and other Reprobates may have such faith and yet be rejected of Christ at last as Workers of Iniquity 3. It is not an imaginary faith whereby a man may imagine that Christ is his his state good c. without any due Scripture-ground for it himself mean-while continuing in his meer carnal state bringing forth no fruits of faith This Iames calls a dâ—ad faith which cannot save a man And indeed this is plain down right Presumption 4. Finally it is not a temporary faith which goes beyond all the rest whereby a formal Hypocrite Believes for a time For this faith at last vanisheth like a Comet and he that hath it falls away when temptation trouble and persecution ariseth because of the Gospel Therefore unless a man have a faith beyond all these he cannot be fit for worthy communicating Affirmatively It is onely the true saving faith in Christ the true justifying faith that will sufficiently fit and prepare a man for the Lords Supper which may be thus described what it is True saving faith is a grace of the regenerating Spirit whereby a man knowing and assenting to the truth of Gods Record touching Christ accepts him upon his own termes for salvation In this description of faith consider the generall nature and the special difference of it The Generall Nature of it wherein it agrees with all true saving grace is expressed in theâ—e words True saving faith is a grace of the regenerating Spirit See this proved Faith is Gods gift By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God A grace of the Spirit The fruit of the spirit is love goodness faith And also a grace of the Regenerating Spirit Them that believe on his Name which were born not of blood nor of the wâ—ll of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So that believers are regenerate persons and believing originally flowes from Regeneration and Regeneration is the work of the Spirit The special difference whereby Faith is distinguished from all other saving graces is in these words whereby a man knowing and assenting to the truth of Gods record touching Christ accepts him upon his own terms for salvation Herein are expressed the three graduall acts of faith viz. Knowledge Assent and Application 1. Knowledge which is the first and fundamental act of faith We must know Gods Record before we can assent to it we must assent before we can apply Faith is sometimes therefore expressed by knowledge By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many that is by faith in Christ whereby we know him it is by faith that we are justified This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Assent to the truth of Gods Record touching Christ. This Act is the same with Historicall faith He that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son And this is the Record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son The whole Scripture is Gods book of Record touching Christ that he will save sinners by him that will believe in him 3. Application of Christ when after knowledge and Assent a man accepts Christ upon his own terms for salvation The applying Act is accepting or receiving of Christ. To receive Christ is to believe To as many as received him gave he power to become the Sons of God to them that believe on his name The manner of this applying and accepting Christ is upon his own termes viz. Self-deniall bearing the Crosse and following Christ If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crosse daily and follow me The end of this accepting Christ is for salvation by him That believe to the saving of the soul Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved This now is that true saving faith fitting them that have it for worthy receiving of the Lords Supper 2. How needful this true faith is to worthy communicating This saving faith is necessary before communicating 1. For due qualifying of our persons and actions 2. For discerning Christs body and other Sacramental mysteries 3. For applying Sacramental mysteries discerned 4. For enabling duely to walk afterwards And doubtless no one grace is more absolutely necessary in all these respects for the Lords Supper then this Faith is which is as a Queen among the graces 1. For due qualifying of our Persons and Actions Without faith it is impossible to please God Without faith we cannot please him in our persons nor in our actions Faith is the soul and life of our souls and duties the salt that seasons all our spiritual sacrifices 2. For discerning Christs body and other Sacramental mysteries in the Lords Supper Not to discern judge distinguish and apprehend aright of Christs body dashes upon that fearful Rock of eating and drinking damnation to our selves And a Christians principall discerning faculty in this business is his faith This faith is the Eagles eye whereby a man pierces through the Clouds and shadows of the outward Elements to those heavenly Mysteries in and beyond them Christs body and blood Faith is that acute spiritual sense whereby a Communicant can taste and relish Christ crucified in the Lords Supper Faith is tha spiritual Prospective by which the soul can behold Christ sweating drops of clotted blood in the Garden suffering many cruel things in the High-Priests Palace and dying a painful shameful and cursed death betwixt two theeves upon Mount Calvary And further faith can read and discern many strange Mysteries in Christ crucified of high concernment to Christians both in the Lords Supper and in his whole life viz. The efficacy sweetness victories triumphs satisfactions expiations purchases priviledges c. of his Crosse for our sakes Our liberty in his imprisonment Our acquital in his accusation Our peace in his perplexity Our healing in his stripes and wounds Our honour in his Reproach Our Exaltation in his Humiliation Our Comfort in his Crosse Our blessing in his Curse Our Mannah and Honey in his Vinegar and Gall Our strength in his weakness Our purity pardon and peace in his blood Our justification in his condemnation Our life in his death and in his Crown of thorns our Crown of glory Faith can discover these mysteries when all carnall reason wit and policy cannot discern them 3. For applying sacramental mysteries discerned As faith is the spiritual eye whereby we discern Christ crucified and the mysteries of his death in the Lords Supper so faith is the spirituall hand whereby we take Christ tendered in the Elements The spirituall mouth and stomack whereby we eat and digest Christ received Take ye and eat take ye and drink What must we take eat and drink in this Ordinance Answ. Not
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
that cloud of witnesses Try now thy faith by thy gracious works and sincere obedience But how shall I discover the truth of my faith by mine obedience Answ. Make tryal in these particulars 1. Doth faith make thee so obedient to the Word of God that it makes thee faithfully to cleave to the sincere and powerful Ministery of it though mocked despised opposed by the wicked multitude Some mocked howbeit certain men clave unto him and believed 2. Doth faith make thee set upon the strangest and hardest tasks when imposed by God As Noah upon building of his Ark which he was one hundred and twenty years in building By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. 3. Doth faith incline and bow thine heart so unto obedience as to make thee deny thine earthly friends outward priviledges and carnal affections rather then foregoe thine obedience Abraham through faith so obeyed God as to leave his own Countrey and follow God not knowing whether he went yea as to offer up his Isaac his onely begotten Son 4. Doth faith make thee perform all thine obedience to God sweetly chearfully lovingly loving God his commands and his obedience Faith worketh by love Faith puts upon all duties and services to God in love without whimpering or murmuring 4. True saving Faith wonderfully loosens and unglues the heart of a Christian from the world and all earthly felicities By Faith Abraham Isaac and Jacob sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey dwelling in tents It had been much patiently to sojourn in a strange Land but to sojourn in the Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey was excellent They had not fixed Houses but moving Tents They were not dwellers but sojourners in their own inheritance because in and beyond Canaan Faith eyed and expected Heaven By Faith also Moses though a great Courtier in Egypt and the supposed son of King Pharaoh's Daughter yet preferred suffering affliction with Gods people beyond enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season And esteemed the reproach of Christ greater â—iches then the treasures in Egypt How did Moses esteem Christs riches that so esteemed Christs reproaches And no wonder that Faith thus disobligeth the heart from the World For Faith beholds in Christ the Covenant and promises Treasures beyond ten thousand Worlds Redemption Righteousnesse Adoption Holinesse Communion with God Co-operation of all things for good yea in summe Grace and Glory and upon view thereof how easily doth she slight and despise honours riches pleasures gold silver houses lands and all such low muddy perishable unsatisfying things How self-denyingly doth she desire them use them and part with them when there is occasion Doth thy faith thus make thine heart sit loose from the world 5. True saving faith is a quickening enlivening Grace yea the very life of a Christian The just shall live by his faith And Paul saith God! As the body lives by the Soul So the Soul lives by Faith Faith by the Promise and by Christ the marrow and kernel of the Promise But of this life of Faith elsewhere Dost thou live by Faith 6. True Faith is â—â—tended with Sense of its own infirmity with a Spirit of Prayer and with Divine Peace 1. With a true Sense of its own infirmity This made the man in the Gospel say I believe Lord help minâ— unbelief And the Apostles say Lord increase our faith It s a sign of life to be sensible of weaknesses the dead body feels no infirmity Art thou sensible of thy doubts c. 2. With a Spirit of Prayer Believing in God puts upon praying to God I beleived therefore have I spoken Contrariwise No Faith no Prayer How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Canst thou pray with groans that cannot be uttered this argues true Faith 3. With a Divine Peace Faith justifies us Justification pacifies us Being justified by faith we have peace with Goâ— But there is no Peace saith the LORD to the wicked 7. True saving Faith is mightily puissant and victorious It fetches strength from Christ and conquers all a believers spiritual enemies 1. Faith conquers the world The world fights against us with the Smiles of Prosperity and with the Frowns of Adversity Faith overcomes both This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith 2. Faith conquers the flesh For Faith purifies the Heart Every one that hath this hope in himself purifieth â—â—m self even as he is pure Now Faith and Hope are Twin-graces and act alike 3. Faith overcomes the Devill We are commanded to resist the Devil stedfast in the Faith And for our encouragement herein we have this Promise Resist the Devil and he will flee from you Yea Faith is the Christians Buckâ—er and Shield A Shield like a door that will shelter him from top to toe whereby he quencheth all the fiery darts of the Devill Satans sudden temptations are his fierie Darts Faith quenches them all in Christs blood which is the Christians Apology against all temptations and accusations whatsoever 8. True saving Faith upholds the believers spirit from sinking and fainting under heaviest pressures and extremities of trouble The Lord propounds this to the Jewes as a support against the Babylonish 70. yeers Captivity That the just should live by his faith and this was to uphold them under all Iob was in a deep Sea of calamities and yet in midst of all as it were liâ—ts up his head above the waves with this triumphant expression Though he Slay me yet will I trust in him He also shall be my Salvation And again after a dolefull recapitulation of his miseries I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Yea Faith is of such masculine strength that it makes believers even Glory in Tribulation Yea enables them to endure tortures not accepting of deliverance We read of Martyrs so farre upheld by Faith as to smile at the Prison-doors sing in chains kisse the stake embrace the faggots and triumphantly clap their hands in flames as having gotten the victory What support and stay now hath thy faith yeelded thee in thy plunges and extremities Canst thou wait upon God though he hide his face from thee Canst thou say with Paul Troubled on every side but not distressed Perplexed but not in despaire 9. Finally True saving Faith is daily growing and constantly persevering Faith lives but because its life is imperfect it stil grows and increaseth It is said that the Righteousnesse of God is revealed in the Gospel from Faith
thou art earnest with God more and more for assurance of pardon for purity of heart and stablishment in the wayes of grace for time to come it 's a good signe thy sins are pardoned God told David by Nathan The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die Vpon this David prays so pathetically Purge me with Hysope and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow Make me to hear joy and gladnesse Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit 5. Finally it 's a signe thy sins are pardoned if thy heart and soul and all within thee be singularly inlarged to blesse and praise God for his pardons So it was 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 forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases If thine heart feel his pardons thy mouth will sing his praises 5. Lastly they are parties to the New Covenant that have Gods fear so implanted in the heart as not to depart from him And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turne away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Apostates and Back-sliders were never truly in Covenant with God All in Covenant with God persevere for God will not forsake them and they shall not forsake him his fear in them shall be their Preservative Now then if the Lords fear in thee keep thee from falling away thou art in Covenant with God Thus thou mayest from the substance and nature of the New Covenant discover wâ—ether thou beest a Party to the New Covenant having true inward interest therein and consequently having true inward Right to the New Covenant-Seale the Lords Supper in respect of God himselfe Now if this be thy case thou hast a childes portion in the Lords Supper and mayst lay claim to it and all the benefits of it beyond any carnal man in the world Thou shalt be no usurper in â—hat regard come and well-come Thus examine What right thou hast to the Lords Supper What need we have of the Lords Supper As we should examine our Right to it that we be not usurpers so we should search what need we have of it that we be not despisers of the Lords Supper The full soul loatheth an Honey-combe Sense of want excites desire and enlivens the appetite after what we want And Hunger we say will break stone-walls Now Christians have need urgent pressing need of the Lords Supper in many reâ—pects Examine thou whether thou hast not great need of it in all these respects 1. Hast thou not great need often to nourish strengthen and comfort thine inward man with all the graces and spiritual abilities thereof Consider 1. Thy whole new man when at perfectest is but imperfect We see now but through a glasse darkly we know but in part and so we love but in part obey but in part c. Paul himself durst not challenge perfection to himself in this life saying Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Iesus 2. Consequently thy new man all thy gracious endowments are but weak when at strongest for every thing that 's imperfect is comparatively weak 3. Thy inward man is assaulted with many temptations adversaries and difficulties tending to enfeeble and discourage it especially with the reliques of the flesh The flesh lusteth against the Spirit Paul saith in the Person of the Regenerate I finde a law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into Captivity to the law of sin Hast thou not need now to nourish thine imperfect graces that they may grow up to perfection thy weake graces that they may be strong thine assaulted graces that they may not faile Behold now what need thou hast of the Lords Supper to these ends For what nourishing ordinance is this Sacrament for all these purposes For it 's stiled The Lords Supper It 's A Supper therefore suitable to nourish the inward man The Lords Supper therefore sufficient to nourish it effectually As the body and all its strength decays without due corporal food so the soul and its graces without due spiritual food Here is meat indeed Christs body and drink indeed Christ blood and both tendred most familiarly in this Ordinance and most effectually When the Lord Christ prepares a Supper for his members he provides like himself They that truly eat with Christ eat of Christ in this Supper shall never die never totally hunger or mortally thirst more 2. Hast thou not need to have the pardon of thy sins often testified to thee and to have thy faith apprehension and assurance thereof conâ—irmed to thee There are many things may daily make thee question and doubt whether thy sins be pardoned or at least may darken and dimme thine evidence of pardon As 1. Multitudes of sinfull infirmities that still hang upon thee invincibly makes thee fear sin is not pardoned Hence for clearing the assurance of pardon daily we are taught daily to pray Forgive us our debts 2. Lapses into grosser sins obscure the evidence of our pardon David by his fall lost in great measure the joy of Gods salvation which he prayes to have restored 3 Sharp trials and severe afflictions are wont to revive sin unto the conscience and to bring in scruples about the pardon of them Iob himself in the great storms of his afflictions somewhat dazeled in his sence of pardon complains How many are mine iniquities sins make mee to know my transgression my sin wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possess the iniquities of my youth Thou numberest my steps dost thou not watch over my sin my transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquities Thus here 's great need to have thy senâ—e and apprehension of thy sins pardon assured to thee Consequently thou hast great need of the Lords Supper which notably tends to relieve thee in this case This is saith Christ in the Inâ—â—itution my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for Remission of sins That is this wine in this Ordinance is a Signe Seal and Conveyance of my blood ratifying the New Testament which blood is shed for many viz. for all the Elect for all Christs sheep for remission of sins Christs blood then was shed meritoriously to procure our sins remission and the Lords Supper is appointed
of Jesus Christ Consider well 1. That the Spiritual Vnion and Communion of Saints is by all means to be preserved and increased For This is most agreeable to that spiritual Relation wherein they stand one to another in Christ being fellow-branches in the same Vine Christ Living stones in the same spiritual building upon Christ and fellow-members in the same mystical body of Christ that should have the same care one of another And whether one member suffer all the members should suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members should rejoyce with it For theâ—e should be no schisme in the body This is much urged and that with pathetical Arguments and importunity by the Apostle I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace There is one body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord One Faith One Baptisme One God and Father of all who is above all and through â—ll and in you all All these Vnities should perswade the Saints to unity And elsewhere Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgement This is much commended by the Spirit of God Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethreâ— to dwell even together in unity c. There also it 's compared to Aarons precious Oyntment and Hermon's fruitfull dew This also was practised by Believers in the purest Primitive times And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul c. 2. That Divisions Schismes Fractions Dis-unions among Christs members is by all means to be avoided For Christ is not Divided Divisions are a fruit of the flesh not of the Spirit Divisions evidence professors to be carnal and to walk as men not as Christians And at last divisions will prove their Destruction that nourish them If ye bite and devoure one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another In these regardâ— there 's great need of maintaining and confirming Vnion and Communion of Saints and especially in such times as these are wherein professors of Christ have by their unparalleâ—'d Divisions both in Iudgment Affection and Practice brought such reproach upon the Gospel and way of truth prejudice upon their own souls hazard to the Kingdome of Christ and advantage to the Kingdome of Satan In this regard what need is there of the Lords Supper which in the nature of it tends so much to unite cement knit and sodder together the disjoynted members of Christs body For as the Apostle saith We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread As many grains of Wheat make up one loaf so many members make up one body of Christ. And as we all partake that one bread so we all thereby professe to be one walk as fellow-members in Christ with all Christian love union and mutual tendernesse one towards anotheâ— and if we dissolve communion with our fellow-members how can we maiâ—tain communion with Christ our head Thus you may examine what need you have of the Lords-Supper which is the second Generâ—al branch of Preparation What present fitnesse we have for the Lords Supper is the third and last but not the least Particular whereupon by way of preparation we are to examine our selves before we communicate Wherein doth our present fitnesse for the Lords Supper consist and how may we examine our selves about it Answ. Our present fitnesse for the Lords Supper consists principally in having and exercising of 1. A competent Knowledge 2. Faith 3. Repentance 4. New Obedience 5. Love to Christ and his Members 6. Thankfulnesse 7. A spiritual Appetite to this Feast Theâ—e are qualifications peculiarly necessary to fit us for the Lords Supper How necessary they are and how we are to examine our selves about them comes now to be declared I. KNOWLEDGE This is an inlet and foundation to all the rest therefore begin we with it Touching Knowledge Consider 1. The Necessity of it to worthy Communicating 2. Thâ— Triall of it What necessity is there of Knowledge before we receive the Lords Supper Answ. A competent Knowledge in Spirituals is necessary before we communicate 1. For the diâ—cerning of the Lords Body in this Ordinance How can the Lords body be discerned here but by Knowledge and Faith Theâ—e are the spiritual eyes of the soul. And whosoever discerneth not the Lords body he eats and drinks unworthily eates and drinks damnation to himself 2. For Directing Communicants in the due managing of the Lords Supper This Sacrament is a part of Divine Worship without due Knowledge thereabouts we shall worship we know not what and run into the error of the Athenians who erâ—cted an Altar to the Vnknown God whom therefore they ignorantly worshipped Grosse ignorance herein will make men guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and to stand in need of the like prayer that Christ put up for them that crucified him Father forgive them for they know not what they do 3. For the leading on and inciting of all the other Communion-Graces Knowledge will stir up Faith Repentance Obedience Love Thankfulness and Spiritual Desire to their proper objects and actions whereas gross ignorance will either withstand them or mislead them How is Knowledge to be tryed Answ. Knowledge may be tryed whether it be â—ound and competent 1. By the Particular points of Knowledge which are more peculiarly requisite to worthy communicating 2. By the properties of true sanctified knowledge I. The particular points of Knowledge requisite to prepare Christians for worthy communicating are eâ—pecially these viz. A competent knowledge 1. Of God For in the Lords Supper we come to renew Covenant with God and to have the New Testament with all the Promises Priviledges and Benefits thereof confirmed and assured to us The Lords Supper being a Pledge and Seal of the New Testament in Christs blood Now one clause of this New Covenant is That The Lord will be to us a God and we shall be to him a People If therefore we have not a due knowledge of this God how can we acceptably renew and re-establish Covenant with him 2. Of our selves For we are to be the Communicants And tâ—erefore it 's necessary we be well known to our selves thoroughly acquainted with our own state and condition whether it be carnal or spiritual and if spiritual whether we be weaker or stronger in a state of grace c. Otherwiâ—e 1. How can we discover our right to the
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
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