Lords Supper 〈◊〉 How can we diâ—cern our need of the Lords Supper 3. How can we judge of our â—iâ—ness for the Lords Supper Ignorance of our selves will render us ignorant in all these things 3. Of Iesus Christ. For 1. Jesus Christ is the Author of this Ordinance that at first gave Being to it and still gives Benefit by it 2. Jesus Christ is the Matter the inward Matter and Marrow of the Lords Supper to be fed upon Take eat this is my body which is broken for you This Cup is the New Testament in my blood 3. Jesus Christ and the solemn remembrance of his death is one eminent end of the Lords Supper As often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come Consequently without a competent knowledge of Jesus Christ it 's altogether impossible to communicate worthily 4. Of the New Covenant or New Testament For this is one of Christs great Seals and solemn tokens of his New Testament This Cup is the New Testament in my blood So that when we renew tâ—e Lords Supper we renew the Lords Covenant And how can we renew that Covenant whereof we are grosly ignorant 5. Of the Lords Supper it self For should we intrude upon this Ordinance and not competently understand what is the nature oâ— Sacraments in general and of this in particular we should but give God a blinde and a lame service and offer the sacrifice of fools These are the principal points more peculiarly necessary to be known in some competent sort before communicating and these are the reasons why they are so necessary to be known Next consider what ought to be known of them severally in order I. Knowledge of God These things especiâ—lly ought to be known touching God in some competent maner before a man come to the Table of the Lord viz. 1. That God is or That there is a God He that cometh to God must believe that he is 2. That God is one or that there is only one true God and no more The LORD our God the LORD is One. We know that there is none other God but one But to us there is but one God He onely is the living and true God 3. That this one God subsisterh in three distinct Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost There are three that beare Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost The Father is â—f none neither begotten nor proceeding The Son is begotten of the Father eternally Hence called The onely begotten of the Father And The onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father The Hoâ—y Ghost eternally proceedeth from the Father and the Son But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father Theâ—e three are Co-essentiaâ— Co-equal and Co-eternal This deep mystery cannot be fully comprehended by our understandings must be truely apprehended by our faith It may darkly be reâ—embled by the light of Sun Moon and Stars united in the Arre Oâ— by the light of three diâ—tinct Torches united in one flame Or by one of your Bibleleases in three folds The first fold is not the second nor the second the third nor the third either of the other and yet all those three folds are that one leaf Thus the Father is not the Son the Son is not the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost neither the Father nor the Son and yet all these three are that one most Holy God 4. That this one God is a most pure invisible Spirit God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth The King invisible Whom no man hath seen nor can see 5. That this one God Father Son and Holy Ghost hath made himself gloriously known Partly by his essential Attributes or Properties Partly by his Works I. Gods essential Attributes or Properties are the high perfections of his Essence which are all one both with his Essence and with one another yet are revealed to us and apprehended by us as many and different because our weak understandings cannot comprehend this one infinite Act in one Act God is 1. Most absolutely simple No way compounded in himself or with any other thing God is a Spirit The highest Spirit The most spiritual Spirit The Spirit of spirits therefore absolutely uncompounded without body parts or passions Ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake to you out of Horeb c. A Spirit hath not flesh and bones And Paul proving to the Heathens that himself and Barnabas were no gods as they imagined said Sirs Why do ye these things we also are men of like passions with you 2. All-sufficient The LORD appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am God All-sufficient or God Almighty The Hebrew word according to its several derivations may signifie either of these 3. Immutable or Vnchangeable I am the Lord I change not Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shaddow of turning 4. Infinite without and beyond all bounds and limits His understanding is infinite Now Gods understanding is God himself Gods essence is infinite and boundlesse in all respects imaginable Whereupon God is Immense or unmeasurabâ—e Because he cannot be determined or described by any Dimensions of Height Depth Length or Breadth and because he cannot be limited confined or circumscribed with any place Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the LORD But will God indeed dwell on the Earth Beholdâ— the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain theâ— how much less this House that I have builded Omni-present or present in all places Gods essence filling all places yet not comprehended in any place is consequently in all places Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I asscend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the Sea even there shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me c. Incomprehensible Because God is boundless in respect of all created knowledge and understanding No man nor Angel can fully understand or comprehend him Great is the LORD And of his greatnesse ther is no search Canst thou by searchinâ— finde out God Canst thou finde out the Aâ—â—mighty unto Perfection It is as high as Heavâ—â— what canst thou do Deeper then Hell 〈◊〉 canst thou know The measure thereof
his caâ—â—all condition in the first Adam not having accepted Christ lyes under the Covenant of works requiring personal perfect and perpetual obedience under pain of death and the curse And since the Fall no man can keep this Covenant by reason of the infirmity of the flesh nor avoid the curse for not keeping it For Christ alone redeems us from the curse becoming a curse for us Hence every carnal Christlesse man is a cursed man 3. There 's no possibility of escaping damnation or obtaining salvation but onely by Jesus Christ and spiritual interest in him There is not salvation in any other For there is no other name under heaven given whereby we may be saved Hence it is â—aid Except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And except a man be born again of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into thâ— Kingdome of God He that believes not shall be damned Yea He that believes not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God 4. Our natural condition without Christ is most miâ—erable but our supernatural condition in Christ will be most happy For By nature we are utterly lost and in the way of perishing for ever but in Christ we that were lost are found By nature we are dark and blinde in spiritualâ— but of Christ we buy eye-salve that we may see and by him we are called out of darkness into his marvellous light By nature we are dead in sins and trespasses and câ—nnot acceptably act or move at all in spiritual courses but when we come to Christ we shall be quickned and inabled to do all things By nature we are enemies yea enmity against God and against all goodnesse but in Christ we shall be reconciled to God and made freinds by the blood of his Crosse. By nature we are old and corrupt but in Christ Old things shall passe away and we shall become new Creatures By nature we are unregenerate but by Christ we shall be born again By nature we are full of spots and deformities but in Christ we shall be washed and purified at last from every spot and wrinkle through his blood and by his grace become full of beauty Finally by nature we are not a people having not obtained mercy but when we shall come to Christ we shall become the People of the living God and shall obtain in him the Mercy of mercies Now therefore unlesse we resolve to die in this natural misery and to despise all this supernatural felicity it is most necessary that we hasten unto Jesus Christ and the acceptance of him The Duties which we are to perform being once brought unto Christ are many and of high importane Generally we are to walk in newnesse of life this comprehends all Particularly we are to walk 1 In repentance from all dead works not onely bewailing but hating and forsaking them 2. In Self-denyal We must deny our selves In all our Self-sinfulnesse In all our Self-righteousnesse In all our Self-wisdom In all our Self-will In all our Self-love Our self-sinfulnesse is abominable our self-righteousnesse is as filthy rags and rottennesse our self-wisdome is but folly our self-will is but a crooked Rule our self-love is but self-hatred and all the carnal worldly objects of self-love but losse and dung in comparison of Jesus Christ. 3. In faâ—th towards God and Jesus Christ. This is a fundamental duty And by faith we must live drawing all vital supplies from Christ depending upon Gods all-sufficiency and his never-failing promiâ—es 4. In all Christian obedience and in all manner of good works They that believe in God should be carefull to maintain good works and to be alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. For they are His workmanship created in Iesus Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them 5. In all piety to God righteousnesse towards men and sobriety towards our selves For the Gospel of Gods grace teacheth us that denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world 6. In all good conscience and inoffensivenesse towards both God and men Thus the Apostle Paul lived and so should we 7. In all Purity and Holinesse Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. As he therefore that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 8. In all exactnesse strictnesse accuratenesse of conversation Walk circumspectly Greec accurately exactly c. We must walk closely with God looking narrowly to our thoughts words and works 9. In a word we must constantly walk on unto Perfection labouring to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ. As he that swims if he presse not forward the stream carries him backward so in Christianity if we presse not on to perfection the stream of corruption and temptation will drive us back again Therefore Forgetting what is behind let us reach forth to those things which are before and presse towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus These and many like duties we are to perform if we be in Christ. 'T is no small pittance of grace that will serve turn for such performances 3. The Priviledges which we shall enjoy in Christ are generally such as carnal Eye hath not seen ear heard nor the heart of carnal man hath conceived More particularly these that follow especially viz. 1. Adoption into the family of God as his sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. So that now we are of Gods houshold and partake of the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba father And we are not onely sons but heirs of God coheirs with Christ. Behold what manner of love the father hath manifested to us that we should he called the sons of God This is a grand fundamental Priviledge 2. Sanctification of our natures by the Spirit of Christ renewing our whole man after Gods image with all kindes of Grace and mortifying more and more all the reliques of sin in us 3. Justification of our persons freely of Gods meer grace through Christs obedience and death imputed to us by faith whereby all our sins are pardoned and our persons accepted as righteous before God O thrice blessed are they that are thus pardoned and justified 4. Sweet Communion with God Father Son and Holy Ghost This fellowship is the Saints heaven-on-earth Such walk with God converse with God have their conversation in heaven They dwell in God and God in them Sup with Christ and Christ with them 5. All the promises of this and the world to come The promises of God are
Resurrection from the dead out of the grave the third day He both revived and rose again As a second Adam and Head of his Church for our Iustification Spiritual raising of our souls out of sin and Corporal raising of our bodies out of the grave at the last day declaring hereby his infinite God-head His Lordship over quick and dead His full satisfaction of Gods justice for us and his absolute victory oâ—er sinne death and the devil 3. In his Ascension up into heaven fourty days aâ—ter his Resurrection as our Head and Fore-runner Thereby to lead Captivity Captive most triumphantly To receive and give gifts for men To cause our hearts and Affections spiritually to ascend after him To prepare a place for us that where he is we might be also 4. In his Session or sitting down at Gods right hand as God-man our Mediatour in highest Majesty and Glory farre above all Angels Having compleat dominion not only over his Church but over all things in the whole world for the good of his Church Pouring his Spirit upon his people continually making intercession for them 5. Finally In his coming again at the last day to judge the whole world in righteousnesse In his Humiliation at his first coming he was judged and condemned by sinners unjustly In his Exaltation at his second coming he shall judge both men and Angels justly And he shall come in His own and his Fathers glory descending from heaven with a shout and the voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trumpet of God attended most gloriously with the triumphant train of innumerable Saints and Angels to render to every one according to his works Thus we are to know that Christ diâ—charged his office of Mediatourship as Prophet Priest and King both in his state of Humiliation and Exaltation V. That this Mediatour Jesus Christ is an absolutely All-sufficient Mediatour There can be nothing required for sinners salvation which is not compleatly to be had in Christ. Is it Redemption He hath obtained eternal Redemption for his Elect. And by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Is it reconciliation to God When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Is it Justification He is made unto us righteousness He is The LORD our Righteousnesse He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the Righteousnesse of God in hâ—m for he is the Righteousnesse of God viz. which God hath devised and will accept So that Christ hath more righteousnesse than we have unrighteousnesse more pardons than we have debts more justification than we have condemnation Is it Holinesse He is full of grace and truth that out of his fulnesse we might receive and grace for grace Is it any thing He hath all fulnesse in hâ—mself that we may be compleat in him And he is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to moke intercession for them VI. That though Jesus Chriâ—t be such an All-sufficient Mediatour and Saâ—iour yet he will saâ—e none at all but them onely to whom he is actually applied He that hath the Son hath life but he that hath not the Son hath not lâ—fe He justifies sinners but onely thoâ—e sinners that beleeve in him He gives soul-rest to wearied souls but onely to thoâ—e wearied and heavy-laden â—ouls that come unto him He gâ—ves Priviledge to become the sons of God But this Priviledge he onely gives to them that receâ—ve him c. Our union to Christ is the foundâ—tion of all our Communion with Christ. No Vnion no Communion VII Finally we are to know touching Christ that he is the subâ—tance of all the Sacraments both of Old and New Testament The Centre of the Covenant of grace and of all the Promises And the very marrow of all the Scriptures They that know not Christ aright know nothing of the Holy Scriptures to purpose for they principally testifie of him They are as the â—tarres that lead to Christ They are as the Sun-beams that discover this Sunne of Righteousnesse They are the secret swadling-clothes of the childe Jesus These things we should know touching Christ before we come to the Lords Supper 4. Knowledge of the New Covenant Knowledge of the New Covenant is the fourth point of knowledge requisite to a worthy Communicant before receiving of the Lords Supper In the Institution of the Lords Supper it is said of the Cup This is my blood of the New Testament That is this Wine in the Cup is a Signe and Seal of my blood by which the New Testament is ratified So that by the Lords Supper the New Testament or New Covenant is confirmed to us and in receiving the Lords Supper we renew Coâ—enant with God This we cannot do judiciously unleâ—s we competently understand the nature of the New Covenant Now for the opening of the New Covenant in some measure Consider these following Propositions which may afford some true taste of the nature of the New Covenant 1. The New Covenant is not the same Covenant which God made with Adam in Innocency but far different from it and that in divers particulars For 1. The Covenant with Adam was a Covenant of amity or friendship made by God with him as by a Creator with his creature But the new Covenant is a Covenant of reconciliation made by God as a Redeemer with the sinner 2. The Covenant with Adam was upon tearms of personal perfect and perpetual Obedience to the Moral Law written in his heart the curse and death being threatned to the least transgression thereof But the New Covenant is upon tearms of Faith and new obedience as the fruit thereof and testification of our thankfulness The Spirit of Grace being promised to work that faith and obedience whereunto eternal lifâ— is promised c. 3. The Covenant with Adam was with a person perfectly able to fulfil the Covenant in his own peâ—peâ—son alone The New Covenant is with persons unable of themselves to do any thing acceptably before God without divine Grace assisting and therefore performing Covenant onely in Jesus Christ their Surety 4. The Covenant with Adam was wâ—â—hout a Mediator Adam in his innocency nâ—eding no Mediator of Redemption or Reconciliation But the New Covenant is with a Medâ—ator Jesus Christ most necâ—ssary unto sinners for their salvation II. The New Covenant is the same in substance and essential constitution but far different in circumstance and manner of administration from the Old Covenant By Old Covenant I understand The Covenant of promise That is to say all the Covenants and Promises touching Christ from the first promise of The seed of the woman immediately after the fall till Christs
onely bread and wine these the least matters But also Christs body and blood and all the benefits thereof So that we must here take A lively memorial of Christs death A rich banquet for our inward man A sealed pardon of our sins A blessed bond of our communion with Christ crucified A sensible ratification of the New Testament with all its promises and priviledges These things we must take eat and drink in the Lords Supper and wherewith shall they possibly be thus taken and applied but by true saving Faith alone 4. Finally faith is necessary for enabling us duely to walk after communicating This Sacrament affords heavenly nourishment Conâ—equently after it we should walk as nourished strengthened comforted enlivened c. Now it 's faith especially that acts moves ruleâ—+ doth all in a Christian from Christ assisting Faith in Christ being the very Lâ—fe of a Christian. Thus of the necessity of faith before communicating â— How this saving faith thus necessary may be typed and examined before we come to the Lords Supper This is the last branch to be considered touching Faith We may try and examine whether we have true saving faith or no Partly by the former description of true saving faith See if thou hast such a faith Partly by these ensuing properties and qualities of faith 1. True saving faith notably softens supples and melts the heart It thawes and dissolves the most stony hard adamantine spirit into streams and floods of penitential sorrow I wâ—ll pour upon the house of David the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced there 's faith and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon c. The Spirit of grace shall make men look upon Christ by faith as Israel looked upon the type of Christ the brazen Serpent in the wilderness and looking shall melt them make them mourn How mourn Mourn with a witness for their sins whereby they pierced Christ They shall mourn they shall be in bitterness there shall be a great mourning As for an only Son As for a first-born as for that peerelesse King Iosiah in Hadadrimmon Emphaticall expressions Naturally mans heart is closed up as a compacted Rock of Flint or Marble Faith comes as another Moses smites this Rock and brings forth Rivers of waters Faith brings the soul to Christ crucified sets him as it were with Mary under his Crosse in Golthotha makes him view the transcendent anguish agonies bitterness and torments of his sufferings and all this for our sins his thy my sins in particular For he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. The Lord hath made to meet on him the iniquities of us all He was made sin for us who knew no sin Oh how this strikes to the believers heart How this makes him sigh with Christ lament with him smart with him bleed with him cry out with him as it were die with him nothing melts the heart so kindly as faith looking on Christ pierced for our sins particularly Here faith reads the intolerable sinfulness of sin that could not be expiated but at so dear a rate Here in Christs sufferings faith reads the sinners doom If this befell the surety what was due to the principal If sin imputed be so plagued what might have been expected for sin inherent If this be done to the green tree what would have be fallen the dry Here faith reads the boundless Ocean of Gods matchless love in Christ What such a God give sitch a Jewel as his only Son to such a death and that for such worthless loveless hopeless godless sinners Greater love then this hath no man Oh the breadth and length and depth and height of Christs love passing knowledge Oh how do these and like considerations of faith pierce the heart break the spirit imprint contrition and overcome the soul 2. True saving faith having pierced the heart purifies the heart Purifying their hearts by faith Faith cleanses not only the outward but the inward man not onely the actions but the fountain of those actions the heart and affections washes not onely the outside but the inside of the cup and platter makes a man forbear not only outward grosse acts of sin but inward imaginations and impure inclinations to sin A true believer as truly makes conscience of and laments for the vileness of his heart and thoughts in the sight of God as the enormity of his life and actions in the sight of men But how doth faith cleanse and purifie the heart Answ. 1. By Augmentation from the word against sin which discerns the odiousness and danger of sin How shall I do this wickedness which God so forbids and abhors c. In this respect the Word hath a sanctifying efficacy Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 2. By application of Christs blood and death Christs blood is that Fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesse to wash in And faith is that hand which puts us into this Fountain applies Christs death and makes us conformable thereunto That as Christ died for sin so we die to sin 3. By inward efficacy and operation Faith is not only an Instrument of Justification but an eminent part of Sanctification and so doth of its own nature purge out sin as wine works out the Dregs Honey the Drosse or as fire purifieth unwholsome aire Shew now thy faith by thy purity A faithfull soul cannot have a foul heart As that soul that by faith looks upon Christ pierced for his sins cannot chuse but be wounded and pierced with Christ so that soul that 's pierced for piercing Christ by sin cannot but abandon and abhorre all those sins for which Christ was pierced Faith having endeared the heart to Christ embitters the heart against sin Sin being the Iudas that betrayed Christ the Pilate that condemned him the Crown of Thorns nails and spear that pierced him 3. True saving faith makes a man sincerely obedient and fruitful in good works This is a duty charged upon the faithful This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works This is an intrinsecal property of faith To work by love and Love is the fulfilling of the Law therefore the nursing-Mother of all good works And that faith that is without works is dead as a body without a soul. A workless faith is a worthless faith And this the faithful in all ages have practised the alacrity of their obedience hath born witness to the integrity of their faith as in
life from sin to God This is the truth and life of Repentance when it brings us to a converting change Vnchanged men are impenitent men In repentance there 's a double conversion and change wrought viz. 1. Of a mans Heart and Person 2. Of his life and Conversation His person and heart is brought to a new state Make you a new heart and a nâ—w spirit His life and conversation is brought to a new course That we should walk in newnesse of life A mans peâ—peâ—son and heart is changed when he is brought from a state of sin to a state of grace Now a man is brought from his carnal to a spiritual state 1. When he is converted from the darknesse of sin ignorance and spiritual misery to the light of holinesse knowledge and spiritual happinesse To turn them from darknesse to light Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord. 2 When he is conâ—erted and raised from death in sin to life in Christ. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses sins wherein in time past ye walked The father said of the repenting Prodigal This thy brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found 3. When he is converted from the reign of sin and power of Satan to God and Christ and brought under his dominion To turn them from the power of Satan unto God Ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousnesse Now we are free from the reign of sin 1 When we obey it not in its lusts 2 When we yield not our members as weapons or instruments of unrighteousness unto sin And we are delivered from the power of Satan 1 When The Prince of the air works not in us as in the children of disobedience 2 When we are not led captive by Satan at his will but resist him and fight against him and yield up our selves wholly as spiritual sacrifices to God Try whether thine heart and person be thus changed from the state of sin to a state of grace A Mans life and Conversation is changed when he is brought from a sinfull to a gracious course Now a man is then truly and effectually brought from a sinful to a gracious course of life 1. When he converts from sin to Sanctity sincerely forsaking sin because it is sin and contrary to God and his holy Law â— following holinesse for holinesse sake because it is most agreeable to God and his Will As Ioseph How shall I do this greâ—t wickednesse and so sin against God 2. When he converts from sinfulnesse to holinesse of life compleatly He that hates sin because sin hates all sin and he that follows holinesse because holinesse follows all holinesse Repent and turn from all your transgressions Cast away from you all your transgressions As obedient childrenâ— not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance But as he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Yea he that truly turnes from all sin turns from every special sin whereunto he is inclined by Nature Calling or Temptation more peculiarly I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity 3. When he turnes from sinfulnesse to holinesse of life continually Hypocrites though they seem to repent yet they are again intangled and overcome of their corruptions turning from the holy Commandment as the Dog turneth to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire But the true Convert returns not to his vomit but becomes dead to sin and alive to God through Christ. Whereupon the Apostle thus argues How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer herein And where there 's no living in sin any longer there 's a continual converting from sin to sanctity of life Both heart and life are converted truly unto God 1. When we accept God as our God in Covenant and we become his people according to the tenouâ— of the New Covenant as was formerly shewed 2. When heart and life are acted ruled and guided by God inwardly and outwardâ—y by his Spirit and Word Then we yeeld our selves unto God as servants of God And being led by the Spirit of God we are the Sons of God Gods Testimonies also being our delight and Counsellers 3. When heart and life tend to God as their ultimate End When our desires love delight c. are towards God more then to any thing in Heaven or Earth Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in Earth there is none that I desire besides thee And when our hearts and affections desire love or delight in other things in order and subordination unto God And when both heart and life Persons and Conversations are devoted unto God and to his Glory Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods None of us liveth to himself and no man dâ—eth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords This is to be truly converted in heart and life from sinne to God IV. NEW OBEDIENCE which is an immediate fruit effect of Repentance is another qualification requisite in a worthy Communicant And therefore in the next pâ—ace consider 1. The Necessity of it 2. The Tryall of it 1. The Necessitie of New Oâ—edience to Qualifie a Christian for worthy communicating appears divers wayes For 1. Without true Obedience All outward Professions of Religion seeming love to Gods Ordinances and outward performances of service are dis-regarded of God as vain hypocritical and abominaâ—â—e They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and dâ—sobedient and unto every good work reprobate Conâ—equently Receiving of the Lords Supper will be in vain without new obedience 2. The Lords Supper being a Token and Seal of the New Covenant The New Testament in Christs blood is also a Bond and Obligation to New Obedience whereby we solemnly engage our selves to fear and obey God for ever as his Covenant-people And so oft as we renew the Lords Supper so oft we renew this Bond of Obedience without true Obedience communicating is but dissembling 3. In the Lords Supper we have a solemn Record and Memorial of the rarest and highest obedience in the world viz. The Obedience of Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God and that to the Death for our sakes Such obedience of such a person to such a death even the death upon the Crosse and all for such sinners as we are How admirable and incomparable is that obedience Christ herein