of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knows save he that receives it that is there is a particular intimation that I shall know of my self more than any other more than all the world besides It is such a joy as the stranger is not made partaker of Prov. 14.10 such joy as is glorious and unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 Such peace as passâ—th all understanding Philip. 4 7. One minute of such joy surpasseth all the joy in the world besides Now consider sure there is such a thing as this joy or else do you think the Scripture would talk of it and of the Comforter the Holy Ghost by whom we know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 There is a generation in the world that hath this joy though you that know it not do not nor cannot believe it there is a righteous generation that have it and why dost thou not try to get it do as they do and thou mayest obtain it likewise The secrets of the Lord are revealed to them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal. 25.14 These are hidden comforts do you think God will give this joy to those that care not for him No the way is to seek God and to labour to fear him The secrets of the Lord are revealed to such and such only as fear him do as they do and follow their example and thou mayest have it likewise Object Many have served Christ long and have not sound it Sol. It is long of themselves you are straitned in your own bowels or else Open your mouths wide and God will fill them No wonder that we are so barren of these comforts when we be straitned in our selves There is a thing wondrously wanting amongst us and that is Meditation If we could give our selves to it and go up with Moses to the Mount to confer with God and seriously think of the price of Christ's death and of the joys of heaven and the Privileges of a Christian if we could frequently meditate on these we should have these sealing comforts every day at least oftner This hath need to be much pressed upon us the neglect of this makes lean souls He that is frequent in that hath these sealing days often Couldst thou have a parley with God in private and have thy heart rejoyce with the comforts of another day even whilst thou art thinking of these things Christ would be in the midst of thee Many of the Saints of God have but little of this because they spend but few hours in Meditation And thus as this hour would give leave have we proceeded in this point 1 COR. 11.29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh Damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body I Have heretofore declared unto you the ground of our salvation and have represented unto you first Christ offered for us and secondly Christ offered to us Now it hath pleased Almighty God not only to teach us this by his Word but because we are slow of heart to believe and conceive the things we hear it pleases his glorious Wisdom to add to his Word his Sacraments that so what we have heard with our ears we may see with our eyes being represented by signs There is a visible voice whereby God speaks to the eyes and therefore we find in Exod. 4.8 God bids Moses that he should use signs saying It shall come to pass if they will not believe thee neither hearken to the voice of the first sign that they will believe the voice of the latter sign Signs you know are the Object of the eye and yet see they have as it were a visible voice which speaks to the eye Now God is pleased to give us these signs for the helping 1. Of our Vnderstanding The eye and the ear are the two learned senses as we call them through which all knowledge is conveyed into the soul and therefore that we may have a more particular knowledge of Christ God hath not only by his Ministery given us audible voices but visible also in his Sacramenss by which as by certain glasses he represents to us the Mystery of Christ Jesus offered for us and offered to us And hence is it that Paul calls the eyes to witness as well as the ears Gal. 3.1 O ye foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified amongst you That is before whose eyes Christ hath been crucified not by hear-say only but evidently before your eyes not in any foolish Crucifix with the Papists but in the blessed Sacrament wherein he is so represented as if his soul were before our eyes poured out to death so that by these Sacraments heavenly things are as it were clothed in earthly Garments and this is the first reason viz. to help our Vnderstanding But besides he doth it 2. To help our Memory we are apt to forget those wonderful things Christ hath wrought for us And therefore verse 24. and 25. Of this Chapter we are bid To eat his body and drink his blood in remembrance of him To take the signs as tokens of him the Sacrament is as it were a monument and pillar raised up to the end that when ever we see it we should remember the Lords death until be come It s said 2 Sam. 18.18 That Absolom in his life time had taken and reared up for himself a Pillar which is in the Kings dale for he said I have no son to keep my name in remembrance He would fain be remembred bu he had no Child whereby he might live after he was dead therefore he raises it and calls it after his own name Absoloms place as it is this day That so as often as any came that way they might remember him Christ doth thus by his Sacrament and erects it as a Monument for the remembrance of his death and as it were calls it by his own name saying This is my body and this is my blood That when ever we see them we may call to mind Christ offâ—red for us and to us But that I may apply this my Doctrine to the ears also know that 3. These signs are for the strengthning of our faith and therefore it is considered as a seal Rom. 4.11 Abraham received the sign of Circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised It helps our understanding by being a sign and is a confirmation a seal by vertue whereof Chrlst is passed and made over to us so that we have as true an interest and right to him as to our meat and drink yea he becomes as effectually ours for every purpose in our spiritual life as our meat and drink doth for our corporal To which end these Elements are changed spiritually in their natures not in substance
The next action is The pouring out of the wine This is my blood saith Christ Drink you all of this Dost thou see the wine poured out at that very instant consider how much blood Christ spilt how much he poured forth and that not only in the very time of his passion when he hung upon the Cross when the spears pierced his sides when the nails bored and digged his hands and feet But that which he shed in the garden in the cold Winter time when he shed great drops great clots of blood thickest blood that pierc'd his garment and ran down upon the ground Consider how much blood he lost when he was whipped and lashed When the spear came to the very Pericardium thus let us weigh his torments and it will be a means to make us much affected with his sufferings for us But this is not all there is another thing yet in the blood This was but the outward part of his sufferings Yet some there are who are against Christ sufferings in his soul If it were so say they then something either in the sacrifices of the old-Testament or in the new Testament should signifie it What ever such persons object against it I am sure there was as much in the sacrifices of the old Testament as could possibly be in a Type to signifie it Now that I may make this to appear know that in every sacrifice there were two parts or two things considerable and those were the Body and the Blood The whole was to be made a sacrifice viz. both Body and blood the body was to be burned the blood to be poured forth Now nothing in a beast can signifie the sufferings of Christ in soul better then the pouring out of the blood Lev. 17.11 The blood was the life and this is that which had a relation to the soul and was therefore as in the same place appears poured out as an attonement for the soul. And to this in our common prayers there is an allusion viz. Grant us gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood And in Isa. 53.12 The Metaphor holds He poured out his soul unto death for us So that whatever some have fondly thought its evident and manifest that Christ suffered both in soul and body Both soul and body were made an offering for sin in the fashion of sin who knew no sin I should have gone further but the time cuts me off HEB. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need IN handling heretofore the Doctrine of the conversion of a sinner I declared and shewed you what man's misery was and what that great hope of mercy is that the Lord proposeth to the greatest sinner in the world I shewed unto you â—he means whereby we may be made partakers of Christ and thâ—t waâ— by the grace of faith which doth let fall all other things in a man's self and comes with an open and empty hand to lay hold on Christ and fill it self with him I shewed you also the acts of Faith as it justâ—fies And now because it is a point of high moment wherein all our comfort stands and in which it lies I thought good to resume it all again so far as may concern our practice that we may see what the work of God's Spirit is from the first to the last and the conversion of a sinner from the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh in which he wallowed and to this purpose have I chosen this place of Scripture wherein we are encouraged by God's blessed Word that whatever we are though accursed and the greatest sinners in the world and that whatever we want we should come to God's throne of grace And we are to think that whatever sins are or have been committed and though our sins are never so great yet that they are not so great as the infiniteness of God's mercy especially having such not only an Intercessor but Advocate to plead the right of our cause so that Christ comes and he pleads payment and that however our debts are great and we run far in score yet he is our ransome and therefore now God's justice being satisfied why should not his mercy have place and free course This is the great comfort that a Christian hath that he may come freely and boldly to God because he comes but as for an acquittance of what is already paid As a debtor will appear boldly before his creditor when he knows his debt is discharged he will not then be afraid to look him in the face Now we may come and say Blessed Father the debt is paid I pray give me pardon of my sins give me my acquittance And this is that boldness and access spoken of Rom. 5.2 In whom we have access by faith Now that I may not spend too much time needlesly come we to the ground and matter in the words Wherein there is 1. A preparative for grace 2. The act it self whereby we are made partakers of the grace of God First the preparatives are two The Law and the Gospel and wrought by them The first preparative 1. Wrought by the Law The Law works in a time of great need or rather by the operative power of the Law convincing us of sin we are made sensible of our need and deep poverty This is the first preparative for a man to be brought to see he stands in great need of God's mercy and Christ's blood so that the sinner cries out Lord I stand in great want of mercy His eyes being thus opened he is no longer a stranger at home but he sees the case is wondrous hard with him so that he concludes unless God be merciful unto me in Christ I am lost and undone for ever This is the first preparative and till we come to it we can never approach the throne of grace The second is 2. Wrought by the Gospel I see I stand in great need but by this second preparative we see a Throne of grace set up and that adds comfort unto me If God had only a throne and seat of Justice I were utterly undone I see my debt is extremely great but the Gospel reveals unto me that God of his infinite mercy hath erected a Throne of grace a City of refuge that finding my self in need my soul may fly unto And now to fit us for this God's blessed Spirit works by his Word to open unto us the rigour and strictness of the Law and our wants to enlighten our understandings that we stand in great need to win our affection and open the Gospel and its comforts Therefore first for the time of need The Law reveals unto us our woful condition to be born in sin as the Pharisee said and yet not
begun before not only to do but to be forward So we translate it but look in the Margent and it 's rendred to be willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek hath it as if the will were more than the deed it self for a man to come unwillingly 't is nothing worth the ground-work is the will which is a greater matter than the deed Nothing more separates a man from Christ than to say I will not have this man to reign over me Luke 19.14 But if thou canst frame thy will that it shall go perpendicularly on the object and accept Christ on the terms offered that 's faith and that hath the promise And therefore the Scripture compares it to conjunction with Christ. And as in the Sacrament we spiritually eat his flesh and drink his blood the conjunction is between Christ and his Church And therefore the Scripture compares our conjunction by faith to the mystery of wedlock What makes a marriage it's consent Wilt thou have this man to be thy Husband she answers I will that expression makes the marriage The knot is knit by this mutual pledging of troth all other things are but subsequents of it So God saith Wilt thou have my Son Thou shalt have with him all his wealth though for a time thou must go bare and fare hard yet thou shalt have a Kingdom When a man considers deliberately here is the loss I must deny my self and obey him but I shall have a Kingdom God's blessing and peace of conscience All things considered casting the best with the worst then the resolutioa is this is a true saying worthy of all acceptation c. I 'll take him on any terms be they never so hard for I shall be a saver in the end when we take Christ as it were with all his faults such his Cross and the afflictions of the Gospel seem to our carnal apprehensions though to S. Paul these were the chief indeed the only matter of his boasting God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Galat. 6.14 When I say we can thus take Christ this is the Will c. this is the will which God requires There is another comparison in Scripture John 6.35 it 's compared to hunger and thirst Believing was expressed by coming Believing is expressed by hungring and thirsting So when I see such a will and desire after Christ that I hunger and thirst after him that a hungry man longeth not more for bread nor the Hart thirsteth more for the water-brooks than my soul doth for Christ why then there is a promise made unto us and a promise is never made unto us till we be in Christ. Matth. 5.6 Rev. 22.17 Esay 55.1 We find promises in them all in Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven they shall be filled Consider here what the nature of hunger and thirst is they shall be filled which implies they were empty before but now they shall be filled Suppose now I am not filled with Christ what am I without him No I want him yet there 's a blessing to the hungry and thirsty and there 's no blessing without faith If we be not heirs of the faith we cannot be heirs of the blessing Dost thou find in thy self an hungring and thirsting after Christ Thou art blessed this faith will save thee Now faith will say I am wonderfully pained faint and even starved that I cannot be filled with Christ yet be content man thou shalt be filled with him in the mean while thou hast him and hast blessedness with him and shalt be blessed It 's said 1 John 3.13 These things have I written unto you that believe in the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God Mark how the Apostle distinguishes these two things thou believest on the Name of Christ yet sayst thou though I believe I am not sure of my salvation I do not know it Why let not that much trouble thee that 's a consequent of it and that the assurance will follow after therefore you should not confound it with believing These things have I written unto you that ye might know c. then there is a conclusion to be deduced from the premisses so that a man may have full hold of Christ and yet not be fully assured of his salvation So tâ—en here is the will which is the first thing But the Lord works the deed also And whereas it is said that God takes the will for the deed the place had need be well understood When we say God takes the will for the deed it is not alwayes true unless it be thus understood When a man hath done to the utmost of his power what he is able hath endeavoured by all means then God will take the will for the deed but if there be ability in me and I do not as much as I am able I do not my utmost endeavour then God will not take it but now God works the will and the deed when a man comes to the Throne of grace and sets forward in his journey towards God the first thing he doth is to come to the Throne of grace with Christ in his arms and then having fast hold on Christ he hastens delays not having hold as Joab on the horns of the Altar 1 King 2.28 He hastens he sees it's no time to delay he sees its now a time of need and Need as the old proverb is makes the old wife trot Is it not need to make hast when the pursuer of blood follows to the City of Refuge who would make delays and demurs and not run as fast as his legs would carry him As soon as I apprehend my need and see the golden Scepter stretched out then I come with might and main with Christ in my arms and present him to the Father and this is the approaching and drawing near in the Text to the Throne of grace But now when I am come thither what do I say there What shall I come and say nothing The prodigal soon resolved to go to his Father and say I will up and go there 's the will and say there 's his Speech The believer is not like to the Son that said to his Father I will go but went not but when his Father bids him come he will come he will not only say so but will draw near and then he hath a promise He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6.37 But when we come thither what must we do why we must take unto our selves words according to the Prophets expression Hos. 14.2 Take unto you words and go unto the Lord and say Take away all our iniquities and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips When he comes to the Throne
hand to receive whatsoever God hath a mouth to speak What is the Object He in whom you trusted It is a wonder to see how many are deceived who make the forgiveness of sins to be the proper Object of faith A man may call as long as he lives for forgiveness of sins yet unless there be the first Act to lay hold on Christ in vain doth he expect forgiveness of sins Until thou dost accept Christ for thy King and Saviour thou hast no promise We are never Children of the Promise till we are found in him The proper and immediate Object of Faith is first Christ and then God the Father by him For Faith must have Christ for its Object I must believe in none else but God in and through Christ. Now that this is so we may see in that famous place 1 Pet. 1.21 When he had spoken of the precious blood of Christ the Lamb without blemish he goes on and shews that he was manifested in those last times for you who by him do believe in God that raised up Christ from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God There is no true believing in God the Father but by the Son The proper Object of Hope and Faith is God and he that doth believe or hope or trust in any thing else there is Idolatry in it we believe in God by him so that the primary Object of Faith is Christ. Gal. 3.26 Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ. What 's my Faith then If thou wilt be the Child of God receive hold Christ Jesus accept him for thy Saviour and for thy Lord He is the proper Object of thy Faith Again you must have Christ Jesus and him crucified that should be the highest knowledge in our account To know Christ and him crucified and by it to accept him Hereupon the Apostle to the Romans when he speaks of faith makes the Object of it Christ and Christ crucified Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God Whatsoever then thou findest in Christ is an Object of thy Faith John 6. The point is He who eats my flâ—sh and drinks my blood that is he who receiveth me and makes me as his meat and drink dwelleth in me and I in him ver 56. Compare this Rom. 3 2â— with Rom. 5.9 for its worth comparing We are said to be justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 By faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 Now both these come to one and they resolve the point and clear the Question whether Faith in it self as a Vertue doth justifie or in respect of its Object surely it s in respect of the Object You that have skill in Philosophy know that heat if considered as a quality its effects are not so great but considered as an instrument it transcends the sphere of its own activity it doth wonders for its the principle of generation and many other strange effects So here take faith as a Vertue and it s far short of love but consider it as an instrument whereby Christ is applyed and it transcends it works wonders beyond its proper sphere for the meanest thing it layes hold on is the Son of God He that hath the Son hath life c. Some would think this an hard kind of speech when we are justified by faith we are justified by Christ apprehended by faith and yet that place is clear to be justified by his blood And faith in his blood becomes one faith As if a man should say I was cured by going to the Bath So faith comes unto Christ faith is the legs A man is not said properly to be cured by going to the Bath nor justified by coming to Christ by the legs of faith but the applying of the Bath the coming to Christ and applying of his vertue to make him the Object of my faith this is the way to be justified As it is not the making and preparing of a plaister that cures but the applying it so that this concludes this point that the true Object of faith is Christ crucified and God the Father in and by him Here then is the point thou must not look for any comfort in faith till thou hast Christ and to think thou shalt ever have any benefit by God till thou Christ thou deceivest thy self It is impossible for a man to receive nourishment by his beead and drink till he partake of it in the substance so thou must pertake of Christ before thou canst receive any nourishment by him Christ saith not thou must have forgiveness of sins or thou must have my Fathers favour but take my body and blood take me crucified Buy the field and the treasure is thine but thou hast nothing to do with the treasure till thou gettest the field This is preferment enough to have the Lords Promise to Abraham I am thy exceeding great reward I am my well-beloveds and my well-beloved is mine There is a spiritual match betwixt Christ and thee There are many who are matcht with Christ and yet know not how rich they are When a man reckons of what he shall get by Christ only when all his thoughts are on that he marrieth the portion and not the person thou must set thy love on Christs person and then having him all that he hath is thine How rich Christ is so rich art thou he must first be thine He that hath the Son hath life but the Son must first be had Is there any now in this congregation who is so hardhearted as to refuse such a gift as this When God shall give thee his Son if thou wilt take him is there any so prophane as with Esau to sell his birthright c. To pursue the poor pedling things of this life and refuse salvation so high a gift A gift which is not given to Angels they think it an honour to wait at the Lords Table They have not this precious food given to them they never tast it and therefore many Christians on serious consideration would not change their estate for the estate of Angels Why Because hereby Christ is my Husband I am wedded to him he is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh which priviledge the Angels are not capable of Our nature is advanced above the Angelical nature for we shall sit and judge the world with Christ judge the twelve Tribes of Israel And what an high preferment is this Nay observe this and take it for a Rule Never beg of God pardon for thy sins till thou hast done this one thing namely accepted of Christ from Gods hands For thou neâ—er canst confidently ask any thing till thou hast him For all the Promises of God are in him yea and Amen This may serve for the Object of faith to shew that the primary Object is Christ
but in use so that which was but now a common bread becomes as far different as Heaven is from earth being altered in its use For instance the wax whereby the King passes over an inheritance to us and by which conveyances of our estates are made that wax is but as another piece of wax differing nothing from that which is in the shop till the King hath stampt it with his Seal But being once sealed one would not give it for all the wax in the Kingdom for now it serves to another use so is it here in these elements but still know the difference is not in the matter or substance but in the use And this is the reason why this blessed bread and wine is termed a communion namely because it is an instrument whereby Christ inflates me into himself and whereby I have fellowship and communion with him In the words then we have these particulars viz. 1. A sin If any man shall presume to eat that bread or drink that cup unworthily It s a dangerous thing a great sin to eat and drink at the Lords Table in an unworthy manner 2. A punishment He eats and drinks damnation or judgment unto himself So that now what was ordained to life and appointed to be a seal and confirmation of Gods love and favour is now changed and become a seal and confirmation of Gods anger and indignation The unworthy receiving of it makes it prove clean contrary to what it was intended 3. A reason because he discerns not the Lords body but takes them as ordinary things deeming the elements not different from the bread and wine which we have at our Tables not knowing that they are the dishes wherein Christ is served in unto us that by these the greatest gift is given us and nourishment conveyed for the maintenance of our spiritual life This life was given us in baptism but in and by these signs is conveyed spiritual nourishment for the continuance and maintenance of it for the strengthning of our faith and making us daily stronger and stronger to fight the Lords battles Now when we discern not this nor by the eye of faith see Christ Jesus crucified for us and by these elements conveyed unto us but take them hand over head without any consideration we receive them unworthily and a fearful indignity is offered unto Christ which he will certainly revenge I 'le then 1. Shew in general what it is to eat worthily 2. What it is to eat judgment and then 3. I l'e come to the particulars how this sin may be avoided and what the particulars are wherein the sin consists 1. Concerning the first What it is to eat unworthily Obj. And here may some say is there any of us who can avouch that he eats and drinks at the Lords Table 〈◊〉 is any so presumptuous to say that he is worthy to eat Christs flesh and drink his blood As for bodily food and entertainment we are unworthy to present them to him The Centurion could say I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof How then comes this to pass that he which eats and drinks the Lords body unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself If we are not worthy to present bodily food unto him can we be worthy to receive spiritual food from him Sol. But here understand what is set down worthiness is not alwayes taken for a matter of merit or proportion of worth between the person giving and receiving but in Scripture it 's often taken for that which is meet fitting and beseeming And in this sense the Apostle uses it 1 Cor. 16.4 If it be meet that I go also they shall go with me If it be meet The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or worthy which is here rightly translated meet so in that Sermon of Saint John Baptist Mat. 3.8 bring forth fruits meet for repentance that is fruits beseeming amendment of life And in this sense are we said to walk worthy of God who hath called us to his Kingdom and glory Worthy of God that is worthy of that calling God hath imparted to us 1 Thes. 2.12 And therefore to use the similitude as I have elsewere If the King should vouchsafe to come into a Subjects house and find all things fit and beseeming so great a Majesty that Subject may be said to give the King worthy entertainment not that a Subject is worthy to entertain his Prince But the meaning is he provided all things which were meet and fit for the entertainment of him So is it here if we prepare our selves with such spiritual ornaments to entertain the King of glory as are requisite for those who approach his Table though our performances come far short of the worth of his presence yet we may be said to eat his body and drink his blood worthily When the King in the Gospel had prepared his feast two sorts of guests there were who where unworthy 1. Those that made light of the invitation who had their excuses when they should come to the feast One must go to his farm another to try his Oxen c. Luk. 14.18 2. Others there were who came and yet were unworthy guests for coming unpreparedly for in the midst of the feast the King comes in to view his guests and beholds a man that did not refuse to come but yet came without his wedding garment and so came unworthily for not coming preparedly Ye see then there may be an unworthiness in those that do come since they come unfitted and in a dress unbeseeming such a banquet They are unworthy receivers of the Lords body and he accounts it an irreverent usage of him In like manner may some say touching the Ministery of the Word May not I read a good Sermon at home with as much profit What needs all this stir Why here 's the advantage and priviledge you get in the publick Ministery of the Word God himself comes down as a King amongst us he views his guests and considers who comes with his wedding garment who comes preparedly Christ comes and looks on us and where two or three are gathered together in his name there he hath promised to be in the midst of them Math. 18.20 He walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks The Ministers of his Word he takes a special view of those that come and frequent his Ordinances and is ready ever to reward them You see then what it is to eat worthily it s to do it with that reverence that is requisite where the King of Heaven is the Master of the Feast Now this being the sin unmannerliness and unprepared approaching his Table we come to the second thing viz. 2. The punishment And that 's a terrible one He that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself Damnation that 's somewhat hard the word in the Margent is better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgment True there are such as so come
's to no other purpose to thee to come to the Sacrament that if thou wentest to a Mass to see the Gesticulations Elevations or if thou wentest to see a play not knowing to what end and purpose it was done Such a one is not a friend of God but an enemy that shall be destroyed in everlasting fire that knows not him Deceive not then your selves but seriously weigh it and consider what a Judgment falls on us for this What an unworthy thing is it when as in one months space or less if a man had any care he might learn as much as would bring him to Heaven What saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.34 Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame And a shameful thing it is indeed when the knowledge of the Principles of Christian Religion may be had in so short a space to be so grosly ignorant as commonly many are It 's a most unworthy and a shameful thing to think the knowledge of Christ not worth thus much pains Thou that carest not for the knowledge of God's ways what hast thou to do to take his Word into thy mouth to tread in his Courts I doubt not but very many here too are but Babes in Christ. An ignorant person then cannot possibly come worthily for w◠are to come with faith and Faith cannot be without knowledge And hence are they joyned both together By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa. 53.11 By his knowledge not subjectivè but objectivè the knowledge of him if thou knowest not him his Nature and Offices the end of his offering himself and wilt be still a meer Ignoramus come not to God's Table go to Nebuchadnezzar and feed with him amongst the beasts Dan. 4.33 thou hast nothing to do here Nay the very beasts among whom he fed will upbraid thee For the ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his master's crib but thou art like stupid Israel which did neither know nor consider Isa. 1.3 This is the first sort 2. The second are those that obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have wit enough and can talk of Religion fast enough but where is the obedience is required I know the Lord gives me the proffer of Christ Jesus can I cast down my proud Will and submit it lay down my stately plumes and take him not only as my Priest to sacrifice himself for me but as my Lord and my King to be guided governed and ruled by him when such a one comes that hath not the power of grace in him who is filled with nothing but Rebellion and profaneness when such a one comes and presumes to sit down at God's Table it is a most unworthy Act It 's more fit that such a one should feed amongst the swine than eat the body and drink the blood of his Saviour Nor is it an unworthy Act for these only but also for civil honest persons though civility be a good stook whereon the sience of grace may be grafted but if a man had nothing besides what nature and Education can teach what moral Philosophy can store us with we have nothing to do at this Table of the Lord. How can I dare presume to eat Christ's body and drink Christ's blood that am not acquainted with God know not the Principles of Religion and will not be swayed by him nor be obedient unto his Gospel These are the particulars then which make a man an unworthy Receiver First when he is an ignorant person and secondly when he will not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ such persons are to be discarded and cashiered they eat the Judgment of condemnation unto themselves But there are as I shewed you a second sort that come that have interest in the business such as have Knowledge Grace and Faith in Christ and shall taste of the new wine with Christ in the world to come and be with Christ which notwithstanding may eat and drink unworthily and come unpreparedly and irreverently whereby they lose that comfort that otherwise they might have and these though they eat not the Judgment of condemnation yet they do the Judgment of chastisement they put God's seal to a blank but the former sort put it to a false instrument they put it to a blank I say and by that means lose much comfort yea temporal life it self too perchance They eat a Judgment of Chastisement by putting it thus to a blank they taste God's displeasure in sickness weakness and death but I will shew you how you may avoid this why come worthily Fit your selves to the purpose set to it and thou shalt see one Communion will even bring thee to Heaven I say if that thou couldst but at one Communion fit thy self to come worthily thou wouldst find exceeding comfort in it Try the Lord once and see what a mighty encrease of grace this will bring unto thee That you may know how you may come worthily there are three things requisite to every worthy Receiver at the Lord's Table 1. Some things are requisite before the Action be enterprised or else I shall come very unworthily 2. Some at the time and in the very act of Receiving 3. Others after the Communion is ended Many will be perswaded that there is some preparation to be used before hand but never do as much as dream of any after whereas if a man neglect this the Lords meat is as it were lost in us 1. As for those things which are requisite before we come to the Lords Table they are these 1. A Consideration what need I have of the Sacrament Is there any such necessity of it Examine then what need have I to eat my meat and receive my drink When we see God brings this before us let us reason thus with our selves it is as needful for the nourishment of my soul to receive the Sacrament as for my body to take meat and drink This is that whereby we are spiritually strengthned and enabled to hold out to the last And here I 'le not stand to dispute the case whether a man may fall from Grace or not And no doubt but he may yet I say not that he doth I say no doubt but he may and why There is such an opposition and antipathy betwixt the flesh and the spirit that did not God refresh the spirit now and then it might be overborn by the bulk of our corruptions Now Gods Ordinances are appointed to keep it in heart and refresh it as the sick spouse was staid with Apples and comforted with flagons Cant. 2.5 And God hath appointed his Sacrament of the Lords Supper to strengthen and continue that life which we received in Baptism as by spiritual nourishment In Baptism our stock of life is given us by the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist it is confirmed and continued If a child be born only and after birth not nourished there is none but will know what a death such a soul
will die It will quickly perish by famin So it is here unless Christ be pleased to nourish that life which he hath breathed into me in baptisme and by his Ordinances â—o give me anew supply and addition of grace I am a dead man I am gone for ever upon this ground that I receive not the never perishing food that endureth as Christ who is himself that meat teacheth us unto Everlasting life Joh. 6.27 Therefore upon examination being conscious and privy to the weakness of my faith to the manifold imperfections of my spirit to my want of knowledge the frailty of my memony my often doubtings the dangers of relapsing and falling back in my Christian progress I cannot but apprehend that it is no needless thing for me to come both often and preparedly to the Lords Table 2. The next action requisite before my coming to the Sacrament is the whetting of my appetite and preparing of my stomach I must come with an hungry desire as a man that comes to his meat that would live and be strong We think meat very ill bestowed on him that hath no stomach Unless we eat Christs body and drink his blood we can have no spiritual life All the question and the main business is whether I come hungry thirsty or not as an hungry and thirsty man with an Appetite after his meat and liquor longing after Christ as the Hart after the water brooks Psal. 42.1 When a man comes dully and as Children that play with their meat cares not whether he eats or not when a man comes I say without an appetite its time for God to take it away from him It s an unworthy comming to come with an unprepared stomach and without whetting our faith to feed on Christ Jesus crucified 3. The third action requisite to a worthy Comer is cleansing of himself I would fain come may a man say to the Lords Table having such need of it as I have and having such an appetite and desire to feed on Christ but I am to come before a great King therefore I must wash mine hands in innocency Psal. 26.6 In the Gospel according to Saint Mark the Jews found fault with Christs Disciples because they came with unclean or common hands For so the word signifies and is so used by the Apostles as equivalent thereunto I have learned to call nothing common or unclean Rom. 14.14 Now when I come to meet the Lord in his Ordinances I must put off my feet for the place where I stand is holy Exod. 3.5 Wash your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded Jam. 4.8 The purifying of the soul is that which is required of every worthy Communicant We come now not to receive life but strength and that it may strengthen us we must of necessity cleanse our selves A stomach over-clogged with choler whatever meat be taken into it it turns it into iâ—s own nature so is it here unless the vessel be clean Quodcunque infundis acescit Christ Jesus the purest thing in the world is to come into my soul as into a sanctuary and shall not I fit trim and garnish it to receive him but leave it as a Pigâ—sty Know therefore that thou comest unworthily when thou comest with unwashed hands The people were to be sanctified when they came to receive the Law Exod. 19.10 And so must we if we will receive the benefit from the business in hand But I cannot stand on all I pasâ— from this therefore to the second thing I proposed and that was 2. Those things which were required of us in the action And there we have the acts of the Minister in the administration I must not look on these as idle Ceremonies but as real Representations otherwise we take God's name in vain I must look upon the Minister who represents the person of Christ and by the eyes of faith see Christ himself offered for me when I see the bread broken the wine poured out Whosoever therefore thou art who wouldst worthily partake of Christ at the holy Table behold him offered to thee when the Minister bids thee take and eat take and drink And when the Minister bids thee take know that in as good earnest as the Minister offers thee the bread and wine the Lord ofâ—â—rs thee his Son Christ Jesus Take Christ my Son dead and crucified for thee Consider when thou seest the Minister set the bread and wine apart how God from all eternity set apart his Son for us If we have not done this we must do it Exod. 12.3 See the manner of the setting apart of the Lamb which was a type of Christ In the tenth day of the month they shall take unto them every man a Lamb according to the house of their Fathers This Lamb was to be set apart and taken out of the flock And in the fifth verse It must be a lamb without blemish then you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month From the tenth day to the fourteenth it was to be kept This typified that Lamb of God that was so set apart Then was the Lamb to be killed by whom Vers. 6. by all the Congregation of Israel And thus was Christ to be singled out and to be slain Every mother's son had a hand in killing this Lamb of God He is set apart to suffer for sinners picked out as a singled deer which being designed to the game the hounds will follow only and no other Thus was Christ hunted to death by one sorrow after another till he gave up the Ghost upon the Cross. In the Gospel according to St. John we read how the people took branches of Palm trees and went forth to meet Christ cap. 12.12 13. and that was the day the Lamb was set apart and he was so set apart till the Jew's Passover This concerns me saith Christ. Christ saw himself typified in the Lamb that was set apart Observe then on that very day Father sath he Deliver me from that hour On that very day in the Lamb he saw himself to be sacrificed by all the Congregation of Israel We were all of us actors in the business not one here but had a hand in the offering up of the Son of God in killing Christ Jesus Thus for these actions of the Minister the setting apart of the bread and of the wine Then follows the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine At the breaking of the bread consider Christ's flesh torn asunder all the lashes which made such scratches in his flesh the ruptures which were made by the nails and the spear that pierced his side The breaking of him by his Father the word signifies crushing him to powder God would break him saith the Prophet even to powder Isa. 53.10 At the consideration hereof how should our faith be stirred and set awake Thou takest God's name in vain if with a dull eye thou canst see things and not take it to heart
unto it By the way then take notice of the filthiness of sin how filthy is it that the Lord compares it to the vomit of a dog Then there follows another comparison of it It is as the Sow that is washed and returns to her wallowing in the mire See another loathsome resemblance of this temporary faith the Sow was washed but how her swinish nature was not washed from her as long as the Sow is kept from the mire in a fair Meadow with the Sheep she looks as sleek and clean as they she was washed there is an external change but her nature remained bring the Sow and the sheep to a puddle the sheep will not go in because it hath no swinish nature but the other retaining its swinish nature though before in outward appearance as clean as the sheep was yet she goes again to her wallowing in the mire There may be the casting away of a man's sins and yet no new creature wrought in him That I may shew this to you take this example A man known to be as covetous a man as liveth he loveth his money as well as his God yet perchance this man is brought in danger of the Law and must be hanged for some misdemeanor committed this man to save his life will part with all he hath What is his disposition changed no not a whit he is as covetous as before he is the same man he doth it to save his life and to this end he is content to part with his money The same mind had those in the Acts of the Apostles who in a storm cast their wares into the Sea with their own hands Act. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 willingly and yet half unwillingly for the saving of their lives they would part with these things yet it was with a great deal of repining and reluctancy As we read of Phaltiel when his wife was taken from him he followed behind weeping 2 Sam. 3.16 till they bid him be gone and return back So these men forsake their sins and hate them but it is but imperfectly they part with them but they part weeping Well at this parting there may be a great deal of joy it may taste not only the sweetness of the Word of God but because they are in a disposition and way to salvation they may have some kind of feeling of the joys and taste of the powers of the world to come as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.4 It is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. There is a supernatural work wrought in them and they have tasted the good Word of the Lord they begin to have some hope and rejoyce in the glory of the world to come What is the difference then here is a tasting but as it is Joh. 6.54 it is not said he that tastes my flesh and tastes my blood but he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood hath eternal life There is a difference betwixt tasting and drinking there may be a tasting without drinking and the Text saith Matth. 27.34 When they gave Christ Vinegar he tasted thereof but would not drink He that can take a full draught of Christ crucified he shall never thirst but shall be as a springing fountain that springeth up to everlasting life but it shall not be so with him that doth but taste The Vintner goes round the Cellar and tastes every Vessel he takes it into his mouth and spits it out again and yet knows by the tasting whether it be good or bad the wine goeth but to his palate it reaches not the stomach So a temporary believer tastes and feels what an excellent thing it is to have communion with Christ and to be made partaker of his glory but he does but taste it Look in Hosea 5.15 where we have another instance of this temporary Believer Ye would think they sought in God in a good sort and in as good a manner as one could desire well but how did they seek him It was only upon occasion in time of affliction I will go and return to my place until they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early and again Hosea 6.4 The Lord complains of them notwithstanding They will in their affliction seek me early Was not this a fair returning Come say they let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us c. What a deal of comfort did they seem to gather from the wayes of the Lord But see what follows Hosea 6.4 O Ephraim saith the Lord what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee For your goodness is as the morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away that is it is but a temporary thing wrought by affliction which will not abide As when a wicked man on his death-bed desires that God would spare him and restore him to his health and that he would become a new man all this comes but from the terrours of death for it oft proves that if God restores him he becomes as bad if not worse than ever he was before But that I may not hold you too long 2. Take this for another difference That Gods children can as earnestly desire grace as mercy The temporary desire mercy but never desire grace The believer desires grace to have his nature healed to hate his former conversation The temporary never had nor never will have this desire should one come to the temporary believer and tell him God will be merciful unto him you may go on and take your fill of sin you shall be sure of mercy he would like this well and think it the welcomest news as could be because he only fears damnation and self-love makes him only desire freedome from that but now the child of God hates sin though there were no Hell Judge nor Tormentor he begs as hard of God for grace as for mercy and would do so were there no punishment His nature being chang'd he desireth grace as well as mercy which the temporary never does 3. The last mark is from the words of the Apostle Neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Love and the new creature puts Gods children on work their hearts are first altered and changed by being made new creatures As the Scripture saith his flesh is circumcised he is a dead man dead not as formerly in trespasses and sins but dead unto them Ephes. 2.1 Rom. 6.11 Deadness argueth impotency of doing those things which a living man doth he cannot walk c. The temporary will not sin for fear of after-claps but this man cannot sin his heart is changed he is dead to sin we see how both abstain from sin but the temper and disposition is not alike The temporary believer perchance commits not the sin but he could find
Kingdom Luk. 12.32 We are all the children of God but it doth not appear what we shall be when he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 He shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body We are here sons but yet but in a strange Country no body knoweth what he is and therefore he meets with many affronts The King when he was in France went for an attendant on the Duke and is he troubled at it No he knew that the world knew it not they knew not what he was and therefore he is not troubled at it So is it with children of God but when they shall appear they shall be advanced and their enemies ashamed By the way let not the people of God be discouraged by the taunts jeers and reproaches of wicked men they know not what you are and therefore make light of you as they did of Christ himself Well besides what we have in reversion the very present hope of it works wonderful joy in the heart of a Christian. David did not live to see the glory of Solomon's Temple but he made provision for it and cast the model of it and he took much delight in the contemplation of what it would be The consideration of these hopes makes my flesh rest in hope and my heart rejoyce Psal. 16.9 The consideration of the resurrection made David's heart rejoyce The consideration of that which is to come should bring abundance of joy unto a Christian these are strange things not like the joy of a natural man for his heart is sad in the midst of laughter Prov. 34.13 but these rejoyce with a joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Here are some sparks some beginnings of the glory of heaven and of that great joy which we shall have hereafter but I cannot speak of these things in an hour But forasmuch as the Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light there is no work of God's Spirit in the hearts of his children but Satan like an Ape labours to imitate in the hearts of wicked men to make them secure we must know that there are joys in some who are not regenerate They that receive the Word on the Rock received it with joy The Word if it be apprehended and hath but the least footing brings joy with it But now to know how I may get this joy how beneficial a thing is it to have such a comfort on earth as to know that I have this true joy and to be able to distinguish this joy from the false joy from the flashes those fleeting joys of the wicked which are but as the crackling of thorns under a pot Eccles. 7.6 for theirs is but as a blaze that suddenly goeth out Now if thou wouldst know thy joy aright and whether it differ from that counterfeit joy which flesh and blood and the Devil suggests Look to the things that go before and produce this joy 1. The first thing that goeth before true joy and produceth it is an opening unto Christ when he knocks at the door of thy heart As in that famous place in Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me There is if thou open a sweet and familiar communication between Christ and thee he communicates himself at dinner and supper A man comes not melancholy to meals Christ will come and make merry with thee he will sup with thee familiarly But how is it with thee Hath Christ knocked and thou hast given him a slieveless answer and hast thou joy it is a false joy But when Christ knocks at the door of thy heart there must be an opening the door on thy part when he knocks by his Word and Spirit And dost thou give such an answer as the Spouse in the Canticles Cant. 5. I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey Now Christ coming to Supper knockt at the door and would bring in a great deal of joy I sleep saith the Spouse but my heart waketh it is the voice of my well-beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled When God comes and wooes us and desires to communicate himself unto us and desires us to put off our cloaths dost thou look for comfort if thou openest not At last I opened to my Beloved vers 6. But he had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer When thou givest not Christ entertainment when he comes thou mayest seek and not meet with him â—t is observed that the Keepers of the Wall are the greatest strikers Those whom God hath set to be Watchmen instead of comforting they smite vers 7. The Watch-men that went about the City they found me they smote me they wounded me they took my vail from me She gets raps from them who should protect her because she did not entertain Christ if thou findest any comfort after Christ hath knocked and thou hast opened unto him then it is true joy and thou mayest make much of it 2. If it be true joy there goeth faith before it for being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So that the exercising of the acts of faith is a spiritual means to raise comforts in our souls Joh. 6. I had need to speak of this for there is want of the exercises of faith Is it enough think you â—o have faith once exercised He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him It is not enough to eat once a year A man will not be in good liking that eats but once a year but a man must eat once a day at least A Christian should feed on Christ every day make him his ordinary food renewing every day the acts of faith receive Christ crucified by faith every day If a Christian would consider that God offers Christ unto him every day and thou renewest thy faith and claspest him every day it would be a special way whereby joy should be raised in the soul. It is said in Rom. 15.13 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Thus when thou hast exercised the acts of faith in believing and then upon that rejoycest then it is seasonable and true joy and not the counterfeit joy of the wicked when it arises and springs from believing when that procureth it it likewise distinguishes it from all false joys The Apostle tells us Philip. 1.24 Having this confidence I know that I
heart the Prince of the Power of the Air. While thou wert carried with the world thou went'st with the Stream and hadst the tide with thee but now the Devil being come thou hast both wind and tide and how can he chuse but run whom the Devil drives But this is not all There must be something in thine own disposition too that it may be completely filled Though there be wind and tide yet if the Ship be a slug it will not make that hast that another light ship will Therefore here is the flesh too and the fulfilling the desires thereof which is a quick and nimble vessel and this makes up the matter So that if we consider the wind and tide and lightness of the Ship it will appear how the room is filled And how woful must the state of that man be It is a fearful thing to be delivered up unto Satan but not so fearful as to be delivered up to ones own lusts But by the way observe this for a ground God never gives us up God never forsakes us till we first forsake him He is still before hand with us in doing us good but in point of hurt we our selves are first in the point of forsaking we are always before hand with God If it should be proposed to thee whether thou wilt forsake God or the Devil and thou dost forsake God and chusest the Devil thou deservest that he should take possession of thee When a man shall obstinately renew his gross sins doth he not deserve to be given up Observe the case in our first Parents God told the woman one thing the Devil perswades her another she hearkens to the Devil and believes him rather than God and when we shall desire to serve the Devil rather than God the God that made us and that made heaven for us do we not deserve to be given up to him For his Servants we are whom we obey Rom. 6.16 And thus we see how fearful a thing it is to be delivered up to our selves and to the Devil Psal. 81.11 First they forsake God God comes and offers himself unto them I will be thy God thy Father thou shalt want nothing yet notwithstanding Israel would not hear they would have none of me And then if thou wilt have none of me I will have none of thee saith God Then see what follows v. 12. God commits the Prisoner to himself I gave them up to their own hearts lusts c. And there 's no case so desperate as this when God shall say If thou wilt be thine own Master be thine own Master Thus to be given up to a mans self is worse than to be given up unto Satan To be given up unto Satan may be for thy safety but there 's not a mountain of Gods wrath greater than to give a man up unto himself We would fain go over the hedges but when God loves us he hedges up our ways Hos. 2.6 If God love us he will not leave us to our selves though we desire it But when God shall say go thy wayes if thou wilt not be kept in be thy own Master this is a most fearful thing And this is the third woe First the soul is polluted with sin it forsakes God and God forsakes it Then the World the Flesh and the Devil these fill up the room and then what follows when these three rule within But all kinds of sin And so all kinds of punishment which is the next Woe 4. And this woe brings in all the curses of Almighty God an Iliad of evils Sin calls for its wages viz. Death Death That 's the payment of all The wages of sin is death And this is the next thing which I shall open and explain Now in handling hereof I will first shew how death in general must of necessity follow sin that thou who hast forsaken the fountain of life art liable to everlasting death And for this see some places of Scripture Rom. 6.2 3. The wages of sin is death Consider then first what this wages is Wages is a thing which must be paid If you have an hireling and your hireling receive not his wages you are sure to hear of it and God will hear of it too James 5.4 He which keeps back the wages of the labourer or the hireling their cry will come into the ears of the Lord of Sabboth As long as hirelings wages are unpaid Gods ears are filled with their cries Pay me my wages pay me my wages So sin cries and it is a dead voice Pay me my wages pay me my wages the wages of sin is death And sin never leaves crying never lets God alone never giveâ— him rest till this wages be paid When Cain had slain Abel he thought he should never have heard any more on 't but sin hath a voice The voice of thy Brothers blood cries unto me from the ground So Gen. 18.20 the Lord saith concerning Sodom Because the cry of Sodom is great and their sin very grievous therefore I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come up into mine ears As if the Lord had said It 's a loud cry I can have no rest for it therefore I will go down and see c. If man had his ears open he would continually hear sin crying unto God Pay me my wages pay me my wages kill this sinful soul And though we do not hear it yet so it is The dead and doleful sound thereof fills Heaven It makes God say I will go down and see c. Till sin receive its wages God hath no rest Again see Rom. 7.11 Sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived me and by it slew me I thought sin not to have been so great a matter as it is We think on a matter of profit or pleasure and thereupon are inticed to sin but here 's the mischief sin deceives us It is a weight it presses down it deceives men it 's more then they deemed it to be The committing of sin is as it were running thy self upon the point of Gods blade Sin at first may flatter thee but it will deceive thee It 's like Joabs kiss to Amasa Amasa was not aware of the sword that was in Joabs hand till he smote it into his ribs that he died 2 Sam. 2.26 When sin entices thee on by profits and pleasures thou art not aware that it will slay thee But thou shâ—lt find it will be bitterness in the end A sinner that acts a tragedy in sin shall have a bloody Catastrophe Rom. 6. What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed Blood and death is the end of the Tragedy The end of those things is death The sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15. What is sin It 's the sting of death Death would not be death unless sin were in it Sin is more deadly then death it self It 's sin enableth death to sting enableth
were a Cable put in our hands to draw our selves out of this flesh and blood 5. The last thing is if keeping Open House Special Invitations Entreaties and Commands will not serve the turn then Christ waxeth angry What to be scorned wheh he profered Mercy and as it were invite all sorts and compel them to come in by his Preachers and by a peremptory Command Then he falls a threatning We are not of those which draw back unto perdition if thou wilt not come upon this Command thou shalt be damned Mar. 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Christ commands them to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature unto every soul this Gospel which I speak If you will not hear and believe if you will not take God at his Word you shall be damned Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Here is an iron scourge to drive thee thou that art so slow of heart to believe In Psalm 78. where is set down God's mercy unto the Israelites afterwards comes one plague upon another vers 22. it is said They believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation A like passage to this out of the 95th Psalm is applyed in Heb. 3.2 to Unbelievers And the reason of God's wrath mentioned in the 78th Psalm is said to have been the unbelief of the people The Lord heard this and was wrath a fire was kindled against Jacob and against Israel Why was this because they believed not in him because they trusted not in his salvation Nothing will more provoke God to anger than when he is liberal and gracious and we are straitned in our selves harden our hearts and not trust him never forget this Sermon while you live this is the net that Christ hath to draw you out of the world I shall hereafter tell you what faith is which is to receive Christ and to believe in his name but that will require a more particular explication And on that I shall enter the next time EPH. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise THE last time I entred on the declaration of that main point and part of Religion which is the foundation of all our hopes and comfort namely the offering of Christ unto us that as he did offer himself a Sacrifice to his Father for us upon the Cross so that which is the basis ground and foundation of our comfort is that he offereth himself unto us And here comes in thâ—t gracious gift of the Father which closes in with God That as God saith To us a child is born to us a Son is given c. So there is grace given us to receive him And as the greatest gift doth not enrich a man unless he accept it and receive it so this is our case God offers his Son unto us as an earnest of his love if we will not receive him we cannot be the better for him If we refuse him and turn Gods Commodity which he offers us back upon his hand then Gods storms and his wrath abides on us for evermore That it is his good pleasure that we should receive Christ it is no doubt we have his word for it All the point is how we may receive him and that is by Faith And in this Text is declared how Faith is wrought and that is by the Word of truth In whom also you trusted after you had heard the Word of Truth Now after this Faith there cometh a sealing by the Spirit of God In whom also after you believed you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise Now lest a man should through ignorance and indiscretion be misled and deceived there is faith and there is feeling Where this is not feeling I mean I say not that there is no faith No For feeling is an after thing and comes after Faith If we have Faith we live by it But after you believed you were sealed You see then Faith is that whereby we receive Jesus Christ and to as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to as many as believe on his name The blood of Christ is that which cureth our souls but as I told you it is by application A Medicine heals not by being prepared but being applied So the blood of Christ shed for us unless applied to us doth us no good In Heb. 12. It s called the blood of sprinkling and that in the 51. Psalm hath relation to it where he saith Purge me with hysop In the Passover there was blood to be shed not to be spilt but to be shed And then to be gathered up again and put into a Basin and when they had so done they were to take a bunch of Hysop and dip and sprinkle c. Faith is this bunch of Hysop that dips it self as it were into the Basin of Christs blood and our souls are purged by being sprinkled with it In Levit. 14.6 There was a bird to escape alive but see the preparation for it You shall take it and the scarlet and the Cedar wood and the Hysop and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed c. And then you shall sprinkle on him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird loose into the open field We are thus let loose cleansed and freed but how Not unless we are dipt as the living bird was in the blood of the dead bird there is no escaping unless we are dipt in the blood of Christ Jesus this dead bird and sprinkled with this Hysop we cannot be freed So that now to come to that great matter without which Christ profiteth us nothing which is Faith The Well is deep and this is the Bucket with which we must draw This is the hand by which we must put on Christ As many as are baptized put on Christ Galat. 3.27 Thus must we be made ready We must be thus cloathed upon and by this hand attire our selves with the Sun of Righteousness Malac. 4.2 Wherefore I declared unto you that this Faith must not be a bare conceipt floating in the brain not a device of our own The Devil taking hold on this would soon lead a man into a fools Paradise To say I am Gods Child and sure I shall be saved I am perswaded so this the Devil would say Amen to and would be glad to rock men asleep in such conceipts Such are like the foolish Virgins That went to buy oyl for their Lamps And were perswaded they should come soon enouoh to enter with the Bride-groom but their perswasion was groundless and they were shut out So such groundless perswasions and assurances in a mans soul that
able to see it Every man may say in generalities I am a sinner yet to say and know himself to be such a sinner as indeed he is to stand in such need that he cannot do This one would think to be a matter of sense but unless God's Spirit open our eyes we can never see our selves to be such sinners as we are or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sin and the weight thereof after his conversion than he did before What are his sins greater or more than they were formerly No but his Light is greater his eyes are opened and now he sees more clearly what sin is When the Sun shines and its rays come in what a number of motes do we discover which before we saw not Not as if the Sun-beams made them or the Sun raised the dust no there are here as many motes and as much dust flying about as if the Sun shined here What is the matter then Why this the Sun discovers them to us So that here is the point Our sins in our souls are as motes in the air and are not more than they were before conversion but we cannot see them till the glorious beams of God's Spirit shine upon us The sight of sin and of the danger that comes by it is the work of God's Spirit The Spirit discovers sin unto us Joh. 16.8 When the Spirit cometh he shall convince the world of sin the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit shall convince them And the same word is used Heb. 11.1 where Faith is said to be the evidence of things not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretofore we had a slight imagination of our sins but to have our mouth stopped and to be convinced is not a work of flesh and blood but of God's Spirit Rom. 3.19 Till we are awakened by his Spirit we cannot see nor feel the mountains and heaps of sins that lie upon our souls Thou art dead in sin Rom. 8. Thou art in bondage and to know it is a work of the Spirit not of nature The spirit of bondage what is that Why however we are all bond men until the Son hath made us free in a woful estate slaves to sin and Satan yet till God's Spirit convince us and shew it us and make us know it we shall sleep secure are not afraid but think our selves the freest men in the world and see not this to be a time of need This therefore is the first preparative when God brings his people by Mount Sinai Heb. 12.18 For you are not come unto the Mountain that may be touched and that burned by fire nor unto the blackness and darkness and tempest so Gal. 4.25 Mount Sinai is made a figure of the Law which begets bondage Not that Mount which might be touched and that burn'd with fire where was the sound of the Trumpet and voice of words such a sound as never before was heard nor never will be till one day we shall hear the same The sound of the Trumpet which sounded at the delivery of the Law Exod. 19.19 where it is described for when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder that Moses heard it was such a noise a great noise at first but it grew higher and higher and at last it came to that heighth that it was almost incomprehensible then Moses spake And what spake he The Holy Ghost sets not down what he spake in that place Look in Heb. 12.21 So terrible was the voice that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Such a kind of lightning and loud voice this was the Lord commands such a voice as this Esay 58.1 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins When God shall sound with the voice of the Trumpet of his holy word of his Law and shew thee that thou art a trayterous Rebel and there is an Execution gone out against thee body and goods when God sounds thus to a deaf ear of a carnal man then cometh the spirit of bondage of necessity on him which shews that we have a time of need The Law must have this operation before thou comest to the Throne of grace None will flie to the City of Refuge till the revenger of blood be hard at his heels Nor any to Christ till he sees his want Thus the Lord makes us know our need by turning the edge of his Axe towards us Offenders when they are brought to the bar at Westminster for Treason have the edge of the Axe turned from them but whâ—n they have received the sentence of condemnation and are carried back to the Tower the edge of the Axe is turned towards them Thus is it here The Law turns the edge of God's Axe towards us and therefore it 's said of S. Peter's Hearers Acts 2.38 That they were pricked to the heart The Law puts the point of God's sword to our very breasts as it were and brings us to see that we stand in great need of a pardon This is the first preparative when God enlightens our minds to see our dangerous estate and then there must of necessity follow fear and desire to be rid of this condition for the will and affections always follow the temper of the mind And hence when a man hath a false perswasion that he is in a good case that he is safe and well what works it but pride presumption confidence and security So on the contrary when this perswasion appears to be delusion contrary effects must follow If a man be in health and jollity and on a sudden be proclaimed a Traytor that he must lose his life and goods is it possible it should be thus and he not wrought on nor have any alteration So when news comes from the Law that thou art a dead man and everlastingly must perish the Law then works wrath that is it manifests unto us the wrath of God When it is thus there follows a shaking and trembling and it 's impossible but with Moses thou shouldst exceedingly quake and tremble 2. For all this there is a Throne of Grace erected God hath not forgotten to be merciful though thy sins be never so great This is the next preparative for faith namely the discovery and acknowledgment of the Gospel of Christ Jesus We see in in Ezra 10.2 We have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing we have trespassed What then must we be the subjects of God's wrath No Yet notwithstanding though we have committed this great offence there is hope in Israel concerning this thing What though we have provoked God to indignation must we be the matter for his wrath to work on No There is balm in Gilead Jer 8. ult Is there no balm in Gilead Is there
glory which I had with thee before the World was So that the Admiring beholding and magnifying of Gods glory as much as may be labouring to be like him is our glory and thus much of the glory of God in beginning of this work in us by fear The second thing was to prove that this course was for our good and this appears two ways 1. In our Justification 2. In our Sanctification For the first we are such strangers unto God that we will never come unto him till we see there is no other remedy being at the pits brink ready to starve hopeless of all other helps being frozen in the dregs of sin delighting in our ways as we see in the parable of the prodigal son who would never think of any return to his Father till all other helps fayled him money friends acquaintance and all sorts of food nay if he might but have fed upon husks with the Swine he would not have thought of returning any more unto his Father but this being denied him the text says he then came to himself which shews us that whilest men run on in sinfull courses they are mad men of themselves even as we see those in Bedlam are beaten and kept under and comforts denied them till they come to themselves And then what says he I will arise and go to my father confessing that he had sinned and I will say Father I have sinned c. 15. Luke So is it with us until the Lord humble us and bring us low in our own eyes shewing us our misery and sinful poverty and that in us there is no good thing that we be stript of all help in and without our selves and must perish for ever unless we beg his mercy we will not come unto him As we see it was with the Woman that Christ healed of her bloody issue Luke 8.43 How long it was before she came to Christ she had been sick twelve years she had spent all her substance upon physicians and no body could help her and this Extremity brings her to Christ. So that this is the means to bring us unto Christ to drive us on our knees hopeless as low as may be to shew us where help only is to be found and make us run unto it Thus therefore when men have no mind to come to Christ he sends as it were fiery Serpents to sting them that they might look up unto the brazen Serpent or rather unto Christ Jesus of which it was a type for help so unto others being strangers unto him he sends variety of great and sore afflictions to make them come to him that he may be acquainted with them as Absolom set Joabs Corn on fire because he would not come at him being twice sent for So God deals with us before our Conversion many times as with iron Whips lashes us home turning loose the avenger of blood after us and then for our Life we run and make hast to the City of Refuge Thus God shoots off as it were his great Ordinance against us to make us run unto him Thus John the Baptist came preaching of Repentance in attire speech and dyet all being strong and harsh cloathed with a Camels hair and with a girdle of skin about his loyns his meat Locusts and wild Honey the place was in the wilderness his speech harsh and uncomfortable thundring with his voice calling them a generation of vipers and telling them that now also was the ax laid to the root of the tree that every tree that brought not forth good fruit was hewn down and cast into the fire As also we know in this manner the Lord came Elijah 1 Kings 19.11 First a great strong wind rent the mountains and break in pieces the Rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind and after that went an Earthquake but the Lord was not in the Earthquake and after the Earthquake a fire but the Lord was not in the fire these were as a peal of great Ordinance shot off to prepare the way shewing the King was a coming and after the fire a still small voice and there the Lord was So the Lord rends tears and shakes our Consciences and rocky hearts many times to prepare the way for him and then he comes to us in the still and soft voice of Consolation Secondly for our Sanctification it is good for us that the Comforters first work be to work fear in us for we are naturally so frozen in our dregs that no fire in a manner will warm and thaw us We wallow in our blood and stick fast in the mire of sin that we cannot stir so that this fear is but to pull us from our Corruptions and make us more holy As we see if a man have a Gangrene beginning in his hand or foot which may spread farther and be his death if it continue so he is easily perswaded to cut it off lest it should go farther So doth God deal by us with this fear of bondage that we might be cloathed anew with his Image in Holiness and Righteousness Now to effect this the sharpest things are best such as are the Law the threatnings of Condemnation the opening of Hell the racking of the Conscience and a sense of wrath present and to come So hard-hearted are we by Nature being as children of the bondwoman unto whom violence must be used Even as we see a man riding a wild and young Horse to tame him he will run him against a wall that this may make him affraid ride him in deep and tough Lands or if this will not do take him up into the top of some high Rock when bringing him to the brink thereof he threatens to throw him headlong make him shake and quake whereby at last he is tamed So deals the Lord by us he gives us a sight of sin and the punishment due thereunto a sense of wrath sets the Conscience on fire fills the heart with fears horrours and disquietness opens Hell to the Soul brings a man as it were to the gates thereof and threatens to throw him in and all this to make a man more holy and to hate sin the more So that you see there must be a strong mortifying and subduing of us by a strong hand to bring us unto Christ for our Sanctification nothing but a fiery furnace can melt away that dross and tin which cleaves unto such corrupt metal as we are See this method excellently set forth in the Prophet Ezek. 22.19.20 Because ye are all become dross behold I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem as they gather Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the Furnace to blow the fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in mine Anger and in my fury and I will leave you there and melt you Before I proceed farther give me leave to answer an Objection of a troubled soul which may arise hence O may a soul
testifie I answer In this place our Spirit is as it were an evidence of God from heaven as a loud token given assuring me upon good grounds that I have not mis-applyed the promises but though God do write bitter things against me yet that I love him still and cleave unto him that for all this I know that I still hunger and thirst after Righteousness that I will not be beaten off nor receive an ill report of my Lord and Saviour that I rest wait fear and trust in him still When thus our valour and faith is tryed then comes the same spirit and seals with our spirit that we are the children of God When our seal is first put then God seals with our spirit the same thing by his spirit To this effect is that in 1 Joh. 3.8 we read three Witnesses are set down the Spirit the Water aand the Blood and these three agree in one These three witness that we have everlasting life and that our names are written in heaven How do these three agree with these two Witnesses very well St. John he ranks them according to the order of their clearest evidence first the Spirit then the Water then the Blood the Apostle here he ranks them according to their natural being first our spirit in Justification and Sanctification and then God's spirit For the spirit of all other this is the clearest evidence and when this is bright and manifest there needs no more the thing is sealed So the Testimony of Water is a clear evidence whereby is meant Sanctification this is put next unto the Spirit for when the Spirit is silent yet this may speak for though I have many wants and imperfections in me yet if my spirit can testifie unto me that I have a desire to please God in all things that I resolve upon and set up his service as the pitch of all my utmost endeavours that with allowance I willingly cherish no corruption but set my self against all sin this Water will comfort and hold up a man from sinking as we see in all the sore tryals of Job Job 28.2 Still he stood upon the integrity of his own spirit and would not let that go though he were sore beaten of the Almighty and slandered for a wicked person But the water may be muddy and the strugling of the flesh and spirit so strong that we happily shall not be able to judge which is master What then Then faith lays hold of the blood in Justification which though it be the darkest testimony yet is as sure as any of the other Now in comparing of these witnesses together in St. John and in my text I rank the water and the blood with the testimony of our spirit And the Spirit mentioned in St. John and in my Text to be all one not as though we wrought them but we believe them to be so If a man ask how I know that I am sanctified the answer must be I believe and know it to be so the work producing these things in me comes of God but for the work of discerning this is certain how our affections stand in this case it comes of us but yet to come nearer the matter The testimony of our spirit I conceive to be when a man hath taken a survey of those excellent things belonging unto Justification and Sanctification when according to the substantial truths which I know in the Word I observe and follow as fast as I can what is there commanded when I take the Candle of the Word and with the bright burning lamp search into the Word what is there to be done and so bring it home to my self thereby mortifying my corruptions this is the ground-work of the witness of our Spirit First as in the blood with my spirit I must see what is needful to be done in order unto Justification what free promises of invitation belong thereunto I must see how God justifies a sinner what conditions on our part are required in Justification I must see what footings and grounds for life and what way of hope there is for a graceless man to be saved yea even for the worst person that may be In this case a man must not look for any thing in himself as a cause Christ must not be had by exchange but received as free gift as the Apostle speaks Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it may be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed I must there bring unto the receiving of Christ a bare hand It must be of grace God for this cause will make us let fall every thing before we shall take hold of him Though qualified with humiliations I must let all fall not trusting unto it as to make me the worthier to receive Christ as some think When thus at first for my Justification I received Christ I must let any thing I have fall to lay hold of him that then he may find us thus naked as it were in our blood and in this sort God will take us that all may be of mere grace Another thing the Apostle adds and that is that the promise may be sure If any thing in us might be as a cause or help to our Justification a man should never be sure therefore it is all of grace that the promise might be sure As though God should say I care for nothing else bring me my Son and shew me him and then all is well And in this case you see he doth not name hope or love or any other grace but faith for the nature of faith is to let fall all things in laying hold on Christ In Justification faith is a sufferer only but in Sanctification it works and purgeth the whole man and so witnesses the certainty and truth of our Sanctification and so the assurance of Salvation Hence from the nature hereof in this work the Apostle in 2 Pet. 1.1 writes to them who had obtained like precious faith In this case it is alike to all in vertue in this work whatsoever the measure be And I may liken it thus St. Paul you know writes With these hands I get my living Now though strong hands may work more than weak hands and so earn a great deal more yet a beggar who holds out his hand may receive more than he or any other could earn So faith justifies only receiving not working as we may see Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name Received him that is believe in him How Come and take him How as it is in Rev. 22. And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Now when I see that God keeps open house come who will without denying entertainment to any and when God's spirit hath wrought the will in me what lets me now to receive
Christ Now when the spirit hath wrought this will in me and I come and take God at his word and believe in Christ laying hold by degrees on the other promises of life winding and wrapping my self in them as I am able it is faith But that perswasion only which many have that they shall go to heaven is not faith but rather a consequent hereof The promise is made unto those that believe in Christ For in him says the Apostle all the promises are yea and Amen If a man weep much and beg hard for the remission of sins he may weep and be without comfort unto the end of his life unless he have received Christ and applyed his vertues home unto his trembling soul. A man must first receive Christ and then he hath a warrant to interest himself in all the promises So that now this being done if such a man were asked hast thou a warrant to receive Christ Yes I have a warrant says the soul for he keeps open house unto all that come wellcoming all and I have a will to come this is a good and sufficient warrant for me to come if I have a will wrought in me and then if I do come this is the first thing to be observed in the witness of our Spirit Now if a man do stagger for all the King keeps open house so as he will not or does not come then in the second place comes Invitation because we are slow to believe therefore God invites us as in Matthew 11.28 Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Many object O I am not worthy to come but you see here is invitation to encourage me to come yea the sorer and heavier my load is I should come so much the rather So that in this case if the question should be asked of such a one friend how came you hither What warrant had you to be so bold Then he shews forth his ticket as if he should say Lord thou gavest me a word of comfort a warrant of thy invitation in obedience to thy word and faith in thy promise I come hither Now this invitation is directed to them who as yet have no goodness in them when then my Spirits warrants this much unto me that upon this word of promise and invitation I have come in for releif and ease of may miseries unto Christ Jesus the great Physician relying on him for cure and lying as it were at his feet for mercy this is the testimony of my Spirit that I do believe and a ground for me to rest on that now I am in the way of life and justified by his grace Thirdly sometimes Christ meets with a dull and slow heart lazy and careless in a manner what becomes of it not knowing or weighing the dangerous state it is in making excuses here Christ may justly leave us for is it not much that the King should invite us for our good as he did these in the Gospel who for refusing to come to his Supper were excluded from ever tasting thereof strangers being fetched in in their places God might so deal with us but you see in 2 Corinth 5.20 God sends as Embassage to entreat us erects as it were a new office for our sakes saith he Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconcile unto God This may seem to be needless we being weaker than he Ambassadours for the most part are sent unto those that are stronger The Apostle reasons the matter are we stronger than he do we provoke the Lord to anger But here we see and may admire his infinite rich goodness that he comes and sues to us to be reconciled as we see it is a kind of indignity for a great Monarch to sue for peace to them that are far below him and his inferiours This dishonour God is willing to put up at our hands and sues unto us first when it rather became us upon our knees to beg and sue first unto him The effect of the Embassy is that we would be friends with him and receive that which is so highly for our advancement when therefore I see that this quickens in my heart so that as S. James speaks of the engrafted word that is able to save our souls I can bring it home having some sweet relish and high estimation of it in my heart that it begins to be the square and rule of my life then I am safe If this or any of these fasten upon the soul and thereupon I yield and come in it is enough to shew that I am a justified person And from hence our spirit may witness and that truly this is a third thing in the witness of our spirit Fourthly if none of all this will do then comes a farther degree a command from the highest you shall do it as in 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment In the Parliament of Grace there is a Law of Faith which binds me as strictly to believe as to keep any of the commandments Says the Apostle Rom. 3. Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of Faith So that if I will not believe on the Lord Jesus who eases me of the vigour of the Law and so is my righteousness I must perish for ever What may one object must I needs believe Yes thou art as strictly bound to believe as not to murder or not to be an Idolater not to steal or commit adultery nay I will add more that thy infidelty and contempt of that gracious offer thy disobedience to the Law of Faith is greater than thy breach and disobedience to the Law of Works when thou dost fling God's grace in his face again and as it were trample under foot the blood of the Covenant See for this John 16.9 What is that great sin which Christ came to reprove even this infidelity saith he because they believe not in me which in two respects is a great sin First because it is a sin against God's mercy Secondly because it is a chain which links and binds all sins together Thus our Faith is sure when it relies on the word otherwise all other thoughts are but presumption and will fail a man in the time of need for what is faith but my assent to believe every word of God he hath commanded me to believe and so endeavour the practice of it Fifthly if none of these prevail there comes threatning then God swears that such as refuse shall never enter into his rest If a Prince should sue unto a Beggars Daughter for marriage and she should refuse and contemn him do you think he would be well pleased So it is with us when the King of Heavens Son sends unto us Will you