speakes in another case Psalme 39. 3. Mine heart was hot within me whilest I was musing the fire burned So whilest we are thus musing and meditating of the love of Christ in his passion the fire should burne and our hearts should waxe hot within us the fire and flame of our love to Christ should kindle and grow hot in our hearts The view of his passion should worke in us an holy Rogo te per illa salutifera vulnera tua quae passus es in cruce pro salute nostra e quibus emanavit pretiosus ille sanguis quo sumus redemptiâ— vulnera hanc animam meam peccatricem pro qua etiam mori dignatus es vulnera eam igneo potentissimo telâ— tuae nimiae Charitatis Configcor meum jaculo tui amoris ut di cat tibi anima mea Charitate tua vulnerata sum c. Aug. lib. medit c. 37. passion of love The view of his wounds should wound our hearts with holy and enlarged affection to him Follow and goe along with CHRIST in all his sufferings in thy meditations Begin where his passion begun Iohn 12. 27. follow him thence into the Garden from thence into the High Priests Hall from thence into the Iudgement Hall from thence to the Crosse There is not a passage in all the story that affordes not matter of meditation and not a meditation that may not set forth his love to thee and kindle thine to him Thus therefore at the Sacrament should our hearts be imployed in the meditation of CHRISTS death and passion and thus should we make that good Cant. 1. 12. Whilest the King Sitâ—â— at his Table my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof that is whilest CHRIST had communion with me my graces were exercised and manifested themselves even then whilest I had fellowship with him As CHRIST sate at Table Mary tooke a pound of oyntment of Spikenard very costly and annoynted the feete of Iesus and the house was filled with the odour of the oyntment So the King sits at his table and when wee sit at his table in the SacrameÌ„t we shold cause our spikenards to send forth the smell thereof That we do when in the ordinance we take up our hearts with the holy meditations of the love of Christ in his bitter passion Such holy meditations are the smell of the spikenards and are as pleasing to Christ as Maries spikneard was that filled the whole house with the odour therof This Christ commandes and makes it one maine end of the Institution of the Sacrament Doe this in remembrance of me therefore appointed he the Sacrament that therein we might in speciall manner meditate upon his passion and his love to us therein David had a Psalme of Remembrance Psalme 38. in the title But for the death of Christ his love in it and the benefits by it we have not onely some Psalmes of Remembrance as Psalme 16. 22 and 69. and others but besides the Lord Christ hath to the worlds end appointed a Sacrament of Remembrance that this great worke of CHRISTS death and his infinite love and mercy therin might above all other workes bee meditated upon and had in remembrance One specially in the Evangelists is worth our notice Some of Christs workes are specified only by one Evangelist at his turning of Water to wine as his healing the sick man at the poole of Bethesda his healing that blind man Ioh. 9. Some of them are specified by two Evangelists as the history of Christs birth by Matthew and Luke Some things are recorded by three of them as the Institution of the Sacrament of the Supper But as for Christs death and Passion it is recorded by them all foure Onely two write the History of his birth but all foure the History of his death without doubt to teach us that though all Christs workes and actions are to be seriously minded meditated upon and remembred yet none so speciall as his death and sufferings And therefore specially should his death be meditated upon at the Sacrament whose institution was purposely for the remembrance of it Therefore ought men to make speciall conscience of this duely How cold and dead a remembrance of Christs death is the receiving of the Sacrament without this serious meditation of the bitternesse of his death and the sweetnesse of his love therein Wee make not good the end of the Sacrament without it yea wee as much as in us lyes make the Sacrament but a dumbe shew What remembrance is there of Christs death in such receiving the Sacrament Makes it bee in a fresh crucifying him againe by our unworthy receiving 2 Secondly An exercise of Repentance And this exercise of Repentance must be in two things 1. First in godly sorrow for sinne 2. Secondly in a solemne renewing of our Covenants with God 1. First in godly sorrow for sinne for our owne sinnes in particular for which Christ did undergoe all that sorrow and smart in his sufferings Wee have in the Sacrament a representation of the sufferings of Christ wee have him crucified before our eyes Behold saies Iohn the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world In the Sacrament should we behold him taking away the sinnes of the world In it we see and behold Christ crucified wee see his hands feete and side pierced now this sight should so affect us as it should pierce the very hearts of us What The blessed Sonne of GOD to strip himselfe of his glory to humble and abase himselfe to the ignominious and accursed death of the Crosse The glorious Sonne of GOD thus abused and abased Why How comes this about The only begotten Sonne of the Father to make such bitter lamentation My God my God why hast thou forsaken me What may the cause of all this be Alas all this was for our sinnes It was not Iudas not the Iewes not Pilate not the Souldiers but they were our sinnes thy sinnes my sinnes that put the Sonne of God to all his sorrow We we and none but we were the evill beasts that devour'd this Ioseph Our sinnes were so heinous and had so provoked the Iustice of God that there was no way to satisfie Gods Iustice to appease his wrath and to make our atonement but by the pretious bloud of the Sonne of God crucified on the Crosse And shall I now see my sins lye so heavy upon him as to make him sweate bloud shall I see him even squeezed under the huge weight of my sinnes shall I see my sinnes crowne him with thornes nayle his hands and feete to the Crosse Gore his side with the speare with an unpierced heart Oh the deepe sorrow that our hearts should bee leavened withall when wee see Christs body brusing and bleeding in the Sacrament Christ our Passeover is sanctified for us The Passeover was to be eaten with bitter herbes or will bitternesses Exod. 12. 5. And how happy is that soule that in this respect can say at the
repentance Mat. 3. Iohn did baptise the people that came unto him but he first preaches repentance to them Vers 2. and they professe repentance unto him before they be baptised Vers 6. They were baptised of him confessing their sins And so Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptised first repent and then come to the Sacrament of Baptisme It is so also with the Sacrament of the Lords Supper repent and receive the Lords Supper first repent and then come to the Lords Supper And therefore 1 Cor. 11. 31. he wishes us to judge our selves before we come to the Sacrament which is a speciall worke of repentance In the Sacrament wee draw nigh to God and we desire to have the Lord draw nigh to us If therefore we would draw neere to God or have him draw neere to us we must come after the due Order If we draw neere to God and do it disorderly he will not draw neere to us nor have any fellowship with us Now what is Gods Order and the due Order wherein he would have us draw neere unto him we finde Iames 4. 8 9. 10. Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you But after what Order must we draw nigh to him Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie CHAP. 5 your hearts you double minded be afflicted and mourne and weepe c. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord. This is the Order after which wee must draw neere to God namely prepared and fitted for fellowship with him by unfained repentance Hezekiah proclaimed a solemne Passeover to be kept at Ierusalem and the Order after which they kept it is worth the observing and is for our imitation before we come to the Sacrament First the Priests they cleanse the Temple and brought out all the uncleannesse that they found in the Temple of the Lord into the court of the House of the Lord and the Levites tooke it to carry it out abroad into the brooke Kidron 2 Chron. 29. 16. And as the Priests and Levites doe their parts in purging uncleannesse out of the Temple so the people doe theirs in purging the Citie They arise and take away the Altars that were in Ierusalem and all the Altars for incense tooke they away and cast them into the brooke Kidron 2 Chron. 30. 14. And marke what followes Vers 15. Then they killed the Passeover namely when all uncleannesse was fetcht out of the Temple and all the Altars knockt downe in the Citie and were thrown into the brooke Kidron as it were into the Towne-ditch Then they killed the Passeover First there was a purging a cleansing out of filthinesse first al the baggage and uncleane stuffe throwne into Kidron and then a killing of the Passeover This must bee our Order in comming to the Sacrament first purge our hearts and lives of al manner of uncleannesse that may be found in them by repentance and by repentance throw it all into the brooke Kidron and then come to the Sacrament then receive the Lords Supper So must men come to the Lords Table as the Priests came to the services of the Tabernacle When the Priests came to performe holy services in the Tabernacle see in what Order they must come Exod. 30. 18 21. They must wash their hands CHAP. 6 and their feet at the brazen laver when they went into the Tabernacle or when to the Altar to minister there The equity of it reached farther than to the Priests David was no Priest yet Psal 26. I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine Altar He alludes to the ceremony of the Priests washing at the brazen Laver before they ministred at the Altar to let us see that though this ceremony belonged onely to the Priests yet the morality belongs to all and that there is a washing that concernes all before they meddle with holy services and so with the Sacrament As the Priests were to wash themselves so some parts of the Sacrifices also were to be washt Levit. 1. 9. But the inwards and his legs he shall wash in water The same Order must be observed in comming to the Sacrament every sinner is an uncleane person and uncleane ones must be washed before they offer to have fellowship with the GOD of Purity There is a double washing with which wee must bee washed before we can come in due Order First the washing of our selves in Christs bloud by faith And secondly the washing of our selves by repentance He that will come in due Order must wash by repentance as well as by faith yea he must wash both his inwards and his feet His inwards must be washt Ier. 14. 4. Wash thine heart O Ierusalem how long shall thy wicked thoughts lodge within thee All inward and secret lusts must be washt out by repentance And the feet must bee washt also Iohn 13. 10. As we walke in our daily wayes we gather a great deale of soile and this same soile of our outward actions must also bee washt away by repentance Why must the inwards and the feet or legs of the Sacrifices be washt above all the rest The reason is given because the inwards or intrailes are the vessels that containe the filth and excrements of the Beast and therefore were they to be washt And the legs CHAP. 5 or feet to be washt because they tread in the dirt and mire and so are more defiled then any other part of the body And all this was to teach that when wee draw neere to God wee should specially wash there where most filth is readiest to bee contracted Our inwards our hearts and consciences what abundance of excrements and filth have they what dunghils of filthy lusts lye in our hearts our legs our feet how doe we defile them by walking and treading in foule wayes Even he that is washed already still and daily needs to have his feet washed Iohn 13. 10. Now then for us to come to the Lords Table with such inwards with such feet is not to take heed to our feet nor to come in due Order It were disorderly to sit downe at a mans Table in so slovenly a fashion as with unwashen hands therefore more disorderly to sit downe at the Lords Table with unwashen hearts The Pharisees quarrelled with our Saviours Disciples Matth. 15. 2. Why say they doe thy Disciples transgresse the tradition of the Elders for they wash not their hands when they eat bread But to such Communicants as come to the Lords Table without repentance it may be said upon better ground Why doe ye transgresse the commandement of the Lord For yee wash not your hands nor your hearts when ye eat bread at the Lords Table Quest But what is that repentance wherewith a man must come How must a man repent before he comes Ans This is indeed a thing worth the inquiring after because many that come to the Sacrament that yeeld to it that there must be a preparation before they come yet fouly deceive
and Yours be ever more and more honble and long may Your House flourish in such and all other Honor. Experience lets us see that not only Nobles but Nobility it selfe is mortall and that not only Great Men but Great Houses dye Yet there is a way to make Honours and Houses longer lived than many times they be Davids prayer was this Let 1 Chro. 17. 24 27 the House of thy Servant be established before thee let it please thee to blesse the House of thy Servant that it may be before thee for ever for thou blessest O Lord and it shall be blessed for ever But that is not all that David did as he prayed God to blesse his House so he himselfe also blessed his House And David returned to blesse 1 Chron. 16. 43 his House Needs must his house be established when he not onely desires God to blesse it but withall he blesses it himselfe by doing what ever it might be that might bring a blessing upon his House Then doe Great Ones blesse their Houses when among other things they be like the Nobles of Israel Those Nobles had their staves which haply they bare in their hands as Ensignes of their Nobility Now they made those staves which were the Ensignes of their Honour the instruments also of common good The Princes digged the well the Nobles of the people digged it with Num 21. 18. their staves With their staves of Honour they digged a Well for the common good and publike benefit of the people That is one speciall way to keep the staffe long in a Family and long to continue the Honour Nobility Dignity and wealth of great Families when they improve their Honours and Power to honour God in being serviceable what they can to publike good It lies a black blot upon the Nobles of Tekoah that they put not their necks to the work of Neh. 3. 5. the Lord in not being forward to promote a common good which though a civill worke yet because it conduced to common good is called the worke of the Lord. As that thing blurs their Names so who knowes but it might gradually moulder bring downe and lay their Houses in the dust This is out of question that Doing worthily makes a mans name famous and his House glorious Doe thou worthily Ruth 4. 11 12. in Ephratah say those Elders blessing Boaz And be famous in Bethlehem and let thine House be like the House of Pharez That which was their blessing upon him is and shall be my prayer for you that the GOD of Heaven and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ will be pleased to make good that blessing upon your Honours Persons and hopefull posterity that with Abraham he would make you blessed and blessings that ye being heires of blessing here may be heires of blessednesse hereafter in the Kingdome of Glory Your Honours to serve You IER DIKE A Table of the Heads of this Treatise The due Order of receiving the Sacrament of the Supper and seeking God therein stands in three kindes of Duties 1 Duties Antecedent in doing such Duties as must go before the Sacrament All which come under the generall Head of preparation Preparation is twofold 1 Habituall having the soule furnished with such graces as may make a man a worthy Communicant They are these Knowledge Faith Repentance Charity Obedience 2 Actuall which stands in these things 1 Solemne sequestration of a mans selfe 2 Examination 1. of the Truth of Faith Repentance Love Obedience 2. of the Growth of Grace 3. of our Wants 3 Renewing and quickning our Habituall Graces 4 Excitation and stirring up in our selves strong desires after Christ 5 Stirring up in our selves a strong expectation of the benefits to be had in the Sacrament 6 Earnest seeking of GOD by Prayer 2 Duties concomitant In doing such Duties as accompany the action of Receiving where the generall Duty is The offering up of our selves to God in an holy and spirituall disposition in receiving the Sacrament This stands in five things 1 Solemne and serious meditation 2 An exercise of repentance standing in Godly sorrow for sin A solemne renewing of our covenants with God 3 The actuating of faith upon Sacramentall offers Sacramentall promises Sacramentall representations 4 The Duty of Thanksgiving 5 An Exercise of Love and Mercy 3 Duties subsequent In doing such Duties as must follow after Receiving And they are two 1 Examining a mans selfe how he hath sped at the Supper 1 If sped ill Then 1. finde out the cause of miscarriage and be humbled for it 2 Labour by after-paines to quicken and make the Sacrament effectuall 2 If sped well Then 1. blesse God for it 2. labour to keepe and maintaine the holy frame of heart gotten at the Sacrament 2 A speciall care to keepe our vowes and expresse the power of the Ordinance in our holinesse of life and obedience A Table of the severall Chapters of this Treatise Chapter 1. That God must be sought in a right Order as well as in a right Ordinance Chapter 2. The necessity of Preparation before the Sacrament Chapt. 3. The danger of comming to the Sacrament without preparation Chapt. 4. The necessity of knowledge in a Communicant Chapt. 5. The necessity of Faith in a worthy Receiver Chapt. 6. The necessity of Repentance in a prepared Communicant Chapt. 7. The necessity of charity and love in an orderly Cammunicant Chapt. 8. The necessity of obedience in an orderly Communicant Chapt. 9. The solemne sequestring and setting a mans selfe apart before the Sacrament Chapt. 10. Of examination Chapt. 11. The examination of faith Chapt. 12. The examination of Repentance Chapt. 13. The examination of love Chapt. 14. The examination of obedience Chapt. 15. The growth of Grace and our wants examined Chapt. 16. Habituall Graces to be quickned and renued before the receiving of the Sacrament Chapt. 17. Excitation of earnest desires after Christ and a strong expectation to receive him and his benefits Chapt. 18. God to be sought in speciall manner by prayer before the Sacrament Chapt. 19. Meditation and an exercise of Repentance at the Sacrament Chapt. 20. Faith to be actuated and exercised in the Sacrament and an exercise of thankesgiving love and mercy Chapt. 21. Subsequent duties such as must follow the Sacrament Received Errata Pag. 30. li. â— consent reade conceipt .. 84. l. 10. disposing r. despising p. 100. l. 24. Iohn r. Iob. p. 222. l. 8. is r. it p. 167. l. 5. on r. no. p. 174. l. 1. dele Lords Table p. 231. l. 2. r. a duty p. 265. l. 18. thus r. this p 283. l. 9. faith r. truth p. 288. l. 1. care r. eare p. 328. l. 24. faith r. truth p. 371. l. 17. adde only p. 427. l. 1. implyed r. imployed p. 433. l. 14. Iohn 1. Isaiah p. 443. l. 20. dele the first it p. 516. l. 1. for 16. r. is p. 529. l. 26. duely r. duty p. 532. l. 23. will r. with p.
555. l. 18. at r. of p. 586. l. 13. exacted r. excited p. 578. l. 3. following r. softning Perlegi hunc Librum cui titulus A worthy Communicant in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quò minus cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur Tho. Weekes R. P. Ep. Lond. Cap. Domest THE INTRODVCTION TO THE FOLLOWING Treatise grounded upon 1 CHRON 15. 13. For because ye did it not at the first the Lord our God made a breach upon us for that wee sought him not after the due order CHAP. I. That GOD must be sought in a right Order as well as in a right Ordinance WE reade CHAP. 1 1 Sam. 4. 3 4. That the Israelites being beaten by the Philistims they send for the Arke of God from Shiloh to bee brought into the Campe that it might save them out of the hands of their enemies Such be the silly and the poore confidences of carnall and superstitious hearts to rest and rely more upon outward signes of Gods presence and to betrust their safety with them than to take care for the presence of God Himselfe As if God had beene so chained to his Arke that it comming God himselfe must needs come into their Campe. A far wiser course it had beene to have taken a course to have fetcht the Lord of Hosts himselfe then the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord of Hosts GOD could and would have holpen them without the Arke but alas What could the Ark doe without God They might have learned another thing from Moses Num. 10. 36. And it came to passe when the Arke set forward that Moses said Rise up O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered He knew and taught That though the Arke did rise yet if God sate still it would not make one enemy flie but let God arise and let his enemies bee scattered it is Gods rising that is the enemies scattering And suppose there had beene somewhat in the outward presence of the Arke yet what hope of helpe could they have by it as it came attended And the two Sons of Ely sayes the Text Hophni and Phinehas were there with the Arke of the Covenant of God Little likelyhood of Gods being there when they were there Their presence in the Campe was likelier to do them more mischiefe than the Arkes presence was like to doe them good But they so dote upon the Arke and put such confidence in it have it they must and have it they will not taking care to bring God along with it nor being in any feare of miscarriage though it comes upon the prophane shoulders of Hophni and Phinehas Well and when they have it how speed they That confidence of theirs was miserably checkt not onely by their owne ruine and overthrow but by the captivity of the Arke Even that which they hoped should have saved them out of the hand of their enemies was delivered into the enemies hands He delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemies hand Psal 78. 61. So righteous it is with God to let men see the vanity of their fond confidences That the winde shall carry them all away that vanity shall take them Isa 57. 13. That he rejects such confidences and that men shall not prosper in them Ier. 2. 37. Well but now though Israels confidences be in the dust yet have the Philistims little reason to vaunt of their victory The Arke though it saves not Israel yet proves a plague to the Philistims God soone makes them weary of their booty and make them glad to returne it home againe and that with flying colours and in an honourable manner And now the Arke returning is not seated as before at Shiloh where it had beene till its captivity ever since the dayes of Ioshua but was placed in the Citie of Kiriath-Iearim a Citie in Iudah There it remained separated from the Tabernacle unto the time of Davids ferching it thence which could not be lesse than about the space of forty seven yeeres Samuel and Saul governed the people forty yeeres and David raigned in Hebron seven yeares before he came to Ierusalem All this while were the Arke and Tabernacle separated yea the Ark was not inquired at all the dayes of Saul 1 Chro. 14. 3. Out of all which by the way we may note That the want of some Ordinances of GOD doth not annull a Church of God A Church may want some Ordinances Ordinances of great weight yet be a true Church or else for these forty seven yeeres there had beene no true Church nor true worship in Israel and so not in the world The Arke and enquiring at it was a matter of great weight in Gods Church and worship It was one of the most speciall types of Christ a symball of Gods gracious and speciall presence it was the place of Gods speciall residence hee dwelt betweene the Cherubims and from thence hee gave answers It was the first and chiefest of al the holy things for it principally was the Tabernacle made Exod. 40. 18. 21. It sanctified the whole Tabernacle The places are holy whereinto the Arke of the Lord hath come 2 Chro. 8. 11. And yet this Arke out of the Tabernacle the place of worship and sacrifice the space of forty seven yeares Yea more during all Davids time it continued separated from the Tabernacle it being pitched in a Tent by it selfe at Ierusalem and the Tabernacle being at the High-place in Cibeon 1 Chron. 1. 4 5 6 13. The Arke and the Tabernacle never came together more after it was once removed from Shiloh but when Salomon built the Temple and the Tabernacle was dissolved then was the Arke placed in the Holy of Holies in the Temple And yet all this while who will say they had not true worship and a true Church wants therefore and defects in a Church unchurch it not The Arke now having continued forty seven yeeres at Kiriath-Iearim David being made King over all Israel and come to Ierusalem the first thing we reade he did after his plenary possession of and Inauguration into the Kingdome is to bring home the Arke from Kiriath-Iearim unto Ierusalem In the bringing it home they meet with a shrewd check and a sore miscarriage in the death of Vzzah and that by reason of a miscarriage in the carriage of the Arke upon a Cart which should have been born upon the Priests shoulders David finding their former errour and their faile in a prescribed formality doth now a second time set upon the work and in this Chapter and place direct the Priests what course to take and gives them to understand that for want of this observance God gave them that former blow in Vzzahs death Sanctifie your selves both ye and your brethren that you may bring up the Arke of the Lord God of Israel namely upon your owne shoulders according to the Canon Exod. 25. 14. as the fifteenth Verse of this Chapter explaines it For
puzzle in his worke And therfore the master bids his servant first gird himselfe and then serve him It is just so in all Gods services and so in this service of receiving the Sacrament God requires a preparednesse to and an handinesse in the worke And therefore this girding up of our loines is exceeding necessary before our comming to the Sacrament First because God lookes that when we come to the Sacrament we should be ready to doe the worke he there requires If the loines of our mindes be ungirt and we come to the Sacrament with loose spirits distracted with a company of earthly cares we shall be unready to doe the worke of receiving CHRIST which he there commandes He will command us there to take and receive CHRIST Now if we come with loose hearts and mindes we must make God stay our leasure before we can doe it we must first have some time to gird up our loynes and to tucke up this tatter and that ragge and the other danglement that hangs about our heeles before we can take and receive CHRIST And so we must be girding and tucking when wee should be receiving Secondly because if we come with ungirt loines with loose spirits and doe Gods worke so we shall doe it puzlingly and fumblingly Our long garments hanging loose about our sides and heeles we shall make but poore worke of it If a master had commanded a Iewish servant with his loines ungirt to have gone to plow or to have digged in his vineyard how awkely would he have done these workes He could not have followed his Plough but he would ever and anon have been treading upon his loose garment and have beene ready to have fallen upon his face he could not have set his foote upon his spade but he would have beene treading upon the loose skirt of his garment which would have exceedingly hindred and troubled him in his worke he could not have been expedite in his businesse so long as his garments hang about his feet It wil be no better with us comming to the Sacrament with ungirt hearts and mindes our loose thoughts will be so troublesome that it will be impossible for us ever to make good worke of it And therefore looke how God would have that first Passeover eaten so must it be in eating the Sacrament Exod. 12. 11. And thus shall yee eate it that is after this order with your loines girded And thus shall you eat the Lords Supper with your loines girded And this is one maine part of girding our loines the setting aside putting by al our secular thoughts and imployments We shall finde two cases that made a man unfit for eating the Passeover Numb 9. 10 13. Vncleannesse by a dead body and being in journey a far off If a man had touched a dead body it made him uncleane and so unfit for the Passeover It was not fit an uncleane person should meddle with so holy an Ordinance But observe that not onely a man uncleane by a dead body was unfit for the Passover but a man that was in a journie a farre off Why was such a man unfit Like enough being in a journey his minde and thoughts would be so taken up with the businesse of his journey or being in a journey a farre off his minde would be so upon home and he would be so taken up with such cares and feares as usually men are filled withall when they are farre from home that he by reason of those thoughts and distractions would be utterly unfit for the Passeover Many are in the minde that if they be free from a dead body that if they have not defiled themselves with some grosse sinne of drunkennesse uncleannesse and the like that they are very fit for the Sacrament but in the meane time come to the Sacrament whilest they are in their journies with hearts undischarged of earthly businesse and cares and having their hearts in journies travelling up and downe after one worldly businesse or other even when they are at the LORDS Table Therefore let men take notice that a journey may unfit for the Lords Table as well as a dead body That he is unfit to come to the Sacrament that hath a company of earthly cares and thoughts pestering his minde as well as he that hath defiled himselfe with some grosse sinne It is lamentable to consider how many men bring their servants and the Asse even to the very mount how many are called away from the Lords worke to meete with their Sanballats and Geshems how many are in their journies when they are comming and when they are come to the Sacrament When our Saviour CHRIST overtook the two Disciples going to Emmaus he asked them this question Luke 24. 17. What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walke So let one but aske men What manner of thoughts are they that you have in your hearts over night before the Sacrament What manner of conferences and communications be they that they have one with another the night before nay the very morning as they walk together to the publique assemblies to receive the Sacrament How happy were it that they could answer as the two Disciples did there verse 19. Concerning Iesus of Nazareth concerning the benefits and the ends of the Sacrament and the preparation required to it But it is nothing so If their communications and conferences be not vaine foolish and froathy yet at the best they are but mercate communications conferences about Sheep Oxen about the prices of graine c. and with these conferences come they to the very Church doores when they come to receive the Sacrament Is not this worse then to have received the Sacrament of the Passeover a man being in a journey Is not this a pitifull preparation to this holy service When men come to the Sacrament piping hot out of the world out of their worldly conferences and from their worldly thoughts and have not some convenient time before discharged and disburdened their hearts of them must not that frame of heart and bent of spirit needs come along with them to the Lords Table And must they not needs be tumultuous and troublesome Must they not needs make such a noyse and such a dinne as must cause distraction in this holy service And how can such a frame of spirit agree with the Apostles rule 1 Cor. 7. 35. That you may attend upon the Lord without distraction Which is a rule as well for receiving the Sacrament as for all other services of God What doe such men bring upon themselves but the Aegyptian plague of the flyes The flyes came into Pharaohs house and the houses of his servants so as the Land was corrupted by reason of the flyes Exod. 8. 24. But in the Land of Goshen where Gods people were there were no swarmes of flies verse 22. It should be with the Lords people at the Sacrament as in Goshen there should be no flyes
come to the Sacrament with our eyes to Christ and to his promises expecting his making good his promises to us hee would not cause our eyes to faile Thus therefore resolve Christ hath promised to give in the Sacrament his body and his bloud to give the benefits of his death he hath promised to seale pardon to manifest himselfe to give power against lusts c. I will therefore now go to this Ordinance with a particular expectation of such and such a particular blessing as my soule stands in need of And most sure it is that the want of this duty proves very prejudiciall to us How come many from the Sacrament without any benefit or good at all How fals it out so They have as much as they expected as they went expecting nothing so they come away receiving nothing God will not drop downe his blessings upon oscitant and negligent hearts We our selves will not give unto others where wee know there is no such thing expected from us Chap. 18. God to be sought in speciall manner by prayer before the Sacrament CHAP. 18 THere remaines now onely the sixth and last thing to be done in actuall preparation and that is the solemne and serious seeking of God in prayer Indeed prayer is a common preparative duty to all services of God yea to all workes we take in hand Col. 3. 17. And whatsoever ye doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus that is calling upon the name of the Lord and seeking first to him by prayer It is layed to their charge as a great sin Isay 30. 2. That walke to go downe into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth No businesse especially businesse of weight and concernement should be undertaken without prayer And what businesse of greater weight what businesse wherein we stand so much in need of God and his helpe as in the worthy receiving of the Sacrament If common and ordinary businesse must not be medled withall without prayer for direction and blessing how much lesse should this great businesse of receiving the Sacrament How needfull a duty this is will thus appeare 1 First this duty neglected it will cast a dampe upon all other our preparations This failing in the last act will marre all that hitherto wee have done neither can a blessing be expected upon all the rest in the want of this We know Solomons Proverbe Prov. 16. 1. The preparations of the heart are in man but the answer of the mouth is from the Lord. The meaning of it is that though a man have studied hard and have well provided and prepared himselfe what to say yet he hath need of Gods help to deliver the thoughts of his mind and that a man cannot bring forth his conceptions without the obstetrication of Gods assistance A Minister when he is to preach spends time in preparation for the work now when he is thus prepared yet he needs the helpe of God for a doore of utterance Is it not therefore exceeding necessary for a Minister though he have ever so well prepared himselfe by study to seeke to God by prayer that utterance may be given unto him that he may open his mouth as S. Paul desires to be prayed for Eph. 6. 19. Though a man by study be well and sufficiently provided yet if a man without prayer to GOD for his assistance should up into the Pulpit might not such an one feare that his mouth might be stopt and God should silence him in the Pulpit Or could he looke at lest that his tongue should so speake as that the preparations of his heart should go to the hearts of others For al a Ministers preparations notwithstanding he stands in need of Gods speciall assistance and therefore it neerely concernes him together with his preparations to seeke to God by prayer for that helpe and assistance of his Iust so it is in the case of the Sacrament The preparations of the heart are in man but yet ability and power to do the work at the Sacrament is from the Lord so that if God helpe not and assist not all preparations come to little And it cannot be expected that God should helpe when he is neglected and not sought to and intreated to helpe We need Gods helpe in all things but specially in holy duties What was the bearing of the Ark on the Priests shoulders to the receiving of the Sacrament One would think there should have needed no such speciall help to that work of bearing the Arke besides the generall concourse of Gods providence And yet it is said 1 Chron. 15. 26. That God helped the Levites that bare the Arke yea it was such speciall helpe that they offered sacrifices upon it And if they needed the helpe of GOD to beare the Arke of the Lord how much more do we need the helpe of God in this solemne action and service of receiving the Sacrament And if such need of helpe is there not then as much need of prayer Will helpe come from God without prayer Will the Lord helpe us if we seeke not for his helpe nothing lesse Nay so farre from helping us that we may rather feare he will curse our performances For upon our preparations before specified to come to the Sacrament without speciall seeking God in prayer what is it better than a trusting in our selves and in our preparations Assuredly God will blast all selfe-confidences and all confidences in our owne preparations Therefore never thinke thy selfe duly prepared till to all the rest thou hast joyned solemne and earnest seeking of God by prayer 2 Secondly it should bee a mans great care both to sanctifie himselfe to the Ordinance and to have the Ordinance sanctified to him Sanctifie your selves sayes Iosiah 2 Chron. 35. 6. to the Levites Now prayer is the way to doe both It sanctifies us to the Ordinance and the Ordinance to us 1 Tim. 4. All things are sanctified by the word and prayer All things both persons to the Ordinances and Ordinances to the persons not only meats and drinkes but Ordinances Sacraments are sanctified to our uses by prayer Where prayer is neglected neither is the person sanctified to the Ordinance nor the Ordinance to the person 3 Thirdly what an happy and a joyfull thing is it when a man comes to the Sacrament and it shall as it were say to a man as Ananias said to Saul Acts 9. 17. Brother Saul the Lord hath sent me unto thee that thou mightst receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost So when the Sacrament shall come with such commission to us how blessed a thing is it The Lord hath sent mee unto thee that thou mayest receive comfort and be filled with the Holy Ghost Now there is a course to be taken that the Sacrament may bee sent with such a Commission But what may that course be Doe as Saul did Vers 11. Ananias goe inquire for Saul c. for behold he prayes Saul was
First That CHRIST is an all-sufficient fulnesse for the thorow supply of all the wants and necessities of our soules whatsoever they may be Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell First then there is a fulnesse in him Secondly All fulnesse is in him Looke whatsoever it is that is required to bee in a Mediator it is all fully in him it hath it all to the full Thirdly He saies not simply that this fulnesse is in him but that this fulnesse dwells in him A Vessell may bee full and a Treasury may be full but these may be emptied againe and so an emptinesse may follow that fulnesse But this fulnesse dwells in him it is an Inhabitant resident permanent fulnesse so as he is and ever shall bee full There is in him a fulnesse of merit for our justification and a fulnesse of spirit and habituall graces and so a fulnesse of efficacies vertues as mortifying sanctifying quickning vertues And thus he is full of all kindes of Graces Apoc. 3. 1. He hath the seven spirits of God And Esa 11. 2 3. with which that suites Prov. 8. 12 13 14. And therefore not onely Treasures but All the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid in him Col. 2. 3. And all these Graces he hath in the highest and fullest degree Therefore the Apostle saies not Col. 2. 3. In whom is knowledge and wisedome but the treasures of knowledge treasures of wisedome Some peeces of silver and gold are not treasures but the treasures are vast heapes Secondly That Christ is thus filled and enriched for the behoofe of his Church and members that he may conveigh and communicate unto them of his fulnesse for the supply of their wants There is in CHRIST not only a fulnesse of abundance in regard of which he is sufficiently full in himselfe but also a fulnesse of redundance by which he overflowes and fills all his Saints His fulnesse is not onely a full fulnesse but a filling fulnesse Iohn 1. 14 16. Full of Grace and Truth and of his fulnesse have we all received and grace for grace Ephes 1. 23. Which is the fulnesse of him that fills all in all There is such an abundance powred out upon him as that he is not onely full but he hath received a good measure running over so as to fill all the empty soules and all the empty hearts of his people For look what CHRIST received he received for us Psal 68. 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast received gifts for men That is gifts to give unto men as the Apostle expounds it Ephes 4. 8. When he ascended upon high he gave gifts unto men So that he received to give he was filled to fill He is the well head the fountaine which is not onely full it selfe but springs and flowes over to the filling of streames He received a fulnesse that we might receive of his fulnesse and that hee might derive of his fulnes to us Thirdly that Christ derives and conveighes of this fulnesse and goodnesse of his unto us by his owne holy Ordinances which he hath sanctified as the channells of conveyance By the Word and Sacraments doth he communicate of this his fulnesse unto us Luke 5. 17. As CHRIST was teaching the power of God was present to heale them When the Minister of the Word is on foot then is Gods power present and ready to exert and put forth it selfe for spirituall good Acts 9. 17. The Lord hath sent me that thou mightest be filled with the HOLY GHOST CHRIST could not of his owne fulnesse immediately have filled Saul with the HOLY GHOST but CHRIST sends Ananias to him that he might be fil 〈…〉 with the HOLY GHOST But 〈…〉 must Ananias doe it By the Acts 22. 14 15 16. â—â—â—istery of the Word and Sacrament He preaches to him and he baptises him and so by these Ordinances is the HOLY GHOST conveighed unto him We finde mention made Zech. 4. 12. of two Olive branches which thorow two golden pipes emptied the golden oyle out of themselves Those two Olive branches emptied golden oyle out of themselves into the golden Candelsticke but yet they did it thorow the two golden pipes So it is in this case All golden oyle it is in CHRIST Hee is the Branch as Zechary calls him Zech. 4. 3. He is the olive Branch and the olive tree from whom comes all the golden oyle of grace and spirituall comfort and he it is that empties it out of himselfe into our hearts But yet he doth empty it into our hearts by his Ordinances they be the golden pipes by which this golden oyle is conveighed CHRIST doth not ordinarily empty the oyle into our hearts immediately but first into the golden pipes of his Ordinances his Word and Sacrament and so thorow them into our hearts The graces and comforts of the HOLY GHOST are oft in Scripture compared to oyle and the powring forth of those graces to Anoynting To this purpose is that speech of David Psal 92. 10. I shall bee anoynted with fresh oyle or greene oyle that is thou shalt adde fresh measures and new encreases of the graces of thy spirit So that after the first gift of the spirit in the first worke of grace GOD often annoynts his people with fresh oyle and that hee doth in the Word and Sacrament He annoynts them in the ministery of the Word Esa 61. 1 3. The Lord hath annoynted me to preach good tydings to give the oyle of joy for mourning God anoynts his Ministers that they may annoynt his people By preaching the Gospell God anoynts his people with the oyle of gladnesse So he anoynts us in the use of the Sacrament of the Supper there in speciall manner he annoynts with fresh oyle God deales at this spirituall feast as the Iewes used to doe in their feasts they used in token of welcome to anoynt their guests Luke 7. 46. Our Saviour tells Simon the Pharisee Minc head with oyle thou didst not annoynt that is thou hast not bid mee welcome nor cheered me God at the Sacrament annoynts the heads of his people That looke as Mary did with CHRIST Iohn 12. 2 3. There they made him a Supper Then tooke Mary a pound of oyntment of spikenard and annoynted the feete of IESUS Then When Namely when at the Supper they made him So deales the LORD with his people at the Sacrament There hee makes them a Supper it is the Lords Supper then takes the LORD precious oyntment and annoynts their heads with fresh oyle there they have fresh unctions and fresh delibutions there he gives them fresh and new comforts fresh supplies and new measures of grace then and there hee annoyntes them at the Sacrament yea the Sacrament is the very Alabaster box of precious oyntment and out of this box God powers it on their heades as she on Christs head as hee sate at meate Matth. 27. 7. So that a man may truly speake
with all his benefits Take eate drinke I see then God offers me Christ to be taken His body to be eaten His bloud to be drunke Here then must faith Actuate it selfe and set it selfe on worke striving with all it's might to take Christ to eate and drinke Christ offered Lord Christ as verily as I take and eate and drink these outward Sacramental elements so verily doe I by my faith receive thy selfe into my soule and feede upon thee for spirituall nourishment Christ is offered to us offers to come in and enter into our hearts The Act of faith now then is that Psalm 24. 7. Lift up your heads ô yee gates and be yee lift up yee everlasting doores But why must these gates and doores of their hearts be thus lift up And the King of glory shal come in Christ is come and he makes an offer to come into your hearts open therefore the gates of your hearts lift them up even from off the hookes that faire and full way may be made for his ready entrance when a great man specially a King comes to a mans house he will not only open the small wicket his little doore but he sets open his great gates throwes them wide open to make spatious way for his entrance Now Christ in the Sacrament offers Himselfe to come to us the King of glory offers to come in Here then let thy faith busily bestirre it selfe in widning the passage and opening thine heart to make Christ way now strive might and maine to stretch open thine heart to such a breadth and largenesse as a fit way may be made for the King of glory to enter Doe in receiving Christ at the Sacrament as Zacheus did in receiving him into his house Luk. 19. 5. Zacheus saies Christ Make hast and come downe for to day I must abide at thine house Here Christ offers Himselfe to Zacheus and upon the offer made instantly Zacheus made haste and came downe and received him joyfully Think upon that gratious offer of Christs how Zacheus bestirred himselfe with what haste he leaped down from the Tree with what readinesse and heartinesse he brought CHRIST home with what sweetnesse of affection he claspes about CHRIST when he entertained him into his house Christ makes thy soule the same offer at the Sacrament now let thy faith as busily bestir herselfe as Zacheus did hasten open claspe embrace welcome and receive CHRIST thus offered to thee Secondly In the Sacrament wee have Sacramentall promises This is my body This is my bloud This is my body which is given for you my blood which is shed for you Shed for the remission of sinnes Take Eate Drinke saies our Saviour Well what if we doe so what shall we get by it What shall we be the better for it A great deale the better for this is my body my bloud I promise you in the use of this Ordinance you shall receive my body and my bloud that body which was once crucified and offered for the redemption of the world that bloud which was shed for Recon 〈…〉 n and Remission of sin and you by being made partakers hereof sâ—â—ll receive efficacious vertue of my quickning death So that these are Sacramentall promises So that here is that which may abundantly set faith on worke for the promises are the most proper object for faith to worke upon Well then CHRIST saies This is my body given for you my bloud shed for you shed for the remission of sinnes Let faith now beleeve these promises Lord I beleeve that thy body was given for me thy bloud shed for me thy bloud shed for the remission of my sins Lord I cheerefully and gladly beleeve that I am now made partaker of thy body and bloud and that my sinnes are pardoned in thy bloud Faith must doe here as David doth Psal 60. 6 7. God hath spoken in his holinesse that is hee hath made me a gracious promise that he will bring all the land under mine obedience Here David hath Gods promise marke now what followes I will rejoyce saith he I will divide Sechem I will mete out the valley of Succoth Gilead is mine Manasseh is mine See how hee actuates his faith upon Gods promise so as to rejoyce so as to take possession of Sechem Succoth Gilead and Manasseh So Christ hath spoken in or by his holinesse This is my body which is given for you this is my bloud which is shed for you for the remission of your sins Here be Sacramentall promises Now upon the view of these promises should a man Actuate his faith and say I will rejoyce I will eate Christs flesh I will drinke his bloud Christ is mine His death is mine His Resurrection is mine Remission of sin is mine Pardon and Heaven are mine And thus by this Actuation of faith should a man with Iohn leane on CHRISTS bosome Iohn 13. 23. When he is at the Sacrament so participating of him as to have communion with him in all his benefits Thus leane wee on our beloved Cant. 8. 5. when at the Sacrament Againe This is my bloud shed for you for the remission of sinne Loe here is that bloud offered me to drinke and promised to me in the Sacrament by the shedding wherof remission of sin was purchased yea here is remission of sin not onely offered me and promised me but of fered and promised under seale Now then Actuate thy faith and say Lord I accept Lord I beleeve this sealed pardon of my sin And faith thus Actuated will make good unto us the Sacramentall promises for as it is true in case of prayer Mar. 11. 24. What things soever you desire when yee pray beleeve that ye receive them and yee shall have them so is it as true in case of receiving What things soever ye desire when ye receive doe but Actuate your faith and set that on worke for them beleeve that yee receive them and yee shall have them Thirdly In the Sacrament we have Sacramentall representations There is in the Sacrament a visible remembrance of CHRISTS death and in the breaking of the bread and powring out the wine there is a representation of Christs death and Passion When I see the wine powred out it represents unto me the shedding of Christs bloud here I see Christs bloud shed on the Crosse What is to be done now when I see this bloud in the Sacrament Do but consider that same Exod. 24. 6 8. Moses tooke of the bloud of the Sacrifices and put it in basons and he tooke the bloud that was in the basons and sprinkled it upon the people haply with a bunch of hysope as the manner was to which David alludes Psal 51. Purge me with hysope Now so must it be here The bloud of our burnt offering which was shed for us the Lord hath put in basons in the basons of the Word and Sacraments and out of these basons it must be sprinkled The Sacrament of the Supper is one bason