earth bears or we are capable of in the flesh If there had been a more proper and better way we are bound to believe our Lord would have left it with us And since this is a token left with us to remember us of his dearest love in dying for us and washing us in his own blood let us receive and celebrate it with the liveliest affections and the heartiest acceptation we are capable of Still considering with our selves that tho' it be good to be here where much more of Christ is to be seen to day than many places of the earth can afford yet that it 's far better to be in heaven where the vail of our mortality shall be rent and the vail of this infirm flesh of ours shall be made spiritual and glorious the shadows of Sacraments fly away and the glass of all Gospel ordinances be removed as useless even the pitcher be broken at the fountain and the great Riddle of our salvation fairly unâ—olded to us all clouds and vapours of sin and darkness dispelled and patience and prayers and o edience we l rewarded And in a word where a more immediate and princely presence of Christ shall be intimately and constantly enjoyed without any oâ—lowing fears of parting Now the hope and assurance of all this we come to seal Trifle not with so sacred a thing but set your heart to the receiving of your Lord here with all his sanctifying quickning and comforting vertue which our sinful sinking souls need so much Now for this end he meets us here to day 4. Here is the staff of bread and wine that maketh glad the heart of man The Communion both of the body and blood of our Lord â—hrist Lo here is both a peace offering for you and an offer of peace to you under heavens broad Seal How many burdened and weary souls have unloaded at this port O let not weakness so much deterr as wants drive us hither for sense of wants and weakness and unworthiness and wrath all fit for him who hath all fulness strength worth and merit and who bare the wrath of God for them that flee to him for refuge And think it not enough to make your appearance here without some fitness for so solemn an action It is not so incongruous to sport and laugh at your Father's Funeral as to sit here restless and unconcerned at the commemoration of our blessed Lords death yea bloody death and bitter passion Shall we see the head wounded here and the members have no feeling That we see the bread broken which represents the breaking of Christs precious body for us and have no broken hearts Yea shall we be called to Contemplate the wrath of his provoked Father pour'd into his Cup and drinking the dregs thereof and crying out under the weight of our Sins which brake the very rock of our Salvation and made the Stones of the Temple to rend in sunder Was his Body broken to let out his Blood And shall not our Souls be broken to let in ☞ Look well to three things if you would be worthy Communicants viz. To have Grace ere you come to exercise Grace here and to increase it by coming Now for you that have Grace but it runs low and is not lively as you would have it to entertain your Lord withal Know there is smoaking Grace as well as flaming Grace and Christ will not quench the smoaking flax and what if he suffer thy Graces to keep low to day that thy Heart may be lowly for it ☞ But for them that are at high water and Spring-tide let him that standeth take heed lest he fall Sensible Enjoyments are but slippery things here Man in his best estate in this Life is altogether vanity but while the Lord allows them on us let us be careful to improve them well ☞ But what if all within lies still and an heavy heart stir not yet for all that is said Then look unto him that can remove Mountains and raise the dead The warm breathings of Heaven must be fetch'd in by believing Prayer Song 4. ult And when thou hast called on thy Soul to awake and work and yet nothing within thy rebellious Soul will obey then call on him whom Seas and Winds obey When we cannot fetch Life into our dead Souls then remember the Prince of Life quickens whom he will ☞ 5. A sight of sin and a sight of Christ who suffer'd for it are our fittest Objects at such a time and in the sufferings of Christ we see most of sin's evil The death of all the creatures under the Law for man's sin was nothing to the death of Christ for it As God looks on Believers through a dying Christ and loves them so let us look on sin through a dying Christ and hate it Thy sin is indeed the Object of God's hatred but thy misery that comes by it will God pity and so pardon sin and shew thee mercy if thou canst hate thy sin and in token of thy hatred of it flee far from it and cry to God mightily for grace and strength against it And if a poor soul hath been labouring last night and this morning for a more humbling sight of sin than yet hath been granted him he must never think to see sin so exceeding sinful as in seeing Christ a sacrifice for sin and if it had not been for our sin all the other enemies would never have slain the Lord of Glory And when the worst of sin is in Christ's sufferings for it we must not only make use of Christ as a Glass to see sin in but as a Physician too to cure it And when he hath shewed us our sin we must not go to King Jareb with our wounds but the same hand which broke us must bind us up And be your sins what they will if you can penitently and believingly plead pardon in the mediation of a broken Redeemer there will be found Balm enough to cure and Blood enough to wash yea drown them all in the depths of divine mercy tho we must not sin that grace may abound and go and sin to make work for the Blood of Christ and go about prophanely to pose his mercy for tho the Blood of Christ for fulness and efficacy be a Sea yet for tenderness it 's a Sea of Glass and mingled with fire to burn up our Lusts We come either to God as a Physician or a Judge for either we bring Souls full of sores to be cured or full of sins to be damned To meet with Christ and not to part with sin is sad and dreadful as Christ came into the world to destroy sin so should we come now to Christ for the same end O the sin of our natures that old man the ill habits the strong lusts the ill haunts our hearts have got venture to set Christ against them all to day We cannot speak good of Christ but ill of sin too How sad to see the
mind for as Christ is now bodily in heaven so will he not be spiritually and sacramentally in any but a heavenly mind the doors must be list up before the King come in 10. Look on Christ your Passover Sacrificed for you and be humbled 1. That you were worthy to dye 2. That you live by the death â—f another 3. That your sin should Crucisy the Lord of â—â—ory What a humbling sight is it to â—ee Christ thy Sacrifice fall before the Altar and laid upon it and burn yea consumed by the Fire of God's wrath for thee O sigh and say alas Was not this for my sake should not I have lyen there suffering and satisfying for ever if he had not interposed and bore my Burden Shall he sweat and bleed for me and I not grieve for him But tâ— make the remembrance of Christ's Death for me the more affectionate consider first it was the Death of the humblest and worthiest person that ever appeared on the Earth the Son of God the Lord of Glory the eternal God the Heir of all things on Earth was never his like Secondly He was no greater than Good the innocent and spotless Lamb of God that Holy thing who knew no sin and yet he suffered Death In his Life was no spot and in his Death was no complaint or murmuring This Noble and Just One died for us was our ransom and attonement He who knew no sin made sin i. e. a sacrifice for ours our sin imputed to him who had none of his own our sorrows made his and by his stripes we are healed We live by his Death Gal. 2.20 He is taken and â—â—e â—â—ape If ye seek me let these â—o their way leâ—â—â—n â—eâ—â—r he charged on mine Elect My sâ—â—ep I lay down my life for tho they bâ— under a â—â—aw condemnation for breaking of it yet let them be acâ—â—â—â—d for my â—eeping of iâ— parâ—oned on my account and all their scores reckâ—ned for with me Look on the blessed Surety of the Covenant and be hold him obeying and dying for us For albeit the Law be not now a Covenant Believers are under yet the meaning is not that perfect Obedience is not required even of believers but not being sound in them it 's performed by our Surety the Second Adam for the exchange is only of the person not of the righteousness Thus was laid on him the Iniquities of us all and if it had been laid on us it had sunk us for ever But that love that deliver'd him up was unparallell'd Whatever Satan Sin Conscience or the Law charge upon you shew you here the Lord's Death 11. Every Sacrament is a Certificate of Christ's Death and hereby we tell the world we believe our Lord was cut off out of the Land of the Living Now to shew forth this death are we come hither he would not have his Death forgotten but to remember it as we often do without lively affections is next door to a total forgetting of it Without an affectionate remembrance of the death of Christ and a Soul inflamed with love to our Ransomer we partake not of his body we may be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord when we put forth polluted hands to take it and take all with unbroken is hearts And indeed the sweet of the Pasâ—ver is lost for want of the bitter herbs of godly sorrow for sin that slew the Lord of Glory Now let the remembrance of our Lord here not only affect us but change us into another temper and disposition to be his and for him to conform to him to carry a way better thoughts of him to live a life of remembring of him to give him alone the Glory of so wonderful a work as our Redemption by his death to love him that hath so loved us and to hate sin that so offended his Father and crucified him If we weep not over him we have no fellowship with his sufferings if we wash not here we have no part in him if we carry not away a better remembrance of him we come here but to mock him if we prefer the World to him we shew our selves unworthy of him and if we can go away and live in our sin we do but seal our own damnation by coming hither What is it to undertake a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to weep a tear over the holy Grave but to return with a new heart and another life is the business And to affect you further with this Representation by his accursed but blessed death to us he seals the Testament and confirms a great Legacy to us that he may not only keep the condemned from going to prison but settle a Revenue on the poor and needy and make them rich for ever and set them wâ—th Princes even with the Princes of his people that had nothing but rags and poverty and now he lives for ever to see his Legacies bestowed 12. The Gospel-Proclamation is Christ's Invitation Whosoever is a thirst let him come Desires are the Soul's hunger after Christ they are the best sawce they add a sweetness to the bread of life A man that â—ath lost his stomach and can taste no sweetness in the choicest food is not fit to sit at this Feast who hath no desires after Vnion and Communion with Christ. He that is the desire of all Nations will be sought after and found of all that do desire him Not to desire him is to despise him Is 53.2 3. and to hide our face from him Will he disclose his Secrets to them who hide their face from him If we desire him not we shall never enjoy him The same thing that is the Saints desire now will be his satisfaction for ever Let us not think a desire of Christ a light thing In the Gospel a poor man's hunger is his blessing Mat. 5.6 in the world it is his misery God accepts of our appetite as much as if we pay'd ready money for his Graces and their hunger is insteaâ— oâ— a price Is 55.1 There was never Soul miscarried with longing after Grace O blessed hunger that ends always in fulnâ—sâ— The wooâ—e ife of Christian is but a holy desire saith Austin And the soul desires Christ absent but tâ—ese desires are raised in the Soul by Christ present We burn with a desire to settle our selves but mistake the way and build Castles in the air but the Sum of â—anctified desires is unutterable groans for the â—ull application of good things promised and eager thirâ—ting for a larger communication and before Christ hath perâ—ected his Gracâ— in the Desires of the Soul it will find it self so inflamed with them that if Hell should stand between its Beloved and it he would wiâ—lingly pass through its very flames to embrace his dear Redeemer And seeing it is to him we come to seal his Covenant by Soul-resignation let the matter admit of no dispute or deâ—ay but be dispatched with all haste and speed Ps
He is spoiled by Jesus â—hrist Col 2.15 2. More power is implo ed for Believers than can be against them 1. John 4.4 2 Kings 6.16 3. Victory oâ—er him is sure and near to Believers Rom. 16.20 Qu. But since we must be strong in the Lord and in the power oâ— his might if we wou d overcome may we not question with our Selves â—s once the â—hilistines with Dalilah concerning Sampson wherein lies the great strenth of a Christian This case Satan studies that he may know how to deal with us 1. The great strength of a Christian lies in his Covenant Relation to God and Union with Christ his head for tho weak in our selves yet a strong head have we in Heaven The Church is a weak Woman bâ—t hath a Redeemer miâ—hty to plead her Cause A Christians strength lies in his Confederated Friendship in Heaven the improvement of this is the laying out of that strength Psal 44 4. Tho Jacob was desâ—itute for outward help yet was he well befriended in Heaven and the blessed God whom he sought did his business for him against his Brother 2. In the gracious qualitieâ— brought into the Soul at Câ—nversion without which in a natural unrenewed State we are said to be without strength Rom. 5.6 So that Grace is a new party or Spiritual Power brought into the Soul for Christ to oppose sin and appear for God 3. In Divine Assistances for every Christian is weak or strong as â—ssisted as God girds or loosens us the girdle of his Loins wherefore we had need to keep in good terms with Christ that we fall not under his withdrawings of Gracious aids so needful for our Spiritual Warfare 4. In a careful retaining the impressions of Oâ—dinances O! pray that God â—ould stamp these glorious appreheâ—sions of himself on your minds that you have sometimes here and may not tâ—â—e in other Images to bow down unto Let the impression of these Ordinances of Word and Sacrament wear off and you are weak as others Peter had forgot Christ s work and so forgot himself Luke 22.61 and his M ster too Had Evah's thoughts been intent on the word the Lord hath said and not diverted to sensual Motions it had been sufficient to put by all the passes Satan could make against her O Christians be first sound that ye may be strong Job 17.9 The way of the Lord is strength only to the upright but the more a Hypocrite does in Reliâ—ion he is inwardly the weaker And for your encouraâ—ement let never a found heart despair of higher measures than â—ommon attainments â—or your helps viz. The love of Christ and hope of Heaven are greater than your hindrances can be 18. We say times of Trouble and great Afflictions are trying times but I say Sacrament seasons ought to be trying times with us Now in the trying of the truth of Grace we must labour to find out the habitual temper and disposition of hearts by the quality of their Acts. 1. If they be free and chearful not constrain'd or such as we had rather not do if we could help it Psal 119 108. 2. How frequent opportunity offering Psal 55.17 3. Thorough and serious else they prove neither habit nor disposition Rom. 12.11 4. We must try the Soul by the acts which make after the end as desire and love to God Christ and Heaven and this is more than to try our hearts by the Acts that make after the means only I know all gracious hearts would fain know their own sincerity 1 It is willing if sincere to know all its sin Job 13.23 even the worst of its own heart to câ—me to the light that it may be made manifest to its self yea had rather a l the World should know it than its rottenness should be hid from it sâ—lf it loves the most discovering Ordinances best but a Hypocrite had rather have a rotten Heart than be searched and repent 2. It 's willing to part with every sin it knows of it self when one is more willing to part with a sin than to keep it that puts the Soul out of danger by it 3. And then the best way to know our sincerity in this parting with sin is by serious indeavours in the use of all appointed means to oppose sin and carry on the spiritual Warfare against the Body of Death 4. And is obtaining some success and Victory The Spirit of God repeat that promâ—se to all the seven Churches of Asia to him that overcometh 0◠〈◊〉 vincenti every sincere Soul is in the way of overcoming the honest use of means gives some check to thâ— prevailing of Iniquity where no Conflicting with sin there can be no sincerity and every honest heart will be helped of God to some Victory and what ever men make now of other Victories this is that which you will have only cause of triumph in at the last as Valentinian the Emperour said on his Death-bed That of all his Victories one only comforted him and that was his overcoming his own naughty heart And that we may finish this Tryal we are upon in examining of our selves if we can find our sins and be humbleâ— for them and judg our selves with a righteous Judgment impartially and severely we may warrantably partake of the Body and Blood of Chriâ—t in the Sacrament tho we cannot discover our Graceâ— as we would For such examination as issues in self-judging hath the promise of not being judged of the Lord for unworthy receiving 1 Cor. 11.28 31. Now our sins which are the proper caâ—se of Self judging are the object of Self-examining rather than our Graces 19. Rom 8.3 God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh Obs 1. God's sending is a great Mistery It 's the Grandure of Earthly Princes that their Subjects send to them and a wonder if Rebels have access if they come in the humblest manner but he sends to us and sends for us that we may come anâ— be pardoned come and be saved 2. He sends his Son not an Angel 1 John 4.9 3. In the flesh he senâ—s his Son which is but gross in the state of Beggar to bring in the Blind and the Lame Heb. 2.16 4. In likeness of sinful flesh as like a sinner as might be not to be a sinner that he might save us from our sins i e. with infirmities and necessities that attend sinful man that no eye could descern a difference Isa 53 4. As the brazen Serpent was like a Serpent but had not the Venom of a Serpent This Incarnation of God is a Subject of the highest Admiration and fountain of the sweetest Consolation that the World affords O! the wonder of God's coming down to man to be handled seen and tasted of us a contract even for the wonder of Angels as the welfare of Man O wonder of wonders that ever it should be heard in Heaven or on Earth Let one of us become Man A Redeemer could never have suited
is nothingâ— for the unparralleled pattern and spring of all love is here represented to the life believe his love and let him have love again you may well believe it for he that loved us so as to lay down his life for us when enemies how will he delight in us when washed in his blood and renewed to his likeness and if Christ have his due he will have love again And if true love it longs to see him and can deny it self to please him it will desire to know his will and delight to do it We must prove our love as our Lord did his John 14. â—1 A soul in love with Christ reckons him chiefly worthy of his love endeavours the nearest Union with him and is still going out after him Hence spring Langour and melting to enjoy him and receive his impressions resignment of will to him and a concern for his interests Love the Lord all his Saints for he keepeth their souls Love him once and all he saith and doth will be more acceptable to you and all that you do in love will be pleasing to him Love him and you will be loath to offend him â—esirous to please him and satisfied in his love Love God and you are sure of love again Prov. 8.17 Now that you may love him contemplate his goodness and see him in the face of Christ and behold his love in the design of our Redemption in the person of our Redeemer in the promises of grace and in all the benefits of Râ—demption Yea if you would love him look to the sin he hath pardoned Luk. 7.47 the spots he hath washed the Covenant he hath made the Adoption he hath bestowed the Hell he hath redeemed you from the Heaven he hath appointed and prepared for you And now get some further preparations for him and it too by loving him better and loathing your selves more We might all love God more 〈◊〉 we could love our selves less Could holy Mr. Pradford sit and weep at dinner till the â—â—â—rs â—â—ll on his trencher because he could love Christ no more and we sit dry here at his own table with hearts void of Love to him 24. Here have we our gracious Redeemer with died garments glorious in his apparel travelling in the greatness of his strength staining his raiment with the blood of his enemies and ours trading the wine press of Gods wrath alone mighty to save ready to pardon This ordinance of the supper â—ives us the best occasion of airing our selves in the sweet and spacious field of our Lords sufferings And we cannot be good Christians if we do not hartily imbrace the opportunities the Gospel gives us of calling his Cross to remembrance The bent of every believers mind stands this way else how can we be said to live by the faith of the son of God who gave himself for us And if we be not led by a natural complacency to converse with a crucified Saviour how dwelleth the Love of God in us Or how can we clear an interest in his Death for us Hath he the heart of a Christian that cares not to meditate on the death of Christ Did the Apostle bear always about the dying of the Lord in his body and should not we do the same in our hearts Now since our great business here is about Christ crucified let us enquire a little what doth the Lord require of us The sum of all is in three words Behold me Receive me and Walk in me First observe how that great Gospel-invitation of the Gentiles Isa 65.1 15. is doubled Behold me Behold me 1. To shew how serious a suiter Christ is for our souls 2. to shew our natural aversness from looking unto Christ 3. To shew how much of a Christians work lies in looking unto Christ 4. To take in and comprehend all kinds of people and sorts of sinners 5. To hold out the delectably variety of sweet Sights a soul may have of Christ in his Natures Person Offices and Excel encies and Usefulness 6. To teach that tho' the first look of Christ should not please yet to look again and not to leave looking till we can find something in Christ to aâ—lure us Secondly Receive me rest in me and build upon me Receive him that is come so far to you and suffered so much for you When I was abundantly well with my Father always rejoycing before him and was daily his delight yet my delights were with the sons of men And down came I to be cloathed with your flesh a course garment for the Lord of Glory to go in â—â—at in your nature I might bear your curse and dy the death you deserved to dy and to redeem you from that misery you must have groaned under for ever And should such a Comer not be welcome Be summoning up all the powers of your souls to give him the hastiest Reception Lastly as you have received him so walk in him by a constant depending on him drawing vertue from him and keeping Communion with him yea farther we are to walk in Christ as we have received him i. e. with the same freshness of affections bent of will satisfaction in him and obsequiousness to him daily repeating that consent and renewing that Covenant we made at first with him Thus are we to behold him with an eye of faith receive him with a hand of faith and walk in him by a life of faith and so shall we have the blessed end of our faith the salvation of our souls 25. The sanctuary of the Lord may be profaned by us when we little think of it The truest notion of profaneness is a contempt of sacred things Heb. 12.16 Now we shew our contempt of them not only in keeping far from the things of Christ and salvation but by setting about them with an ordinary and common frame careless in preparing to meet our God in them with a broken heart becoming best an ordinance that shâ—ws forth a broken Christ for us In common providences we cannot know love or hatred by all that is before us But here is something before us whereby we may see Gods love to our souls and his hatred to our sins If we could by this Sight be stirred up to hate our vile lusts and love our dear Saviour more then were we fit guests for the table of the Lord. Let us not look off this precious attonment here represented till our hearts be turned against the sins that put our Lord to all the pain and shame he suffered for them Let never any of us love our selves till we can heartily loath our selves for sin and then Christ will love us and delight in us Next to our considering what sights shall we have of Christ our thoughts should be taken up with what a sight is he like to have of us We come hither to see Christ And be sure the King comes in to see his guests if there be ever a one that wants the wedding
I who have sate so long at the Table of Devils by feeding my Lusts and serving Satan should be advanced to feast it with the Lord of Glory Even I who deserved the lowest place in Hell should here be sate in the highest place on Earth Let the thoughts of such wonderful love lead you into his Banqueting-house and suffer your Souls to be overcome with this Banner of his love that unparallell'd love that loved you and washed you in his own blood Again consider it is the Supper of the Lord he setteth us down unto This is that we eat and drink even our Lord's Last Supper on Earth This was the parting-Cup after which he was not to drink till he drunk it new in the Kingdom of God For preciousness Cleopatra's Cup was nothing to this tho filled with dissolved Pearls O the love that lay at the bottom to sweeten this Cup to us tho the bitterest to him that ever was put to the head of any Mortal and the more Gall and Wormwood to him the more Love and Good Will to us for whom he drank it This Last Supper on Earth is a Emblem of an after-Supper in Heaven And truly that large and long sumptuous Supper of the Lamb 's preparing above may make a Saint sit down satisfied with a short Dinner on Earth Let the Heirs of Glory never grumble at a dish of green herbs the poorest and meanest Morsel wiâ—h a Cup of cold water since the finest of the Wheat and Honey out of the Rock are too low expressions of thy Heavenly Commons a coming And for what our blessed Lord allows you here you have it with the heartiest welcome Christ sayeth to none of you Eat and drink and his heart is not with you That you are forbid to eat of for it 's the â—â—eâ—d of him that hath an evil eye Prov. 23.6 7. But this you are commanded to eat we offer it in his Name take it in obedience and believe a blessing 47. My sighing come before my eating says Job So must ours doâ—â—w before we can comfortably eat and drink here many a sigh and groan the body of death will cost us many a sad heart for sin Sigh saith the Lord to the Prophet to the breaking of thy Loins 1. That thou shouldst have been so unhappy as to have hand in cutting off the Messiah and slaying this Lamb of God that thy sins nailed him to the Cross and pierced his siâ—e yea his hands and his feet wounding the Son of God even to death with thy sins 2. That his Love hath been neglected so long and so much that the offers of his redeeming Grace hath met with so little hearty entertainment that his sufferings for our sins have been so faintly resented that we have carried so strangely to him that was so deeply concerned for us 3. That he hath had so little honour by us for whom he hath made so rich a purchase that we have laid out our selves so sparingly for him that spared not to pour out his blood for us yea that we should ever prove treacherous to him that was so true to our Interest 4. That now we can love him no more when his Banner of Love is so fairly displaved over us in this Ordinance of his own Supâ—er this Feast of fat things Oh that such choice entertainment should meet with so sorry welcome and such dull affections That our ordinary food should more refresh us than this heavenly Manna That we can meet our suffering Lord with so little remorse for sin and so little delight in his Love But tho grief preceed and go before yet let Joy take its own place and enter his Courts with praise Let transports of heavenly joy fill our redeemed souls that ever the glad tidings of the great salvation sounded in our ears that ever we heard of that great gift of God Jesus Christ and that he hath been at any time recommended to our heart with power that the holy Trinity hath so well contrived our Redemption in that ancient Covenant wherein the Father gave his Elect to Christ to be redeemed and the Son most readily undertook the Work and went through all its steps with such heroick and hearty resolution and good acceptation Rejoice O righteous ones that the Father laid help upon one so mighty able to answer all his demands and to pay our debts Rejoice that Heaven sent to the Earth by so sure a hand and hath made with us so sure and well-ordered a Covenant in all things we can be concerned in for life and Godliness that the Gates of Paradise which our sins shut are now so open unto us that sinners through their High Priest in Heaven have so free and bold access to this exalted Throne of grace but alas for our bruitish stupidity and unbelief that have carnal minds much more taken with a vain World and empty dying comforts than with all the Treasures of Grace and Mansions of Glory 48. This Feast of fat things here presented who can feed upon it Do we know the entertainment of this Table Here is represented the singular and wonderful love of a dying Saviour The great Mystery that Angels desire to look into The Lamb of God Sacrificed for sinners Can we behold it with dry eyes and dead hearts Qu. What impressions should it make upon us and leaves us under Ans 1. I 'll never give sin a good look again thro the grace of God that cost my loving Lord Jesus so dear 2. I 'll despise the love of creatures never lay it in the ballance with Christs Whether they smile or frown I 'll be little affected For her 's a love puts all love down A love who can comprehend in It 's matchless adventures and transcendent exceedings 3. My love should be a constant careful study of some answerable returns of love again 4. I 'll never like my self again Farther than I may be serviceable and suitable to this loving Lord that bled for me My members shall all be servants of righteousness unto Holiness my soul shall ever magnify the Lord my thoughts shall be captivated unto him I shall know no Friends nor Enemies but his My prayers shall be to him My Joy and my delight shall be in him My faith shall firmly rest in his righteousness and satsfaction my patience shall be imployed to bear his Cross my heart shall stand ever open to his Calls The zeal of his house shall eat me up My life shall be a transcript of his Laws and my death a desired dissolution to be with him In a word the Covenant I now renew with him at his own holy table I am willing should be laid against me for Conviction Accusation and humiliation in all my departings from him But knowing that without him I am nothing and can do nothing all my expectation is from him and amidst my best purposes sensible of my sin and weakness I do with holy David say O Lord when wilt
be a solemn renewing of the holy Covenant first enter'd into by Baptism consenting to the Covenant we are there to renew 3. To be a living means to exercise and encrease Grace by representing the evil of sin and the infinite love of God in Christ 4. For a solemn profession of our Faith love and Obedience 5. For a sign and means of Vnity and Communion of Saints Christ hath appointed their consecrated representations to be in the eye of the Church in their manner and measure to supply the room of his bodily presence while he is in heaven The table in the tabernacle Exod. 25.23 24. May represent this Table of the Lord overlaid with pure gold and a crown of Gold round about it because of Holiness becoming it and a King sitting at it At this table should we be asking our own Souls what our thoughts are of Christ and what we have for him that it may be no idle visit you make or fruitless view you take of him but let your requests and great askings be ready on the string for more grace to your selves or true grace to your Relations what is upon your hearts for your Soul child yoke-fellow or son the Church of God Make sure you have grace before you come if you can I say if you can for every worthy communicant cannot profess himself certain of his sincerity but so far as he can discern by observing of his own heart he is truely willing to have Christ and his benefits on the terms that they are offered i. e. To take Christ in all his offices as King to rule him as Prophet to teach him and as Priest to pardon and save him And next we must be careful to exercise grace given They who have no grace can act none and therefore mustly by and sit idle here gazing on an unknown Christ And if any be here who know themselves to be ungodly ones I think they had best rise and run from their own damnation Some feed without fear or remorse for sin yea perhaps resolve to keep up some lust they know of To what end is this ordinance for you It 's a day of Darkness and no Light 2. The great voice of this Ordinance is Behold me Behold me We are called here to look on a pierced Lord Jesus And what shall we see in him See the maker of all things bowed down under the burden of our sins and weight of Gods wrath Look on him whom you have pierced and mourn Look on his wounds and weep Look on his Love and wonder Look on his satisfactions and Believe Look on his Victory and rejoyce Look on his purchase and contemn your earthly interests Here is the best and brightest glass in all the world God gives us to behold his son in and we may come as near him here as any ordinance can bring us When you look on the Elements stay not there till you ascend and see him who is invisible When by faith you come to see him whom your Soul loveth prostrate thy sinfull Soul with a holy wondering that sinfull dust and ashes may draw so near Study to get the fixed eye on him as loath to take it off being so well pleased with his beauty and worth Learn to think the less of other objects after you have seen the Lord. As Mahometans put out their eyes some of them after they have beheld Mahomets tomb that they may never defile their eyes with an other sight after so goodly and glorious a one The name of the Lord being so eminently engraven on all we are about should strike a dread and holy reverence on all our hearts the day the table the supper we are at are all the Lords but what if we be not the people of the Lord truly if we be not he bids us not welcome and what if we be here and the Lord not with us Then we had far better be else where But how may we know if we have him present even his sweet society and blessed company It 's his table we sit at and that is no small honour for he is a â—ing and that is not all he will sit with us himâ—elf and give us his own company and we may know it by this when the King sâ—tteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof Song 1.12 Whence Obs 1. Believers wâ—ll observe what others doe not viz. When Christ is at the table and when not and it will be empty to them when he is absent 2. That Christs own presence must be depended upon both for sensible comfort to believers and for reviving their graces and making them lively It 's the exalted Kâ—ng oâ— glory 's own presence that makes his own grace in our hearts livelâ— and savoury It 's our keeping near him and his condescending to keep near us makes all his gracious work in us to bud and blossom 3. O the great condescention of God to sinful mortals that when he was invisible by reason of that infinite distance between the divine nature and ours he made himself to be seen in the flesh and now by his ascention having made his flesh also invisible by reason of the vast distance between his place and ours he hath made his flesh in a mystical sence even to be seen and tasted in the sacrament O if he hath humbled himself thus far unto our senses let us not by an odious ingratitude humble him lower even under our feet and trample on this precious blood of the Covenant by rushing on this so solemn and sacred a thing with a careless and unprepared frame taking no pains to get a broken and holy heart to intertain him with To take this sacrament into an earthly dirty heart is to take this heavenly bread and throw it into the dirt O do's any of you think to come hither and take these holy mysteries into your covetous proud lustful unrenewed hearts It 's plainly to resolve upon laying up his richest treasures in a noisom Sink and what an indignity is this Christ is in heaven himself and will not enter into any but an heavenly heart here And he who exposeth himself so much to the view of your senses calleth you to Spiritualise your earthly senses let that mouth that cateth at this table never speak vanity nor lies that hand which is reached out to receive him be no more a right hand of falshood or injury to any these eyes which look on your Lord here be no more gazing on Vanity or forbidden objects But to raise your hearts above beggarly Elements which you see this day with eyes of flesh consider this ordinance signifies and seales Christ and his Covenant with all his rich promises of grace and glory The body of our blesed Lord is really in heaven for he is risen and ascended but his body is as truely sacramentally here as really in heaven making the most clear representation of his death and solemn commemoration of it that the
belong to God he will find out the way to awaken them and not let them sleep the sleep of death but will shew them wherein they have exceeded and a wake them to their work out of this Lethargy either by renewing some terrrors of Conscience or turning his hand upon them by some torturing tribulation And there is a third sort I fear may come who are almost well resolved never to come up to the terms of having Christ because of some beloved lust they are so loath to part with and go away with the young man in the Gospel sad from every discovering ordinance whereby he finds all must be left to follow Christ if he have treasure in heaven which his hypocritical heart could never yet comply with and so finds no sweetness in sacraments nor Sermons nor never can in this condition for the consolations of God are small because of some secret thing with him Job 15.11 But as ever you think to be happy be advised whatever it be hang up that Idol before the sun this day look but to Christ and see whither thou durst lay it in the ballance with him who is yet wooing thee to win tâ—y soul by parting with thy sin Let it wither under Christs curse for the many good days and far sweeter imbraces of a better beloved it hath kept thee from 8. Such a day will either be one of our best or worst days It will either further salvation and bring you nearer God or harden your hearts and heighten your Judgment A hot summers day ripens the corn so do these seasons of grace ripen faster than any thing can for Judgment when not improved but abused Would it not be sad that any of us should be worse at last than if we had never been here nor seen the Lord in these precious ordinances Neglecters of the great salvation are in a worse condition than if the new Covenant had never been made for they must answer not only for breach of Law but abuse of mercy Now that this Feaâ—t hurt â—ou not you must be careful that you be not unworthy partakers To eat and drink unworthily is to eat and drink unsuitably So that the best way to examine this matter is by a due consideration of the nature and use of this ordinance Here is bread that calls for hunger and wine for thirst and both for strength and refreshing Here is bread broken and wine poured out which calls for a broken heart and pouring out of our souls to him whom we pierced and put to pain Here 's consecrated Bread and Wine come as Consecrated Persons to Consecrated Elements Here is a Feast then come as confederated Friends to take a fill Here is a Seal of a Testament call'd the Cup of the New Testament in his Blood come and take a Legacy And as it 's full of Mysteries it calls us to come with a Piercing Eye to discern the Lord's â—ody and its worth under the meanness of outward Signs Now you see to come unsuitably is to come unworthily And may we not tremble to think on the doom of that Guest that came in without the Wedding Garment and that it is not one or a few that come so but very many appears from Matt. 22.11 and 1. v. compared In the application of that Parable they are said to be many that are called but sew chosen ones The King took no exceptions against his guests when he came to view them because of being poor halt or weak but offended with them that refused to come and with them who came without the wedding garment Many refuse to come that are utterly careless to be in any condition to meet Christ in this ordinance and make nothing of a life time of refusing an offered Christ therein For which so gross a contempt of his grace how shall many answer And others come without the wedding garment and with these he is angry intimating that many weaknesses he could pass by provided we make conscience of preparation and putting on the wedding garment which I take to be a good state in Christ through his righteousness imputed and a spiritual frame lamps trimmed and in good fashion for feasting with Christ minds spiritual and graces active Repentance faith hope and love in exercise 9. I am affraid our familiar and frequent conversing with such sacrâ—d things do's great hurt to carnal hearts and hardens hypocrits in their sins and seares their consciences more to obduration Thus Judas received the sop and Satan entered Abuseing these sacred spiritual things with careless and carnal frames makes way for Satans entering and possessing men more strongly whereby they become twice more the children of wrath than before For who eat and drink unworthily eat and drink damnation i. e. Reprobates thereby bring eternal damnation to themselves and it brings to Gods own temporal punishments as 1 Cor. 11. Now to prevent this danger beware of Hypoctisy in sacred things Double dealing here will undo us I mean a heart and a heart or a sacrifice without a heart The work is the Lord's have you a heart for him I wish our case be not Jehu's who had a great pretended zeal for God but had no care of his heart in Gods ways 2. Kings 10.16 31. What sayeth God of this service did he accept and reward it No he avenged it upon his House Hos 1.4 Tho' he shed blood in Gods cause and quarrel yet he did it not with a right and sound heart O look to it that you reap not his reward for a rotten heart We say by our coming hither come and see my zeal but if the heart be not right with him the blood of Christ will be required at our hand it 's a great guilt to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ O take care that things be all right in our dealings with Christ and particulary in our sealing Covenants with him Isa 61.8 It 's a precious promise that in making an everlasting Covenant with them he will direct their work aright or in truth and that is when their heart is directed into the love of God 2. Thes 3.5 Now may we ask for love in this action If it have a root now is the season of its putting forth We may say as the Rulers of Israel spring up O well Let your love be carried out according to the vastness of his loving kindness that we may love him in our measure who hath loved us with a love that hath neither bounds nor bottom let their be some risings of love some returns of love an entertainment of love in this feast of love But when we have said all it 's the Spirit that quickens and giveth life and where its power is wanting there the word is a dead letter the Sacraments dead Elements and we dead creatures Now since the spirit worketh all in all grieve not the spirit resist it not but walk in the spirit and look to Christ for a heavenly
that tho we faâ—l in many things yet our heart stands to it delighting in the Law according to our inward man to shew that a man does not repent but his engagement is still pleasant to him as if it were to do again a man would do the same thing if it were every hour to let the world see there is not a heart drawing back from God and that the heart that is naturally unstable may become fixed for God And yet tho this making and renewing Covenants by this Ordâ—nance be so useful Christ hath not tied himâ—elf to Sacramental Seals for that Faith that eats and drinks the Blood of Christ without a Sacrament doth save And that Covenant whâ—sâ—â—ver believes in Christ shall be saved passeth the sâ—als effectually to a believer tho there were never an occasion of sealiâ—g iâ— sâ—cramâ—ntally Crede manducasti Bâ—lieve â—nd thoâ— hâ—st eaten saith Aâ—stin God needs no Seal to bâ—nâ— himself but to secure and settle uâ— Yet since we are graciously allowed the opportuniâ—y of contemplaâ—ing a crucified Saviour here these two thâ—â—gs among many others ought to be wonder'd at viz the price and the purchase And this adds to the wonder of bestowing Heaven on us that it comes as the reward of our service tho purchased by Christ All Heaven to them who had little or nothing on Earth all Christs â—lood for them who had nothing of his Spirit or Grace by Nature O wonder that a Heaven full of pleasures should be at last the portion of them who have had hearts full of sin and lives full of blemishes If a poor Beggar came iâ—to the King's Treasury and saw all the bags of Gold and Silver and one should tell him they are all laid up for you what would the man think It would strike him with a strange astonishment But whâ—t are these to Bags that wax not old and Treasure in Heaven laid up for you wher of if we had once a believing sight would make uâ— for ever think less of earthly riches nay you would be ready to go home and throw your bags of Gold and Silver to the Moles and to the Bats and say get ye hence ye stumbling-blocks of mine iniquity But again wonder at such a price paid for us so worthless worth nothing and yet cost him so dear Good Lord what do we for him that laid out so much for us If we have nothing he needs nothing yea he requires nothing but to accept his bounty and be ravisht with his love Tho we be utterly unable to pay being broken debtors yet let us even be ready to praise and be thankful debtors For this very End is this Eucharistical Feast instituted At this Festival Commemoration let the Founder of the Feast be remembred with praise and honour And here take we hold of the most solemn occasion for the most passionate and thankful remembrance of that love that gave us so great a gift as Christ to do and suffer for us And without this affectionate frame of heart we now frustrate the very end of the Institution 16. Here have we the Beloved standing and knocking and putting in for entrance at the door of our hearts saying open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled one Here is my divine lasting love that for all her sinful sloath and sleepy temper she was fallen into yet he never changâ—th her name but courts her love with kindest compellations still But the motive he presteth his acceptance by is melting and convincing above all open to me fâ—r my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night He begs a place in our hearts by all inconveniences he suffered for us O the dark and dismal night of his undergoing the wrath of his holy Father when our iniquities were laid on him Thus stands our Lord now knocking and begging our good will and likeing our Love and fellowship by all the wounds he received on the Cross for us Here are we called to behold they pierced my hands and my feet and shall not this pierce our hardest hearts to see the anguish of his Soul The rejected and slighted obtestations of a crucified Jesus will rise up aginst many in the day of their distress that they were besought to mortify their lusts and live to God by every drop of Christs blood shed for them but they would not hear That the requests of a suffering Saviour may have their due influence is this ordinance appointed bringing all his pain shame and sorrow to our remembrance We see he hath a good mind to be in our eye and thoughts If you see a Criple lay out his sores they beg tho' be hold hiâ— peace And if our suffering saviour this day be unlapping his wâ—â—â—â—d and laying his sâ—res open to view shall not they beg more powerfully and prevaile and remember all the wounds of our Lord he had in the house of his friends Now the very great voice of all his wounds are 1. Repent Look on me whom you have pierced and mourn 2 Believe when you see your ransom and sacrifice slain If Justice say I have enough and am satisfied why do not we think it enough even apply it and rest in it Take peace and content yea rejoyce in God thro' Jesus Christ by whom you have now received the atonement 3. The voice of Christs sufferings is my Son â—dive me thy heart If I have loved thee and washed thee in my blood It 's reason I have love again 4. It says 〈◊〉 bey and hearken to thy High priâ—st Hear him in all he hath to say he hath deâ—â—ly bought your obedience and attention to all his motions and Instructions Prov. 8.31 â—2 The force and strenâ—th of that tâ—erefore is never to be studied and undeâ—â—â—ood enough Get Christs Cross to give your lusts a deadly wound rest not till you see him and feel th m thereby disabled and miled to his Cross As for your Darling the world in its profits pleasures and honour hear Christ saying It frowned on me and will my ransomed smile on it It was despised and a little thing with me who knew so well a better and shall it be great with you Remember that to take Christ in and put Christ on are the two great Calls of Heaven in the Gospel And since your suffering Redeemer iâ— taken into heaven these gates of Glory flew wide open to him at his Ascention shall he be kept out of our hearts Are they better than it No but there was he better known and here his own received him not for they knew him not nay not only â—eaven hath received him and therefore so should our hearts but there hath he entred for us which also hath its own weight for his entring into our hearts here 17. Here come we to get more grace and strength to reâ—â—st the Devil and stand againâ—â— his temptations Now our encouragements to encounter this enemy of ours that roaring Lyon 1.
becomes a means of fortifying and fixing the heart 2. Renewing Covenants are of great use to recover us out of backslidings after which we are to put forth the same acts again in Covenant way by closing with Christ which we acted and put forth at first conversion 3. It 's of great use to revive our declining delight in God And certainly if we make a covenant with all our heart as Asa and Israel did 2 Chr. 15.5 It 's almost impossible not to rejoice in it considering the great ends and purposes it 's made for and the Noble Person Christ that Plant of Renown we make it with a Marriage covenant with the King's Son a new Wedding-day in bringing back the Soul from its sinful wandrings unto its first Husband with whom it's much better than with any elsewhere 21. We come hither professing our selves Christ's Disciples sitting at his Table as they did that night he was betrayed whereby we say we are his sheep who hear his Voice receive his Grace and follow him yea that we are his Spiritual House to offer up spiritual Sacrifice acceptable to God through Jesus Christ But yet Grace received had need to be strengthened and quickened and therefore are we come Had not Repentance and Humbling work need to be quickned and renewed by considering our sins and miseries Faith by Meditating on the Promises Love by the sense of his mercies even his tender-mercies in Christ we come to taste of to day and to pay the Tribute of Praise for bestowing such special favour upon us O! let us magnify that Mercy that hath Redeemed us at so dear a rate that all his humblings were to raise thee to Honour his Sufferings to keep thee from Perishing All this tends to bring home our Hearts to him that hath bought them so dear Now Love hath no such incentive in all the World as the Cross of Christ it grows out of it it lives in it and we are Crucified by it to all other Lovers that would seduce us from the Loyalty we owe to our own Lord Alas what can these silly pretenders say Were they Crucified for us Hereby perceive we the Love of God or else we are very Blind for he hath writ his Love in capital letters on his cross laying down his Life for us when we were â—nemies seek the world over for such Love and it cannot be found Now the very Publicans love those that love them and will ye be worse And shall our love be so faint and luke-warm when his is so flaming and passionate Look up to him that can warm thy heart at his own Table with his sacred Fire And now when Love to your Lord begins to revive think what Lust you harboured last and this is the time to get above it yea to Kill and Crucify it tho it hath been rampant and raging hitherto despising all opposition offer it now as a Sacrifice to him who was a burnt Offering for thee Shall ever sin that slew the dear Husband becomes the Wises Darling If ever you think of dwelling with Christ give it a Divorce and that the rather your Lord hath drawn the Bill with his own hand All ye that Love the Lord hate evil Love Christ and hate Sin are the two great lessons this Ordinance teacheth Love Christ that suffered for you and here sin that flew him Now here he is who descended the same also who asended follow him thither but while here look to the Grave where he lay and then to the higher House he was taken into above and leave not off looking for him till he come again 22. Here are we come to our great Physitian of Souls And among our many Diseases we had need to seek cure of these two viz. Christians faint-heartedness in sufferings and dead-heartedness in Duties Now a look of Christ would cure both What is the reason Christians faint under Sufferings but because they mind not their suffering Lord who endured all so patiently overcame all so powerfully and hath Sanctified all so comfortably to us Consider him lest you grow weary and faint in your mind that is the Remedy prescribed and so we are dead hearted and formal in Duties because we consider not Christ that is to come with Salvation at the last It 's his first coming to suffer must sweeten our Sufferings and his last coming with Salvation that must quicken us to Duties look more to the recompence of reward for ginding your Loins to the word of God Isa 35.3 4. And that you may meet with something that may do you good amidst the waverings of an unsetled mind labour to fix something on thy thoughts that may help to stay thy mind on God such a principle as this men cannot make me miserable not the world make me happy my true misery is my sin bound up and a hard unbroken Heart for it My happiness is not my thriving in Health and Wealth but my interest in the Covenant and partaking of the Divine Nature Let thy heart be breathing how happy should I go home if I might be but more Holy and live more to the honour of my Lord and be in some better condition for his blessed Service Hath not God said Behold I will make a new thing on the Earth How many such new things hath he done on the earth as to give us all new hearts and new thoughts of the things of God to Day Our Lord is saving to sinners Mind your Souls and make much of my Salvation Your Souls are precious and my Salvation is great and if ever your Souls enjoy my Salvation hereafter they must be set a longing after it now Psal 119.81 Neglect it not for it cost him dear and if you miss of it it will cost you dear For how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation 23. There be three things that commend Christ most unto any viz. His personal excellencies his usefulness and his love As for the last love lies at the bottom of the whole work of our Redemption The midst thereof paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem Song 3.10 We have the Father loving his Son for laying down his life for us Job 10.17 and and shall not we love him for it And as the Father loves the Son for this love to us so he loveth us for loving his Son John 16.27 the first pleads for our love to the Father in loving the Son for our sake in the undertaking of our Redemption the other pleads for our love to Christ since our loving of the Son commends us to the Fathers love O unheard of wonders of divine love That as the Father loveth the Elect in Christ and for Christ so he should seem to love him for our sake being so forward in our cause to suffer for us and save us from our sins It 's this love that this ordinance brings to remembrance you see it is a feast of love and love must keep the feast or all
garment The best sight Christ could see of us here were to see us as once he saw Nathaniel sitting under the fig-tree an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile Joh. 1.47.48 Or as once he saw Mary and so taken with that sight that he points her out for others to see Luk. 7.44 weeping for sin and exceeding all the company in shewing love to Christ As the people would not eat till Samuel the Prophet came to bless the sacrifice unto them 1 Samuel â— 13 We can have no better proof of our High Priest's coming and blessing a Sacrament unto us than to be found with Mary at Christ's Feet in Penitential Tears of Love towards our Pardoning Redeemer But alas how dead lye we by the Ark of the Lord as is said of Vzzah 2. Sam. 6.7 whom God struck in his Anger with Death for a wrong touch of the Ark at a Time Here was God's severity shewed on a Man who meant well but gave the Ark a touch that he should not Now what wonder of God s Patience is it that some remarkable Judgments are not more frequently upon us for our untender touching of his most Holy things on Earth How often take we and touch we the Body of Christ with hard Hearts and unclean hands O! let us lament over our insensible Souls and say with David till better prepared How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me 2 Sam. 6.9 26. Luke 23.48 And all the people that came together to that sight smote their breasts and returned That sight that strange sight that sight of Christ on thâ— Cross Bleeding and Dying such another sight was never seen in the World Creatures Murdering their Creator The Church of God purchased with his own Blood no wonder then all the people returned amazed They smore their Breasts O! that it might break our hearts for that is the heart-affecting sight we come to see this day O! the Heart-humbling sight of Christs Sufferings the Son of God suffering for the sin of Man And as the Death of Christ is held out as the most wond rful Object â— that sight so is it recommended to us as the most excellent Subject to be Discoursed of not only as it was the great Subject of the great Apostles Preaching 1 Cor. 2.2 but as it is the only Subject mentioned of Conference between Christ Moses and Elias Luke 9.30 â—1 A Subject most wâ—rthy of the most excellent persons that can appear on Earth And our Saviour recommends the sayings of his Sufferings to a deeper impression on their Hearts than all the Miracles he wrought to their amazement who beheld them Luke 9.43 44. Now if Wisdom hath furnished her Table with the representation of so rare a thing yea with the Bread of Life from Heaven and the Cup of Salvation even the Cup of the New Testament in Christ's Blood let not so rich a repast be received as a common thing Our blessed Lord comes not with an empty offer but a full-hand and a free-heart to confer all his benefits and purchases the dispising of which by continued unbelief will be the worlds greatest condemnation It was charged on the Israelites as the great aggravation of their sin that they provoked God at the red sea even at the red sea the place where their miraculous salvation was wrought But how will it aggravate our sin to provoke God with a hard unprepared heart at the red Sea of his precious blood here represented by which we are Redeemed Let us never be friends with our own hearts till we can love our Saviour bet er and hate our sin more If Namaan when cured of his Leprosy went away resolved to serve no other God but the God of Israel what should we do whom Christ hath cured of many fâ—r more desperate and dangerous diseases Labour to be that ground which drinketh in the rain which cometh upon it and brings forth herbs meet for him that dresseth and receiveth blessing from God Heb. 6.7 Now what rain comparable to a showre of Christs blood in a sacrament Where we either receive great blessing or are brought nigh unto cursing 27. The Persians had a Festival day in the year they called Vitiorum interitum whereon they slew all Serpents and Venemous Creatures And suffered them to swarm till that day of year came about again It 's to be feared some do so at sacrament times who by some Confessions and formal humblings think to clear old Scores and then go away and take on new ones but if so such may look the unclean spirit will return with 7 worse and take a stronger Possession than he had formerly And sinners must know their Confessions and humblings are hypocritical if one Lust or known sin be left As 1 Sam. 16 11. Samuel said to Jesse are here all thy Children So when we leave some sins Christ says are here all Jesse answered There was one more says Samuel â—ill that one come I will not sit down So says Christ as long as there is one be â—ind I will not sit down with thee sit where thou wilt It 's dangerous to boast with the moral young Man in the Gospel I have done this and tother thing and yet one thing be lacking To have our door lock t up still to keep Christ and salvation out as a Covetous heart for the world a sensual heart for the flesh a proud heart for the Devil will marr all cannot be fit for heaven if the door were open would not go in where no fuell for such a lust And therefore let us make a diligent search and take great care ere you come to ransack well all the corners of a deceitful heart and truely repent of all sin viz. when our sorrow springs from the root and are affected with the seed of all sin even our corrupt nature and inclinations and when we repent of all known sin on the common account of sin as contrary to Gods holy Law and Nature And tho the heart be not always affected with a high degree of sorrow intensively yet is Repentance true if it be appretiative accounting sin the only thing to be sorrowed for and it we be displeased with our selves that the heart is not answerable to our light and convictions in the exercise of Repentance And think not that all your sorrow for sin without Faith in God through Christ will suffice The weeping eye must look upon Christ whom thou hast pierced with thy sin We must look for all good from him against whom we have sinned take up our rest in him and it 's faith and hope in God must purify our heart for him make our soul despise the world desire heaven loath self love the Lord and venture all on a word of promise trusting God with all the most dangerous like events of providence and consequences of duty 28 Two things had need be minded about this business viz. to prepare diligently Take pains with a dull heart cleanse a polluted
when his Enemies like Lions roaring upon him he as a Lamb opened not his Mouth When you are afflicted remember your Lord and learn Patience 3 And how willingly and chearfully did he undergo all It was written of him I will delight â—o do thy will O God! and that in the work of our Redemption as a Sacrifice for us as appears from Psal 40 6 7 8. with what wonderful desire did our Blessed Lord run this race that was set before him enduring the Cross and despising the shame for the Joy that was set before him and this Joy was to save us from Perishing O! that he should more rejoice in our sufferings than we in his Salvation 4. Remember these sufferings were all expiatory for our Sin otherwiâ—e all our remembrances would want Life For our transgressions was he wounded and the chastisement of our peace was laid on him 5. Remâ—mber who it was that suffered all this for us Who but the Lord of Glory descending from his Throne of Glory and debasing himself to the meanest condition imaginable O! see what a Throne he stepped from into the lowest posture of sinful likeness to become our surety and make satisfaction to justice 6. Remember the Love that lay at the bottom of all for nothing but Divine Love and iâ—created Kindness could take us up and wash us in his preciouâ— Blood when we lay polluted in our Blood and Goâ—e Remember thâ—â— I 〈◊〉 more than â—â—â—â—e Qâ— How shâ—â—l Câ—rist's Death be remembrâ—d â—â—s 1. â—â—nit ntly with broken bâ—eedinâ— Hearts for th sins that Pâ—erâ—â—d hâ—â— 2. Sincâ—râ—ly aâ—â— reall nâ—t 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ward appearance â—nlâ— by 〈◊〉 at his Table Many 〈…〉 to him 〈◊〉 that want true 〈…〉 him 3. Affectionately and heartily with boâ—â—ls sâ—â—ring towâ—â—ds your suffâ—ring Saviour and glorâ—fied â—â—tercessâ—r 4. Most joyfully glorying in nothing but in the Cross of Christ bâ— which we are reconciled to God and mortified to the world 5. Most thankfully with a praiseful â—rame of heart Ps 72.15 6. Maintain it with some constancy Be remembrinâ— Christ not onâ—y till you come hither again but until the Lord come again to fetch you to himself 3â— As the Lord will more liberally let out his Love in this Ordinance to the broken hearted believer than in any other so must the abuser of it by a common carnal frame look for Christ's avenging himself more severely for this abuse than any other Fâ—r saith Bernard In hoc sacro non solum aliqua gratia sed ille in quo omnis gratia One of Gods greatest grounds of Controversy with his own I am apt to think is unworthy and unsuitable sitting down with the Lord at this Table The Papists have the Ordinance unsuitable to Institution and all as we have Communicants unsuitable to the Ordinance Wherefore instead of coming hither to meet the Lord it 's to be feared the Lord maâ— meet some with that â—â—â—rtling question Friend how camâ—st thou in hither not having the Wedding Garment which may either strike the sinner with astonishing silence or if Câ—nscience speak its own language put to this trâ—mbling answer Hâ—w came I hither Wretch that I am I came rushing unduly upon so sacred a service compassing thy Altar with unwashen hands and an unbroken heart I was bold to come without any self-examination humiliation or pre-meditation of what is before me I came hither with no more remorse for sin nor serious thoughts of Christ than I use to have at a common Table I came as careless and unconcerned about Christ or my own heart as if it had been the Table of an Idol that could neither see nor understand I came as I use to do about other business with a worldly carnal covetous proud and sensual heart Then bind him hand and foot and throw him into utter darkness will be his Doom and all such impudent bold comers who discern not the Lord's body and have no fitness for this spiritual Banquet For the hipocrite that looks no higher than to have a Name to live hath the Serpents curse even in Sacraments and best duties not Christ but dust does he eat Little do many think what account they have to give of eating and drinking at the Table of the Lord. Under the Law Exod 12.4 every man according to his eating was to make his account for the Lamb so much more under the Gospel at Christ's holy Table every soul shall account according to his eating how with what frame and fruit he did eat there There is a greater reckoning on this score than many dream of It may be said of many eaters here as of those eaters in Gen. 41.21 when the Lean Kine had eaten up the Fat ones it could not be known they had eaten them being still so ill-favoured as at the beginning Alas can it be seen a while hence by the most discerning eye that we did eat this day with Christ 32. Gen. 24 33. And there was meat set before Abraham 's Servant but he said I will not eat till I have told mine errand So hath God set meat before you here but I think you are all willing to forbear till I have spoken my word as it is in the Hebrew there And now all your eyes should be upwards that the great Master of the Feast should direct a right word unto you even a word upon the Wheels The word I have to speak at present is that precious saying of our blessed Saviour concerning himself Joh. 6.35 I am the bread of life O to understand and believe this word That the bread of God is he that cometh down from heaven and giâ—eth life unto the world v. 33. Now the Manna Israel had was a Type of our heavenly bread which they gathered not when it first fell and they wist not what it was until Moses told them It was the bread of God given them from heaven and then they gathered â—xod 16.15 17. So will no mâ—â— care to meddle with Christ till they knew him to be bread to their souls given them from heaven for eternal Life And every man gathered the Manna according to his eating v. 18. nothing over or under So indeed there is nothing here but for â—our eating all is lost you feed not on your time your pains this bread this wine the truths you hear the things you see the preparatians both you and we make is all lost it there be no feeding on this bread of Life The whole Apparatus Action is lost and all that belongs to it which comes not up to feeding and refreshing viz. if Graces be not quickned Corruptions weakned hearts warmed minds enlightned wills renewed life reformed souls sanctified and sin pardoned But while you hear of eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood and making food of Christ in this Ordinance we must abhor the gross and literal understanding of this with Capernaits of Old and Papists of late contrary to Christ's true meaning and his own interpretation of believing in him
against prevailing Iniquities and predominant Corruptions that your jea ous Lord and Husband may give Idols a deadly blow at such a time 4. For the 〈◊〉 â—pirit of Jesus to make Graces lively that 〈◊〉 â—piknâ—rd may send sorth the smell thereof and the Spices slow out 5. For growing in all grace that Gods own work in the heart may be sâ—t forward by our waiting on Christ in his so precious appointment 6. That he would suspend quarrels yea â—â—move the ground of all by forgiving grace and send away poor penitents comforted with a sealed senâ—e of it in their own bosomes 7. For further manifestations of God's Love and clearer Fâ—â—â—dences of an heavenly Interest 8. For a more fruitful Life of Godliness to the praise of the gâ—ory of his grace 9 For Families and Relations that it might please the Lord to bring ours hâ—me to Christ make them his by grace and build them up to glory 10. For poor Zion that he would pity her desolations heal her breaches plead her cause pardon her sins help her to improve her mercies and prepare her yâ—t for greater deliverances from Evil when â—er grâ—cious God shall see good to grant them 11. That God would pity the â—â—rk corners of the Earâ—â— and open the Eyes of bold and blind sinners among us Q. What he the Resolutions this solemn occasion should puâ—â—â—â— ponâ— 1 To love Christ â—â—re 〈◊〉 â—â—tly 2. To remember him more frequently 〈◊〉 we 〈…〉 to remember him here thâ—â— we may forget him when gone 3 To perform all duties more spiritually 4. To watch our hearts more narrowly 5. To walk more tenderly 6. To follow him more sully 7. To renounce and deny self more freely 8 To trust in Christ more intirely 9. To take his part more boldly 10. And to keep Covenants more faithfully 38. Here have we the most amazing Instance of love that ever was given in the world and when you have travell'd the Vniverse over to seek for Love here lies the richest and rarest manifestations of Love that God gave his Son and Christ gave himself This is the heighth depth length and breadth of the love of God that passeth knowledge So great a ransom so rich a purchase so great a one become so low to set thee on high make himself so poor to enrich thee empty himself to fill thee and to do all this yea God to lay out his All on such unworthy and undeserving ones others love for some worth or good quality but God loved us when lying in our blood Now what â—an we do less for all this but make heart returns of love again Love being the very heart of the new creature and he that hath most love hath most grace and 〈◊〉 the best Christian And to provoke your love to this Beloved you may assure your selves 〈◊〉 he would never have died for you if he had not loved the meanest of you better than the highest Angel in Heaven can love him And besides if you can but love him his love will breed you more delight and hearâ— ravishing pleasure than all the love of creatuâ—es can Read but that Song of Love between Christ and his Spouse and see the unparallell'd delights of divine love between Christ and his Church Well if you love him keep his Commandments be careful to please him be tender of his honour deny your selves for his sake account all loss to win Christ thirsting after his communion longing to be perfectly free from sin that grieves his good Spirit and keeping your selves in the love of God looking or the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life No such motive to love God as studying his love to us and surely he must love us that sent his Son from his bosom to fetch us thither But why should a little love of creatures affect us so much and the great 〈◊〉 God affect us so little Aâ—â— Meerly bâ—â—â—us â—e are â—â—ore â—â—esh than spirit and have alâ—◠〈◊〉 sâ—nsâ— then faith Weak faith makes 〈◊〉 impressions of all spiritual things 〈◊〉 faith and better rooting would make â—â—â—â—â—â—ions â—aâ— more â—â—â—â—y Pet. 1.8 Now if we love Christ we will prize the â—â—ast token of his â—â—ve before all 〈…〉 can give us â—nd will thi◠〈…〉 sight of him 39. It s recorded of the Quâ—â—â— of â—beba that when she had seen the sitting of Solomon 's Servants there was no more spirit in her 1 King 10. How much more may this sight of our sitting confound and amaze us That Christs sinful servants should be set with himself at his Table considering 1. That he hath not a higher board on Earth than we sit at now and the Lord himself speak of stting with us Soag 1 12 Rev. 3.20 2 That tho it becometh â—s to stand when the King sitteth yet this glorious King came not to be ministred unto but to minister to us to gird himself as a Servant and mash the feet of his poor disciples 3. Wonder that we who deserved to lye in Hell should sit so high here 4. And the greatest wonder of all is that we should be fed at the King's Table with his own flesh allude to Job 31.31 Job 6. Shepherds use to eat the flesh of their flocks but here the good Shepherd gave his life for his sheep and feeds them with his flesh and blood And wonder also that we sit at peace a midst so many enemies that envies our feeding but it 's of the Lords great power â—nd bounty both that he prepares us a Table in this Waldernâ—ss and fills our cup in the presence of our enemies Now at this sacred so â—emnity is represented unto us the weightiest things of our Soul-concerns viz. Our sins and Christs sufferings we offending and he punished for our offences something in his Sufferings answering to our sin we a life of sinning and he a life of suffering we a load oâ— sin and he of suffering as our sin was God's provocation so is his suffering Gods satisfaction He was taken and we seâ—â—ree his death was our release Josh 20.6 there was no release nor returning in safety for the Man-slayer till the death of the High-Priest We have been light-hearted in suning but our Surcty groaning and heavy even unto death for our sin We contracted the debt and he taid the score sor us Now charge your Souls with Love Repentance Faith and Obedience with love to so friendly an â—ndeâ—taker who valued nothing whatever it cost him if he might but ransom thy soul and set thee â—â—ee◠〈◊〉 pâ—ntâ— ance for those bloody â—â—â—s that maâ—â— him sweat and weep Faith in that blood that made so perfect satisfaction and is so â—ull of Vertue to purge thy peâ—ssured and guilty soul And Obedienâ—e even a wâ—â—le Life of graceful Obedience to him that hath redeemed thy soul from Hâ—â—â— 40 The upper end of this Holy Table of the Lord is to get hearessâ—â— Chrish at the Kâ—s own Elbow when he 〈◊〉 tâ—â—â—â—â—t his Table Q
What shaâ—â— we do to get this appâ—â— end A. 1 Love 〈◊〉 an inâ—â—â—â—â—ing â—hing He that Loves most gets â—â—â—â—st Christ John 14.23 And if we Love God dâ—â—eâ—â—eth in us It was the be oved Discipie that leaned on Christ's Bosom 2. The farther we keep from sin the nearer we get to Christ 3. Faith and Hope in their lively actings bring us near to God It 's said That by the better hope the Gospel brings in we draw near to God Heb. 7.19 It hinders â—â—r approaches much to keep off from Christ by estranging unbelief and keeping the Affairs of our own Soul unsetled 4 To have Zion much on our Hearts might bring us nearer sometimes than all our own affairs can even when Abraham became an Intercessor for Sodom he drew near much more we for Zion If the things before us here rightly understood work not upon us we may conclude nothing will or ever can that comes from Heaven If God's good word and Christ's Seals of Love left with us make not Hearts stir towards him there is no hopes of Life in our case tho one should be sent from the Dead to Preach and Administer among us To get the Heart above to God by his Ordinances blessed of God is to have part in the first resurrection that the second Death may have no power over us Look to it that ye be none of them to whom Christ will say I never knew you even when you have pleaded by your eating and drinking in his presence For many may never come to tast of thâ— Supper of the Great King at last for all their â—â—ting here And that you may not miss of the blessed Entertainment of that Supper take heed that in Sealing Covenants here with the Lord you be truly devoted unto Christ and see the danger by Ananias and Saphira of keeping baâ—k any thing from God that is so solemnly once made his let heart and life be his and for him since the Lord Jehovah makes himself yours and all he is for you And after you have Covenanted to be his let your great care be to be meet for his Communion and fruitful for his Service even to abound in the work of the Lord. And let never your Heart grudg any pains in preparing to meet your God since one lock of God's reconciled Face by Ch i st Sacrificed for â—s will abundantly compence all the pains of your Preparation and charge of Service Lev. 9.4 where God's gracious appearing to his people is made their encouragement of costly service 41. Luke 22.20 This is the New-Testament in my Blood The Old was the Blood of Beasts the New is the Blood of God Acts 20.28 The Church of God purchated with his own Blood Nothing without Blood can profit us in the New Covenant No remission nor purging and washing without Blood no converse with God nor access to Heaven without it Heb. 9.12.10.19 For Christ enters in by his own Blood or he could make no entry for us All is done by Blood but no worse Blood could serve than God's which shews our loftness and his Love We lay in our Blood and Filthiness Christ brings his tâ— wash us other Blood defiles this makes white Rev. 7.14 O! Precious Blood and rich love it's strange that this â—east of Fat things should in some respect be a Banquet of Blood We know that in the Treacherous and cruel Worlds Banquets and Feasts of pretended Kindness have been finisned with the Blood of the Guests themselves but no such thing here it 's the Master of the Feast entertains the Guests with the purchase of his own Blood Moses's Wife said to him in a pet A Bloody Husband hast thou been to me because of the Circumcision but a Bloody Wife hath the Church been to Christ by â—eason of sin Redeeming us from it with his own Blood Now that Advice Acts 20.28 belongs to us Take heed to the Church of God purchased with his own Blood Now if the Ministers the Shepherds aâ—e to take heed to the Flock because purchased with â—hrists Blood then 1. Let us take heed to our own Souls for the same reason because they weâ—e so dear bought I neâ—lect them not let them not live to sin be estranged from God nor guilt lye upon them and drop into Hell at last 2 Take heed unto the Souls of one another that were purchased with this precious Blood Do nothing that may tempt them to sin and think light of Christ 3. Take heed to this Ordinance for the Blood of Christ is in it 4. Take heed to Christ himself for the sake of this Blood shed for your Sins to purchase your Souls Hear ye him that hath redeemed you turn not away from following and hearing him who justly might have turned you into Hâ—ll for your sins but hath blessed every one of you in turning you away from your Iniquities and to take you away into Heaven Now this great sight of this precious Blood are we come hither to behold in the Glass of this solemn ordinance Great Solemnities call for great Preparation and Observation especially what is represented and for what end come and behold the Works of the Lord Psal 46.8 even the glorious work of your Redemption by the Death of Christ A work greater than that of making the world yea the greatest work that ever was done in the World nay more one great end of making this goodly Fabrick of Heaven and Earth was that it might be a stage upon which that glorious work of our Redemption should be Acted a work wherein Mans happiness lies wherein Gods attributes are Glorified to the height and for which the Church Triumphant shall think Eternities leasure little enough to sing forth their Heavenly Hall â—llujah's 42. Many things commend this Ordinance of the Supper above all others 1. It 's setled in the Church for all Christians to remember Christ unto the world's end even till he come again while the Sun and Moon endure will Christ have the kindest commemoration in this Ordinance 2. It was that wherein Christ had his last Fellowship with his Church on Earth Now we please our selves by calling to mind our last meetings with our dear deceased friends their last words and actions have their special remarks most commonly â—et Christ's last entertainment have the best impression It was this shut up all his sweet converse with his own before his death 3. Divine Wisdom hach suited this Ordinance to our weakness and capacities accommodating heavenly things to our outward and natural senses for as we hear of a Saviour in the Word so here we see taste and handle him in the same meat Mary was forbid to touch our Lord as not ascended but now this ascended Lord allows us to touch taste and handle him in those appointed figures of him 4. It hath the greatest fitness and advantage of awaking our affections representing his dearest love in dying and redeeming us in suffering and satisfying for us
present world seduce many Souls from their Allegiance to Christ and the care that is due to their Salvation How are most deceived with the specious appearances and painted Slavery of the world to make us happy enough without Christ The covetous Pharisees mocked at Christ and Farms and Business do still excuse worldings from a serious and hearty imbracing of Christ's glorious Offers Q. What shall we do that we may not betray Christ and prove false to our Covenant and Profession in times of Tryal A. 1. Leave not a root of bitterness behind no beloved Lust unmort fied this was Judas his bane the love of the world he kept up under a profession and this betrayed him into Satan's hand and he stuck not to betray his blessed Master into his Enemies Hands 2. Rest not on doubtful Evidences of your Heavenly Interest but get things better cleared between God and your Consciences It will be a dreadful snare to you when sufferings come to the loss of Life and Estate and not be sure of Christ and Heaven 3. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life Love if alive will be strong at Death all the floods of Affliction cannot drown it 4. Keep up a close Communion with God constantly in secret If you slack in secret Prayer and wear out of personal acquaintance with the Fountain you will wither and your strength dry up like a Pot-sheard and your foot soon slide 5. Let never a day go over your head without actual Faith on some promise that this may keep you from fainting under discouragements Ps 27.13 6. The most refined formal lifeless Religion will not always secure you from being scandals on Earth and being cursed wretches in Hell eternally 45. That your minds may not be empty and wandring doubtful what to fix upon enquire Q. What doth this Ordinance call for A. 1. A Crucified Christ calls for Crucified sins 2. Be saying to thy self did this Blood satisfy God and shall it not satisfy me Why then O my Soul do'st not thou rest more intirely in this ransome and possess more of that rich Legacy his word hath left us and his Death hath purchased My peace I leave you my peace I give you and in me ye shall have peace and this man shall be the peace 3. Think whose Body and what a Body is here represented The blessed Body of the Son of God that was our Sacrifice broken bruised and bleeding on the Cross for us That same body that his Father gave him who needed it not but for us to receive our buffering in that Body that Devils envy to this day even that the Human Nature should be assumed into a personal Union with the Divine An honour denied the Angels That Body that hung on the Cross a spectacle to men and Angels for shame pain and a curse due to us That same Body that was laid in the Grave and raised up unto Glory God in our Nature appearing in Heaven for us preparing a place for us perfuming it with his Glorious Possessions and Presence 4. Think how due it is I should remember him in my Life who remembred me so kindly at his Death especially having made a Law for it in this Ordinance and making the remembrance no more costly nor painful than you see it this day He might have sent us a Jerusalem Jouâ—â—â—y to the holy Grave and appointed some costly Offerings there But let us bless our Merciful Lord and Law giver that hath spared us these expences and is content we should remember him in this plain Gospel Simplicity 5. Think you are now remembring your best and dearest Friend in Heaven or Earth who loves you beâ—â— and hath done most for you Wherefore with what affections should he be remembred and how precious should every thouâ—hâ— of him be to your Souls Song 1. 4 Psal 139.17 6. Think how miserable you had been to eternity if he had not remembred us in our low estate And what you have deserved that needed such a surety and Sacrifice Q. How may we know if our remembring of Christ in this Ordinance hath been good and right A. 1. If we have here a remembrance of the right stamp we leave not off remembring of Christ when we are gone but the life of a Christian in hearing reading meditating and praying will be much more a remembring him in his ways than others attain to 2. We will cause others remember Christ with us as we can Psal 45. ult 3. It will leave a lasâ—ing desire of remembring him here again Psal 42.2 4. 〈◊〉 right its Virtue will run thro gâ—â—all our Diâ—â—ies and Actions till we come again 〈◊〉 thâ—ll find is more easy to perform every duty and â—bey every precept As we sind sin that Dagoâ— fall before this Ark of the Lord temptations resisted and services Spiritualized we may jâ—â—g of this case 5. A right remembrance of Christ will make a Sanctified Soul even forget the best and most needful things on Earth to remember him now in Heaven 6. It will humble thee for former forgetting of him and stir up a holy hatred against vain thoughts that kept Christ out a few moments of a Sanctified remembring thy sweet Saviour here will send thee away with a sad Heart for thy forgeting of him days without number 46. Q. What came we hither to learn at the Table of the Lord A. 1. Humility from a meek and lowly humbled suffering Saviour Phil. 2.57.2 Patience from this Lamb of God that opened not his Mouth Learn here to possess your Souls in Patience and suffer not every trifle to provoke you 3. And here may we learn to Love where it shines out so gloriously 4. Self-denial and a publick Spirit who not regarding his own ease and pleasure glorified his Father in Redeeming us 5. See here your strong rock and learn to live by Faith A sight of a Crucified Sanctified Saviour should give us confidence both in Duties and Dangers In Duties this sight should lift you up above all your doings when you see what your surety hath done and suffered for you And in Dangers your great help to believe he will not let your temporal evil sink you is his delivering your Souls from eternal Miseries and Hell and the second Death 6. We can no where at a better advantage learn with them that are Redeemed from the Earth the new Song of Promise than here at such a solemn sight of our Suffering Redeemer But that we may learn our Lessons the better let us be considering where and with whom we are sate Solomon says Prov. 23.1 When thou sittest with a Ruler consider what is before thee It 's a great Ruler we sit with and a great Feast ser before us Now let us consider we sit at the Table of the Lord and we eat the Supper of the Lord. If this be the Table of the Lord what wonderful condescention is this that
thou come unto me that is for my assistance and help to make good my promises to God Psa 101.2 Let my songs of praise be all of him here until I come where I shall be able to tune them higher than my sinful imperfections will now permit 49. Qu. Have I heavens permission Yea have I the Masters Invitation to be here Ans Any that are weary of the worlds Vanity and laden with the sense of sin looking out for Health and cure and come for a Physitian sensible of soul diseases and heart distempers have Christs own Call to come Mat. 11.28 2. If thou durst not come for a World without his Invitation and that the best encouragement of thy approach is his Calls of Grace such a sinner may draw near Mar. 10.49 3. Reconciled Friends are invited to come and eat Song 5.1 And we are Gods Friends no further than we keep his commandments Job 15.14 4. What warm Invitation have you given Christ for coming and blowing on your garden to prepare all for himself to make way for his inviting you Compare Song 4 Ult. with ch 5.1 5. Solemn humiliation and secret personal examination must go before our Lords allowance to eat and drink here 1. Cor. 11. Do we come to imploy Christ in the exercise of his offices upon your souls for grace and mercy to purge and pardon come ye for favour and forgivness Do you come for power and virtue to kill your lusts and coole your affections to a vain world to draw you that you may run after him come you for the things of the Kingdom of God for Righteousness peace and Joy the choice entertainments of wisdom's house Do you comâ— with your Bills in your hand Black Bills of your own indictment for the red lines of his Cross to blot out Bills of Grievances to be Redressed Bills of Wants to be supplied especially Church-grievances and Soul Grievances Satan making havock of the one without and daily inroads upon the other by prevailing Temptations that makes you groan for Heavens Care and better keeping of you than your own Q. Faith being so necessary to right receiving may they adventure to come who doubt whether they have true Faith or no A. 1. Tho we have not such a full perswasion as exempts us from all doubâ—â—â—g yet if on a due examination â—our See 〈◊〉 our Hearts accuse us not of â—â—â—â—criâ—◠〈◊〉 double dealing with God 〈◊〉 may â—â—â—ture to come yea whâ—n 〈◊〉 found much drosâ— and can jâ—dg and â—â—hor our selves for it in dusâ— and asâ—es and betake our selves humbly and sincerely to the blood of Christ for Peace and Pardon wâ— are allowed to comâ— But if any come 〈◊〉 â—hers may not take them for unbeâ—evers and yet are unwiâ—â—iâ— to believe indeed and wholly give up themselves to be ruled by Gods Laws and saved by Christs righteousness had better forbear than mock God and drink Damnation to themselves Happy Soul that can keep a â—ingle eye on Christ in coming hither to partake of his Gracious Spirit and Merit himself and all his blessed benefits to get Grace and Strength to oppose sin and serve God better and to walk more worthy of the Christian Vocation such comers may come and have Christ's Welcome 50. In Prov. 31.27 we read of eating the bread of Idleness And as our painful Redeemer eat no such bread when he was here travelling in the greatness of his strength for us so must we beware of turning this to eating of the Bread of Idleness i. e. to be guilty of the want of a diligent and serious examination of heart and way ere we come hither and not walking worthy of the profession and priviledg of our appearing here Q. What walk will best becâ—me our being here A. 1. A walk of tenderness towards him who was so tender of us as to say down his Life to save ours It ill becomes us to yield to any thing dishonourable to him that hath espoused our best intâ—rests at so dear a rate 2. A wâ—lk of Holy Communion and Heavenly Fellowship with him that sâ—rs you down here with himself That the result of Feasting with Christ here may be a Life of Following hard afâ—â—â—im and going away and remembring hi◠〈…〉 Wiâ—â— 3. A Life and 〈◊〉 of Fâ—â—â—â—lness â—â—ounding in all the fruits of the Spirit whâ—re think we to be filled with the Sâ—iriâ— if not herâ— It 's 〈◊〉 pity when we are gone that it shoul I not be seen â—â—re we have been It 's said of the lean King that when they had â—â—â—en up the sâ—t Kine it could not be known that they had â—atâ—n them they â—â—re still â—â—ill favoured Gen. 41.21 I wish there were no such eaters found among us 〈◊〉 day 〈◊〉 we be Marriâ—d to Christâ— It 's meet we bring fâ—râ—h Fruit unto God 4. A Life of Faithfulnesâ— in reâ—â—ing sin â—o we sit where we have seen our Lord â—â—â—eding a fresh for our Sins and shall we ever plead for sin or listen to Satan any more Have I seen the Lord w shing me in his own blood and will I ever wallow again iâ— the mire O! his never to be forgotten Agony and his dismal groans in the Garden The V neâ—ar and Gall my sin put to is Head on the Croâ— The Bâ—ftâ—tings and Spittings my sin laid on his sâ—â—r Face The cruel Piercings of his blessed Sides hiâ— Hands and his Feet for my sins Shall I â—vâ—r refuse resâ—sting unto Blood striving against Sin Jerome tells of a Woman that reâ—â—llâ—d all temptations with this I am a Christian 〈◊〉 Bâ—ptised and shall 〈◊〉 sit at his Table and lift up the heel against him And now go away resolving to â—onâ— yâ—urselves no more in the dust of this dirty World being â—nce rolled in the precious Garments of yoâ—r â—lder Brother 51. Q. If thou wouldst mâ—â—t with Christ what is thy business with him A. I. I come to pay the â—ebt of Thankfulness and to Celebrate his praise in this way of his appointment for Christ's Unspeakable love to my lâ—st Soul the Ordinance being Eucharistical 2. As Joseph's Brethren came to Egypt so for Food am I come to eat and drink abundantly Song 3.1 3. I am counselled of Christ to come for all his rich Supplies Rev. 2.18 And for these very ends anâ— come for his tried Gold his whire raiment and his eye Sâ—lve that I may be rich with his Grâ—ces cloathed wi h his â—ighâ—enâ—sness and enlightned by his Spirit to know the â—hing◠〈◊〉 given â—e of God 4. For what end comâ—s the Câ—â—ld to the Fathers House the â—â—ngry to the Full the 〈…〉 the Bride to the Bridegroom but to Marrâ— aâ—â— maâ—e Merry Why comes the Prodigal home but to Râ—pent of his Folly and to live with his Father in better Fashion And that thou mayst leave thâ—â—â—â—â—ling and like better of thy Fathers House take a promise for it Jer. 3.19 Thou shalt call me my Father and shall not turn away from mâ— 5.
bent of the heart and continued course of life 4. Try thy self more by Closet-communion than by publick duties for what one is in secret that he is indeed 5. Take the help of faithful Ministers and judicious Christians about thy condition when it 's too hard for thy self 6. Lean much upon and leave more than many do to the discovering Spirit of Jesus in the use of all means whose properly it is to make known the hidden things of God and of our hearts too 58. If there be any Soul seeking Christ in this and other of his own Ordinances and yet meets not with but complains with the Spouse of seeking her Beleued but found him not Song 3. let such know there be more professors in a worse than better condition For 1. She was sensible of Christs absence and knew her own condition not as they Jer. 2.6.8 2. She complain'd of it as her present misery that she went without enjoyment 3. Under this desertion Love and Desire were active 4. She called not her Interest into question â—oâ— he is her beloved still 5. She seeks Still and cannot be are quiet till she find her Beloved and such a seeker cannot be long a finding Now the marks of a found Beloved in such an Ordinance are clear in the Churches Practice and Carriage 1. A care to keep him v. 4. I would 〈◊〉 let him go and that he may abide she shews her publick Spirit in bringing him to her mothers hoâ—â— and straitly charges that to provocation may be given him tolegene v. 5. That if he depart it may be an act oâ— meer Soveraignty Now nothing will more readily fur up Christ to be gone than unruly passions so contrary to a meck Lord Jesus Isa 42.2 Unmortified affections and unwaâ—â—â—ed hearts when the soul grows secure and careless of such a Guest 2. A fear to lose Christ accompanies the enjoyment of him v. 8. And if you find your beloved here go away with a holy fear in your hearts left you should not render again according to the benefit bestowed upon you Let not that Name be written on the sand that hath wrote yours on his heart They may go away with much joy in their hearts this day that have made a good and sure bargain with Christ for their Souls Bâ—t you mâ—y eat of this sâ—iritual meat anâ— drink of this spiritual drink as tâ—e Israelitâ—s did of the Rock that followed them which was Chriâ—t and yet God may not be pleased with you 1 Cor. 10.4 5. especially if after this eating and drinking â—here be â—ound with us a careless heart a carnal mind and 〈◊〉 fruitless lâ—fe And whoever be the poor mâ—â— of whom Câ—riâ—â— hath â—uâ—◠〈◊〉 this poor man will I look Now if â—ou haâ—◠〈◊〉 this kind and graâ—â—â—â—â— loâ—k go home an 〈◊〉 rejoice â—nd râ—â— in his love but â—et reâ—oâ—câ— with trembling when you consider â—our sin aâ—d hath that may provoke him to be gone and 〈…〉 you are most frâ—id even of sinful self anâ— a deâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—rt trust in him at all times look unto him an◠〈…〉 feaâ—â— Ps 56.3 What time I am afraid I will 〈◊〉 in tâ—eâ— What Sweet Experiences do many treâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—nâ—â—eâ—ch from Gods speaking at a Sermâ—n an◠〈…〉 Sâ—◠〈◊〉 Buâ— let us by all mâ—â—â— beware of goiâ—◠〈…〉 of sprinkling at a Sacrament without iâ—s â—â—ing 〈…〉 on 〈◊〉 Coâ—sciences lest it lead back to 〈…〉 and bâ—ing us to the King of Terâ—â—rs Anâ— i◠〈◊〉 Kiâ—â— sittinâ— with thee at his aâ—â—â— â—â—th madâ— Gâ—â—â—â— liâ—â—ly â—o â—oy coâ—fort say of Graceâ—â—â—â—â—ity â—s the 〈◊〉 said 〈◊〉 â—â—nathan He shall not die for he hath wrâ—ught with Gâ—d thâ— day 1 Sam. 14.45 5â— 2 Sam 9.3 Dâ—vid enquires if there be any yet of the house of Saul that he mâ—â—â—hâ—â— him the kindness of God i.e. by an Hebraism great kindness or free kindness as God shews to us who little deâ—â—rvâ— it 〈◊〉 Saul deserved little kindneâ—s at the hands of David Buâ— however by our sitting and feasting here we have had the kindness of the Lord shewed unto us that haâ—h provided so comfortable a repast for poor Pilgrimâ—â—n our Wilderness-condition It 's a Feast of Love and Kindnesâ— to us and he may reasonably expect Love again Love will but please him and ease us For as Faith makes all things possible solâ—â—â— makes all easy 1 Joh. 5.3 Now Love hath its own peculâ—ar out-goings for God saying What shall I do for him that hath â—one 〈◊〉 much for me And love will readily answer its own question 1. I will do more for him than others he having done more for me than for many 2. I will do more for him than for all my dearest friends and nearest Relations O that it were so in very deed with us all 3. I will do nothing against him to the best of my knowledge whatever it cost me 4. I will nay I can do nothing without him 5. I will do all for him and eye his glory And when by his help I have done what I can it deserves not to be named the same day with his doings for me and is infinitely short of what he deserves and I owe and therefore I see I must die in his debt but will be still doing as I can and mend what hath been amiss by learning to love more and then I cannot but do better for love is the fulfilling of the whole Law And Love's inquiries will be 1. Whither is he gone that I may seek him 2 How shall I seek him that I may find him O that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his Seat Job 23.3 3. And when I have him how shall I keep him 4 And what shall I do to please him 5. And that which puts Love most to it is how shall I sufficiently praise him Ps 106.2 And now let love lean on Christs bosom at this Supper and think the Master saying to thee as Ahasuerus to Esiher at his Feast What is thy sâ—it and what wouldst thou have done What Hâ—man to hang what lust to subdue what grace to be strengthned But most may say of such things as David of Saul's Armor I have not been accustomed to them 60. Ps 4.4 Commune with your own heart Heart-communing being so necessary an exercise for Christians at all times and so suitable to this Ordinance that requires the indispensable duty of self-examination to fit us for it Q. What should we chiefly commune about-with our own heart 1. About sin and a sinful corrupt state that shews it self in an ungodly life about secret sins predâ—minant sins what powerful sway they bear in the soul or what repentings are kindled within you what relentings or renewings and how preferable Grace is to Nature Luk. 15.17 and how much better God would be to you than all your Idols and sinful or worldly pleasures Hos 2.7 Commune with your heart about unruly passions Soul-distractions and confusions disorderly unmortified affections 2. About temptations what res stâ—â—â—e you are helped to make what victory is obtain'd how you strive against sin and prosper in the spiritual warfare 3. What welcome you have yet given Christ it his most gracious offers what closure with Christ as Lord and Saviour Ps 16.2 and how the heart stands affected to him or stands off from â—â—m as not well contented with him whether thy 〈◊〉 hath open'd to him making a free and full surrender â—o the Lord of Glory whose right it is to rule and if thou hast yet granted the great request of God My Son give me thy heart Jer. 3.22 4. Be communing with thy heart about its bearing up in Gods service and what part it acts in religious duties for fear it should draw back unto perdition be often looking up for further renewings and fresh assistances to continue believing to the saving of the Soul 5. And about the returns that are made or should be made for remarkable mercies 2 Chr. 22.25 6. Ask thy heart what preparations are yet made for Death and Judgment by mortifying the mind and clearing Evidences an unmortified mind and an unâ—etled conscience being the chief things that makes us so unwilling to die be thinking with thy self often about finishing thy work and what is yâ—t to be done if thou beest not undone for ever Ask thy eart what deep sense thou hast of another world and what careful preparations there be to gâ—t thither This work of heart-communing Christians find hard partly because so little inured to it partly because it 's so spiritual and we so carnal and beâ—â—use of the sliâ—pery inconstant temper of our Spirits for what Son of fâ—llen Adam ever served God one half hour without distraction But let its necessity and profit stir us up to attend it more for how can we know our hearts without communing with them and self-ignorance becomes the cause of most sins and self-acquaintance is made a great part of the wisdom of the just Prov. 14.8 and spiritual profiting is said to come by this 1 Tim. 4.15 and where it thrives no doubt becomes more pleasant than was thought of being one of the Galleries where the King is held Song 7.5 And how strange a thing that men commune so little with their own hearts being so near to our selves and having so many opportunities for it that we should be so much without and so little within when our great business lies with our own hearts FINIS
soul compose a distracted mind Consider so great a presence and lift up thy heart for a blessing ere thou eat knowing that even the best partake unworthily if his Graces be not excited and exercised But again beware of resting on preparations for never more unfit than when proud of fitness like poor children that grow proud of being a little finer than ordinary but considering how far short of what God requires and Christ deserves there is cause of humbling Never are we more fit than when humbled under and ashamed of unfitness If ashamed of our selves we are most like to have a sight of himself Ezek. 43.11 And at our best there will still be room left for Hezekiah's prayer 2 Chron. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his Fathers tho he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary But beware of abusing God's Grace in allowing or regarding in your heart any sin you seek pardon or with your Lips Seek to be sanctified wholly and get of God no less than his own allowance of a new heart and a new spirit for God will not put his new wine into your old bottles nor his precious Liquors into unclean Vessels but his secret is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant Sensual hearts that savour nothing but of the world cannot feed here on Christ and eat of the hidden Manna For the carnal mind can neither be subject to the Law of God nor suit the Gospel of Christ And here being high set let us labour to be such as may be well served with the best Now to perform high duties upon low motives argues a heart full of flesh The Noblest Motives to Duties are to be found in God especially as revealed in Christ And unto the service of this exalted Lord should we be engaging all that is within us for he is worthy for whom we should do it But if any be questioning if so great a Majesty will give man a meeting But will God in very deed dwell with men Ye he will Tabernâ—â—le it with man And if any come hither sensible of sin and with a broken heart for it and well resolved to break away from sin and all that may hinder this happy meeting he will noâ— fail to meet yoâ— yea to dwell with you too Isa 5â— 15 Again must you meet with him and cannot be refused this Request whatever he say you nay in 〈◊〉 I dare promise such a soul a meeting this day if with Jacob you cannot be contented to go without him And yet again â—â—st thou shâ—t thy Eyes on all preparations and performances as Mediators in the meeting and fixed them on Christ for merit and mercy then will he come and commune over the mercy-seat and no where else If thou be'st so addicted to his fellowship as no Joy is to those banquets Isa 64.5 And if strong desires from fervent love can be maintained there is a visit a coming Hos 6.3 Song 2.5 8. 29. The title of this Ordinance of the Lords last supper is the same with some Psalms To bring to remembrance Christ is here to be remembred in his death at the best advantage for his love to sinners and where Faith is best accommodated with an object to feed upon above what all the earth can afford it Christ crucified is the great doctrine of the Gospel and the great sight in this ordinance It s a dying Christ we come here to remember which hath something in it beyond all his life in doctrine miracles and obedience And this memorial is appointed to be kept up of him till he come again not that afterward he shall be more forgotten but that there will then need no such help to remember when we shall be ever with the Lord and Immediately behold him But till we come to see him as he is we can have no better sight of him than thro' the glass of this ordinance we have now at our eye For here are we under the view of a pierced Lord Jesus to mourn and rejoyce to believe and love for no other ordinance can give so fair an oceasion to exercise a Gospel grace at once as this does For here have we matter of mourning in our eye for sin that sacrificed our high priest himself And no small matter of Joy in God through Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement and then let us look on our suffering Lord and believe in that sacrifice offered for Grace and peace And love him that hath loved you and washed you in his own blood so the Capital Graces in stead of the four Cardinal Verâ—ues may all here be most eminently imployed and exerted And how can we partake but unworthily if we neglect the exercise of graces in and about the Action And no Wonder then one guilt draw one another viz. We exercise not Grace in the Action if we neglected to prepare for it before our coming hither And let no Christian think that our examining for all will serve no at every approach be seeing how it is with faith in Christ how lively strong and well grown since last occasion of looking on your Redeemer in this Ordinance 30 This is the most solemn memorial of Christ crucified that his Church on Earth is blessed with Now it is appointed for remembring of Christ implies 1. That for all Christ hath done for us yet his people are apt to forget him 〈◊〉 That Christ is careful to help his people's weakness 3. That there is that in Christ's death which is worthy of a perpetual remembrance 4. It points out the easy â—â—kâ— of Christ and reasonable service of Christianity that for all his death and purchase he requires but a thankful remembrance of what he hath done for his Elect. 5. It speaks the deâ—ire of Christ to be in his peoples thoughts and shews how much his de iâ—hts are with the sons of men still 6. It shews forgetters of Christ can be none of his Disciples and that no frame can fit this ordinance without heart affecting thoughts of our blessed Redeemer Think never so much of sin and duties and of all other divine truths if you think not much on your suffering Saviour you answer not the end of this ordinance 7. That if you can by the help of this ordinance keep up a due remembrance of Christ here you shall not need to fear for getting of him hereafter where we shall for ever look this Lamb of God in the face Qu. What are we to remember of Christs death in this Ordinance Ans 1. The bitter Agonies and bloody Passions of his Death How pained pierced buffeted reviled tempted betrayed denied deserted by his own Desciples and which is more than all bruised and forsaken of his Heavenly Father And who can declare the sufferings that he endur'â— in his generation 2. The unspeakable patience with which he suffered all