Promises at his hands THIS is enough to shew what a becoming and suitable posture Kneeling is at this Great Solemnity and how Naturally it follows where People entertain right Notions of it and come unto it with humble Minds Nor can I sufficiently admire that of all the Usages in the Christian Church this so Significant so Decent a Ceremony should ever become a stumbling-block and matter of Dispute Certainly it must be an ill sign of very Lofty Imaginations when there is such stiffness in Mens Knees BUT it is high time for me to proceed CHAP. XII Of our Behaviour after Receiving WHEN we have thus devoutly employ'd this blessed hour we must not imagine that our great Business is at an end that we may now drop those Religious Considerations which hitherto took up our time and thoughts that we may now go home leaving our Vows and Resolutions behind us in the Church much less may we think our selves free to fall afresh upon our former course of Life I must tell you the greatest part of our business is yet before us and to stop and rest here in the performance of those things which have hitherto employ'd our minds is the ready way to unravel our whole work and to defeat the design of this Heavenly Ordinance For this Rite of Eating and Drinking at the Lord's Table though it be of admirable use yet it is not naturally and intrinsecally good as those Acts and Dispositions of the Mind are wherein the Substance and Excellence of Religion doth consist but it iâ— a Relative thing instituted by our Saviour as a Means to promote and carry on that Noble End for which the Grace of God hath appeared unto all Men that denying all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Tit. 2. 12. Here indeed we lay the Foundation of a life of Virtue by devoting unto God the Powers and Faculties of our Souls and the Members of our Bodies but as the Ground-work is in order to a Superstructure so are our Actions now in order to the further edifying and perfecting of us that we may be built up more and more in our most Holy Faith and being sitly framed together and compacted may grow and rise up by degrees to an Holy Temple for the Lord to be an Habitation of God through the Spirit THIS you will easily perceive if you observe 1. The Nature of the Ordinance it self It is first a Representation of the very Death of Christ a Representation exhibited to our Sences by the breaking of the Bread and the effusion of the Wine And what doth this mean but to awaken our Fears by shewing us the Terror of the Lord who for the expiation of the World's Guilt spared not his own Son nor would be reconciled to the World at a lower rate than by delivering him up to Torments and Death for us all What doth it mean but to set our Zeal a work upon mortifying all our Lusts and Affections and upon perfecting Holiness in the fear of God because Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and Purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works What doth it mean but to make us ever watchful and circumspect lest we tread under foot the Blood of the Son of God Because if we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sin Heb. 10. 26. It is secondly a Memorial of Christ's Love Love stronger than Death that made him give his life a ransom for the ungodly And what doth this mean but to kindle in our Hearts the most ardent Affections to Him again who so loved us as to die for us The greatest Affection this that 't is possible for any Mortal Man to express to lay down his Life for the Brethren But yet infinitely short of that which the Son of God expressed upon the Cross for his Enemies In this he commended his Love towards us above all proportion and comparison in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us the Just for the Vnjust It is thirdly a foederal Solemnity whereby we renew the Covenant we entred into at our Baptism Vowing Promising and Engaging over the Symbols of Christ's Body and Blood and Swearing as it were with our Hands laid upon the Redeemer of our Souls that we will henceforth walk in Newness of Life And what doth this mean but to bind us with the most Solemn Securities and under the most dreadful Penalties to renounce the Devil and all his Works to deny all the Lusts of the Flesh so as not to follow or be led by them and not only to offer up our Hearts and Spirits unto the God of Purity but to present even our Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable to him And for the farthering of all these Noble Ends this Mystery is in the Fourth place the very Means of Grace and Salvation an Instrument that conveys to us the present Possession of all necessary and suitable Assistances and a Title under Seal to all the Evangelical Promises and particularly to this that he that persevereth unto the end the same shall be saved and that to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality God will render Eternal Life Rom. 2. 7. And what doth this mean too but that we should grow in Grace that we must not grieve the good Spirit of God whereby we are Sealed to the day of Redemption but that we should be strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might and give all manner of diligence to make our Calling and Election unto Grace sure and effectual by adding to our Faith Virtue or Courage and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity Charity in the highest degree to all Mankind and even to our Enemies Thus you see the nature of the Ordinance it self is such that it is not only highly useful for the present but of mighty Importance for the future it hath a tendency forward and it drives at mighty Ends which our endeavours are to be employ'd about after the Celebration of it is over that we may be more and more Partakers of the Divine Nature and come every day nearer and nearer to the Life of God TO confirm this still we may observe Secondly That those very Preparations which are required in order to our worthy Communicating do all look the same way and have a direct tendency to the same purpose Thus Faith or the hearty belief of the truth of our Religion upon those Evidences and Motives it carries with it is naturally productive of constant Obedience to the Precepts of it throughout the whole course of our lives For as it discovers to us the Folly the Shamefulness and the bitter Fruits of Sin so it shews
be Absolutely Assured of all this is not necessary because we have no plain Revelation to ground that assurance upon 2. Because such an assurance were I possest of it could not be a Divine but an Humane Faith and consequently it would be Fallible and very uncertain For it must be grounded meerly on my reflecting upon my self and upon my comparing my Condition with the Word of God So that my Judgment touching mine own State is still but an Humane Act arising from those Observations which I my self make and I cannot as firmly and reasonably believe that I am a Penitent as I do believe that God will Pardon Penitents because I have His word for the latter and only my own word for the former And we know that every Man is ready to be Partial to himself and Naturally apt to think better things of himself than he ought to think and to take every Mole in his Face for a Beauty-spot Therefore since a Man cannot have any assurance of his State but by private Reflections upon himself seeing such a reflection is an Humane Act and since every work of Man is deceitful it plainly follows that such an assurance is not necessary I wish therefore that Men would be Modest in these and the like Cases and not impose such burdens upon their own and other Mens Consciences as may serve to rack and disquiet their Minds but cannot settle them upon a firm bottom The Faith of Christ is of an obvious Nature and since the way to Heaven is strait already Men should be very careful that they do not add to the difficulties by inventions of their own Brains and render that entrance impossible which already is so narrow that few there be that find it IN Answer then to this Enquiry What it is that every Communicant is bound to Believe I shall lay down this as a fair and satisfactory Truth that the Faith required is a Cordial and Comfortable Perswasion of the verity of the common Principles of Christianity comprised in the Creed and particularly that Christ is so the Saviour of the World that he is able to save all to the uttermost that come unto God by him which is the Sense of that Article touching the Remission of Sins These are plain Assertions for which we have the Authority of the Scriptures and when I call this a cordial and comfortable Perswasion I mean such a stedfast Belief in Christ as serves to apply Christ's Merits to a Man 's own self which Divines call a Particular Faith To believe in Christ Comfortably is not only to Assent to the Truth of the Gospel at Large and in a General Proposition but moreover to believe for ones self to be throughly satisfied that Christ was the True Messiah that came to seek and to Save that which was lost and to Save even Me among others That he Tasted Death for every Man and in particular for Me that his Blood is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World and even for Mine that he is an Advocate with the Father for my Brethren and for Me also that he hath Promised Eternal Life to all that do Obey him and that even I shall have benefit by his Promise if I make good the Condition In a word that He is the Redeemer of all Mankind and that with him there is Plenteous Redemption for Me and for Thee and for us All if we be not wanting to our selves To be thus perswaded is enough for any Communicant in genere fidei and as to Matters of Faith Indeed in genere morum as to Matter of Practice Repentance and Universal Obedience is necessary too But now we are considering not how much it is necessary for a Communicant to Practice but how much is needful for him to Believe and such a Faith as I have now described is sufficient if Men do but add to this Faith Virtue 1. THAT this is so will easily appear if we impartially consider first that this is the Faith which is necessarily required of all Christians and is sufficient for all This is Eternal Life that they know Thee the only True God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent saith our Blessed Saviour himself Joh. 17. 3. The Sense of which place is that the sincere and hearty acknowledgment of the True God and of his Holy Child Jesus is the Infallible way to Everlasting Happiness There are many Truths wrapped and folded up in the Bosome of that Text which the Compilers of the Apostolical Creed have drawn out into several Articles To know Jesus or to Confess him to be the Christ signifies in the Dialect of the Holy Ghost to own him to have been sent by God's Commission that he came to Redeem us and to Bless us and to Dye for us To have a deep Sense of the All-sufficiency of his Merits to believe that all Power both to Save and to Destroy is put into his hands and to be firmly perswaded that in and through him Forgiveness of Sins and a Glorious Immortality may be obtained by all that will lay hold on him and Love him in Sincerity Now if this Faith be sufficient as touching Matter of Faith to Entitle a Man to Eternal Life as our Saviour saith it is then it is enough also to give a Man the Liberty of Communicating because more cannot be required to admit us to the Lord's Table than is necessary for our admission into Heaven Certainly that Faith which sufficeth to bring us hereafter into the Presence of the Lamb must be sufficient to bring us to the Supper of the Lamb and that is not a confident Presumption of a Man's absolute Pardon and Election unto Happiness but a firm and comfortable Perswasion that Jesus Christ came into the World to Save Sinners which is a most faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2. THAT this Faith is enough for a Communicant will appear Secondly from its Anaglogy and Proportion to the Faith of the First Disciples It was St. Peter's Confession for which he was called Blessed Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God Matth. 16. 16. It was Martha's Confession Lord I believe that thou art Christ the Son of God that should come into the world Joh. 11. 27. It was the Eunuch's Confession I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Act. 8. 37. Nay indeed it was the Confession of all the Apostles before every particular was extracted which lay hid and folded up in it We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the Living God Joh. 6. 69. Now do but consider and judge in your selves Is it possible for any Ratianal Man to believe that the Faith which served for the Salvation of those will not be enough to Dispose and Fit Vs for the Sacrament Certainly by the same Faith whereby the Disciples of Old felt and handled the Word of Life we may also Feed on him For this
any anxious thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on Matth. 6. 25. But use this World as those that use it not for the Fashion of this World passeth away Heb. 7. 31. INSTEAD of this set your Affection Heavenly-Mindedness on things above Col. 3. 2. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness Matth. 6. 33. Let your Conversation be in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. Walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called and put off concerning the former Conversation the old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your mind Ephes 4. 22 23. For to be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace Rom. 8. 6. FROM this Heavenly-mindedness naturally Contentment springs another great Duty viz. to be satisfied with such a share and Portion of this World as it shall please God to dispense to us to be pleased with such things as we have Heb. 13. 5. And with that Food which God shall judge convenient for us Prov. 3. 8. And having Food and Raiment therewith to be content 1 Tim. 6. 8. WHOSOEVER will come after me Self-denial let him deny himself saith our Saviour Mark 8. 34. And these are necessary Acts of Self-denial to cast down Imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and to bring into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. To count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus Phil. 3. 8. Not to trust in your selves that ye are Righteous Luke 18. 9. But to renounce your own Righteousness Phil. 3. 9. To deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts Tit. 2. 12. To part with a right Hand and right Eye Matth. 5. 29 30. that is with every the dearest and most useful thing when it is an occasion of Sin or an hindrance to Virtue and to forsake Houses Lands Father Mother and all that a Man hath for the sake of Christ Luke 14. 33. TO this add that other Evangelical Grace of Purity of Heart which is Purity of Heart when you mortifie your Members which are upon the Earth Fornication Uncleanness inordinate Affection and evil Concupiscence and when laying aside all Naughtiness and all Guile and all Hypocrisie as new born Babes you desire the sincere Milk of the Word that you may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. IN order to this Temperance is a very Temperance necessary Virtue Every Man that striveth for the Mastery is Temperate in all things 1 Cor. 9. 25. And to this purpose are those Directions that we should cast off the works of Darkness that we should walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness Rom. 13. 12 13. Not in Excess of Wine Revellings and Banquetings 1 Pet. 4. 3. Not to suffer our Hearts to be overcharged with Surfeiting Luke 21. 34. But to abstain from such Fleshly Lusts as War against the Soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. To add to our Knowledge Temperance 2 Pet. 1. 6. To keep under the Body and bring it into Subjection 1 Cor. 9. 27. AND for the Improving and perfecting Fortitude of all these Virtues we are to arm our selves with Resolution and Courage to watch to stand fast in the Faith to quit our selves like Men to be strong 1 Cor. 16. 13. To resist the Devil Jam. 4. 7. To endure Temptation Jam. 1. 12. Not to fear them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather to fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell Mat. 10. 28. Finally to be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might and to put on the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil and having done all to stand Ephes 6. 10 11 13. AS for those Christian Virtues which have reference to others they are of great Variety according as we stand related differently unto them SOME more immediately concern our Virtues concerning private Families respective Families So Husbands are to love their Wives even as Christ loved the Church Ephes 5. 25. Not to be bitter against them Col. 3. 19. But to dwell with them according to Knowledge giving Honour to the Wife as to the weaker Vessel and as being Heirs together of the Grace of God that their Prayers be not hindred 1 Pet. 3. 7. Wives are to submit themselves to their own Husbands as unto the Lord Ephes 5. 22. Not learning to be Idle or to wander about from House to House neither to be Tatlers or Busie-bodies speaking things which they ought not 1 Tim. 5. 13. But to be in Behaviour as becometh Holiness to be Discreet Chaste Keepers at home Good Obedient to their own Husbands that the Word of God be not Blasphemed Tit. 2. 3. 5. Parents must not provoke their Children to Wrath but to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6 4. And to lay up for them 2 Cor. 12. 14. Children on the other hand to obey their Parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy Father and Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise that it may be well with thee and thou may'st live long on the Earth Ephes 6. 1 2 3. Servants to be subject to their Masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward 1 Pet. 2. 18. Not answering again not purloining but shewing all good Fidelity Tit. 2. 9. 10. Being Obedient with Fear and Trembling in singleness of Heart as unto Christ not with Eye-service as Men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the Heart With good will doing service as unto the Lord and not to men And ye Masters do the same things unto them forbearing threatning knowing that your Master also is in Heaven neither is there respect of Persons with him Ephes 6. 5 6 7 9. SOME Virtues relate to larger Societies Larger Societies Justice as Righteousness and Equity in your Dealings He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly Mich. 6. 8. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even the same to them Matth. 7. 12. To do violence to no man Luc. 3. 14. Not to make haste to be rich Prov. 28. 20. By divers Weights and Measures both which are alike abomination to the Lord Prov. 20. 10. Not to go beyond or desraud our Brother in any matter 1 Thes 4. 6. Not to do wrong but rather to take it 1 Cor. 6. 7. But to have an honest conversation 1 Pet. 2. 12. In sâ—mplicity and godly sincerity 2 Cor. 1. 12. Because he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and