are principally these three viz. 1. A benevolent affection or Good-will to Christ. 2. A fervent desire and longing after Christ. 3. A contented Acquiescence or Delight in Christ. 1. A Benevolent affection or Good-will to Christ is a first degree of love to Christ. Christs excellency and loveliness aright apprehended makes us have high and precious thoughts of him and bear great good-will to him to his Glory to his Truth to his cause to his Ordinances to his church c. to have them adâ—anced promoted and exalted every where Yea makes us content to be abased that Christ alone may be exalted to be disgraced that Christ alone may be honoured to be eclipsed that Christ alone may shine to be as nothing that Christ alone may be all Thus Iohn Baptist testified his love and respect to Christ when the Jews came to Iohn and seemed to be troubled that Christ should be so followed Rabbi he that was wâ—th thee beyond Jordan to whom thou bearest witness behold the same baptizeth and all men come to him Hereupon Iohn answered to this effect That Christs Authority was from Heaven That himself was not the Christ but his Harbinger sent before him That Christ was the Bridegroom and Iohn but the Bridegrooms friend rejoycing greatly at the Bridegrooms voice That Christ must increase himself must decrease That Christ coming from above from heaven is above all himself being of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth Thus Nicodemus though a stranger to the mystery of Regeneration yet having some seeds thereof sown in his heart expresses his benevolent affection to Christ in that he came to Iesus by nâ—ght acknowledging him to be a Teacher come from God because of his Miracles Thus Paul shewed his good will to Christ counting all his Pharisaical excellencies and perfections losse yea and all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and for the winning of Christ. 2. A â—ervent desire and longing after Christ is a second degree of true love to Christ. Love pants after enjoyment of the object beloved so loâ—e to Christ breaths after union to him and more fâ—ll communion with him This is called love of union as the former love of benevolence or well-willing Thus the Church of the Jews loâ—ing Christ longs for his incarnation and the sweet kisses of his Gospel-Doctrine and dispensation Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine And again Oh that thou wert as my Brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother that is O that thou wert my naturall Brother revealed in humane nature And because her love to Christ was impatient of delay and thirsting after full enjoyment of him in Heaven she cries to him Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe on to â— young Hart upon the Mountain of spices Make all haste upon the heavenly Mountains to come and fetch me home to thy self thâ—t I may ever be with the Lord. And it is the periphraâ—is of Christs lovers that they love his appearing they love and long for his coming to judgement The spirit and the Bride say come Christ â—aith Surely I come quickly Every true Christian answers in the desires of his soul Amen Even so come Lord Iesus 3. A Contented Complacency and satisfied delight in Christ enjoyed is the third and highest degree of love to him And as the enjoyment of Christ is more or lesse perfect proportionably the complacency or resting satisfied in him is more or lesse compleat There is true delight in Christ enjoyed in Heaven When the Church after a desertion found Christ again how was she contented and satisfied with him she saith I found him whom my soul loveth I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my Mothers house into the chamber of him that conceived me I charge you O ye Daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes by the hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please Having regained Christ she holds him fast in the arms of her affections she brings him into the Chambers of more intimate Communion she forbids all disturbance to her enjoyment of him All which expresse her Complacency and sweet contentment in him her restless desires were now stilled and satisfied And after another desertion finding Christ she thus declares her acquiescence in him found I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine As if she had said Now that I have found Christ whom my soul loves I have enough my heart is filled brim full with him I desire no more Hast thou now such A Good-will to Christ Such a fervent restless desire after him that thou mayst enjoy him and such an Acquiescence complacency and satisfying delight in the enjoyment of him how can it be other then sincere love to him 3. Finally the properties of true love to Christ are the best way whereby you may examine your love unto him True love to Christ is 1. Obediential 2. Transcendent 3. Breathing after more evidence and assurance of Christs love 4. Accepting Christs rebukes 5. Sincere And 6. constant 1. Obedential True love to Christ makes obedient to Christs commands in his word yea to all his commands Christ saith If ye love me keep my Commandments And again He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me And farther If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you What Child can truly love his Father what Servant his Master c. but he will be obedient to him What Christian can truly love Christ but he will chearfully and universally obey Christ The love of Christ constrains us saith the Apostle Both Christs love to us and our love to Christ compel us with a sweet force that we obey him and cannot chuse but obey him Dost thou thus obey Christ and keep all his Commandments then thou truly lovest him But contrariwise they who are not obedient and subject to Christ are farre from loving Christ indeed Christ counts them his enemies that would not have him to raign over them And saith He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings 2. Transcendent True love to Christ transcendeth and surpasseth all other love The love of Father Mother Wife Son Daughter Brother Sister yea and of a mans own life also must give place to this love of Christ. Christ must be loved above them all yea all they must be hated in comparison of Christ. Christ himself saith He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me And he that taketh not his crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me
love and union but we crosse and dishonour both In these respects true brotherly love is necessary before we communicate to fit for worthy receiving And therefore it is necessary we try and examine before-hand our Brotherly love 2. The Trial of our true Brotherly love follows True brotherly love hath these excellent properties whereby it may be examined and discovered 1. It ariseth from our love to God 2. It is pure 3. Spiritual 4. Vniversal 5. Sincere 6. Kindly-affectioned 7. Contenting in the society of the Brethren 8. Fervent 9. Constant 1. True Brotherly Love ariseth from and is accompanied with our true love to God Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him That is he loves the godly for Gods sake the spiritual Child for the Fathers sake But we love him that begat for his own sake And Iohn adds By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments So that make sure thy love to God this makes sure thy love to the Brethren But how shall I know that I truly love God Answ. By thy chearful keeping of all Gods Commandments without grumbling and murmuring For this is the love of God saith Iohn that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And brotherly love is one of his Commandments And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his Brother also And how shall I know whether I truly keep Gods Commandments Answ. See formerly in the trial of New Obedience 2. True brotherly love is pure It 's seated in and flowes from a pure heart an heart purified by faith justifying and by the spirit sanctifying Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart So that a carnall unsanctified man can never so remaining truly love the brethren An impure carnal heart can afford no other then impure carnall affections 3. True brotherly love is spiritual It is carried to Gods people in spiritual not in carnal respects To love Gods people for their greatness wealth beauty wisdom learning friendliness kindred and like carnal considerations is but to love them carnally a Reprobate may so love them True love respects them spiritually and for spiritual considerations viz. It loves them 1. As Gods Children Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him By this we know that we love the children of God Then we love aright when we love the regenerate for their Regenerations sake Gods children for Gods Image in them the godly for their godliness the Saints for their Saintship Christians for their Christianity When we love them principally for God Christ Grace Godliness Holiness c. which we apprehend to be in them And when as their graces grow our love grows also more and more towards them This evidenceth the spiritualness and truth of our love What may we think of them then that most of all hate Gods people for their godliness graces c 2. As Brethren in Christ. There 's a spirituall Brotherhood in Christ wherein all his members relate to one another as Brethren Christ being the first-born among many Brethren Now we have true love to the Brethren when we love them as Brethren for their brotherhood Love the brotherhood Love as Brethren 3. As fellow-members The Apostle at large shews that all the members of Christs mysticall body are also fellow-members to one another And that they are so placed in Christs mystical body that they all have a mutuall dependence upon and need of one another Hence from this relation of member-ship he urged a double act of member-like love viz. 1. Mutuall member-like caring for one another The members should have the same care one for another being mutually aiding and assisting to one another though never so mean as the eye or hand will stoop down to help the foot that 's wounded or pained 2. Mutuall member-like sympathy and compassion to one another And whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it A truly loving member not only rejoyceth with the rejoycing c. but also grieveth with the grieved smarteth with the pained suffereth with the afflicted wanteth with the necessitated is in bonds with the imprison'd c. from this sympathizing dispositioÌ„ Is thy love to the brethren such a spirituall love in these spiritual notions considerations 4. True brotherly love is universal To one Christian as well as to another to all as well as to any whether rich poor bond free male or female Philemons love was commended by Paul that it was towards all Saints And upon the same ground the Colossians love was matter of Pauls thankfulness to God We give thanks to God Since we heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and of the love which ye have to all the Saints And no wonder for he that loves one person truly for godliness and grace he will love every person wherein grace or godliness appears those most that discover most grace For the like cause will produce the like effect Those then that have the love of the brethren with respect of persons that love the rich Saints with their gold Rings and gay Cloathings but not the poor Saints with their vile raiment c. they deal not sincerely in their love For Christ is as truly precious and amiable for substance in one Christian as in another 5. True brotherly love is sincere The command is Let love be without dissimulation The practice according to this command was in these to whom Peter writes who had purifie themselves unto the unfeigned love of the Brethren The pattern of our sincere love to the Brethren is Christs sincere love to us often urged to this end Now the sincerity of our brotherly love evidenceth it self principally two wayes viz. 1. By the reality of it True brotherly love is not meerly verbal and complemental in words and shows but real and substantial in deed and truth The Hebrews not only loved the Saints but loved them really God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love which you have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Iohn exhorts to this reality My lâ—ttle children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth Complementall love may be false love treacherous love Iob offers to kisse Amasa and strikes him under the fifth rib that he died Iudas kissed Christ and thereby betrayed him to be crucified 2. By tâ—e scope and aime of love True loâ—e to the Brethren seeks and intends their good as welâ— as our own Love seeketh not her own That is not only not
exclusively so as to shut out our Brethrens good and welfare Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others When men pretend oâ—e to the brethren and intend only their own ends and to serve their own turns of them neâ—er truly minding their brethrens good they exercise not brotherly love but self-love The world is full of this counterfeit love 6. True brotherly love is kindly affectioned Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love The word here rendred kindly affectioned is very emphatical and originally signifies that dear natural affection that is betwixt Parents and Children as also the loving of that affection It is as much as Be loving-kinde Now this Loving-kindness or kinde affectionateness discovers it self divers wayes viz. 1. In courteousness the Apostle urging divers Acts and expressions of brotherly love saith be courteous The Greek word here used seems to intimate such a sweet disposition as studies and endeavours things grateful acceptable to Gods people and to render it self well-pleasing to them Contrary unto which is churlishness crabbidness and crookedness of disposition 2. In compassionateness Be pittiful Or as the Greek may more exactly be rendred Easily compassionating Or Easily moved to bowels of compassion This implies both a compassionate disposition and a quickness easiness to that compassion When the heart beholding the distresses of brethren is tender over them quickly moved and melted towards them presently bleeds over them 3. In bearing one anothers burdens Bear ye one anothers burdens The Apostle having exhorted spiritual ones to restore a man overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekness presently adds this of bearing one anothers burdens He seems to intend the slips and frailties even among the spiritual which are a burden to them They must help one another to bear these burdens not by encouraging them countenancing or conniving at them this were to burden them more but by helping them to get rid of their burdensom corruptions by wise kind meek loving reproofs admonitions instructions exhortations having tender compassion over them 7. True brotherly love is best contented in the godly society of the brethren David was a câ—mpanion of all them that feared God and kept his Commandments He counted the Saints the excellent on earth in them was all his delight Such as truly love the godly above all people desire to live with the godly above all people Contenting Society is hardly dissembled But such as are weary of the company of the gracious and delight more in the Society of the carnal they are strangers to true brotherly love 8. True brotherly love is or ought to be servent See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently And Iohn intimates so fervently as if need require not only to part with our goods to the brethren but when we have a just call to part with our lives for the brethren Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren This is the highest expression of love this is fervent love indeed fervent love may have many inferiour degrees Generally there is such coldness and frozen-heartedness towards Gods dear children that it 's evident there 's little true love to them in the world 9. Finally True brotherly love is constant and continuing so ought to be Let brotherly love continue charity never faileth but whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease c. True love is not like Ionas his Gourd suddenly springing and as suddenly dying but like Cedar or heart of Oak long-lasting yea ever-living Love of the brethren will continue till death yea beyond death in heaven Then the Saints shall love one another perfectly without all disaffection or corruption and they shall joyntly be swallowed up in the love of God to all eternity Thus try the truth of thy brotherly love And having found it in thy self abound and persevere therein This it that which the Apostle so pathetically urgeth upon his Philippians and in them upon us This that excellent Grace which he so commends above all gifts to the Corinthians And this is that which Christ himself so earnestly commends to his Apostles as the very badge and character of his Disciples A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love to one another VI. THANKFVLNES is a farther qualification necessarily required to fit and prepare us for worthy receiving of the Lords Supper And touching which consequently we are to examine our selves Here understand that thankfulness which peculiarly respects Câ—rist his Death his new covenant and his Supper Now consider 1. The Necessity 2. The Discovery of this thankfulness 1. The necessity of true thankfulness for Christ his death his new Covenant and Sacrament peculiarly to fit us for worthy receâ—ving of the Lords Supper is evident upon these grounds 1. Thankfulness was used and expressed by Christ at his institution of the Lords Supper And he took the bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my body which is given for you This do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Câ—p after supper saying This cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you That he gave thanks is clear What was the matter or form of his thanksgiving is not evident Yet it 's most likely that Christ who did all things properly gave thanks with reference to the Action in hand viz. not onely for the outward Elements but especially for the inward mysteries to be represented by them that now his death approached wherein his body was to be broken his blood shed for the life of the world for the nourishment of his Elect which he delighted to accomplish And the Lords Supper from Christs giving thanks at the institution is denominated by the Greek Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Eucharist That is The Thanksgiving It being the Christians eminent Thank-offering Now if Christ gave thanks at the first institution proportionably we are still to give thanks in all after-Administrations of the Lords Supper especially because Christ saith Do this in reference to the whole Action 2. The matter of the Lords Supper eminently calls for thankfulness viz. 1. The Inward matter signified and sealed Christ body and blood That is Christ crucified together with all the vertues benefits victories Purchases and Priviledges of his Death This the inward matter and mystery of the Lords Supper Oh whâ—â— matter of thankfulness is this Think how â—â—â—ellent Christ is Gods onely Son The Son of his love yea God himself therefore farre beyond ten thousand worlds Think what his death
Vera Effigies FRANCISCI ROBERTS in â— Magistri Pastoris Ecclesiae apud Augustinian LOND Tho Cross Sculpâ— A COMMVNICANT INSTRVCTED OR Practicall Directions FOR Worthy Receiving OF THE LORDS-SUPPER By Francis Roberts M. A. Pastor of the Church of Chriâ—t at Wrâ—ngton in the County of Sommerset The third Edition reâ—ised and corrected by the AVTHOR 1 Cor. 11.28 29. Let a man examine himseâ—f and so let him â—at of that Bread and drink oâ— that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthâ—ly eateth drinkâ—th damnâ—tâ—on to himself not diâ—câ—rning the Lâ—rds Body London Printed by I. Streâ—ter â—or G. Calveâ—t and are to be â—oâ—d at the Sâ—gn of the Half-Moon in the new Buildings in Pauâ—s Church yard neer the little North-Door 1656. To the Church of Christ in the Parish of Wrington in the County of Somerset Grace Mercy and Peace from the Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolation Men Brethren and Fathers entirely beloved in the Lord. THe substance of these practical Directions for worthy receiving of the Lords Supper I have represented to your eares in preaching That before I administred unto you this heavenly Communion I might according to my duty instruct you in right Communicating Now I offer them to your eyes in Printing And by both Preaching and Printing to your Hearts that they may be unto you as a continual Sermon before every Sacrament When first I treated of this Subject I had no thoughts of printing it in any other Book than in your breasts O that your hearts and lives were living Books wherein the whole Doctrine of Christ were printed in Capitall Letters that he that runs might read Then should â—ou be The Epistle of Christ written not with â—nk but with the Spirit of the living God Yet since that I have been induced to make these familiar Directions more publique upon these Considerations 1. That I might gratifie your pious request in publique to me That these Instructions might be printed which you apprehend might be of such frequent use and advantage to you and yours before in and after every Lords Supper 2. That I might help on your Edification and Consolation and happily others also in reference to that sweet fellowship which Christ affords his Members with Himself and his Death in this Ordinance For hereby your understandings may be farther cleared your memories confirmed your Hearts affections raised upwards your Graces acted unto higher perfections your Sacramental Duties regulated so as to seek the Lord herein in a right Order And I perswade my self that those things which were so acceptable to you in my Sermons will be the more profitable to you in my Book If your souls prosper my heart shall rejoyce I shall count it my Crown and glory to promote your Grace and Glory It will be my Heaven here to help you forward towards Heaven hereafter And in order hereunto I hope I shall willingly preach print and bestow my pains in publique or private amongst you that I may more and more endeare you and espouse you unto Iesus Christ For I trust I may truly say with the Apostle God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Iesus Christ. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all sense That ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the glory and prayse of God 3. That I may preach unto you not onely whilest I am with you but even after the Lord shall have taken me from you As Abel by his faith he being dead yet speaketh So these lines may live when I shall be dead and they may speak to you when I shall be silent in the Grave I am here but a Pilgrim and my abode with you can be but momentany at the longest for our life is but a vanishing vapour our dayes a declining shadow our years as nothing we have here no continuing City but seek one to come Therefore by this publication I will endeavour that you and yours may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance Thus Moses the ProPhets Christ and his Apostles preach unto us the whole Church of Christ still though they are all in Heaven by their Doctrines writings left behinde them 4. That I may testifie this way my true love and affection to you in the Lord Iesus And to let you know that ye are in mine heart to live and die with you For you have not only loved deservedly honoured my Reverent learned and pious Predecessor now sleeping in the Lord thereby shewing your selves very eminently exemplary to all the Congregations round about you but you have also declared your singular respect affection unto me the unworthiest Labourer in the Lords Vineyard ever since my first entrance amongst you both in your ready accepting of my Ministery diligent attending upon the Ordinances willing compliance with such pious proposals as I have laid before you and in other demonstrations of your kinde dispositions towards me to this day And therefore I have cause to be the more affectionately desirous of you and I am willing to impart unto you not the Gospel of God onely but also mine own Soul because ye are dear unto me The Lord maintain and increase the Spirit of love still betwixt us whilest we have a day or an houre to live together Upon these Motives especially I have been inclined to commit theâ—e ensuing Meditations to the Presse And I dedicate them unto you especially most earnestly beseeching the Lord that they may be abundantly useful and beneficiall both to you and others Now our Lord Iesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us hath given us everlasting consolation good hope through grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work And fill you with all grace that may fit you for everlasting glory So prayeth Your truly loving Pastor who longs for your salvatition FRAN ROBERTS From my Study in Wrington in Somersetshire June 12. 1651. The INTRODVCTION or PREFACE to the DIRECTIONS GOds Covenant of Grace for salvation of lapsed sinners by Iesus Christ is the principal Subject of the Holy Scriptures The New Covenant and Testament is the Complement or compleat fulness of the Covenant of Grace Baptisme and the Lords Supper are the Lords nâ—w Covenant Tokens or Great Seals of his New Testament And Jesus Christ is the Kernel Marrow and Soul of them all In the whole Scriptures Chrâ—st is reâ—eâ—led In the Covenant of Grace Christ is tendered vâ—z As promised under the Old Testament As performed under the New In the Sacraments of the New Testament especially in the Lords Supper Chrâ—st is evidently as it were
it in their hearts Hast thou now the Laws of God put into thy minde into thine inward parts are they written in thine heart But how shall I know whether Gods laws be written in mine heart c Answ. Thou mayst know God hath written his Law in thine heart and inward parts by these ensuing discoveries 1. By the conformity of thine heart and inwards to the Law of God When Gods law is writ in thine heart thou wilt have a Law within thy brest exactly answering to Gods Law written without in the Scriptures even as Tally answers to Tally Indenture to Indenture the face in the glasse to the face of a man or as the Counterpain exactly answers to the principal Deed or Conveyance there 's Article for Article Clause for Clause Covenant for Covenant Word for Word so will thine heart be to the Law of God Thine heart will forbid thee every thing Gods law forbids thee thine heart will command thee every thing Gods Law commands thee thine heart will comply to the whole Law 2. By the newnesse of thy heart and spirit The writing of Gods Law in the heart brings in a spiritual newnesse into the heart A new heart also will I give you saith God and a new spirit will I put within you New not for substance but for Qualities and Qualifications A new minde illuminated A new memory strengthened and sanctified A new Conscience quickened and purified A new Will subdued to the obedience of Christ New affections new grief for sinne new desires of grace new love of God Christ and his Members new joyes in the Holy Ghost and in a word the whole man is become a new Creature Old things are past away and all things are become new If thou findest this newnesse of heart then the new Covenant the Law of God is in thine heart 3. By the spiritual softnesse and tendernesse of thine heart Naturally every mans heart is stony a meer Stone hard inflexible and impenetrable when God writes his law in mans heart and admits him into Covenant with him he takes this stony heart away and gives him a supple fâ—eshy soft tender heart And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh An heart of flesh is of a tender temper flexible and easily wrought upon by God quickly wounded for sinne facile to melt and dissolve into penitential sorrows is thine heart such 4. By the Obedientialnesse of thine heart Where the Law is written in the heart there the heart becomes obedient to Gods Will and delights in that obedience So saith David I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within mine heart or according to the Hebrew phrase thy law is in the midst of my bowels Because the Law was graven in his heart therefore he so delighted to do the Will of God Dost thou delight now to do thine own Will the Will of the flesh or the Will of the Lord 3. They that are Parties to the New Covenant have a Covenant-relation to God and a Covenant-interest in God and God in them This shall be the Covenant I will be their God and they shall be my people What greater blessing can God covenant to bestow on us then to give himselfe to be our God Had God covenanted to give Earth Heaven Grace Glory the whole world ten thousand worlds that were nothing comparable to God himselfe This then is the greatest promise in the World And on the other hand what greater duty can lie upon us then to ingage our selves to be Gods Covenant-people Consider now hath God given himselfe to thee as thy God in Covenant then thou art in Coâ—enant with God But how shall I know whether God is my God in Covenant Answ. By this Art thou one of Gods people by Coâ—enant Art thou thy whole selfe not onâ—y some part of thy selfe given up to God Thou must be wholly not partially his Is thy tongue his to praise him Thy hands his to work his Will thy feet his to walk in his paths thy Mind his to know him thy Conscience his to accuse or excuse under him thy Will his to obey him thy memory his to retain him thy heart his to desire and love him yea to embrace him with most ravish't affections beyond all and in a word is thy whole selfe soul and body with all that is within thee wholly his sincerely to serve him and to be a spiritual sacrifice to him Then thou art in New Covenant with God indeed and hast inward Right to the Lords Supper 4. They that are Parties to this New Covenant have their iniquities forgiven and forgotten of God So the Lord covenanteth I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Or as the Apostle alledged it I will be merciful to their unrâ—ghteousnesse and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Hath the Lord now forgiven thine iniquities then thou art in Covenant with him indeed Thou wilt say O that mine iniquities were pardoned then should I be an happy soul. But how may I know that the Lord hath pardoned my sins and will remember mine iniquities no more Answer Thou majest know that God hath forgiven thy sins 1. If thou hast sincerely confessed bewailed and forsaken thy sins and turned from all thine evil wayes for thus hath God promised He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evil Come now and let us reason together saith the LORD though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool And elsewhere most sweetly Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the LORD and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will multiply to pardon 2. If thine heart be calmed and quieted through faith in Christ so that thereby thou art at peace with God When we through faith have pardon and justification from God we consequently have peace with God Being justified by faith we have peace with God Is God pacified towards thee doth he smile upon thee doth he still thy soul with true peace this is an Argument of thy sins pardon 3. If thine heart be singularly inflamed with the love of Christ through whom thy sins are pardoned it 's a great evidence thy sins are forgiven The woman that had many sins forgiven her by Christ she loved him much upon that account She wept and washed his feet with tears she wiped them with the hairs of her head she kissed his feet and anointed them with oyntment Nothing was too good too dear for Christ that had paid all her debts forgiven all her sins 4. If
is long then the earth and broader then the Sea Eternal Because God is infinite anâ— boundless in respect of time and duration Gods essence never had beginning never succession or change and never shall have end The everlasting God the LORD Of old â—hast thou laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy hands They shall perish but thòu shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God And these are commonly stiled Gods Incommunicable Attributes as being peculiar onely to God and no way attributed or Communicable to any thing besides God The Communicable Attributes follow so called because â—ometimes in some sense they are communicated to câ—eatures 5. The living God That hath heard the voice of the living God My soul â—hirsteth for God for the living God Thou 〈◊〉 Christ the Son of the living God It 〈◊〉 a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the â—â—ving God God lives most properly and perâ—â—ctly All imperfections of created life must 〈◊〉 removed from him God liâ—es eteâ—nally â—od faith of himâ—elf I live for ever God 〈◊〉 eternal life it self his own eternal life And shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father Yea he gives life to all living Seeing he giveth to all Life and Breath and all things For in him we live and move and have our Being 6. Most wise The onely wise God God! To this purpose are ascribed to God Counsel Great in Counsel Who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will Knowledge Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Vnderstanding His understanding is infinite God in one individed Act most absolutely eternally perfectly infallibly immutably Knows himself as the most adequate object of his Vnderstanding Knows all things knowable besides himself whether possible or actually existing Knows all things existing whether in time past present or future God knows all mans wayes works words thoughts imaginations all mens sins with all the kinds degrees circumstances aggravations of them All mens states in this and the world to come all future contingencies before they come to pass though to us never so casual accidental or uncertain Yea he absolutely knows all things in the world 7. Of most absolute perfect and righteous Will Who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will Having predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his Will We are taught to pray to God Thy will be done Gods Will is perfectly one yet in respect of our divers notions in apprehending of it is either Approving all that 's good Effecting all that 's wrought Prescribing all that 's duty or Permitting all that comes to passe yea he even permits or suffers sin to be in the world himself and his Will being neither directly indirectly nor any way the Cause or Author of sin 8. Most true God is most true in himself his works and words Most true in himself A God of truth or as the Hebrew phrase will well beat it God is Truth This is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God All other gods and Idols are but false gods lies vanities nothing in the world Most true in his works They are not shadows and fictions but realities All his works are done in truth Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints True in his words Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy word is Truth Thy Law is the Truth All thy Commandments are Truth For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised 9. Most good yea â—upreme goodnesse it self without all evil or imperfection Good in himself and Author of all good to his creatures I will make all my goodness passe before thee Christ said Why callest thou me good There is none good save one that is God Not Man Saint Angel or Christ himself as man are good as God is good essentially infinitely immutably c. That our God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness The riches of his goodness The Lordâ—s good to all Every good gift and every perfect gift is from abvoe and cometh down from the Father of lights In this goodness of God are â—is Graciousnesse Love Mercy Patience Graciousness God is most gracious incomparable in free grace The LORD the LORD God merciful and gracious Gracious is the Lord and righteous Love God is most loving yea all love He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Mercy God is most merciful yea all mercy it self and loving kindness it self Our God is merciful Plenteous in mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works His mercy or loving kindness endureth for ever Patience God is most patient long-suffering slow to anger The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 10. Most Just and Righteous Vniversally righteous as God should be righteous and the Author of all Righteousness in the world eternally and immovably disposed to give to himself and to all creatures their due The righteous LORD loveth Righteousness The LORD is upright and there is no unrighteousness in him That will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth Generation Thou art righteous O Lord which aâ—â— and wast and shalt be The LORD is righteous in all his wayes 11. Most Holy God is not onely infinitely holy and pure but holiness it self But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Holy Holy Holy is the LORD of Hosts The four Beasts rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Once have I sworn by mine Holiness He is all holiness Without
This is of generals and universals learned out of Scripture that of particulars learned by experience Or as a Physicians theoretick skill out of his Books from his experimental skill upon his Patients Or as a Schollers knowledge of farre countreys obtained by Maps and Books differs from a Travellers knowledge of them who hath seen them with his own eyes Such is the sound knowledge of Christians it hath a sweet experimentall sense relish taste with it O taste and see that the Lord is good And in the New Testament If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious By reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evill A childe of God knows God Christ the New Covenant Sacrament Pardon of sin c. not remotely speculatively or generally according to Scripture Revelation but moâ—t nearly experimentally and particularly according to his own spiritual sense and feeling He knows the wofulnesse of a sinful state the happinesse of a sanctified condition the Paradise of Communion with God the Agonies of a troubled conscience what a Father of mercies God is what a sweet All-sufficient Saviour Jesus Christ is what a reviving Comforter the Holy Ghost is how sweet Gods pardons are how sure his Covenant how precious his promises c. And all this he knowes by his own personal and particular proof of these mysteries whereupon his knowledge is more distinct clear affectionate comfortable and infallible Whereas unsound knowledge is but speculative remote general confused consisting in certain empty comfortlesse swimming notâ—ons arising from natural or artificial abilities not from spiritual experience 2. An Heart-humbling and soul-abasing Knowledge It makes a Christian vile and despicable in his own eyes The more he knows of God and divine Mysteries the more humble self-empty self-denying and self-abhorring he becomes As in Iob I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes As with Paul who never came to have meaner thoughts of himself then after his greatest acquaintance with God abundance of Revelations and his Rapture into the third Heavens I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing O wretched man that I am I live yet not I but Christ in me But what things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. He counts himself The least of the Apostles and not worthy to be called an Apostle Lesse then the least of all Saints And if this be not yet low enough he calls himself The chief of sinners O blessed Paul how hath thy true knowledge in spirituals abased thee whereas thy Pharisaical knowledge which was far inferiour did exalt thee And no wonder sanctified knowlâ—â—â—e humbles the soul for thus the more 〈…〉 knows the more he discerns Gods tranâ—cendent excellencies and perfections Christs unsearchable wisdome the Scriptures incomparable exactness and his own ignorance unworthinesse sinfulness nothingnesse As the light of the Moon borrowed from the Sun serves to render her own spots far more remarkable And all this tends to dis-robe a Christian of self-conceit Whereas carnal unsanctified knowledge swels a man with pride self-conceit self-admiration contempt of others c. Knowledge puffâ—th up The Greek word is a metaphor from bellows or bladders puffed up with wâ—nde intimating what a windie swelling Tympany of pride and vain-glory ariseth from un-sanctified knowledge yeâ— such knowledge is indeed no knowledge in Gods account If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 3. A Communicative knowledge in order to others edification A sanctified knowledge is not like a candle under a bushel or shut up in a dark-Lanthorn that enlightens nothing but the Lanthorn it self but as a Candle on a Candlestick that gives light to all in the room A man that hath it loves to disperse it for the spirituall good of wife children friends servants all associates as there is occasion by way of counsel reproof exhortation comfort c. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish doth not so Disperse the Hebrew word is a Metaphor from scattering abroad with a Fan or from Seedsmen's scattering abroad of their seed in the furrows of the field The godly wise are such Seedsmen they sowe and scatter their good counsel to others would have all acquainted with Gods wayes of salvation with themâ—elves Thus David promises when God shall give him experimental knowledge of his salvation and uphold him with his free Spirit Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and sinners shall be converted unto thee But the foolish the ungodly and carnal ones imprison their knowledge within their own brests lock up this Jewell Or if they communicate their knowledge it is to corrupt and seduce others or to withstand and divert edifying counsel or vain-gloriously to procure to themselves popular applause and admiration or hypocritically to advance some unworthy ends rather then the spiritual benefit of Christs body and members 4. A growing and a prospering knowledge The more true gracious knowledge a man hath the more he discovers his own ignorance and discerns the excellency of spiritual mysteries to be known and this provokes him to presse on in knowledge to perfection A small taste is so sweet he longs for a full draught David knew much and yet prays Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law Teach me O LORD the way of thy Statutes Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea the godly cry after knowledge and lift up their voice for understanding seek her as silver and search for her as for hid treasures They would abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement or sense that they may approve things that are excellent But carnal ones are not for the increase of this knowledge yea they content themselves in darknesse are willingly ignorant of spiritual mysteries They say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes 5. An affectionate or heart-affecting Knowledge Sound â—anctified knowledge breeds and kindles in the heart wonderful love desire joy delight and dear affections towards God Christ Covenant Promises Communion with God and other spirituals known Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love This the Apostle intimates in his prayer for the Philippians And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and
sense The more knowledge we have of spirituals the more we love them because the more we know them the more we know their excellency and amiablenesse But the more we know temporals the more we contemn them because the more we know them the more we know their emptinesse and despicablenesse Who can know Christ aright in his person offices excellencies sufferings love pardons power truth comforts graces priviledges c. which indeed passe knowledge and not to be enamoured with him When the Churth had described Christ to the daughters of Ierusalem who were afore ignorant of his excellencies how are their affections stirred afâ—er him and they enquire Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee After Paul came once truly to know Christ he counts all things losse and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ his Lord. And he determined to know nothing among his Corinthians but Iesus Christ and him crucified Looking breeds liking Knowledge is the inlet to love We so far love as we know what we know not we love not This holds especially true in spirituals knowledge of them sweetly scrues and raps up the heart unto them yea transports it with surpassing delight and contentment in them Doth thy knowledge thus affect thine heart 6. A spiritualized knowledge True sanctified knowledge is a spark of heavenly not of earthly light It 's elevated above the pitch of nature flesh and blood and is of a divine spiritual temper Looks upon all things both in this and the world to come especially spirituals not carnally but spiritually Doth not judge and value persons or things according to outward carnal respects as beauty wealth honour wit learning countrey c. which commend not to God but according to inward spiritual respects of grace holinesse c. yea knows not Christ in carnal respects Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Not as wicked Servetus denied Christ to have true flesh But we know not Christ according to outward carnall respects and relations as they did who conversed with him when once on earth but according to his spiritual and heavenly state now in Heaven This knowledge spiritually discerns spirituals and spirituallizeth carnals Yea it dives and pierceth into the kernel pith marrow mystery of the things of God To you its given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery There 's a secret mystery in Christ Covenant Justification Adoption Godliness c. which no eye but a piersing spiritual eye can discern Contrariwise unsound knowledge is carnal earthly natural c. as the person knowing is and it apprehends all things even those that are most spiritual carnally yea and it looks upon the counsels and wayes of God as foolishness riddles paradoxes The Gospel is sealed up and hid from them that are lost 7. A pure knowledge Sound sanctified knowledge is a sin-purging knowledge It will not suffer a man habitually to wallow in the puddle of any known sin but puts a man upon denying mortifying and abhorring of all filthiness The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable c. And the Apostle Iohn is very positive Whosoever sinneth viz. habitually and as carnal men sin hath not seen him neither known him And no wonder for true knowledge discovers the odious sinfulness of sin the severe justice of God against it the manifold mischief of it c. and so sets the soul against it But men of meer carnal knowledge continue in their sin notwithstanding that knowledge Who knowing the judgement of God that they who commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them 8. Finally A true sanctified Knowledge is obediential practical and fruitful in all good works Iames saith The wisdom that is from above is full of mercy and good works Iohn makes obedience a sure character of true knowledge indeed Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandements He that saith I know him and keepth not his Commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him Again We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us Christ saith The sheep follow the good Shepherd for they know his voice And he intimates elsewhere that it 's onely the practicall knowledge that renders happy If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them And David commends to us the excellency of his knowledge by the uprightnesse of his obedience Thou through thy Commandements hast made me wiser then mine enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more then the Ancieâ—ts because I keep thy Precepts The doing Christian is the knowing Christian He knows best that obeys best He that obeyes not knowes nothing as he ought to know though he seem to know never so much Yea He is a liar that saith he knows God and yet is not obedient to him True knowledge cannot chuse but make obedient For 1. Knowledge of God and his wayes fills with love to them And love sweetly compells to obedience 2. True knowledge discovers the excellency of the spiritual path wherein we are to walk and that moves to obedience 3. True knowledge considers the excellency of Gods commands being holy just and good and this makes us delight in them 4. True knowledge discerns that in keeping Gods statutes there shall be great reward and this quickens to the observance of them Consider now is thy knowledge resolved into obedience that 's right knowledge indeed A disobedient non-practising knowledge is no knowledge at all Hitherto of the tryal of knowledge 1. By the particular Points of it 2. By the Properties of it Such knowledge comfortably fits for worthy communicating II. FAITH This the next grace fitting for worthy communicating whereof every Communicant is to examine himself Touching faith Consider 1. What faith this is 2. How necessary this faith is to worthy communicating 3. How this faith may be tryed and examined 1. What faith this is about which we are to examine our selves before communicating Answ. This may be resolved Negatively and Affirmatively Negatively 1. It is not a meer Historicall faith whereby a man barely assents to the truth of Scripture-History that every thing in Scripture is true Such a faith Agrippa had the Devils have 2. It is not a Faith of Miracles or Miracle-working faith whereby a man believes without doubting the particular concurrence of God with him to bring to passe some extraordinary effect beyond the ordinary power and activity of natural causes Iudas
or death for obedience shall deter and fright them from their obedience Paul professes to worship God according to the way of Christianity though it was reproached with the brand of Heresie The Holy-Ghost in every city witnessed that bonds and afflictions abode Paul yet saith he None of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received And when for fear of bonds Paul was importuned with tears not to go up to Ierusalem He answered What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound oâ—ly but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus And when those three heroick-spirited Jews were threatned by King Nebuchadnezzer to be cast alive into the burning furnace seven times hotter then usual if they would not worship his golden image they answer Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up Their bodies shall rather burne to ashes then they will contrary to Gods command bow to his Idols Hast thou now such a well-resolved obedience 5. True obedience is compleate It 's complete two wayes viz. 1. Partly in reâ—pect of the subject or heart obeying A man truly obedient obeys with an entire heart and perfect spirit I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart 2. Partly in reâ—pect of the object or Commandments obeyed A man truly obedient doth not indent pick and châ—se These commands he will obey not those the first Table but not the second c. but will obey all will have a respect and a regard to all As Caleb and Ioshuah who followed the Lord fully They were thorough-paced in their obedience And as David Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments 6. Finally True obedâ—ence decays not but is growing and lâ—sting Growing as in Thyatira whoâ—e last works were more then the first Laâ—â—iâ—g also and constantly continuing as in David I have inclined mine heart to do thy statutes alway even unto the end My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy â—udgements at all times Teach me O LORD the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end False obedience decays and dies Thus thou mayest try the truth of thine obedience V. LOVE is another special qualification of a worthy Communicant fitting for due receiving of the Lords Supper Touching which we should aforehand examine our selves Now because in this Ordinance we have Communion not only with Christ as our Head but also with one another as fellow-members Therefore we are to be furnished with and to examine our selves of a twofold love viz. 1. Love to Christ. 2. Love to Christians Love to Christ. Touching which consider diâ—igently 1. The Need that Communicants have of it 2. The Tryal they make of it 1. The Necessity of our true love to Christ before we communicate and as a qualification for receiving the Lords Supper appears upon theâ—e following considerations 1. They that do not truly love Jesus Christ are under one of the heaviest and bittereâ—t curses of God in the whole Bible If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Herein note 1. The ground or cause of this curse The not loving of Iesus Christ. He saith not if any man hate the Lord Jesus Christ or reproach him or blaspheme and curse him or persecute him c. but that which is far lesse If any man love him not The bare want of this aâ—fection to Christ is enough to separate from Christ. 2. The nature of the â—urse Let him be Anathema Maranatha These two words are of two several languages both denoting a curse To intimate this is a double a peremptory and bitter curâ—e as Pharoahs dreams were doubled for the greater certainty Anathema is a Greek word and elsewhere is translated Accursed If any man preach any other Gospel to you let him be Anathema or let him be accursed as if he should say Let him be devoted viz. to the devil and separated from Christ and his Churches Communion Maranatha some learned Writers take this as Beza observes to be a Syriack word Calvin seems not so well satisfied with their judgement Others count it a Chaldee word yet used in Hebrew and known familiarly even among the Greeks It seems to be compounded of three words Mara na atha that is Our Lord cometh As intimating that such as were under this curse were given up and reâ—erved to the Lords coming to be judged by him That they are to expect nothing but the terrible coming of Christ to take vengeance of them And that prophecie of Enoch seems to allude to some such curse Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them c. Beza thinks this anâ—wers to the heaviest curse among the Jews They had first their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niddui Secondly their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherem that is Anathema This their Cherem was either the simple and single Anathama or their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schematha or Maranatha Paul therefore not contenting himself to say Let him be Anathema he addes Maranatha to denote the vehemency and grievousnesse of the curse Oh what a terrible curse is this 3. The extent of this curse If any man As if he said let it be who it will that loves not Christ Jew or Gentiâ—e bond or free Master or servant rich or poor young or old King or begger that loves not Christ understand it especially of them within the visible Church let him be utterly accurâ—ed Now if the Non-loâ—ers of Christ be thus under this curse how can they possibly come to the Lords Supper so remaining without true love to Christ but be abominâ—ble to him 2. The Lords Supper is a sweet love-token betwixt Christ and his Church Christ and his members Herein they mutually seal up their reciprocal affections to each other What love doth Christ herein signifie seal and exhibite to us As is every way evident The time of instituting this Ordinance speaks love It was in the same night in which he was betrayed How warm were his affections even then to us when within a few houres after that he was to pour out his warmest hearts blood for us even then he was so mindful of his Church as to leave her this farewel-Token and legacy of his Love that she might never forget his love The mysteries tendred in this ordinance speak love Here 's Christs body not whole but broken Christs blood not as
in his veins but shed and actually severed from his body and these represented under the familiar elements of bread broken and wine severed from the bread and all this for us sinners What greater love can be imagined then to die for sinners The benefits intended us by this ordinance also speak love abundantly For why was it appointed but for nourishing our faith and all the graces of the inward man for assuring us of the remission of our sins for stablishing our interest in the New Testament and all its promiâ—es and priviledges for endearing us more and more to Christ and to one another in spiritual Communion and for perpetuating the memorial of Christ's death and love to us till his second coming O what a torrent of love flows towards us from Jesus Christ in this sacred channel of the Lords Supper Now shall we come to a Banquet of love a true love-feast and have no love Shall Christ come to â—eal such love to us and shall not we reciprocally seal love to him Surely then we shall be but dissemblers and Iudas's when we come to his Table Thus of the Necessity of our true love to Christ for worthy communicating 2. The tryall and Examination of the truth of our love to Christ may be dispatched 1. By the grounds 2. By the degrees 3. By the properties of true love to Christ. 1. The grounds and causes of our true love to Christ are especially these three viz. 1. Christ Aâ—â—ablenesse 2. Faith in him 3. Experience of him 1. The Amiableness and Lovelinesse of Christ is that attractive loadstone that draws the hearts and affections of his people after him Christ is most lovely both in his person offices and the benefits of his offices He is fairer then the sons of men grace is poured into his lips As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is Christ among the Sons He is the Rose of Sharon the sweetest The Lilly of the valleys the fairest He is white and ruddy the chief among ten thousand See there how admirably the Church paints him our and concludes with theâ—e words as if all particulars came short of him His mouth is sweetnesses yea whole He is delights as the Hebrew phrase signifies This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem Now as lovlinesse breeds and inciteth love â—o Christ's most of all Because his lovlinesse surpasseth all No sooner had tâ—e Church described and laid open Christs beauty and lovelinesse to the daughters of Ierusalem but presently they are taken and enflamed with him and they enquire after him Whither is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee Dost thou love Christ for his loâ—eliness not for his loaves or for his bag or for the worldly advantages thou mayâ—t haâ—e by him but for his excellency beauty amiableness c. This is to loâ—e Christ aright for this is to love Christ for Christ this is to love Christ for himself 2. Faith in Christ is another cause of true love to Christ. Peter speaking of Christ â—aith Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye reâ—oyce with â—oy unspeakable and full of glory Seeing breeds loving but here 's a loâ—ing without corporal seeing A loving of Christ which ariseth from believing in him And such a loving as increaseth to rejoycing and that rejoycing both unspeakable and gâ—orious Faith sees not at all and yet best of all Not at all corporally best of all spâ—ritually Faith sees Christ enthroned at Gods right hand sending down his Spirit ruling all things for his Churches good preparing heaven for us and hastening to come to judgement and fetch his Church and members home to himself to be eâ—er with the Lord. Christ was alwayes loâ—eâ—y even in his humiliation but thrice so loâ—ely now in his exaltation Faith eyes this inâ—isible loâ—elineâ—s of Chrâ—st clearly and drawes the heart to love him entirely 3 Experience of Christ or experimental acquaintance with him enkindleth true love unto him A spirituall savour of Christs fragrancy a spirituall taste of his sweetnesse is enough to ravish the soul with him Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee Christs good ointments are the graces and gifts of the Spirit wherewith as Mediator he was anointed above all his fellows which oyle of gladness in some sort runs down to all his members yea to the very border of his garment His Name is either his doctrine or any other attributes titles c. of Christ whereby he makes himself known as a man is known by his name Now these ointments poured forth made known do send abroad such a sweet sent and savour of Christ that all who experimentally savour them indeed cannot chuse but love Christ with a chaste Virgin-love The Church saith I sate down under his shadow with great delâ—ght and his fruit was sweet unto my taste He brought me to the banquetting-house and his banner over me was love Here 's her heavenly experiences of Christ. Stay me with Flaggons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love Here 's her love to Christ flowing from that experience Yea she is so tranâ—ported with loâ—e to him that she calls hastily for cordials to keep her from â—ainting and wouning being love-sick for Christ. Thus the Penitent woman in the Gospel had much experience of Christs rich grace and mercy to her in pardoning her many sins therefore she loved him much and she testified it most affectionately she stood at his feet behinde him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with oyntment But the Pharisee that at that time had invited Christ having no such spiritual experience of Christ testified no such love to Christ. Christ saith to him Simon seest thou this woman I entred into thine house thou gavest me no water for my feet but she hath washed my feet with teares and wiped them with the hairs of her head Thou gavest me no kisse but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feet Mine head with oyle thou didst not annoâ—nt but this woman hath annointed my feet with oyntment Wherefore I say to thee her sins which are many are forgiven For she loved much Without spirituall experience of Christ who can love him And who can chuâ—e but love him that have true experience of him Doth thy love to Christ arise from these grounds Thou lovest Christ because he is lovely because thou believest in him because thou hast such experience of him This is well-grounded love to Christ. 2. The Degrees or Gradual steps by which our true love to Christ riseth and by which it may be tryed
And elsewhere If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple And whosoever doth not bear his Crosse and come afâ—â—â— me cannot be my Disciple Not that we must properly hate our allies and liâ—â— but comparatively we must hate them That is we must love them lesse then Christ. Christ must sit in the throne of our hearts and affections and all these must sit below at his foot-stool Thus those Martyrs are commended that for the love of Jesus They loved not their lives unto the Death Excellently Ignatius Now begin I to be a Disciple I â—ealâ—â—sly affect nothing of visibles or invisibles that I may obtain Iesus Christ. Let fire and the Crosse and the joynt-rising up of wildâ— beasts the dissections separations dissipaâ—ions of my bones cuttings in pieces of my members dissolution of my whole body and the punishment of the Devil come upon me only that I may win Iesus Christ. Notably Paul 〈◊〉 ready not to be bound only buâ—â—lso to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Dost thou bear such fervent transcendent warm affection to Christ that thou wouldst be content to part wiâ—h all rather then part with him 3. True love to Christ breaths after more assurance and evidence of Christs love to the Soul They who dearly love Christ long to have Christs love more confirmed sealed and manifested to them A true taste thereof is so sweet and pleasant they desire a full draught A glimps of it is so delectable they desire still a fuller view and manifestation The more they love Christ the more they desire to be loved of Christ. And they have a kinde of holy jealousie leâ—t Christ should not love them so as they desire Love is a greedy affection still covering after more love thus the Church saith to Christ Set me as a Seal upon thine heart as a Seal upon thine arme for love is strong as death jealousie is cruel as the grave The coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Here 's her request and the reason of it Her request To be set as a Seal upon his heart and arme Sealing is for ratification confirmation or sure making of any thing Setting the Church as a Seal upon Christs Heart and Arm seems to imply a confirming and stablishing of her in Christs inward affection and his outward expression or manifestation thereof to her This probably alludes to the High Priest of old who did bear the names of Israel engraven on Stones upon his heart and shoulder for a mâ—morial before the Lord. She desires that she may be deeply engraven in Christs heart in Christs love and may be assured hereof also by the expression of his loâ—e to her Here 's her request The reason of her request is drawn from the vehemency of her love to Christ ready to overcome her as death to swallow her up as the grave and to consume her as a burning flame if Christ do not support and comfort her with his love bring her closer to his heart and manifest his affection to her She should even die and perish through love if she might not be beloved Dost thou thus long to be set as a Seal upon Christs heart and arm through thy love unto him 4. True love to Christ accepts of his Rebukes Peter had thrice denyed Christ a little before his death Christ appearing to his Disciples after his Resurrection thrice asks Peter Lovest thou me By this threefold question secretly as it were reproving Peter his triple denial and giving Peter occasion to testifie his repentance by his thrice professing his love to Christ whom he had thrice professedly denied As Augustine saith A threefold Confession is added to his threefold denial that his tongue might not lesse serve his love then his fear He was puffed up by presuming cast down by denying purged by weeping proved by confessing and crowned by suffering Now Peter thus proved and tacitely reproved yet hates not Christ reproving but loves him and thrice professes his love to him twice appealing to Christ who knew his heart in these professions Thus he accepts his rebukes but they that cannot bear Christs rebukes thereby they testifie their hatred to Christ. Christ said to his unbelieving Brethren The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evill 5. Sincere True love to Christ is upright without guil dissimulation or hypocrisie The Virgins love thee They love Christ with chaste undefiled undivided Virgin-affections And again The upright love thee Hebr. uprightness love thee Vprightnesses being put for upright ones the abstract for the concrete Or they love thee in uprightnesses that is most uprightly As the Hebrew may bear and the margin in our English Bibles intimateth Thus Peter evidenced the integrity of his love to Christ when he even appealed to Christ himself that he loved him Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee The Elect love Christ for himself for his odoriferous oyntments for his fragrant name therefore they love him sincerely The love that carnall men bear to Christ is for carnall respects for his loaves c. or they love him only in word and tongue in form and complement as Iudas when he kissed him but they love him not really and cordially in deed and in truth 6. Finally Constant. True love to Christ is a long-lasting ever-living and continuing love Not like Ionas his gourd that comes up in a night and vanishes in a night but like heart of Oak or Cedar not subject to putrefaction Graâ—e be with all theâ— that love the Lord Iesus Christ in incorruption For so the Greek word may as Beza observes be more exactly translated then In sâ—â—â—â—rity Whereby the Apostle intimates that true love to Christ is not liable to corruption putrefaction or decay but still continues constant Yea the flames of true love to Christ are so hot that no waters of affliction can quench it no floods of persecution can drown it The coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it Persecutors have taken away the Mâ—rtyrs lives for Christ but could never destroy the Mâ—rtyrs loves to Christ. Therefore that love to Christ that fadeth and â—ieth especially when trouble and persecution ariseth because of the Gospel like the withering affection of the sâ—ony ground heâ—rers is but a counterfeit love a meer empty shadow that vanisheth â—way By thesâ— properties thou mayst discover â—hy love to Christ. II. Love to Christians is another branch of that love which is requisite as a previous qualification fitting persons for worthy â—eceiving of the Lords Supper and tâ— that end to be examined before we come Touching this
nore 1. The necessity of it 2. The Trial of it 1. The necessity of love to Christians of brotherly love in order to worthy communicating is exceeding great And when ever more necessary â—heâ— in our dayes wherein the love of many both to Christ and Christians is waxen â—old whâ—â— disaffections divisions rents revilings evill â—â—rmizings wrath clamour bitterness and odious distempers are crept â—n amongst brâ—thren in this Nation more then ever High time therefore now to cry out where is the spirit of love now to endeavour the recovery of this fainting swounding and dying affection But here the necessity of it is only to be pressed in reference to the Lords Supper To that end ponder seriously upon these ensuing considerations 1. He that truly loves not his Brother that truly loâ—es not a Christian is a meer carnall man For he is in his natural darkness and walks therein He is spiritually dead and in Gods account A Murderer of his Brotherâ— for there is hand murder by shedding mens blood Tongue-murder by cruel reproaches c. Heart-Murder by causelesse anger and hatred He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now He that loveth his brother abideth in the light there is none occasion of stumbling in him But he that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in dâ—rkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes And again it is said He that loveth not his brother abideth in death Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him Now he that is a meer carnal man in his carnall darkness spiritually dead in sin A murderer without eternal life abiding in him Cannot possibly perform any true service unto God And consequently not rightly receive the Lords Supper which is to be managed with more then ordinary abilities God tells the Jews that all their duties and solemn services were abominable to him because their hands were full of blood And Paul saith They that are in the flesh cannot please God Wherein can they not please him Neither in their persons nor in any of their performances whatsoever They are bad Trees and cannot bring forth good fruit for such as is the Tree such is the fruit Such as is the treasury of the Heart such are the things brought out of that treasury An evil man out of the bad treasury of his heart bringeth forth evill things only 2. No gifts or duties though never so excellent in themselves are of any consequence at all in the sight of God without brotherly love Paul saith Though I speak with the tongues of mâ—n and of Aâ—gels and have not charity I am becomâ— as sounding brasse or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the gift of prophecy understand all mysteries all knowledge And though I have all faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no charity I am nothing And though I bestowe all my goods to feed the poor And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing Here he instanceth in three sorts of eminent gifts tongues prophecy and faith of miracles and in two sorts of most admirable acts or duties greatest liberality to the poor and even martyrdom it self for the truth yet all these nothing without charity to the Brethren So proportionably the receiving of the Lords Supper though never so often is nothing without brotherly love Remarkable is that of our Saviours to this effect having reproved unbrotherly affections and words as a kinde of murder If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Christ makes no reckoning of the most religious actions if there be not true brotherly affections Therefore he requires brotherly love and reconcilement first to be endeavoured before sacrifice to God be presented 3. The Lords Supper is a Sacramental Seal and Token not only of our Communion with Christ but also of our Communion with his members of our fellowship with the Saints This the Apostle clearly intimates saying For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread That is we that partake that one bread in the Lordâ— Supper made up of many grains of Corn are mystically one with each other in Christ though we be many We all are but one bread though many grains one body though many members Such is our Vnion and Communion with one another confirmed in this Ordinance Now without true brotâ—erly Love which is the bond of perfectnesse among Brethren we shall but deal hypocritically in the Lords Supper professing Vnion and Communion with the Brethren to whom we have no true love which is the bond of this Vnion and Communion 4. The Lords Supper was ordained to confirm unto us Gods remission of our sins unto us in Christs blood For in the institution Christ saith of the Cup This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins That is this wine in the Cup is a signe and seal of my blood of the New Testament shed for obtaining remission of sins to many even to all the Elect. So that Christs blood and remission of sins purchased thereby are signified and sealed to us in the Lords Supper Now we cannot have Gods pardon of our sins sweetly and comfortably by this Ordinance or any other assured to our Consciences unless we have true brotherly love and exerciâ—e it also in forgiving one another our trespasses and mutual injuries that may fall out Vpon those teâ—◠〈◊〉 Christ taught us to pray for pardon And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debâ—ors For confirmation of which Petition Christ addes For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses And Christ farther shews in an eminent Parable to this purpose That if we forgive not to one another our small debt of an hundred pence we cannot expect that God will remit our great debt to him of ten thousand talents 5. Finally to come to the Lords Supper without true brotherly love with divided uncharitable unbrotherly hearts is most unsuitable and disgraceful both to Christ and his Supper To Christ because he is one and unites all his Members to himself as head and to each other as fellow Members in one mysticall body To the Lords Supper also for that 's a bond of our Vnion and Communion with Christ and with one another as his members Now how can we draw neer to Christ this uniting Head or to the Lords Supper this uniting Ordinance without brotherly
and whilest in that wretched state Whilest yet without strength when sinners whilest enemies whilest enmity it self against God when they were dead in trespasses and sins in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Even then when there was nothing but unworthiness and abominableness in them was Christ given for them And this whilst Christ was not given for the Reprobates of the world for whom Christ would not so much as Pray much lesse die yet these in no worse condition by nature then those for whom Christ died How doth this heighten the mercy 4. The motive or impulsive why Christ was bestowed was not any thing at all in the creature but meerly the free Grace and Love of God Vpon these and like considerations what estimation hast thou of Christ 2. Dost thou esteem Christs Death The Mystery of the Lords Supper Christ is the matter but how Christ as crucified as Broken as slain for us in that respect Christ is the matter his Death therefore is the Mystery of it How dost value Christs Death Dost thou estimate it according to the true valuableness of it viz. 1. Esteemest thou Christs death according to the love evidenced in it Greater love then this hath no man then that a man lay down his life for his friends But greater then this Christ shewed in laying down his life for enemies Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us Was ever love like this love The Apostle prayes for the Ephesians and his expressions are admirable That they may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge He measures Christs love by 4 Dimensions Philosophy knows but three Length Breadth and Depth Divinity adds a fourth Heighth intimating that Christs love is far beyond all ordinary measures and dimensions There 's Depth in it without bottom Heighth in it without top Breadth in it without side and Length in it without end Yea it utterly passeth knowledge Christs warmest love to sinners flowed with his blood out of all his wounds Esteemest thou his Death according to Christs love in dying 2. Esteemest thou Christs death according to the sufficiency of it Christs death was an Odour of a sweet smell most acceptable to God He by once offering up of himself hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified So that there needs now no more Sacrifice for sins The infinite dignity of his person so infinitely dignified his passion Hence Christ by his short suffering prevailed more for our salvation then all men on earth or Angels in Heaven could have done if they should have suffered to eternity 3. Esteemest thou Christs death according to the many inestimable benefits of it Hereby Sinners are justified sins purged away Hereby Enemies to God are reconciled Hereby death he that had the power of death the Devil with all Principalities and powers are subdued Hereby eternal Redemption from spiritual thraldom is obtained In a word hereby we have accesse with boldnesse and entrance into the Holiest of all Heaven it self Christs blood is Heavens Key Oh what soul can truly taste these saving purchases of Christs death and not admire it 3. Finally doest thou aright esteem the Lords Supper it self It deserves high estimation 1. For the mysteries in it Christs death and all the benefits of it The New Covenant and all the promises of it Communion with Christ and all the comforts of it 2. For the familiarity of it Herein Christ deals familiarly with his members He stoops to their senses below that their senses may lift up their faith to him above He represents highest mysteries under meanest elements and actions Thus he condescends to our earthliness that we may aseend to his heavenlinesse 3. For the Firmnesse of it In right use the Lords Supper doth as surely signifie seale and exhibit Christ crucified and all his benefits to us as we partake the outward elements there being such a Sacramental union betwixt signes and things signified Do these and like considerations raise up thy thoughts to an high estimation of this Ordinance 3. Retribution or rendring again according to the benefit received acknowledged and esteemed is the third and highest act or degree of thankfulnesse When David was most enlarged unto thankfulnesse he saith What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me And because King Hezekiah recovered of his â—â—knesse at his prayer rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem If non-rendring be â—o dangerous then how dangerous is it to render to God evil for good But what can we or ought we to render again for Christ for his Death for his Supper which are the eminent benefits that immediately call for thankful returns or rendrings when we communicate Answ. What should we not render again for these benefits All we can render is farre too little We should râ—nder 1 Triumphant praises Thus David resolved to render I will take up the cup of salvations and call on the name of the Lord. That is I will take up the Cup of Thanksgivings for Gods salvations and deliverances and will pray and praise God or preach abroad Gods mercies For Israel offered for mercies receied Thank-offerings eating thereof with joy before the Lord and in their eating were wont to take up the Cup of wine and blesse God to this custome David alludes In like sort we should be much in Praises and Thanksgivings for Christ his death c. As Paul notably thanks Christ not only for calling him to the Apostolical Ministery but also and especially for coming into the world to save sinners and himselfe chief of sinners making him a pattern of his grace to all that after should believe 2 Indeared affections Christ pardons the womans many sinnes this was one fruit of his Death Hereupon She loved him much and testified the same by washing his feet with her teares wiping them with the hairs of her head kissing them and anointing them with oyntment She hath nothing too good nothing good enough for Christ. Hath Christ loved thee and given himself for thee leaving this Sacrament as a legacy of his love Oh how should'st thou love him again that thus loved thee first 3 True hearted repentance and reformation Christ came into Zacheus's house to dine with him yea rather into Zacheus his heart there spiritually to feast his soul presently Zacheus the Arch-publican penitentially reformes Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him fourefold And Christ testifies This day is salvation come to this house forasmuch as he also is the sonne of Abraham Sâ—ul
of it which thou takest in hand Rouse up therefore thy judgement and spiritual senses to eye and discern these things truly that so all thine other Graces may be helped and quickened Knowlede being the inlet guide and enlivener of them all 2. Act Faith In discerning and tasting spiritually Christs body and blood how sweet and precious nourishment they are In assenting to the truth of the New Covenant and all the promises thereof to the truth of Christs death and all the benefits thereof to the certainty of this Sacramental comfort and that to the worthy Communicant The bread and wine are Christs body and blood indeed Sacramentally especially in Applying the Covenant and Promiâ—es Christ his love death and all the fruits of his death particularly to thine own soul as certainly undoubtedly as the outward elements are applied to thy body Say with Thomas â—â—â—ling Christs wounds My Lord and my God With Paul Christ loved me and gave hâ—mself for me Say as certainly as this Bread and this wine are mine so the New Testament and all the Promises thereof are mine pardon of sin mine Christ and his death with all the advantages thereof are mine c. Thus to act faith is to eat and drink indeed to communicate indeed 3. Act Repentance and godly Sorrow When thou seest the bread broken and the wine separated from the bread think how Christs body was wounded and his blod shed and separated from his body and this for thy sins Then look upon Christ by faith whom thou hast pierced and be in bitternesse for him by godly sorrow as one is in bitternesse for his first borne c. Fill thine heart with shame and confusion for those sins and with hatred iudignation and holy revenge against those sins of thine that cost Christ so dear and would have cost thee damnation And resolve for future to abominate thy corruptions as the thorns scourges nails and spear that did murder the Lord of glory 4. Act New Obedience Say to thy self O my soul was Christ thus obedient to the death for thee even to the death of the Crosse Did he count it meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work Did he delight to do yea and to suffer the Will of God in being sacrificed for thee How obedient then shouldst thou be to Christ live not to the world or to sinne or to thy selfe but to Christ willingly do any thing he commands forbear any thing he forbids and bear any thing he inflicts that Christ in all may be glorified 5. Act Love sincerely to Christ and his Members This Sacrament is Christs Love-token to his Church A Memorial of his death for us which was his greatest expression of love to us Behold how his love streamed forth to sinners out of every stripe and wound of head back hands feet and heart Behold how he loved thee wilt not thou love him again warme thy frozen affections at this fire of Christs love and melt them into reciprocal love to Christ. Love him in his Person Offices Ordinances and in his Image in whomsoever it appeares 6. Act Thankfulnesse Christ crucified represented here is highest matter of Thankfulnesse Acknowledge this mercy of mercies esteem it according to its worth and resolve to render again to Christ thy praises service affections sufferings and thy self both soul and body in way of Thankfulnesse Say with David Blesse the Lord O my soul And What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me c. 7. Act Finally a true spiritual Appetite Eagerly hunger and thirst after this bread and drink indeed the flesh and blood of Christ. These will so fully satisfie the soul that it shall never totally hunger or thirst more but shall live for evermore And as the hungry stomach delightfully closeth with corporal food extracting the nutritive juyce out of it so let thine hungring soul contentingly close with Christ drawing all hearty juyce and nourishment from him V. Improve thy corporal Senses discerning the outside of the Lords Supper to help thy spiritual Senses and Graces to discerne the inside of the Lords Supper As windows casements let in the light heat and influence of the Sun into an house so these windows and casements of the outward senses let in the light heat and spiritual influence of Jesus Christ the Sun of righteousnesse into the heart and soul. As in the Word preached Christ enters into the heart by the Sense of Hearing the Organ of Discipline so in the Lords Supper Christ comes into the heart by the senses of Seeing Touching and Tasting Doth Christ make use of thy Senses to condescend to thee do thou improve thy Senses to ascend up unto him Thomas would not believe that Christ was alive till he put his fingers into his wounds after he revived and then he cries out My Lord and my God so thou that doubtest of Christs love to thee and dying for thee cast hither thine eye to the bread broken and wine severed from it To the elements and actions and see the Lords dying for thee reach hither thine hand take and apply this bread broken to thine own self and as it were feel his wounded hands and feet and heart use here thy taste and discern what nourishment Christ is And be no longer faithlesse but believing O fix thy senses stedfastly upon the Supper of the Lord till thou hast fixed thine heart firmly upon the Lord of the Supper Let thy senses be acted towards the bread and wine till thy soul be affected with the bread and water of life VI Remember Iesus Chrâ—st and him crucified throughout the whole action This is Christs command in the Institution that we both eat the Bread and drink the Cup in remembrance of him And Paul explaining this remembrance of Christ interprets it especially in reference to his Death and the shewing of it forth The Lords Supper then was intended for a solemne Memorial of Christ crucified and as it were a Marble-Monument or piller upon Christs Sepulchre that Christ and his death might never be forgotten but that Christ dying might be everliving in his peoples hearts Therefore at the Lords Supper remember Christ remember his love to thee remember his death for thee think often and meditate much upon these things Quest. But how shall I remember Christ crucified at the Lords Supper for greatest advantage and benefit to my soul Answ. Remember Christ crucified three wayes vâ—z 1. Historically remembring the History of Christ and his death 2. Mysteriously remembring the spiritual mystery of Chrâ—st and his death 3. Energetically so remembring both as to imprint them with energy effect and effâ—cacy upon the soul. This will be remembring Christ crucified indeed 1. Historically Remember the History of Christ and of his death as it is recorded in holy Scriptures especially as it is delineated by the four
iniquity of us all For the transgression of my people was he stricken By his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities And he was numbered with the transgressors and he bare the sin of many Thus Christ who in himself had no sin was crucified for the sins of his Elect who had nothing but sin The guiltless for the guilty the innocent for the nocent the Pastor for the flock the Master for the servant the Captain for the Souldier the Physician for the Patient the King for the people the workman for the work and he that was God himself for man Christ was betrayed but our sins the Iudas that betrayed him Christ was condemned but our sins the Pilate that condemned him Christ was crucified but our sins the nails that fastned him to the Crosse Christ had Gall and Vineger given him to drink but our sins were the Vineger and the Gall Christ was pierced but our sins were the Thorns and Spear that pierced his head and heart Remember these things when thou receivest the Sacrament of Christs death call to minde thy sins the procuring causes of Christs death Say in thine own heart to Christ as Augustine I am the stroke of thy grief I am the fault of thy killing I am the desert of thy death I am the offence of thy revenge I am the grievousness of thy passion I am the toil of thy torment O wonderfull condition of censure and ineffaeble disposition of the mystery The unjust sins and the just is punished the guilty transgresseth and the guiltless is beaten the impious offends and the pious is condemned What the bad deserves the good suffereth what the servant perpetrates the Lord payeth what man commits â—od undergoeth Whither O Son of God whithe◠〈…〉 humility whither flamed thy charity whither proceeded thy piety whither increased thy benignity whethtr reached thy love whither came thy compassion For I have done unjustly thou art punished I have dealt heinously thou art â—evengefully smitten I have committed the fault thou art tortured I have been proud thou hast been humbled c. Thus remember that thy sins were the procuring causes of Christs sorrows 2. Impulsive or inward moving causes of Christs Death were only the free grace self-propension and love of God Christ to sinners The Souldiers had never fast'ned Christ to the Crosse had not our sins first fast'ned him there our sins had never fixed him to the tree if his Love had not first fixed him Love moved God to give his Son Love moved Christ to give himself Love brought him down from Heaven râ—frus Love brought him upon the Crosse foâ—ous Love made him pray sweat and bleed and die for us God so loâ—ed us as to give his Son for us God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perâ—sh but have everlasting life Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were â—et sinners Christ died for us And Christ so loveâ— us as to give himself to death for us I am the good Shepherd The good Shepherd gâ—veth his life for the sheep No man tâ—keth it from me but I lay it down of my self Greater love hath no man then this that a maâ— lay down hâ—s life for his friends Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down hâ—s lâ—fe for us Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in hâ—s own blood Hence Paul experimentally saith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me In Communicating remember this love of God and Christ to thee But for this love God had never died for thee 2. Effects fruits and benefits of Christs Death are manifold and most excellent In this memorial of Christs Death especially remember these fruits of his death viz. 1. Redemption We by the first Adams fall were utterly enslaved and enthralled under sin the curse of the Law Death and all the powers of darkness By the second Adam's Death we are redeemed from them all But Christ by his own blood entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation c. but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us and Christ hath by his death triumphed over all our enemies and deliâ—ered us from them Hence Christ is said to be made of God to us Redemption 2. Reconciliation By the first Adam's Apostasie we are not only enthralled under sin death Satan and all our spiritual enemies But we are become utter Enemies to God and to all true spiritual goodness yea the carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God And being at enmity with God we are consequently at enmity with all his creatures every thing is against us But by the blood and death of Christ the second Adam we are reconciled again to God For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death c. Hence God is said to be in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them And the Gospel is called The word of Reconciliation 3. Iustification and Pardon of sin By reason of our fall in Adam we have lost all our original righteousness our persons are become sinners our natures principles and actions unrighteous and our selves are become guilty of death before God Now Christ is made of God righteousness unto us He is The Lord our righteousness For God imputing all our unrighteousness to Christ and all Christs righteousnesse active and passive to us through the merit of Christs death and obedience our sins are freely remitted our guilt removed and our persons are accepted as righteous before God Christ was offered to bear the sins of many While we were yet sinners Christ
died for us Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Hence Christ in the Institution of the Supper saith This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins God justifies us efficiently Christ justifies us by his blood and obedience meritoriously by his Resurrection evidentially evidencing the full vertue and victory of his death Faith justifies us instrumentally good works justifie us declaratively in the sight of men declaring our faith to be lively and true that brings forth good works 4. Victorie over our spiritual enemies Naturally by the fall we are in the bond of iniquity and through fear of death all our life-time subject to bondage and led captive by Satan at his will Israels bondage and slavery in Egypt or Babylon no way comparable to this spiritual bondage But Christ by his death Hath condemned sin in the flesh Hath overcome death and destroyed him that had the power of death the Devil having spoâ—led principalities and powers and triumphed over them openly by his Crosse. 5. Finally Entrance into Heaven Though our sin had cast us out of Paradise and from all hope of Heaven yet Christ by his death and blood hath opened to us the gate of the heavenly Paradise We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new livâ—ng way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Theâ—e are some of the glorious fruits of Christs death Redemption Reconciliation Justification Victory over our spiritual enemies and entrance into the holiest of all Remember theâ—e at the Lords Supper that sweet Memorial of Christs death Thus remember the Mystery of his death 3. Energetically Remember Christ and his death the History Mystery of his death so as to work this remembrance with energy force and efficacy upon thine heart and spirit Let this remembrance of Christ make some savory practical impressions upon thy soul which may dwell and fix there for thy good How may that be done Answ. Thus 1. Remember Christ and his death so as to lay to heart the deep sinfulness and misery into which the first Adam plunged us by his fall Judge of the extremity of the malady by the eminency of the remedy No lesse then death then such a death and that of such a person as Christ who was God-man could eâ—er have expiated that sinfulness or haâ—e remoâ—ed that misery If all the men on earth and all the Angels in heaven had died and that eternally they could never have satisfied Gods justice for one sin For Gods justice offended is infinite and all that mere creatures can do or endure are as themselves meer finite but Christs person being of infinite worth in respect of his God-head satisfied to the full Think not Adams sin to be small It murdered himself and all his posterity It cost Christ his dearest hearts blood And Adams first sin was thy sin for thou wast in his loyns when he fell Lay this to heart proportionably 2. Remember Christ and his death so as to admire Gods infinite 1. Wisdom 2. Iustice and 3. Love therein toward sinners 1. Admire his wisdom in contriving this strange way for saving of sinners which men and Angels could not have contrived or imagined That the eternal Son of God should become man personally uniting the humane nature to his divine person That as man he might suffer as God he might satisfie for sinners Here 's Chrâ—st crucified the wisdom of God indeed God! 2. Admire his justice Christ his dear and only Son must be sacrificed that we his utter enemies might be spared Christ his spotless Son who knew no sin must be condemned that we sinners who knew nothing but sin might be cleared Christ who was thâ— life it self must die that we who were dead in sins might live Who would not count it an unrighteous Act if any King should put to death his own obedient Son to save the life of a Traytor or condemn the innocent knowingly for the nocent Oh then how infinite is this Justice of God in giving Christ the righteous to die for us unrighteous It is such justice as seems to have a shew of injustice but that God is so righteous that he can do nothing unrighteously 3. Finally Admire his love God so loved us as to give his own Son his only Son his righteous Son the Son of his love to die a painful shameful and cursed death for us worthless loveless sinners dead in sins enemies enmity it self against God O the depth and heighth and length and breadth of this love of God in Christ which passeth knowledge Say be astonished O my soul at this love which passed all love 3. Remember Christ and his death so as to lament and hate those sins for which Christ thus suffered When thou seest the bread broken think how Christs body was broken wounded for thy sins And then fill thine heart with grief and indignation against those sins Shall Christs body be so broken and his heart pierced for thy sins and shall not thy heart be pricked and broken for thine own sins Shall thy sins derive Gods wrath upon Christ and shall not thine hatred and wrathful indignation be kindled against thine own sins Dost thou count those sins small or light which Christ found so heavy and heynous that he sweat great drops of blood falling down to the ground and cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Dost thou think much to shed a few penitential tears for those sins for which Christ shed all his hearts blood Canst thou love or be reconciled to those corruptions for which Christ was so hated to the very death Say to thy soul O my soul consider thy sins aright For those Christ bled wilt thou not bleed for them for those Christ died and wilt thou live in them â— c. 4. Remember Christ and his death so as to resolve more effectually to conform to Christ and to his death Then we aright remember Christ crucified when we resolve and endeavour to resemble Christ crucified In this Supper so think upon Christ dying as to be willing to die with him But how shall I die with him or be conform to Christ crucified Answ. By dying to sin By being crucified to the world And by suffering for Christ. 1. By dying unto sin Christ died for sin that we who are dead in sin might die unto sin Whilest we are dead in sin we can do nothing else but sin but when we die to sin we habitually live not any longer therein nor thenceforth serve sin How should we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Hence the Apostle urges our death
to sin from Christs death That as Christ died and rose again so we should die to sin and live to God And Peter saith Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same minde for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin c. Was Christ wounded for thy transgressions and bruised for thine iniquities and wilt thou wound and bruise him afresh by these iniquities Had not Christ sorrows and sufferings enough for thy sins of old that by renewed offences thou wilt tear open his wounds afresh and crucifie him again If thou knowest not what sin is go to the Garden of Gethsemane the High Priests Palace the Judgement-Hall and to the Mount Calvary and there see what it cost Christ. Oh the Worm-wood and the Gall Kill those sins that have killed thy soul let not them live that would not let thy Saviour live When thou art ready to commit sin then imagine thou didst meet thy crucified Saviour all bathed in his own blood and beseeching thee by all his wounds and blood to forbear thy sin and would not this disswade thee 2. By being crucified to the world Christ dying forsook this world and went up in his soul that day into Paradise And Christ instituted this Supper when he was now the same night readie to be betrayed Let this Supper remember thee to be crucified with Christ to the world As Paul gloried in the Crosse of Christ whereby the world was crucified to him and he unto the world Let thy spirit mount up after Christ into Paradise that thou mayst live above this world having thy conversation in Heaven Let thine heart be wholly in Heaven whilst thou art at this heavenly Feast 3. By suffering with Christ and for Christ or at least being resolved and prepared for suffering wâ—th him thou becomest conformed to Christ crucified In this Supper in the breaking of the bread for thee thou hast represented the breaking and suffering of Christ for thee Christ most worthie was broken for thee most unworthie Did Christ so willingly bear all his sorrows for thee and dost thou grudge to bear any sufferings for him was he so reproached for thy sins and dost thou think much to be reproached for Christs righteousness Art thou treacherously used by friends Christ was betrayed by his own Apostle Art thou imprisoned Christ was apprehended Art thou in bonds Christ was bound Art thou belied Christ was falsely accused Art thou unjustly censured Câ—rist was more unjustly condemned Art thou spoiled of thy good Christ was stripped of his very rayment and they cast lots for his vesture Art thou put to death Christ Jesus the Prince of life was put to death before thee Grudge not to pledge Christ in his bitter cup. He hath suffered for thee giving thee an example that thou shouldst follow his steps 5. Remember Christ and his death so as to enflame thine heart with love to Christ dying for thee Christs death for thee is the highest expression possible of his love unto thee as was before evidenced And this Sacrament is Christs Love-token to his Church for perpetuating of the memory of Christs death that high discovery of his love When therefore thou comest to the Lords Supper call to mind Christs infinite love and stir up thy self to love him again Love breeds love as fire breeds fire Shall Christ love thee so as to die for thee so as to wash thee from thy sins in his own blood And wilt not thou love him with all thine heart and soul and mind and might Was Châ—iâ—â— so fastened on the Crosse for thee and shall he not be fastened in thine heart by thee Shall thy sins pierce his heart and shall not his love pierce thine heart 6. Remember Christ and his death so as to comfort thy self in the sufficiency of Christs death and thy propriety in it As in this Supper is tendred a sufficiency of bodily nourishment both against hunger and thirst here being both bread and wine So in Christs Death hereby represented there 's a sufficiency of spiritual nourishment His flesh being meat indeed and his blood drink indeed And he that eats his flesh drinks his blood hath eternal life For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and so is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him And as the sufficiency of Christs death is set forth in the Lords Supper so Christ endeavours by this Ordinance to assure every worthy Communicant of his particular interest and propriety in Christs death as certainly as he eats this bread and drinks this cup. Therefore at the Lords Supper thus think How all sufficient is Christs death for my salvation There 's more righteousness in it then unrighteousness in me There 's more merit and pardon in it then sin and misery in me There 's more Reconcilement Redemption and Justification in it then enmity slavery and condemnation in me His person being an infinite God I being but a finite creature And all this sufficiency is as surely mine as this bread and wine mine Therefore why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Trust in Christ and his death herein is more for thy consolation then in thy self or sins for thy disconsolation 7. Remember Christ and his death at the Lords Supper so as to provoke thy self to all true thankfulness for Christ crucified This Sacrament is called the Eucharist as was formerly noted It is the Christians solemn Thank-offering Christ gave thanks in instituting it and we should give thanks in celebrating it For what for Christ for his death for all the fruits and benefits of his death Oh what great and manifold matter of thankfulness Say with David Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who healeth all thy diseases pardoneth all thâ—ne iniquitâ—es redeâ—meth thy soul from death c. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me â— I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vowes unto the Lord c. Thus should we remember â—hrist and his death at the Lords Supper and this will be to communicate indeed VII Finally Carefullie avoid all dâ—straction throughout the whole Sacramental Administratâ—on From the beginning to the end keep thine heart and thoughts closely fixed on the mysteries in hand Let not thine eye wander but intentively behold the pledges and memorials of Christ crucified Let not thy thoughts rove but be glued to these heavenly objects laid before thee Here 's enough in Christ crucified fully to take up thy utmost meditations at this Feast Think upon them from point to point as the Sacrament ministreth occasion In this and all duties we should attend