who sunk in the midst of the red Sea which divided it self to give thee passage dry-shod 'T was not thy own wit nor thy own strength that has brought about this great deliverance for thee but it must be confess'd even to the astonishment of the heathen roundabout that my wisdom contriv'd and my power hath effected it by the conduct of my faithful servant Moses who by my appointment by the guidance of my holy Angel has led thee OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT Where thou wast by the tyranny of Pharaoh his task-masters cruelly dealt with and slavishly imployed having neither freedom of body nor of soul deny'd all opportunityes of serving thy self or thy God captiv'd amongst Idolaters straightned in a land of straits in so much that thy number increasing they sought to destroy thee by cruel edicts hating thee out of Antipathy as a stranger and of another religion and out of fear because they saw thee grow numerous wherefore after so many years captivity in a strange and Heathen Land I have call'd thee forth to bring thee to a countrey of peace and plenty flowing with milk and hony and above all the Land of promise and which if you will be a holy people will deservedly be stiled the Holy Land OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE Out of that prison from whence your sighs and groanes have oft pierc'd Heaven out of that Bridewell where you were kept to make brick and raise huge piles to be laâ—â—ing monuments of your misery and the tyrants lust without the allowance of any thing for your labour but blowes not so much as stubble affoorded yet your full tale of bricks required at your hands Consider now at distance what a sad life thou hast escaped the day spent in toils and the night in complaints the Nation kept under in poverty and disgrace and none to relieve thee so much as with their pitty but thy God who have brought thee aside into this solitude that I might make my self and my laws known to thee a favour which I have not shown to any nation besides that I may espouse thee unto my self and make thee a Kingdom of Priests and a holy people if thou wilt obey my Statutes hearken to my Law which I am now proclaiming in thy ears I am the Lord that have right to command and power to punish and therefore fear before me I am thy God who have enter'd into Covenant with thee and will reward those that keep Covenant wherefore I exspect thy love I have brought thee forth of Egypt from a sad bondage where thou wast oppress'd with slavery and want shall provide for thee Libertie and plenty and therefore I look for gratitude and let all three thy fear thy love and thy gratitude tye thee fast unto me the Lord and thy God and thy mighty deliverer and oblige thee to an attention and obedience to my Law Now although this historical passage concerning the delivery out of Egypt be peculiar to the children of Israel yet the obligation and the force of the argument will reach all people whatsoever and the Preface is by Analogie of as large and universal an extent as the Law it self For at Christ's death the vail of the Temple was rent in twain and the wall of separation which distinguished the Iews formerly the only people of God from the rest of the nations who had been till then heathen and as it were excommunicate out of the pale of the Church was broken down so that all the nations of the world are now engaged in Covenant with God and have undertaken and made a stipulation in Baptism to be his people and He to be their God And this History is turnâ—d into Allegory and denotes the salvation purchas'd by Christ who hath redeem'd us from a spiritual Egypt and the slavery of sin and hath led us forth out of the regions of darkness and the bondage of servile fears to the inheritance of light and the glorious priviledges of the Gospell Besides if we take the deliverance in a temporal sense who is there that when he recounts the several passages of his life will not acknowledge God's gracious dealings and his wonderful mercies in providing for him in his wants preserving him from imminent dangers and delivering him from his fears and the evil consequencies many times of his follies so that if he have any ingenuity upon so many instances of divine favour and particular kindness he must needs confess that God is the Lord his God These words may be look'd on also more particularly to relate to the first Commandement not only as an indication of him whom we are to own as our God but as a reason too why we should own him Nor will it so have the less influence upon the other Commandements since all religous duties depend upon the knowledge and fear of God and Atheism is that root of bitterness from whence all transgressions spring for The fool hath said in his heart There is no God and then it follows They have corrupted their way they have done abominably The first Commandement THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS Thou shalt not follow the example of blind Pagans and entertain a multitude of gods nor pay that devotion to any of the creatures which is due to the creator alone nor set up in thy heart any thing in opposition to me or give thy self up to the obedience of any lust nor hearken to the suggestions of Satan nor be rul'd by the vanity of this wicked world nor turn Atheist and live without God in the world but shalt acknowledge me the only one God in three Persons and shalt learn to know me the Infinite Almighty Everlasting and Ever blessed God shalt fear before me and have thy thoughts taken up with the meditation of my Nature and my Will my Word and my Works and shalt admire me in my Attributes obey me in my Commands thou shalt set me alwayes before thee that thou mayst walk in my wayes thou shalt perform to me that Homage as is due by right of creation thou shalt observe my providences stand in aw of my Iudgements and have regard to my mercies nor shalt thou ascribe whatever befals thee to chance or fortune to thy own wit or strength but look on all events as the contrivances of my wisdom and the effects of my power Thou shalt bear a love to my name and take thy delight in my Law Thou shalt give up thy heart to me and serv me with truth in the inward parts Thy understanding shall be busily imployed in feeling after me and finding me out according as I have made manifestations of my self in my word and in my works and shall guide thee by the dictates of my holy Spirit Thy will shall be enclin'd to a perfect compliance with my will according to the rules of Holiness and Righteousness and thy affections shall be wholly carried out to me as
't is true in a temporal sense and observation will make it good that the wicked children of godly parents have some what extraordinary providence attend them in this world and 〈◊〉 much 〈…〉 for their fathers 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 tender of their concerns 〈…〉 for his and 〈…〉 promis'd that it shall be well with those that fear him and with their 〈◊〉 after them He owns them here as friends and will not forget them in their relations but will shew them all the kindness which the◠are capable of And thus the Israelites in their distresses thought it a great argument in their Prayers to plead with God not the merits but the memoryes of their fore-fathers Abraham 〈◊〉 and Iacob What better portion can a loving father provide for his children what greater legacy of love leave behind him then God's favour and 〈◊〉 est in divine mercy Who are those God here calls his Lovers his Friends those 〈◊〉 keep his commands that observe his precepts For indeed friendship consists in the union of minds and the compliance of wills And 't is the nature of love to seek by all means to please the party loved and not to cross his desires or give him any offence This is the true mark of our love to God if we are carefull to keep his commands to doe what he would have us doe And who would not love God that loves himself and seek his friendship who is so ready to engage his kindness to us and our heirs for ever and requite our love a thousand fold This reason as it contains a threat and a promise and is grounded upon the Iustice and mercy of God is common to all the Commandements but is peculiarly annex'd to this as that which God takes the greatest care of and is most jealous of the breach and it may justly occasion our wonder to consider that notwithstanding God's strictness in propounding the command and his severity upon the breaches yet his own people have been ever forward to run into Idolatry and to take example from those very nations whom they themselves for this very sin have by God's command rooted out of their land and country So that it should seem there was but too great reason why this reason should be set particularly to back this command The meaning of the precept is this Thou shalt not make use of any Image whether graven of whatsoever metall gold or silver or cut out of stone or carv'd in wood or fashion'd in wax or what other material soever or any picture drawn or pourtray'd in cloth paper c. or any likeness and resemblance of any creature in the whole world for a religious purpose in the way of worship upon any pretence Thou shalt not worship the work of mens hands or the work of their brains neither Image nor imagination none of my creatures much less any of thine own Thou shalt neither worship them nor me by them but shalt consult my word and fetch thence the rules and wayes of worship Thou shalt not be led by the example of Heathen-people whose ignorance of me may be some excuse to their Idolatry to follow their practises and turn my glory into the likeness of any corruptible thing The Sun and Moon and Stars above thee shall not dazzle thy mind by their lustre so as to forget me and pay that homage to those glorious lights which is due to me who live in unapproachable light The trees and springs bread and wine and other blessings of life shall not for their usefulness and for that helpful virtue which I their Creator have put into them win so much upon thy affections as to asscribe that honour to them which belongs to their Maker nor shall the wonders of the deep and the prodigious secrets which I have laid in the womb of the seas swallow up thy admiration so as to drown that respect which thou oughtst to have for me the sight of whatsoever excellency or convenience or dreadfulness in any of the creatures shall but serve to give thee an occasion of magnifying my glorious perfections and goodness and power not to fix thy devotion upon them for I commanded and they were made for my own glory and for thy use not for thy worship The Angels thou shalt respect as my messengers and receive my errands with reverence but shalt not by worshipping them make them my fellows The Saints who now rest from their labour and have left thee their examples of a holy life thou shalt remember with thanks and endeavour to imitate and thus make them the object not of my jealousy but of thy emulation The evill spirits shall not fright thee into religious observance being able to doe no more hurt then I let them Thou shalt not with base flattery Idolize the persons of men whether they be Good or Great but carry a respect subordinate to me In fine Thou shalt not set thy affections and respects upon any thing so as to make it an Image of jealousy Thou shalt not fall flat on thy face before any creature or its resemblance nor bow thy knee nor kiss thy hand nor make any other sign of adoration nor pray to them or before them or use any other gesture of worship however thou mayst pretend to direct thy intention nor shalt thou pay them any religious service or attendance by building groves temples and altars by making priests and appointing sacrifices or any other rites But thou shalt worship me the Lord thy God and me alone shalt thou serve in body as well as soul for I am the Creatour of both and though I am a spirit and am to be worshipped in spirit and in truth yet your bodyes also shall be temples of my holy spirit I will be sanctified in them in the use of such holy rites and Ceremonies as I have appointed shall hereafter appoint in my word and by my Church that all things in my service may be done decently in order Thou shalt therefore worship me according to my appointments come to my house in my fear behave thy self with care and reverence in the holy place whilst thou art in my presence in the performance of all religious acts and shalt bow down to me kneel before the Lord thy Maker Thou shalt not consult with witches or use other unlawful means nor shalt thou regard sorceries or any superstitious observances Lastly thou shalt give thy self up wholly both in body soul and spirit to my worship and shalt dedicate thy self so to my service that thy body also may become a Temple of the holy Ghost And all this thou must be the more carefull of that thou mayst not deprive me of that homage which I expect from thee and give away my glory to another when thou considerst my jealousy to observe such indignityes and my power to avenge them the severity of my Iustice in punishing Idolaters and their posterity after them and the multitude of my
Mercyes to them and theirs after them who have a respect for me and a care to keep my commands Now if we would take notice how full the world is of Idolatry when neer three parts of four in the whole habitable world are Mahumetans and Pagans and the greatest part of Christianity is ingag'd in Image-worship what cause have we to fear the severest judgements of a jealous God How guilty has this Land of late been of the basest Idolatry in the blasphemous addresses to usurping powers and imputing the villanous artifices of wicked men to the holy Spirit of God How have schisms like armyes of locusts over-spred and eat up the Churches of God in these Nations every one severally inventing falâ—â— wayes of worship and setting up thâ—â— abomination of desolation How has Idolatry and Antichristian doctrine prevail'd amongst us and been eagerly assisted by a seeming opposition How many Corahs Dathans and Abirams have been own'd follow'd by giddy multitudes that have offer'd strange fire and maintain'd rebellion against the sacred orders and institutions of the Church What credit hath Sorcery and Astrology of late years gotten that many have forsaken their own prudence and God's providence too and given themselves up to a lying spirit How is Self and Sin made the great Idol of all our devotions and how do we every day provoke God to jealousy with our lusts Sure then we have great reason to pray in the Churches words Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law As the second gives order for the carriage of our Body so the third sets down a rule for the chief part of the body the Tongue That prescribes postures This regulates our speech That takes care for Gods Worship This for his Name It likewise consists of two parts the Precept it self and the Reason of the precept THOU SHALT NOT TAKE to wit into thy mouth thou shalt not mention make use of God's name in thy ordinary discourse And more particularly thou shalt not swear as the three Eastern Interpretations have it exactly to the Hebrew phrase for to lift up God's Name signifies to swear and so in the 24. Psalm He that hath not lift up his soul to vanity is expounded by the words immediately following That has not sworn deceitfully THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD. God's Name is here put not only for those appellations whereby he is distinguish'd but for the divine Attributes also for his Word and his Works and all other discoveries which he makes of his Essence power wisdom goodness as has been said before in the first Petition of the Lord's Prayer IN VAIN Idly to no purpose rashly upon every slight or silly occasion in common talk or in any frivolous matter without due reverence and heedfulness or falsly in the defence and justification of a lye and thus the word in its latitude includes the three qualifications of an Oath that it be made in judgement in justice and in truth The reason follows FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD HIM GUILTLESS THAT TAKETH HIS NAME IN VAIN i.e. He will not clear and acquit him and let him scape unpunish'd that shall dare to call the all-knowing God to witness a lye Two Observes that word Iehovah or Lord helps us to as having a double Emphasis One is that however a false or a vain swearer may pass as to the notice and penalty of humane Lawes God will find out the offender and punish him Another is that it is said here only the Lord whereas before 't was said the Lord thy God to shew that perjury and rash oaths are sins of that nature that God will not only punish his own people for but even the Heathens and Infidels whose Lord indeed he is but he is not their God And Heathen story is full of such examples wherein the breach of oath has been constantly followed with remarkable vengeance And that is intimated in that negative threat which signifies more then it speaks out He will not hold him guiltless meaning that he will most certainly punish The sense of the Command then is this Thou shalt not use my Name upon a design of cheat and to cover a lye thou shalt not forswear thy self by calling me to witness a known falshood and thus call some heavy vengeance upon thine own head But thou shalt when thou art call'd by the Magistrate thereunto bear faithfull witness to the truth which thou knowst and shalt make good thy promises Thou shalt not blaspheme my Name by rash and needless oaths nor upon every mean paultry occasion make mention of it but shew a reverence and a regard to it and take it into thy mouth with solemn care and weighty consideration When necessity so requires and Authority commands for the decision of strife and to put an end to controversie thou shalt swear by me and by me alone who onely know the secrets of hearts and am able to avenge the falshood Thou shalt have an awfull respect for every thing that belongs to me thou shalt peruse my word with diligence and attention reading and hearing and meditating in it day and night It shall never depart out of thy mouth Thou shalt honour my Ministers the Preachers of my Word the dispensâ—rs of my holy Ordinances Thou shalt magnifie and praise my Name in the remembrance of all my wondrous works Thou shalt take notice of my Iudgements and my mercyes and in all events speak well of my Name and whatsoever falls out in the affairs and interests of the world to say still the Name of the Lord be praised And to conclude Thou shalt walk in my fear in thy distress call upon my Name be frequent in Prayer and in praise lift up thy heart and thy voice to me who hear in Heaven and so order thy conversation that thou mayst not cause my Name to be evill spoken of but shalt live suitably to thy holy profession that all that see thy good works may glorifie me and by thy example may be taught to love and fear my Name Let us but take a view of our selves and see whether we are such as the Lord will hold guiltless Have not we taken the Lord's Name in vain when generally it has been used as a stale to base interest and a cloak for hypocrisie and tyranny when our Pulpits have prefix'd the Name of the Lord to the blackest designs and those who would be thought strictest in prosessing the Name of the Lord have set on foot rebellion under the title of the Cause of God when there has been such breaking of Oaths and making of Covenants against the Laws of God and man In so much that for our swearing backward and forward as the villany of these late times has taught men to doe we may justly be term'd the perjur'd Nation when our orthodox teachers have been thrown into corners with indigence and contempt that the basest of the
thriftly husband thy means that they may hold out to secure thee against want and to enable thee for Charity Thou shalt not live an idle life nor take ill courses and follow dishonest wayes of get as cheating gaming c. but shalt take pains in some honest calling and shalt learn to labour and get thy own living in that state of life wherein God shall place thee that thou mayst eat the labour of thy hands and it may be well with thee that thou mayst provide things fashionable for thy self and thy relations and mayst have wherewith to exercise Charity toward them that are in want Let us now take a view of our selves how our carriage has answer'd this Command Was ever more injustice and illegal oppression then of late years amongst us Has not covetousness been the root of all our evils Have not the possessions of the Crown and the Church been made the spoils of War and the reward of villany Have not men of quiet spirits been render'd Delinquents for their estates and their greatest crime been their wealth when 't was enough to make one Malignant to have any thing to loose and the great art of the Usurpers was to secure their fears jealousies by satisfying their avarice and make good their title to government by getting the riches of the people in their power What plundring and pillaging what rifling and robberies have been practis'd what Sequestrations Compositions Decimations Contributions and other unheard of injuries and insolencies have been Committed upon the loyal gentry and poor commonalty what havock has been made of Sacred things and how has Sacriledge been justified by her children when Intruders have been bold to expostulate with God and quarrel the Iustice of man that they are forc'd to give place to the right owners and restore unjust possessions How have the noble and the learned been turn'd out by force of their ancient demeans and just preferments to seek their bread How have the old bounds been remov'd and the publick coffers exhausted How are great estates amass'd by cheat and couâ—enage and private men swoln up with ill-got wealth How is charity neglected hospitality shut out of doors and the love to the poor grown cold How many idle dishonest wayes of living are kept on foot How does the number of Beggers daily increase to the shame of authority that neither imployes the able nor relieves the weak How miserable and close are men upon honest designs How profuse and lavish upon their lusts How doe we murmur at the disposals of providence and how ready are we with our private discontents to disturb the publick peace What need then have we to cry out with the Church Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law The ninth Commandement The eighth requires truth in our dealings This in our discourse and speech That provided for our estate and fortune This for our credit and reputation That secures our Goods This our Good name which is of deerer concern then any other possession for a good name is better then life it self Murder Adultery Theft are forbidden in the other three This prohibits a Lye which is the cloak and cover of all other sins and likely accompanyes them especially this last to a proverbial observation A Lyar and a Thief THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS Thou shalt not be a lying witness sayes the Vulgar i.e. Thou shalt not make or tell a lye concerning or against thy neighbour The Greek doubles it Thou shalt not falsly witness a false testimony taking in the distinction of a lye into material and formal To speak an untruth and say that which in it self is not so though I perhaps may think it so is a material Lye for though I am true to my own thought by speaking as I think yet I am not right to the thing this is a false testimony Again to speak contrary to my own sense though possibly the thing I say be true is a formal Lye for though I be mistaken and the thing be otherwise then I think it is yet if I speak otherwise then I think I lye and this is to witness falsly So then we have a double care lyes upon us to speak according to the thing and according to our thought when our words agree with our thoughts and our thoughts agree with the things themselves when the mind represents the object aright and the tongue doth as truly report the mind The Hebrew as if it meant mainly the concerns of truth in judicial proceedings has it thus Thou shalt not answer as a witness of falshood to wit when the Magistrate puts a question to thee and requires to know the truth But the meaning of it is to be enlarg'd to all affairs and so in Deuteronomie 't is express'd a witness of vanity which implyes rash censure reproaches and vain speeches c. AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR or for thy neighbour in thy neighbour's cause and behalf c. for the preposition carryes a great latitude of sense And 't is no less a wrong to Truth and Iustice to speak a Lye in favour as to speak it out of maliceÌ„ 't is Iustice and Truth which are consider'd in Gods Commands more then interest and benefit Who our neighbour is our Saviour in his Parable has told us all mankind all that we have or may have to doe with whether they live neer or far off though God does allow in some cases degrees of charity according to Relation neighbour hood countrey c. The meaning of this Commandement is this Thou shalt in all thy discourse take heed to Truth and speak according to thy conscience nor shalt thou conceal what thou knowest when my glory or the benefit of thy neighbour requires it Thou shalt not give in a false evidence nor plead a wrong cause nor favour injustice nor tell a lye to advantage Thou shalt not knowingly say that which thou thinkest to be false with a purpose to deceive others nor shalt thou be over confident in affirming what thou art not sure of Thou shalt not basely dissemble and pretend one thing and mean another for God is the God of truth Thou shalt not speak or think ill of any one in thy heart by entertaining evil surmises and taking up a reproach or ill report against him Thou shalt not be curious to spye out his faults nor critical and censorious nor shalt thou slander him with thy tongue or speak ill of him behind his back and flatter him to his face but thou shalt make the best of his actions put the fairest interpretation upon his carriage Thou shalt speak all the good of him thou knowst and cover his failings believe and hope the best and not give ear to all thou hearest in all thy converse shew thy self ingenuous and open breasted to think no evil of him and to acknowledge what thou seest good in him and be
that in the old Law there was no attonement for sin without blood for in the blood lay the life the life of the sinner was to answer for his sin wherefore 't was not so much the flesh of the sacrifice which was partly burnt into ashes partly eaten by the Priest or congregation that appeas'd God's wrath as the blood which was sprinkled round the Altar Nor did the eating of the Passeover which was the type of this Supper secure the Israelites from the destroying Angel but the blood which was struck upon the lintell of the door Nor can the Papists plead the no necessity of administring the Cup because the children of Israel in the celebration of their Passeover and the Priests and people in their sacrifices onely eat of the flesh of the lamb or bullock and not drank the blood but either spilt it or sprinkled it up down For first we have here Christ's express command Drink ye all of it whereas they were bid to the contrary And then which is the main thing Christ's merit as was said before lay most in his blood so that to give our selves an interest in his sufferings we must partake of his blood as well as of his body But why is the Symbol of his precious Blood call'd a Cup whereas that by which his holy Body is represented is plainly termed Bread now bread and cup are not direct opposites nor answer one another but bread and wine This by the Papists own confession must be allowed to be a figure call'd Metonymie of the vessel containing for the liquor contained the Cup for the wine in the cup. Now therefore if the Cup be not really turn'd into the blood of Christ neither is the bread changed into flesh For just as it 's said of the bread This is my Body so he sayes of the Cup This is my Blood And if there be a figure in one place why not in both or can we suppose that our Saviour in a thing of so great concernment would not have spoke properly here too as he did before But the truth on 't is we should on all hands run our selves into a world of absurdities should we take words strictly as they sound and not allow them a fair meaning according to popular use and custom of speaking For by this means we should have cities with wals up to heaven Christ would be turn'd into one rock Peter into another Herod would be Metamorphosed into a fox and Ovid's fables would hardly seem more strange then Scripture But Rhetorick teacheth us the convenience and vulgar custom the necessity of using figures no question but our Saviour made use of the liberty in this sacred Institution Now the ground of this figure whereby the Cup is put for the wine whereas the other part of the Sacrament is properly express'd by the name of bread may be this because bread being of a solid substance is of it self easily laid hold on and taken up with the hands but wine is of a fluid liquid nature so that it cannot be meddled with to any use unless it be first put into some vessel as a cup c. Likewise also These two particles imply partly that Christ did as well appoint the use of wine as of bread to make this holy Supper an entire Sacrament in so much that if either should be taken away the mystery would be maimed and imperfect partly that he did in like manner and after the self same fashion consecrate the Symbol of his precious Blood as he did that of his holy Body using the same actions and almost words for as he took the bread and gave thanks and gave it to his Disciples bidding them eat and telling them that is was his Body which was broken for them and charging them to doe it in remembrance of him Iust so he took the Cup too and gave thanks and gave it amongst them and bid them drink and told them withal that it was his Blood which was shed for them and charged them to do it in remembrance of him Some little difference we may meet with both in the actions and in the words either by adding or leaving out First here is added a more special note of the time when the cup was appointed to wit after Supper which is but generally expressed in the other part to be the night in which he was betrayed And a more punctual command when he sayes Drink ye all of it contenting himself of the bread to have said onely Eat it with a particular declaration of the nature of this Sacrament where he tells them 't was the Blood of the New Testament which he sayes not of his Body and of the use and end for which it was appointed for the remission of sins i.e. for sealing that pardon which he purchased by his blood Besides a precept at least an advice of frequent receiving implyed in those words As oft as ye drink it Then here is left out the action of powring out of the wine which answers the breaking of bread for he broke the breaa but it is not said that he powred out the wine So that it may be supposed the cup was full of wine when he took it Yet the words of consecration doe make out this action also for as he said This is my Body which is broken for you so he saith This is my Blood which is shed for you And lastly he sayes of the bread Take eat but of the wine onely Drink which yet they could not do without taking it Now herein perhaps lay the difference that of the bread being broken into small pieces every one could at once take his part and all partake together at the same time but the cup being not capable of such a partition they handed it to one another the second staying till the first had drunk and so on to the last The Cup to wit being full of wine for so himself sayes afterward that he would drink no more of the fruit of the vine till he drank it new with them in the kingdom of his Father Now wine was the fittest to express the nature and use of the Blood of Christ it being the noblest liquour that which most refreshes the heart of man Give wine as the Proverb saith to the sad in heart that they may forget their misery Wine was used also in the curing of wounds as 't is said of the good Samaritan that taking the man â—hat had lighted amongst thieves into his care he powred wine and oyl into his wounds the wine to search and cleanse as well as the oyl to heal and skin them Christ's Blood hath the same virtue and efficacy to quench the spiritual thirst of a sinner who being scorch'd with his guilt longs for Christ's righteousness as the hart panteth after the water-brooks to cheer the spirits which lye drooping under the sense of sin to supply new strength to a Christian believer that he shall rejoyce
to run his course as a Giant refresh'd with wine and lastly to wash the defiled conscience and cleans the foul running sores of the soul that it may be fitted for the oyl of the spirit the comforter Besides Christ himself is often compared to a Vine whereof all the faithfull are branches I am the Vine sayes he i and my Father the Husbandman and he is said to have trod the winepress of God's wrath alone for us Yet in case of necessity where wine cannot be had other drinks either natural or made according to the custom of the country may be us'd as water beer c. Now as that bread which came down from heaven was the type of his body so was the water which came out of the rock and follow'd the Israelites through the wilderness an emblem of his Blood for that rock was Christ. He took it He lifted it from the table and held it in his hand either having first powred wine into it out of some bigger vessell or flagon or else with an intent to power wine into it as the word shed forth or powred out doth intimate for the sign was to represent the thing signified AFTER SUPPER At the end of Supper when they had done eating whereas the other part of this Sacrament was appointed in Supper time as they were eating Or else 't is not unlikely that this particle of time may belong as well to the bread as to the cup that the celebration of the whole mystery was not performed till they had made an end of the Paschal Supper into the room and place whereof this was from thence forward to succeed and be of perpetual use in the Church AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS or blessed it For the Apostle calls it The Cup of blessing which we bless i.e. before he appointed it to be a sign of his Blood he sanctified it by the word and prayer and begging a blessing upon it separated it from common use using perhaps the ordinary grace which amongst the Iews the Master of the house did at meals make use of for no question but our Saviour here alludes to their custom who at the end of dinner or supper after thanks was given drank round the whole company that was at table of the grace-cup the Master of the house beginning to the rest HE GAVE IT He set it down amongst them that they might one after another take the cup and drink or perhaps put it into the hand of some one that he might give it about to his fellows TO THEM The Apostles to wit or disciples who at that time stood for the whole Church and consequently to all believers whomsoever that make profession of the Christian Faith SAYING Speaking almost the same words as he used before concerning the bread that he might declare his own purpose in the institution of this mystery and their benefit who should partake of it DRINK YE With Faith receive this Sacrament of my Blood that like your natural drink it being taken into your souls may refresh your souls quicken your graces and keep you to life everlasting ALL OF IT Every one some for the bread was indeed broken into severall portions but the cup could not be so divided wherefore they were to part it among them every one drinking so that there might be left for the rest of the company FOR. That which before was delivered in a declarative way as a bare narration eat this is my Body is here brought in as a reason Drink for this is my Blood Which shews to what end and purpose the cup was appointed and how much it concerns believers to drink of it since by it is conveyed the forgiveness of sins the main virtue and effect of Christ's Blood being spilt THIS To wit this cup which I doe now deliver to you this wine which you are now about to drink or this action of my giving and your drinking the holy Cup. IS MY BLOOD That is doth signifie and represent my Blood and not only so but gives out also and conveyes my Blood and the benefits thereof so that it being receiv'd with Faith shall prove as much to your advantage and doe your souls as much good as if you did really drink my very Blood even as one finds himself refresh'd with wine which he drinks OF THE NEW TESTAMENT Upon Gospel terms and the account of grace whereas formerly in the time of the Old Testament under the Law they were us'd to make atonement for their sins with the blood of bulls and goats now Christ the Son of God was come in the flesh who was the substance that all those shadows belonged to and the truth prefigur'd by those Levitical types all those rites of sacrificing were to have an end when once he had offer'd up a perfect sacrifice blotting out the hand-writing of the Law and sealing a New Covenant of grace in his Blood for the word will bear that sense too and we know 't was the usual custom of making and ratifying Covenants by sacrifice as betwixt God and Abraham Abraham and the King of the Philistins when they strook a league of friendship and possibly that heap of stones which was raised by Iacob and his Father in law Laban and was afterward called Gilead might serve also for that purpose Nay Homer takes notice of it as practis'd amongst the Heathen But the Greek does more properly denote the Testament or last will by which a man doth before his death dispose of his estate bequeath legacies which being ambulatory and uncertain as long as one lives is never valid or of force till the Testator be dead nor could we have bin the better for Christ or have had an effectual enjoyment of his benefits had he not dyed and by his death sealed as well as made the purchase By the New Testament here then is meant the will of God the Father concerning the Salvation of mankind which in former time he had made his people acquainted with by visions and Prophesies and other dark representations but in the fulness of time by sending his own Son made man after our own likeness when the wisdome of the Father dwelt amongst the children of men and the word became flesh gave out a full discovery thereof in the light of the Gospel and the clear manifestations of his grace And that Covenant of grace which by the death of his Son our Mediator who reconcil'd us with the Father he entred into with men being made upon other terms then the Law required which sayes Doe this and live and calls for an exact obedience which therefore it was impossible for men to keep whereas the conditions we are tyed to under the Covenant of grace are repentance only and Faith by which denying our own righteousness we depend upon the merits of a crucified Saviour according as they are propos'd both in the Old Testament the Iust shall live by Faith And
which we must not expect forgiveness and to a new obedience which is the surest sign and evidence that we are forgiven THIS DOE YE AS OFT AS YE DRINK IT IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME. That is this sacred Rite I thought fit to appoint and leave behind with you as a memorial of me and a monument of my love towards you who took upon me your nature that I might dye for you and shall shortly powr out my soul to death even as you have seen the wine which you now drink powred into the cup that your souls may live being refresh'd with the virtue of my blood as your bodyes are strengthned and your hearts cheared by the use of wine This ordinance after my departure from you shall serve to represent my death and my love which is as strong as death and the benefits thereof wherefore I charge you and all others which shall profess my name that if you expect to enjoy those blessings which my death is intended to procure for mankind and which will certainly befall those that doe truly believe in me they would not fail to testify their Faith in the use of this Sacrament and apply to themselves the Salvation wrought by my death this mystery being appointed as a means of conveying assurance and sealing pardon Do you then in your assemblyes hereafter as you have seen me doe now amongst you And let all Christians with reverence and due preparation attend and partake of these holy mysteryes knowing 't is not an ordinary and slight business but a matter of great concernment both to the honour of my name and to their souls health It being appointed for my remembrance their spiritual growth Nor shall it be enough once as in the other Sacrament of Baptism or some few times as a thing at your own choice to partake of this holy Supper but it is a thing must be often done and you are frequently in this to commemorate my death as oft as ever occasion shall be given that so the memory of me may be continually celebrated in the Church and you may be drawing virtue continually from me grow up from grace to grace from strength to strength And accordingly the primitive Saints communicated every day going about from house to house and breaking bread And how can we call our selves Christians that far unlike them neglect so great Salvation and regard not the Blood of the Covenant but to the disparagement of Christianity intermit the use of this sacred mystery as of late we have done in very many congregations for several years through the fondness of some whose ill temper'd zeal had well neer eaten up the house of God 'T is true Baptism needs not indeed ought not to be reiterated it being the laver of regeneration Now it suffices once to be born But the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is call'd and is a Supper Now he that sups once hungers and thirsts again We cannot if we have a true spiritual hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ but come to his Table and present our selves before him often at least at the three great Festivals of the Church wherein the Birth the Passion Resurrection of Christ the Descent of the Holy Ghost are remembred as the Iews custom was at their three great Feasts to come up to Hierusalem if not every month nay every week that every Lord's day the Lord's Supper also might be administred and we considering our frequent relapses into sin might be often renewing our vows Nay it were to be wished that our lives were so pure and our minds so taken up with heavenly things and our feet our affections I mean were so shod with the preparation of the Gospel that we might with the ancient Christians make it our every day-meal and say that Prayer in this sense Give us this day our dayly Bread FINIS Courteous Reader THis whole Treatise having been taken by several al young pens from the Author's mouth He doth not conceive himself oblig'd to maintain the Orthography every where seeing 't would have been an infinite task to have corrected all over to his own judgement Truth is scarce any language has greater variety or indeed irregularity of pronouncing spelling the same syllables then our English hath which is some reason of the difficulty of it to strangers I shall instance in some words diversly written School and Schole Vertue and Virtue Common and Commune c. the one being the Vulgar the other the Scholastic Orthography Again a different meaning sometimes diversifies the letter though pronounc'd alike as to lie down and to tell a lye foul dirty and a fowl a bird c. But of this He shall have occasion to discourse more largely in his Tables of the English Tongue wherein he hopes to give satisfaction to the Critic and the Scholar At present he thinks it his main concern to be Vnderstood and therefore takes no notice of any faults escaped but such as may disturb the sense and scandalize an Ordinanary Reader and for the rest trusts himself to the candour of the Judicious ERRATA Pag. 8. l. 7. Deity r. duty p. 14. l. 3. affection r. effusion p 21. l. 3. master r. maker p. 39. l. 21. r. as much as p. 44. l. 19. signicant r. significant p. 48. l. 12. del up even p. 69. l. 10. r. their designs p. 71. l. 18. r. our destiny p. 97. l. 14. lift r. lighted p. 106. l. 14. use r. use p. 111. l. 5. meeted r. meted p. 118. l. 3. serety r. serenity p. 130. l. 7. doing r. doings p. 135. l. 18. For r. So that p. 157. l. 10. metonymical r. metaphorical p. 182. l. 11. he that r. that he p. 192. l. 10. soul r. soul p. 233. l. 8. government r. garment p. 439. l. 19. yet not r. not yet a Qui singit sacros auro vel marmore vultus Non facit ille Deos qui rogat ille facit Mart. b Non tam praedari quam precari c 1 Thess. 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the precept in Cornelius his practise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 10. 2. d Gen. 18. 25. e Matt. 7. 7. f Ioh. 14. 13 14. g Iam. 4. 3. h Psal. 19. 14. i Psal. 5. 5. k Psal. 10. 17. l Gen. 15. 11. m Iam. 1. 6 7. n Psal. 31. 16. o Isa. 28. 16. p Rom. 10. 11. q Heb. 11. 6. r Heb. 11. 6. s Psal. 112. 10. t Psal. 1. 6. v Iam. 5. 16. u Rev. 8. 3. x Iugiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y 1 Sam. 1. 13. z Rom. 13. 4. a 1 Tim. 11. 1. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Luk. 11. 2 d Thus saith the Lord i.e. 〈…〉 e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. f Rev. 1. 4. g Psal. 148. 5. h Longin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h Deut. 33. 27. i Isa. 49 15. k Ps. 133. l Ps. 44. 4. m Ps. 2◠n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o