the Bread broken the Communion of the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 where the Apostle signifies to us that the Eating and Drinking of Believers in the Lords Supper is a real Communication in his Meritorious Death and All-sufficient Sacrifice and a true Participation of the Blessed Fruits of the Cross As among the Jews those that did eat of the Sacrifice did partake of the Altar ver 18. that is of the Sacrifice offered upon the Altar So among Christians to Eat and Drink by Faith in the Lords Supper is to be partaker of his Immaculate Sacrifice once for all offered up upon the Altar of the Cross The Covenant is as the Deed that intitles us to all the Riches of Grace and Regions of Glory but the Sacrament is the Instrument that doth Invest us therein The Sacramental Actions or Rites are on the Ministers part 1. The Consecration by Blessing and giving thanks 2. Breaking and Delivering And then on the Communicants part the Actions or Rites are Taking Eating and Drinking The inside of the Sacrament or the Spiritual thing Signified and Couched in the outward Sacrament this is Christ himself as offered up upon Mount Calvary together with the precious Fruits of the Cross which bare better Fruits to us than all the Trees of Paradise did as Olives of Peace and Reconciliation with God Clusters of the Grapes of Canaan Righteousness and Grace Joy and Gladness Life and Salvation The Elements of the Bread and Wine signifie the Body and Blood of Christ with the pretious Fruits thereof and the breaking of the Bread signifies the Crucifying or Sacrificing of Christ And the Delivery of the Bread and Wine Christs Delivering of himself with his Benefits And the Taking Eating and Drinking point forth the Communicants thankful accepting and using that pretious gift Here 's the glory and divinity of the mystery CHAP. XXXI Of the Ends of the Sacrament ENdeavour to understand well the Ends of this Sacrament Now for your more clear and distinct understanding hereof I shall premise this one thing viz. That this Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the true notion of it is a Feast and particularly a Feast upon a Sacrifice or a Feast upon that which was once offered up in Sacrifice to God namely the Body and Blood of Christ which are represented in the outward Elements of Bread and Wine And thus it is parallel unto or bears proportion with the Jewish Feasts under the Law which were made upon those things which they had first offered up in Sacrifice to God for it was an antient custom among the Jews as also generally among the Heathen to link Feasting and Sacrificing together and to Eat of the things which themselves had Sacrificed and so had a Communion therein This they did to signifie a Foederal or Covenanting Rite and solemnity betwixt God and Them as also a Covenanting League of friendship among themselves who did eat thereof This being premised you may more plainly understand the ends of this Sacrament which are these following The first end of this Sacrament is to be nourishment to our inward man or that the Divine Nature in us might thrive The end of a Feast is nourishment This Sacred Feast was instituted to nourish and feed the Soul to strengthen and increase its Graces Hence it 's exprest by Eating and Drinking 1 Cor. 11.24 25. Christ comes to the Soul as Melchisedeck to Abraham with Bread and Wine The very Body and Blood of Christ which were a Sacrifice as they were offered up to God in that one full and sufficient oblation upon the Cross are Meat and Drink for the Souls nourishment as they are offered unto us and set before us in the Dishes of the outward Sacrament and so Christ Crucified is truly and really but Spiritually and Mystically given to us in the Lords Supper to be our Nutriment as he was given for us in the Sacrifice and Oblation upon the Cross to be our propitiation and atonement Christs Flesh is Meat indeed and his Blood Drink indeed and do become one with us spiritually for our nourishment as our Bodily Meat and Drink do being turn'd into our substance here there is a kind of Divine Coalition into the same Nature hence our Saviour said He that eateth me shall live by me Joh. 6.57 It 's storied of Artemisia that she so dearly loved her Husband Mausolus that after he was dead she took the Ashes of his Urn and mingled them with her Drink and so
intomb'd her dead Husband in her living body A faithful Soul that is espoused to Christ doth this at the Sacrament Eating and Drinking there of her crucified Saviour by a Spiritual Commessation thus she lives by him and hath him as it were intomb'd in her Heart Therefore whensoever you come to this Heavenly Banquet come with this end that your Soul may receive increase and nourishment in Grace thereby that you may have Christ become one with you as your food doth whereby you thrive and grow But yet you must not think to get any nourishment from the out-side of the Sacrament from the outward Rynd or Bark or Skin of the Ordinance or by feeding on the outward Elements if you rest there This would be to scrape or lick the Dish only or out-side of the Cup to play with the Trencher and let the Meat alone and to go away whole and untoucht from the Table The second end for which this Sacrament was instituted is a solemn Commemoration of Christ and him Crucified or the celebrating a memorial of him in the Church thrâ—ughout all Ages Publick Feasts were usually made for the perserving the memory of some great Benefactor Now this Sacrament of the Passion is a publick Feast for the whole Church of God in all Ages and was it not instituted for to keep a perpetual memory of the Founder of it our dear Lord and infinite Benefactor This will appear by his own words at the first Institution do this in remembrance of me Luk. 22.19 i. e. of me as Crucified and Dying as Saint Paul expresly interprets it 1 Cor. 11.16 For as oft as ye do eat this Bread and Drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords Death till he come and therefore it was purposely ordain'd for the retaining a more special Memory of his Death and Passion For the Sacrament as I premised was a feast upon a Sacrifice and so it was ordain'd by Christ more particularly and specially to commemorate that oblation of himself upon the Cross for the Redemption of the World till he come to Judgment to eternize the memory of his great and infinite love and goodness in dying for us and to transmit it to all succeeding Ages and Generations The Lord hath so done this marvellous work that it ought to be had in everlasting remembrance Therefore in all your addresses to this Sacrament of the Passion come for this end to keep in a thankful and affectionate memory the great and infinite sufferings of Christ for our Sins Remember his Death and Passion through the whole Sacramental Action and that with the most enlarged and enravisht affections and meltings of Heart and the immortal hatred of those sins that put him upon dying for us and the shedding of His most precious blood one drop whereof is of more value than a Mountain of Pearl as big as the whole Earth The third End of the Lords Supper is a solemn renewing of the Baptismal Covenant The Feasts antiently made upon Sacrifices were generally used as I observed before to signifie thereby a Covenanting with God Therefore this Supper of the Lord being in the true notion of it as I said a feast upon the bloody Sacrifice offered by Christ upon the Cross for us it doth clearly insinuate to us that it was appointed to be a mutual stipulation or covenanting betwixt God and his Communicants hence Christ said concerning the Cup This is the New Testament or Covenant in my Blood i. e. the Rite or Solemnity of the New Covenant to declare and signifie the consent of parties thereunto and resolution to perform the duties of it insinuating thereby that as the Legal Sacrifices on which the People did eat were as Rites of an old superannuated Covenant so was this Sacrament a Rite of a New Covenant by using whereof we do testifie our engagements to perform it as God doth his for making us partakers of all the Blessings couched in it So that this Sacrament on Gods part doth signifie a solemn delivery of Jesus Christ his pretious Body and Blood together with remission of sins for which that blessed Body was broken and torn and that Blood spilt and all other fruits of his Death And on our part it signifies a free acceptance thereof and a hearty delivery of our selves up to the intire obedience of him as we ingaged in the New Covenant to do so that consequently one great End of this Sacrament is to be a pledge of our happy participation of the Body and Blood of Christ with remission of Sins Justification Adoption and Title to the Regions of Bliss and all other the inestimable benefits thereof Hence it 's called the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 where the Apostle doth plainly declare than the Sacramental Bread and Cup are assured pledges of our Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ i. e. of the Communication thereof to us if duely received Therefore in all your Addresses to the Lords Table go with this â—cope and End that you may have a part and portion in Christs Body and Blood remission of sins and reconciliation thereby with all other merits of the Blood of the Cross which God hath Covenanted to make over to you And go also with this intent that you may renew the ingagement and declare that you will stand to the terms of the Baptismal Covenant that you will keep firm and constant to that holy League and stand out in a holy War against all the Enemies of Christ and never revolt or go to the Enemies quarters but as a faithful confederate with him will alway fight under his Banner against the World the Flesh and the Devil and continue to be on Christs side or of his Religion to your lifes end The fourth End of this Sacrament is to be a pledge and improvement of that love unity and concord that ought to be among Christians Those that did feast upon the Sacrifices antiently as I before hinted did use to enter into a Covenant of friendship among themselves as well as betwixt God and Them And it hath been an universal custom throughout the World to make Covenants or Leagues of Friendship by Eating and Drinking together This blessed Supper of the Lord is really and truly a publick Love-feast and was designed by our Saviour for this end the promoting Love and Union among all his People and to shew that they should all cleave together in one Spirit as they have all been partakers of one Bread 1 Cor. 10.17 If then it was a Love-feast and the feast still remain let not the love be excommunicated CHAP. XXXII Of Habitual Qualifications of the Communicants BEfore you make Addresses to this Heavenly Banquet see that you be habitually such a person as the Master of the Feast our Lord Jesus Christ would have his guests to be Therefore you must set some portion of time apart before the Feast Day to examin your self whether you be such a
take heed of the creeping in of vain thoughts which are then most apt to swarm Oh it is incredible to think what a multitude of vain thoughts run through the vain mind in an hour perhaps as many as there be Sands in an Hour-glass O what pity is it that this noble Soul should be so idle either doing nothing or to so little purpose It 's an evil heart that like Jett draws to it self nothing but Straws O how much is it to be lamented that this golden Mill of the Soul should spend it self in grinding Chaff for its Enemy the great destroyer of Mankind O wash thy heart from wickedness how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4.14 2. Entertain some short discourses with God or with your self when you are alone You never need complain of Melancholy and Solitariness in want of Company when you may make your self company enough for you may then hold discourse with God and your own Soul A Child of God is never less alone than when most alone because he hath God usually with him who is the best company That good Heathen Philosopher Epictetus could solace himself in his Solitariness in Banishment with these thoughts that Divine Colloquies and Conferences were to be had every where with God O learn to converse with God in your most solitary Retirements Say to God I will set thee always before me Psal 16.8 Or you may profitably use some discourses with your self some Divine Soliloquies you may call your Soul aside to her withdrawing Room you may commune with your own heart in your Chamber as the Psalmist expresseth it Psal 4.4 But not as the Fool in the Gospel did singing a secure lullaby to his Soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry Luk. 12.19 But after the example of the devout Psalmist singing a holy rest to his Soul Return unto thy Rest O my Soul for God hath dealt bountifully with thee Psal 116.7 Or if you have a troubled spirit then you may talk to your self in a way of challenge or chiding expostulation Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me As he did Psal 42.5 11. where he rallies up his Soul in that awakening Enquiry And if after you see reason to alter your Note and to give thanks for the scattering of that sad Cloud by the Sun-shine of Pardoning Mercy and Love then you may set your Affections in the same Key in which the same holy Man's were in another Soliloquy saying with him Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Psal 103.1 2 3. 3. This course will much improve you in Piety and Holiness and this Retirement will help you to the most excellent Company to the Fellowship of God and Christ who will dwell in you and the innumerable company of Angels and just men made perfect will be of the same Society with you She that is not permitted to speak in the Church may thus preach to her self in her own private Chapel to her great benefit I mean that Sacred Chapel which her Devotion hath built in her own heart CHAP. XVII How to live in a Prosperous Condition 1. LIve above withering Vanities above all the smiles and blandishments of the World let not your heart be glued to any creature comforts look on them all as withered flowers as dead things let your heart be crucified to the World and the World to it looking upon it as a dead carcass that hath no beauty or loveliness in it If you profess your self a Christian live at a higher rate than others How unbecoming is it a Child of God to be puzling her self about the World A sense of the Love of God would lift up your Soul above the sweetest flowers and delights upon Earth in all which there will be found nothing but Wormwood and Gall in the latter end nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit It 's only the Rose of Sharon that is without prickles 2. Proportion your duties according to your mercies the greater Receivings or Incomes you have from God the greater must your Disbursments and Layings out for him be Your Accounts must be according to the number and weight of your Talents Matth. 25. The Servant should proportion his work according to his wages The Tree brings forth fruit proportionable to the juyce and nourishment that the root sucks from the Earth and to the cost that is bestowed upon it In the Ceremonial Law God required more costly Sacrifices from the Rich than from the Poor A pair of Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons would have been accepted from the Poor but not from the Rich. God was displeased with Hezekiah because he rendred not according to the benefits received 2 Chron. 23.25 3. Improve all your prosperity and lawful pleasures to the furthering of your delight in God If that a prosperous condition should afford you all the variety of Objects which might be most delectable to the several senses use them only as Stirrops or as the advantage of a higher ground to raise up your self by to the thoughts of Heaven and the delights thereof Let your Soul take occasion and advantage thence to carry it self up to the delightful thoughts of God the giver of all these as the Bird from the Tree takes the further flight And so far as you can make use of all your delight in creature comforts to promote your delight in the Lord and to drive away those black Clouds of carnal fears and sadnesses of spirits which are Enemies to your spiritual joy and delight Thus you will prove your self a good Chymical Christiâ—â— extracting a spiritual Quintessence out of these earthly and drossy things thus you turn Dung and Dross into Gold and Pearls mean and contemptible matters into high and glorious things and gain to your self such an Elixir as will refresh the Soul and fill it with Cordial Spirits When you perceive and tast the sweetness and pleasantness of these outward mercies think seriously if these be so sweet and delightsom how much more sweet is God himself who put all that sweetness and pleasantness therein 4. As you love your Soul let not your life be a life of pleasure and vanity If the Devil can but take you up with one pleasure one day and another vanity another till the Hour-glass of your time be run out he hath his end and you are ruin'd for ever Remember Dives his life was a continual feast of pleasure Luk. 16.19 but death soon brought the Voider and the Devil took away O do not ride to Hell upon the back of pleasure Can any think to dance with the Devil all day and to sup with Christ at night Quies which signifies Rest wants the plural number Flatter not your self with dreams of having a Rest in carnal pleasures here and everlasting Rest
otherwise they will be Fruitless If you pray for Knowledge and never take pains by Reading and Study to get it or for the Mortification of Sin and never Labour to Subdue and Kill it or for Reformation of your Life and never set about the Reforming of it your Prayers will be to little purpose It 's as if a Man should pray to be Cured of a Disease and yet never use Physick nor Dyet or Exercise to Cure it Or like such as the Greek Heathen Orator speaks of who seeing great Hailstones falling down on their Heads Prayed to be secured from them but would not stir a foot Gods usual way is to give in Blessings to us concurring with him in the use of means and he will not vary from his Ordinary Method unless upon most special Occasions 5. Look after your Prayers to see what becomes of them and what returns what Answer you have of them Thus did David Ps 5.3 and 58.8 Habackuck having Prayed stands upon his watch sets himself on his Tower to see what God would say to him There are many times such Dispensations of God towards us which we might see did Ecchoe to our Prayers if we did well observe them Do not then shoot out your Prayers as Children do their Arrows who shoot them away and never look after them more But rather as Archers that shoot them up into the Air and stand still waiting for their coming down again 6. In all your Prayers let Prayers be mixt and have a good share and due proportion in them Do not shuffle up Praeiss into a Corner of your Prayers do not croud nor huddle them up into a scant and narrow Compass as most do or thrust them into the very End and Conclusion of your Prayers But let them bear a part throughout the whole Duty CAAP. XXVI Of Desiring the Sincere Milk of the Word AS a New-Born Babe desire the Sincere Milk of the Word that you may grow thereby The Word is as Milk go then to it as Children to the Breast with an Appetite but be sure it be Milk that you desire and not Froth Power and Virtue not the Froth of empty words of Rhetorick which are not to be accounted as Sermon Milk it 's plain song always that makes the best Musick Desire that Milk alway which is most wholsom not that which is most luscious and best pleases a dainty or curious Pallat. 2. Do not satisfie your self with some weak Velleities and faint wishings or whimperings after the Breasts of the Word but let your desires after this sincere Milk be strong and earnest accompanyed with Diligent Endeavours after it and suck the Breasts well that you may have it desire it by the effectual fervent Prayer of Faith This is indeed that real and spiritual sucking which is required of Newborn Babes in Christ The Prayer of Faith is the Mouth or the two Lips whereby we suck Spiritual Milk and draw in Heavenly influences and Divine Sweetness from the Word Ask and ye shall have Math. 7.7 8. but then this asking must be in Faith The Mother opens the Breast when the Child Cryes after it If you thirst after this Heavenly Milk of the Word God will give it his Spirit will Communicate sweet Inflows to your Soul he sometimes lays Wormwood to the Breasts of Providence to wean us from Creature-Comforts but he would never have us wean'd from the Milk of the Word while we are in this Life but would have us lye continually at the Breast of the two Testaments Children while they are in health are almost continually Sucking and never satisfied but while they are at the Breast If your Soul be in a good healthy Condition you will not be well satisfied but while you are lying at the Dugs of Ordinances at these Spiritual Milk-pales as Job calls the Breasts 3. If after you have lyen long at the Breasts waited long at the Ordinances you find nothing come no Inflows no virtue no refreshments or comfort from them so that they seem to be dry Breasts yet give them not over as some are too apt to do thinking it in vain to wait any longer when as the fault is in themselves not in the Word and Ordinances they are full Breasts but these poor Creatures cannot act faith to draw God may see cause sometime to with-hold this Spiritual Milk to withdraw his influences and put forth no virtue or efficacy in the Word yet do not give over waiting continue still in the diligent use of the means of Grace he will please to let down this Milk in the end what you do not find at one time you may at another he will at length smile on you in the Ordinances and let you have Evangelical Fruitions If you did live much by Faith you would find these full Breasts flow plentifully 4. Think that while you are in this World you will have need of this Milk of the Word need of Ordinances There are some fond Christians that think they are above Ordinances which are only for Babes and Punies that they are past the Milk of the Word and are grown too old to suck the breasts I wish they were ever new-born Babes in Christ which is to be feared they never were tho' they conceit themselves to be tall and perfect Men and Women in Christ I have read of one Philinus that never fed of any other meat or drink all his life but only Milk All the true Children of God must certainly while they live here feed on no other food but only Scripture-milk God will not nourish our Souls by immediate influences and communications from himself till we come to the heavenly Land that flows with Milk and Honey and to sit at God's own Table at the Supper of the Lamb in the Kingdom of Glory When the new-born Babes are grown to a perfect stature and are perfectly wean'd from the World which will not be till this Mortal shall have put on Immortality then and not till then shall we have immediate communion with God which is the very sweet of Heaven The Pot of Manna must continue in the Ark of the Church till we come to the Celestial Canaan 5. The end of desiring this Milk must be that you may grow thereby We are nourisht and made to grow by the same things whereby we were first bred The Milk by which the Infant is nourisht is but the blood of which it was framed in the womb further concocted in the breasts and turn'd white there So it is only the same Word by which we were spiritually begot that doth cause us spiritually to grow For indeed all the Ordinances which are the Souls nourishment are nothing else but the Word it self in several forms or the subject matter of the Word The Sacrament of the Lords Supper which was specially appointed for the Souls nourishment and growth in grace is but the Word in a more sensible form or as the same meat otherwise drest and