Mal. 1. 10. I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Why would he not accept their offering because he had no pleasure in them He was not pleased with their persons therefore not pleased with their offerings he had no pleasure in their persons therefore no pleasure in their performances It is the acceptance of the person that makes the performance acceptable Gen. 4. 4. God had respect to Abel and his offering first to Abel and then to the offering for Abels sake If God had not had respect to Abel he would not have had respect to his offering as in Cains case Vers 5. But unto Cain and his offering he had no respect But because God likes Abel therefore he likes his offering But what is it now that will bring our persons into acceptance that God may take pleasure in us That very thing that brought Abels person into acceptance Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain so that the way to bring our persons into acceptance is to bring faith faith is it which makes the person acceptable leave that behinde and our case will be theirs 1 Cor. 10. 3 4 5. They did all eate the same spirituall meat and they did all drinke the same spirituall drinke but with many of them God was not well pleased So we may eat and drink the outward elements in the Sacrament but if we do it not with faith God is not well pleased with us and being not well pleased with us neither will he be well pleased with our service It was speedy acceptance that Daniel had in his prayers Dan. 9. 23. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandement came forth c. And what was the ground of his acceptance and that so speedy for thou art greatly beloved When a mans person is in favour and beloved of God then followes acceptance The way to get acceptance is to get our persons beloved the way to get our persons beloved is to get them into Christ the way to get them into Christ is by faith This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased God is well pleased with no man till he be in Christ no man is beloved but in his beloved Sonne And when once we are in Christ purged and purified by his bloud then our services are performed in righteousnesse and when so performed then accepted Mal. 3. 3 4. He shall purifie the Sonnes of Levi namely Christ by his bloud that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse Then shall the offerings of Iudah and Ierusalem be pleasant unto the Lord. And what is it that will bring us into Christ but the grace of faith As therefore wee would have acceptance at the Sacrament so come in due Order Come with faith 2 Secondly for what end come we to the Sacrament Is it not that we may be partakers of Christs body and bloud The Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 10. 17. Of being partakers of one bread and Vers 21. Of being partakers of the Lords Table Now will this serve our turne and satisfie us to be partakers of the Bread of the Wine of the Table or doe we not aime at an higher matter namely to be partakers of Christ himselfe Heb. 3. 14. We may partake of the bread and the wine we may be partakers of the Table though not a dram of faith in us But that which priviledges us to be partakers of Christ of his body and bloud is faith We come to the Sacrament to be made partakers of Christs body and bloud but this we cannot doe nor may do till we have faith First we cannot doe it for he that will receive Christs body and bloud must have an eye to see Christ and his worth must have a foot to come to Christ must have an hand to receive and lay hold upon him must have a mouth to feed on him without all these there is no partaking of Christ. Now faith is all these It is the eye of the soule Isay 17. 7. At that day shall a man looke to his maker and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy one of Israel Isay 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth It is the foot by which we come to Christ Iohn 6. 35. He that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst Comming and beleeving are the same faith being that by which we come to Christ It is the hand by which we receive him Iohn 1. 12. To as many as received him that is to as many as beleeved in him Beleeving and receiving the same because by faith we receive Christ It is the mouth by which we feed on him Iohn 6. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud that is except ye beleeve in Christ Now can a man see without an eye come without a foot receive without a hand feed without a mouth GOD hee lookes that when he offers CHRIST men should receive him and takes it ill when it is not done Take eat this is my Body Christ therefore would have us eat him in the Sacrament God is never better pleased than when he sees men fall hungerly and hartily upon Christ nothing displeases Him more than when the Bread of Life the flesh of Christ shall be set before us and we sit and looke another way and feed not and fall not to When a man makes a feast if he sees his guests fall too and feed hard how highly well it contents him but if hee sees them sit looking about them and not to feed upon those dishes he hath bin Quomodo igitur corpus Christi edent ejus sanguinem bibent cum illud non habeant quo solo haec edi bibi possunt Gualib in 1 Cor. 11. 27. at so much cost and care to provide it troubles and frets him Therefore if a man would please God in the Sacrament he must feed and partake of Christ Now therefore a man must bring faith he cannot feed that hath no mouth he hath no mouth that hath no faith Christ is a treasury of rich commodities there is any thing to be had in him we want Apoc. 3. 18. There is gold to be had tried in the fire there is white raiment there is eye-salve to be had But now how may these be had what is the way to get them There Christ tels us I counsell thee to buy of me gold white raiment eye-salve The way to get them then is to buy them But what is that which will buy them Not money not silver Isay 55. 1. Buy Wine and Milke without money and without price no money of the worldlings no price of the merit-monger will purchase these commodities And yet there is a money wee must trade withall if we will buy them and without which they
coinquinant sanctum porci margaritas confringunt Sic si hom inibus caninos vel porcinos mores habentibus sanctum dederis nec sanctum illos sanctificat sed contra ipsi sanctum coinquinant Chrys hom 17. oper imper and Sacraments are holy and therefore an horrible thing to polute and defile the Sacrament Now every impenitent sinner doth so An impenitent sinner is a filthy person and he befilths every thing he meddles withall He is an uncleane person Now to the uncleane all things are unclean holy things sanctifie not them but they pollute holy things under the Law an uncleane person defiled the Campe Num. 5. 2 3. Put out of the Campe whosoever is defiled that they defile not their Campes He defiled every bed he lay on and every thing hee sate on Levit. 15. 4. He defiled every man he toucht Lev. 15. 7. His very Saddle he rode upon was uncleane Lev. 15. 9. He defiled the Tabernacle of the Lord. Num. 19. 13. He defiled bread potage wine oile c. Hag. 2. 13. Thus an uncleane sinners pitch touches nothing which it defiles not He defiles Word and Sacraments the Lords Tabernacle and his Table Is it any wonder then that comming to the Sacrament he meets with a breach and a curse If any man defile the Temple of the Lord him shall God destroy 1 Cor. 3. 17. Put Table in stead of Temple and it is as true if any man defile the Table of the Lord him shall God destroy He that defiles the Tabernacle of the Lord shall be cut off from Israel Num. 19. 13. And whosoever defiles the Table of the Lord as well as the Tabernacle of the Lord shall God cut off from his people Their sinne was foule and hainous Mal. 2. 12. that said the Table of the Lord was polluted what is their sin then that doe not say the Table of the Lord is polluted but doe pollute and defile it GOD sorely complaines of it that their common Tables in their houses at which they did eat and drinke and take their common repast that they were defiled with drunkennesse and gluttony Isa 28. 8. All Tables are full of vomit and filthinesse so that there is no place cleane An horrible thing to defile a mans owne Table with the vomit filthinesse of drunkennesse what an horrible thing then to pollute Gods Table with such filth And what doth that man better that when he hath defiled himselfe with drunkennesse and with the vomit and filth of it yet before hee hath humbled himselfe with sorrow for it and before he hath utterly forsaken and renounced it doth presume in that filthy case to come to Gods Table How horrible a thing were it to defile the Lords Table with the vomit of drunkennesse now let all that defile themselves with drunkennesse bethinke themselves how they can before God free themselves from it And so all that live in other foule sins let them consider how they can wash their hands from the guilt of this sin Therefore when God sees his Ordinance defiled by them his wrath is kindled and he smites them with a curse Incense from foule hands is an abomination Isa 1. 13 15. not only no sweetnesse in it but a filthy Incensi odor de immundorum manibus reputatus est profaetore iâ—am non gratiam praesumptio meruit Cyp. de caen Dom. stench in it yea such an offensive savour from it as provokes God to wrath If a beast touch the Mountaine it must be stoned or thrust through with a dart Heb. 12. 20. If such severity against a Beast how much more shall it be against a Man that by his base and brutish lusts makes himselfe a Beast and yet will dare not only to touch the Mountaine but to goe up into the Mountaine Any beast that had toucht the mountaine must have died for it though it had beene a clean beast how much more if it had beene an uncleane beast That man that by his base and brutish courses becomes a beast he is not only a beast but an uncleane beast If a sheepe had toucht the mountaine it must have been stoned or thrust through with a dart much more then should a Dog or an Hog if they had toucht the Mountaine O that they would seriously consider this who in the guilt of their sins smoaking and reeking thrust in themselves unto the Table of the Lord and that their hearts would tremble to thinke how dreadfull a thing it is to pollute Gods Ordinance Is it a small thing in your eyes to defile Gods Table Is it nothing with you to pollute holy things It was a smart and piercing speech of Ambrose to Theodosius offering to come in the guilt of that slaughter at Thessalonica Istasne adhue stillantes injustae caedis cruore manus extendes iis sanctissimum Domini corpus prehendes Vel tu pretiosum sanguinem Domini admovebis ori tuo Magdeb. Cent. 4 cap. 6. What wilt thou reach forth those hands of thine yet dropping with the bloud of unjust slaughter and with them lay hold upon the most holy body of the Lord or wilt thou offer to put that precious bloud to thy mouth So may it bee said to many comming to the Sacrament What will you reach forth those hands of yours defiled with bloud with the bloud of oppression These fingers of yours defiled with iniquity Isay 59. 3. and with these hands and fingers touch these holy mysteries with these lips of yours that have spoken lies that daily drivell forth such a deale of obscene filth that with so many foule oathes and bloudy blasphemies have dishonoured God with these mouthes with which you have so often swine-like swilled unto drunkennesse with which you have drunke of the cup of divels with these lips and mouthes will ye offer to drinke the precious bloud of Christ Is it not sin and guilt enough that with your sins you have already defiled your hands fingers lippes mouthes but that now also you will needs come and defile the Lords Table it is more than you can answer that you have thus defiled your selves why will you double your sin and your damnation in defiling also these sacred Mysteries Consider this with trembling-hearts all impenitent persons and you especially that dare impudently croud into the Sacrament when you come piping hot out of your sinnes and provocations 2 Secondly because a man comming in his impenitency hee brings his sinnes along with him and they put God in minde to doe justice upon him There is a prayer for their King Psal 20. 3. The Lord remember all thine offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifice That is a speciall thing we should aime at in all our services that God would remember them that they may come up in remembrance before God Now when a man lies in his sinnes and brings them with him to any holy service they will rise up in remembrance against him at that very instant and so
555. l. 18. at r. of p. 586. l. 13. exacted r. excited p. 578. l. 3. following r. softning Perlegi hunc Librum cui titulus A worthy Communicant in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quò minus cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur Tho. Weekes R. P. Ep. Lond. Cap. Domest THE INTRODVCTION TO THE FOLLOWING Treatise grounded upon 1 CHRON 15. 13. For because ye did it not at the first the Lord our God made a breach upon us for that wee sought him not after the due order CHAP. I. That GOD must be sought in a right Order as well as in a right Ordinance WE reade CHAP. 1 1 Sam. 4. 3 4. That the Israelites being beaten by the Philistims they send for the Arke of God from Shiloh to bee brought into the Campe that it might save them out of the hands of their enemies Such be the silly and the poore confidences of carnall and superstitious hearts to rest and rely more upon outward signes of Gods presence and to betrust their safety with them than to take care for the presence of God Himselfe As if God had beene so chained to his Arke that it comming God himselfe must needs come into their Campe. A far wiser course it had beene to have taken a course to have fetcht the Lord of Hosts himselfe then the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord of Hosts GOD could and would have holpen them without the Arke but alas What could the Ark doe without God They might have learned another thing from Moses Num. 10. 36. And it came to passe when the Arke set forward that Moses said Rise up O Lord and let thine enemies be scattered He knew and taught That though the Arke did rise yet if God sate still it would not make one enemy flie but let God arise and let his enemies bee scattered it is Gods rising that is the enemies scattering And suppose there had beene somewhat in the outward presence of the Arke yet what hope of helpe could they have by it as it came attended And the two Sons of Ely sayes the Text Hophni and Phinehas were there with the Arke of the Covenant of God Little likelyhood of Gods being there when they were there Their presence in the Campe was likelier to do them more mischiefe than the Arkes presence was like to doe them good But they so dote upon the Arke and put such confidence in it have it they must and have it they will not taking care to bring God along with it nor being in any feare of miscarriage though it comes upon the prophane shoulders of Hophni and Phinehas Well and when they have it how speed they That confidence of theirs was miserably checkt not onely by their owne ruine and overthrow but by the captivity of the Arke Even that which they hoped should have saved them out of the hand of their enemies was delivered into the enemies hands He delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemies hand Psal 78. 61. So righteous it is with God to let men see the vanity of their fond confidences That the winde shall carry them all away that vanity shall take them Isa 57. 13. That he rejects such confidences and that men shall not prosper in them Ier. 2. 37. Well but now though Israels confidences be in the dust yet have the Philistims little reason to vaunt of their victory The Arke though it saves not Israel yet proves a plague to the Philistims God soone makes them weary of their booty and make them glad to returne it home againe and that with flying colours and in an honourable manner And now the Arke returning is not seated as before at Shiloh where it had beene till its captivity ever since the dayes of Ioshua but was placed in the Citie of Kiriath-Iearim a Citie in Iudah There it remained separated from the Tabernacle unto the time of Davids ferching it thence which could not be lesse than about the space of forty seven yeeres Samuel and Saul governed the people forty yeeres and David raigned in Hebron seven yeares before he came to Ierusalem All this while were the Arke and Tabernacle separated yea the Ark was not inquired at all the dayes of Saul 1 Chro. 14. 3. Out of all which by the way we may note That the want of some Ordinances of GOD doth not annull a Church of God A Church may want some Ordinances Ordinances of great weight yet be a true Church or else for these forty seven yeeres there had beene no true Church nor true worship in Israel and so not in the world The Arke and enquiring at it was a matter of great weight in Gods Church and worship It was one of the most speciall types of Christ a symball of Gods gracious and speciall presence it was the place of Gods speciall residence hee dwelt betweene the Cherubims and from thence hee gave answers It was the first and chiefest of al the holy things for it principally was the Tabernacle made Exod. 40. 18. 21. It sanctified the whole Tabernacle The places are holy whereinto the Arke of the Lord hath come 2 Chro. 8. 11. And yet this Arke out of the Tabernacle the place of worship and sacrifice the space of forty seven yeares Yea more during all Davids time it continued separated from the Tabernacle it being pitched in a Tent by it selfe at Ierusalem and the Tabernacle being at the High-place in Cibeon 1 Chron. 1. 4 5 6 13. The Arke and the Tabernacle never came together more after it was once removed from Shiloh but when Salomon built the Temple and the Tabernacle was dissolved then was the Arke placed in the Holy of Holies in the Temple And yet all this while who will say they had not true worship and a true Church wants therefore and defects in a Church unchurch it not The Arke now having continued forty seven yeeres at Kiriath-Iearim David being made King over all Israel and come to Ierusalem the first thing we reade he did after his plenary possession of and Inauguration into the Kingdome is to bring home the Arke from Kiriath-Iearim unto Ierusalem In the bringing it home they meet with a shrewd check and a sore miscarriage in the death of Vzzah and that by reason of a miscarriage in the carriage of the Arke upon a Cart which should have been born upon the Priests shoulders David finding their former errour and their faile in a prescribed formality doth now a second time set upon the work and in this Chapter and place direct the Priests what course to take and gives them to understand that for want of this observance God gave them that former blow in Vzzahs death Sanctifie your selves both ye and your brethren that you may bring up the Arke of the Lord God of Israel namely upon your owne shoulders according to the Canon Exod. 25. 14. as the fifteenth Verse of this Chapter explaines it For
place but to have him enter at the Sacrament at the Lords Table this is far more fearefull To rise up from the Lords Table with greater greedinesse and more eagernesse after our lusts to rise from the Lords Table with more strength and minde than before to do the divell service is wondrous fearefull And doth thine heart tremble at the thoughts of such going from the Sacrament then let thine heart tremble no lesse at the thoughts of such comming to the Sacrament of comming unpreparedly unto it Loth thou wouldest be to have Satan enter but into thine house be as loth to have him enter into thine heart especially in the use of the Sacrament and as thou wouldest be carefull to prevent Nâ—m Sacramentum sicut accipâ—t ad vitâ—m â—ignus sic ad judicium moâ—â—em propâ—â—â—m indignuâ— Sacramentum â—â— sine re Sacramenti mors est â—umenâ—â— Res vero Sacramenti praeter Sacramentum vita aeâ—â—rna est accipâ—enâ—â— Bern. in caen Dom. Ser. 2. so great a danger so dismall a case so look to it to come in due order duly prepared for the Sacrament 2 Instead of receiving that which might further our salvation we shall receive Iudgement and damnation We come to the Sacrament to further our salvation but comming unpreparedly further our damnation 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eates and drinkes unworthily eates and drinkes his owne damnation The Paschall Lambe might not be eaten raw Exod. 12. 9. Eate not of it raw To teach that the Sacrament must not be eaten unpreparedly He that receives unpreparedly eates the Sacrament raw because hee comes rawly and eates it rawly and unpreparedly Now to have eaten the Pascall Lambe raw had beene both unwholesome and dangerous He that eates raw flesh never digests it kindly The eating of flesh that hath not been so well prepared as it should that hath bin somewhat too raw hath cost many a man his life As dangerous as eating of raw flesh is to the body so dangerous to the soule is the eating of the Sacrament rawly and unpreparedly It appeares by 2 Sam. 6. 6. That Vzzah put forth his hand to the Arke of God upon a good intention to save the Arke from a fall when the Oxen stumbled or shooke it But his good intention notwithstanding there was an error or a rashnesse in it And for that errour and rashnesse the anger of God was kindled against Vzzah and for that errour and rashnesse God smote him there and there he dyed by the Arke What is the Arke of God to the body and bloud of the Sonne of God And if God punisht him so severely for his errour that he rashly layde hold on the Arke which yet he did out of a sodaine feare of the Arkes comming to some hurt and miscarriage and without diliberation there being no place for deliberation in so sudden a chop if yet God was so severe against him how much more are they in danger to bee smitten for their errour that will rashly put forth their hand to lay hold on the body and bloud of CHRIST Especially not doing it rashly upon any suddaine occasion that puts them upon it but having time and liberty for deliberation yea and doing it against so many faire warnings as they continually have Every one that meddles with the Sacrament unpreparedly meddles with it rashly and he that meddles rashly is in danger of Gods stroake of a worse stroake then Vzzahs was of a stroake upon the soule for he that eates and drinkes unworthily eates and drinkes his owne damnation So strangely doth our unpreparednes pervert Gods Ordinance Ideoque alijs sunt haec munera odor vitae in vitam alijs odor mortis in mortem quia omnino justum est ut tanto pâ—â—ventur beneficio gratiae con emptores nec in â—â—dignis 〈◊〉 gâ—atiae puâ—â—â—â— faciâ—â— maâ—â—â—â—nem 〈◊〉 de â—oen dom and of an Ordinance of life makes it an Ordinance unto death That as they spake in that case 1 Reg. 4 40. Oh thou man of God death is in the pot So it may bee sayd unto an unprepared Communicant ôh thou unworthy receiver Death is in the cup. If thou drinke unpreparedly thou drinkest thine owne death And as God speakes of Ierusalem to the enemies of it Zech. 12. 2. Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of poyson or a cup of trembling unto all the people round about so may it be sayd of the cup in the Sacrament to an unprepared receiver Inteâ—â—jâ— nefarie necatus veneno per infectum panem sacrum Beneconventi a Bernhardino Monachoâ—e familia fratrunâ— pradicatorum qui ad hoca Florentioâ—â— eâ—at conductus Carion Chronic. lib 5. Behold I will make the cup in the Sacrament a cup of poyson or a cup of trembling to all unprepared Communicants The Emperour Henry the seventh was poisoned in the bread by a Monk and Pope Victor the second was poysond by his Subdeacon in his challice and one of our Bishops of Yorke was poysond at the Sacrament by poyson put in the wine Now if poyson were mingled with the Sacramentall bread or if poyson were put into the cup would not men tremble to eate that bread would not that cup be a cup of trembling would not the very feare and suspicion of poyson make men tremble to drinke of it Assuredly if thou be an unprepared receiver there is poyson in thy bread in thy cup and it will poyson thy soule to death And therefore it should make men as much tremble to come unprepared as Medicus enim non daret venenum salutem medicus dedit sed indigne accipiendo ad perniciem accepit August they would tremble to go away with their soules poysoned If a sonne shall aske bread of any of you that is a Father will hee give him a stone sayes our Saviour Luk. 11. 11. We professe when we come to the Sacrament that wee come to seeke bread and foode for our soules And bread the true living bread that came down from heaven is there to be had but when we come unprepared it so falls out with us that in stead of bread we have a stone given us a stone that will choake us The Divell would have had our Saviour to have turned stones into bread but contrarily men comming unpreparedly turne the bread in the Sacrament into a stone so that not onely no more nourishment by it then by a stone but so much danger by it as by feeding on a stone which is no lesse then death I will sayes David Psal 116. 13. Take the cup of salvation How many in taking the cup in the Sacrament take the cup of damnation Either take it a cup of salvation or take it not at all 3 The third danger is bodily danger Vnprepared receiving brings bodily judgements upon men as sickenesse weakenesse yea and death it selfe 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weake and sickely amongst you and many sleepe For what cause For receiving the
sic vivendum est ut panem illum semper accipere valeamus quia vae ei qui se alienum fecerit ab eo Et multum vae illi qui spurcus et immuÌ„dus accesserit Vtrobique grande periculum Ideo magna necessitas instat ne indigni Inveniâ—mur Bern. de ordi vitae Non dixit Cur accubuisti sed ante accubiâ—um ingressum eum dicit esse indignum Non enim dixit Cur accubuisti sed cur intrasti Chrys ad Ephes ho. 3. the Sacrament yet it is no lesse dangerous to come if we come unpreparedly Vnprepared comming is as dangerous as not comming It is with this Supper in the Sacrament as it was w th that supper of the Kings Mat. 22. They that neglected to come and absented themselves they smarted But v. 13. there was one that came to the Supper and yet he seems to be more severely punisht then those that came not What shall men be punisht for not comming and be punisht for comming too Yes surely if they come not as they should comming will not serve the turne Marke that question v. 12. Friend how camest thou in hither He doth not say Friend how satest thou down but how camest thou in Thereby implying that his sinne was not that some indisposition had overtaken him in sitting downe but that hee did not looke to himselfe and prepare himselfe before he came in So it is in the Supper of the LORD A man may transgresse as well in an unprepared presence as in a profane absence And hee may incurre a danger by comming as well as by not comming There is not a man comes to the Sacrament but GOD hath an eye upon him to take notice how he comes in and if he come not in prepared he is like to heare of it to his sorrow We come to the Sacrament to enquire of God to seeke his face and to receive a gracious answer from him But if we come unprepared in stead of an answer we shall meete with a question Friend how camest thou in hither Such a question as will trouble us to answer Such a question as will gag us that wee shall not have a word to say for our selves A great many cannot endure their Ministers should question it with them to prepare them the better for that holy duty but let such know that God himselfe will question them and put them such a question as will smite them dumbe and speechlesse such a question to which because they can make no answer they must answer it in another kinde Take him bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Chap. 4. Of the necessity of knowledge in a Communicant CHAP. 4 THus we have seene how needfull preparation is to the receiving of the Sacrament after the due order It followes now to consider what this preparation is or wherin it stands The preparation required before the Sacrament is twofold Habituall and Actuall Habituall preparation stands in the having of all such dispositions and graces as qualifie a man for the worke of receiving Actuall preparation stands in the exciting and awakening of those graces and dispositions and renewing of them when a man is to receive Both these must be done by him that will receive in due order It is here as in preaching A man that will preach the Word must first be habitually prepared for the worke by having such gifts graces abilities and ministeriall qualifications of learning and knowledge in the Scriptures as are required to accomplish and furnish a man for that work He must be a man well read well studied Now though a man be a furnisht man and have competent abilities yet he will not on a sudden without any study step up into the Pulpit take a Text at adventure and fall a preaching but besides his habituall preparation in the course of his studies he will study afresh upon a particular Text and for a particular Sermon and bestow speciall paines for that particular worke and that is Actuall preparation Mat. 13. 52. Every Scribe which is instructed unto the kingdome of heaven bringeth out of his treasure things new and old He is instructed unto the Kingdome of Heaven he hath a treasure of things new and old There is his habituall preparation for preaching he brings them out namely by study and meditation he gathers together things apt and fit for the present worke there is his actuall preparation And there is first an habituall preparation before an actuall He first studies Arts Tongues Divinity and then after studies his Sermons his first study is habituall his second is actuall preparation Though a man should study a Sermon have an actuall preparation yet if he had not studied Divinity and other things needful but wanted habitual preparation it would prove poore lank empty stuffe and though a man had studied Divinity and had habituall preparation yet if without study and premeditation without actuall preparation he should offer to doe the worke hee might be guilty of tempting God might make but wilde and confused worke of it and might come off with a check Neither of these thus preaching should preach after the due Order and both these might be as those Prophets Zech. 13. 4. It shall come to passe in that day that the Prophets shall bee ashamed every one of his vision when he hath prophesied The first might well be ashamed because he wanted habituall the second because he wanted actuall preparation He is not fit to preach that wants habituall preparation he may say if called to preach as Zech. 13. 5. I am no Prophet I am an Husband-man for man taught me to keep cattell from my youth I am not habitually prepared I have not beene trained up in the Schooles amongst the Sons of the Prophets but I am a Trades-man I have beene brought up in the shop in a Trade from my youth and though he be fit to preach that hath habituall preparation yet if he want actuall preparation he is not ready to preach not provided for it at such a time And therefore mark how the Rulers of the Synagogue speake to S. Paul and his companions Acts 13. 15. Ye men and brethren if ye have any words of exhortation for the people say on as if hee had said If ye be provided for a Sermon if you have any meditations ready bestow them upon the people He did not desire they should adventure into the Pulpit with their extemporary effusions to powre out what Ad nuâ—â—itionem spiritualem requiritur non tantum habitus dispositio fidei sed actus etiam ejus exercitus exercitâ—tus ita ut non omnes fideles semper digni sint convivae in hac coena nisi fidem quam habent excitent exerceant pro ratione hujus instituti Ames Cat. p. 152. ever came next hand 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy selfe approved unto God a workman
repentance Mat. 3. Iohn did baptise the people that came unto him but he first preaches repentance to them Vers 2. and they professe repentance unto him before they be baptised Vers 6. They were baptised of him confessing their sins And so Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptised first repent and then come to the Sacrament of Baptisme It is so also with the Sacrament of the Lords Supper repent and receive the Lords Supper first repent and then come to the Lords Supper And therefore 1 Cor. 11. 31. he wishes us to judge our selves before we come to the Sacrament which is a speciall worke of repentance In the Sacrament wee draw nigh to God and we desire to have the Lord draw nigh to us If therefore we would draw neere to God or have him draw neere to us we must come after the due Order If we draw neere to God and do it disorderly he will not draw neere to us nor have any fellowship with us Now what is Gods Order and the due Order wherein he would have us draw neere unto him we finde Iames 4. 8 9. 10. Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you But after what Order must we draw nigh to him Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie CHAP. 5 your hearts you double minded be afflicted and mourne and weepe c. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord. This is the Order after which wee must draw neere to God namely prepared and fitted for fellowship with him by unfained repentance Hezekiah proclaimed a solemne Passeover to be kept at Ierusalem and the Order after which they kept it is worth the observing and is for our imitation before we come to the Sacrament First the Priests they cleanse the Temple and brought out all the uncleannesse that they found in the Temple of the Lord into the court of the House of the Lord and the Levites tooke it to carry it out abroad into the brooke Kidron 2 Chron. 29. 16. And as the Priests and Levites doe their parts in purging uncleannesse out of the Temple so the people doe theirs in purging the Citie They arise and take away the Altars that were in Ierusalem and all the Altars for incense tooke they away and cast them into the brooke Kidron 2 Chron. 30. 14. And marke what followes Vers 15. Then they killed the Passeover namely when all uncleannesse was fetcht out of the Temple and all the Altars knockt downe in the Citie and were thrown into the brooke Kidron as it were into the Towne-ditch Then they killed the Passeover First there was a purging a cleansing out of filthinesse first al the baggage and uncleane stuffe throwne into Kidron and then a killing of the Passeover This must bee our Order in comming to the Sacrament first purge our hearts and lives of al manner of uncleannesse that may be found in them by repentance and by repentance throw it all into the brooke Kidron and then come to the Sacrament then receive the Lords Supper So must men come to the Lords Table as the Priests came to the services of the Tabernacle When the Priests came to performe holy services in the Tabernacle see in what Order they must come Exod. 30. 18 21. They must wash their hands CHAP. 6 and their feet at the brazen laver when they went into the Tabernacle or when to the Altar to minister there The equity of it reached farther than to the Priests David was no Priest yet Psal 26. I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine Altar He alludes to the ceremony of the Priests washing at the brazen Laver before they ministred at the Altar to let us see that though this ceremony belonged onely to the Priests yet the morality belongs to all and that there is a washing that concernes all before they meddle with holy services and so with the Sacrament As the Priests were to wash themselves so some parts of the Sacrifices also were to be washt Levit. 1. 9. But the inwards and his legs he shall wash in water The same Order must be observed in comming to the Sacrament every sinner is an uncleane person and uncleane ones must be washed before they offer to have fellowship with the GOD of Purity There is a double washing with which wee must bee washed before we can come in due Order First the washing of our selves in Christs bloud by faith And secondly the washing of our selves by repentance He that will come in due Order must wash by repentance as well as by faith yea he must wash both his inwards and his feet His inwards must be washt Ier. 14. 4. Wash thine heart O Ierusalem how long shall thy wicked thoughts lodge within thee All inward and secret lusts must be washt out by repentance And the feet must bee washt also Iohn 13. 10. As we walke in our daily wayes we gather a great deale of soile and this same soile of our outward actions must also bee washt away by repentance Why must the inwards and the feet or legs of the Sacrifices be washt above all the rest The reason is given because the inwards or intrailes are the vessels that containe the filth and excrements of the Beast and therefore were they to be washt And the legs CHAP. 5 or feet to be washt because they tread in the dirt and mire and so are more defiled then any other part of the body And all this was to teach that when wee draw neere to God wee should specially wash there where most filth is readiest to bee contracted Our inwards our hearts and consciences what abundance of excrements and filth have they what dunghils of filthy lusts lye in our hearts our legs our feet how doe we defile them by walking and treading in foule wayes Even he that is washed already still and daily needs to have his feet washed Iohn 13. 10. Now then for us to come to the Lords Table with such inwards with such feet is not to take heed to our feet nor to come in due Order It were disorderly to sit downe at a mans Table in so slovenly a fashion as with unwashen hands therefore more disorderly to sit downe at the Lords Table with unwashen hearts The Pharisees quarrelled with our Saviours Disciples Matth. 15. 2. Why say they doe thy Disciples transgresse the tradition of the Elders for they wash not their hands when they eat bread But to such Communicants as come to the Lords Table without repentance it may be said upon better ground Why doe ye transgresse the commandement of the Lord For yee wash not your hands nor your hearts when ye eat bread at the Lords Table Quest But what is that repentance wherewith a man must come How must a man repent before he comes Ans This is indeed a thing worth the inquiring after because many that come to the Sacrament that yeeld to it that there must be a preparation before they come yet fouly deceive
2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath Every Christians care should be to have his prayer like Iobs Iob 16. 17. Also my prayer is pure The way to have our prayer pure is to lift up pure hands without wrath Love is that which makes heart and hands and so prayer pure from the defilement of wrath It is required in all that will heare the Word aright Iames 1. 19. They that will bee swift to heare must bee slow to wrath and verse 21. all superfluity of maliciousnesse must be layd apart to fit for the receiving of the Word So 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Wherfore laying aside all malice as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word And so likewise no lesse requisite in all such as will come to the Sacrament in due order Every sacrifice was to be salted with salt Levit. 2. 13. And every oblation of thy meate offring shalt thou season with salt Thou shall not suffer the salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking c. with all thine offrings thou shalt offer salt Vnseasoned services are unsavoury services Services without salt are services without savour And here is a salt with which all our duties are to be sprinkled Marke 9. 50. Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another And as at all times so especially is it required before we come to the Sacrament If without love we are neither fit to pray nor heare then not fit to receive the Sacrament for he is not fit to receive the Sacrament that is neither fit to pray nor heare the Word The necessity of it will appeare by these things 1 By that so well knowne a place Matth. 5. 23 24. If thou bring thy Nun quam mihi contingat turbatum ad pacis accedere sacrificium cū ita disceptatione contingere Sacramentum-Certe non recipitur munus quodcunque meum quod defero ad altare nisi ante placato fratre quē me forte laesisse meminero quanto minùs si meipsum non placavero priùs Bern. de precept dispens guift to the Altar and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thy guift before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy guift It may seeme to be somewhat an odde thing an incongruous carriage and to carry some shew of irreverence with it that a man being come into the Temple having brought his offering before the Altar should all on a sudden turne his backe upon the Altar and goe his waies out of the Temple Might not a man therefore in such a case better have stayed there still so that in his heart he were sorry for the wrong done to his neighbour and be fully resolved so soon as the sacrifice is ended to reconcile himselfe to him No it will not serve the turne but how od and undecent it may seem to be yet go thy way and first be reconciled and then come and offer thy guift Not offer thy guift and then go and be reconciled This must be done first it is a preparative duty and preparative duties must be done before the services themselves be done Now as in Sacrifices so is it in Sacraments Et tum veniens offeres munus tuum Vae mihi misero ne dicam tibi qui tanto tempore aut non obtuli munus aut ira permanente sine causa obtuli Hieronym Ep. ad Castorin Matert GOD will have love and reconciliation before men come to His Table Go first and be reconciled before thou goe to receive the Sacrament He that will goe to the Sacrament without charity can looke for no better then to returne without fruit Vncharitable receiving can bee no better then unprofitable receiving 2 That same 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit wee are all baptised into one body and by one spirit have beene all made to drinke into one spirit The Apostle had shown before v. 8 9 10. that though some men do receive personall peculiar gifts yet they are given by the spirit for the good of the whole Church The reason in briefe is because all the whole Church is but one body and one soube and every beleever being a member of that body whatsoever he hath he hath it not for himsefe but for the common good of the body But now the question might be whether all beleevers be one body and one spirit or soule Now therefore the Apostle shewes and proves this unity of the Church that all beleevers are one body and soule from the end and effect of the Sacrament which is to seale this unity That they be one body it appeares by the Sacrament of baptisme for by one Spirit wee are baptised into one body That they be one spirit or soule it appeares by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for by one spirit we are made to drink into one Spirit or soule Thus by both the Sacraments is this unity sealed Observe then that a mayne end and use of the Supper is that wee may be made to drinke into one spirit into the Sacrament in love and charity CHAP. 7 or else how shall the end and use of the Sacrament be made good How can they be made to drink into one spirit that are of two spirits of two different contrary spirits it is exceeding requisite that they be of one spirit that come to be made drinkers into one spirit It is love that makes men of one spirit and so fits them to bee made in the Sacrament to drinke into one spirit love makes men of one spirit the Sacrament seales this unity of spirit There cannot be an unity of spirit sealed till there be an unity of spirit made Now because it is love that makes this unity and this unity must be sealed at the Sacrament therfore necessarily must a man come with love that will come aright to the Sacrament or else hee frustrates a maine end of the Sacrament 3 Thirdly as the Sacrament of Baptisme is the Sacrament of our new birth so the Sacrament of the Supper is the Sacrament of our new life and spirituall nutrition and growth And unto it should a man come that in the right and religious use of it he may be spiritually nourished and may thrive and grow in grace and goodnesse Now no man can grow thrive or be nourished by the use of the Sacrament that comes to it without love The whole Church is a body every Christian is a member of that body now a member that will grow in the body and thrive must necessarily be united to and conjoyned with the body If a member be separated from the body it cannot be nourished nor grow an hand or an arme rent or cut off from the body cannot be nourished nor grow Nay though a part of the body bee not separated from the rest yet if there be but a dislocation of a part so
judgement of his own fitnesse and an examined heart that upon examination hath found it selfe fit is able to charme all troublesome doubts and can say to them Be stil trouble me not for I have throughly examined my selfe and upon serious and sincere examination I know that I am a fit and a worthy Communicant Doubts they trouble the heart examination prevents doubts and settles the heart and puts things out of doubt When Christ after his resurrection appeared to his Disciples they were terrified and affrighted Luke 24. 37. but see how Christ answers them Vers 38. Why are yee troubled and why do doubts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arise in your hearts They should with all gladnesse have received and imbraced Christ but contrarily they were troubled And whence came the trouble of their spirits Why doe doubts arise in your hearts Mark then that doubts trouble the heart and unfit it for the receiving of Christ They doubted whether hee were Christ or not and were so troubled with these doubts that as yet they received him not But afterwards their doubts are turned into joy V. 41. They rejoyce at the sight and presence of Christ but how came these doubts to be removed and to be changed into joy Christ puts them to the examination and triall of himselfe Vers 39. to put them out of doubt Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my selfe and when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands and his feet As if he had said I see you are much troubled with doubtings whether I be Christ or not examine and try me view me feele me handle me and you shal find by examination that I am not as you think a spirit And so in probability they examining him w th their eyes and with their hands found him to be no spirit found him to bee Christ and had their doubts removed and joyfully received him for Christ indeed Thus as this examination removed cleered their doubts that troubled them so examination of our selves would prevent the doubtings that are ready to trouble us in receiving the Sacrament If we would behold and see if we would look into our hearts and feele and handle our owne hearts yea search and dive into them by examination how should we prevent our troublesome doubtings and how should we meet with joy comfort instead of doubtings We come to Christ in the Sacrament In one sense in regard of that awfull respect wee should have unto his blessed Majesty we should come to Christ as that woman did Mark 5. 33. The woman fearing and trembling came and fell downe before him but in another sense namely when it rises from an ignorance of our own estate whether we be fit to come to his ordinance or not and from the doubtings of conscience that we are not prepared as we should be thus to come with feare and trembling is not good examination would prevent feare By examination we should finde out the truth of our condition we should finde out whether we be fit or not And upon examination finding our selves fit we should come with an holy boldnesse and confidence of spirit to Christ in his Ordinance As therefore we desire to have our hearts discharged of troubles and doubts when wee are drawing neere to the Lords Table as we would not have conscience pester us with disquieting scruples and unseasonable disputes reasonings whether we may come or no so beforehand bestow some time and paines in a private scrutiny and search of our selves examination wil prevent all these and we shall be able to hush and still them all if wee can say I have examined mine heart I have sincerely tried my selfe and I find upon good examination that I have good leave to come to the Lords Ordinance 2 Secondly it is better a great deale to examine our selves before we come then to be examined by God God wil examine such to the purpose that wil not be at the pains trouble to examine themselves It was a sharp kinde of examination by which Saint Paul should have beene examined Acts 22. 24. The chiefe Captaine commanded that he should be examined by scourging Certainly when men neglect selfe-examination God will himselfe examine them but it will be an examination with scourging Every interrogatory and question that God puts to us shall be as a smarting lash with a scourge yea as a stinging lash with a Scorpion The man that came to the Feast without his wedding garment never examined himselfe before he came whether he had a nuptiall garment to goe in or not God therefore examines him but it is with a scourging question that made his heart smart Friend how carnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment It was a scourging question that drew bloud on his conscience When a man comes to the Sacrament and hath not examined himselfe and God comes to him and sayes as to Eliah 1 Kings 19. 13. What doest thou here Eliah So what doest thou here at my Table How will such a question pinch the conscience what a girding lash will it be to a mans heart Those are lashing interrogatories Isa 1. 12. Who required these things at your hands to tread in my Courts Isay 58. 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen Psal 50. 16. What hast thou to doe that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth Ier. 7. 9 10. Will yee steale murder and commit adultery c. and come and stand before me in this house These be scourging examinations that fetch bloud at every stroake with such kind of questions and such kind of interrogatories will God examine men that come unself-examined to the Sacrament Now when God shall come to such examinations who may abide the day of his comming and who shall stand when he appeares as Malachi speaks in another case Mal. 3. 2. How terrible a thing will it be to be thus examined were it not good for every one to take a course to prevent so sharpe an examination There is a way to doe it and that is before wee come to the Sacrament let a man examine himselfe for as the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged namely of the Lord so if we would examine our selves we should not be examined of the Lord. But if we examine not our selves then shal we be both examined and judged of the Lord. When a man hath examined himself he needs not feare Gods examination nay a man may then be willing to come under Gods examination David puts himself upon Gods examination Psa 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know mine heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there bee any wicked way in me Certainly David never durst have beene so bold as to have put himselfe upon Gods examination if he had not first examined himselfe But having first examined himselfe and thereupon knowing his own conscience throughly well now he
we not be glad to see Christ to have him look graciously upon us to have communion with him to have him invite himselfe to us to have him be a guest in our hearts Would we not be glad to have it thus with us Surely there is little comfort in the Sacrament when it is not thus with us Word and Sacrament both are but dead and dull services when Christ is not seene in them when we heare not his voice see not his face in them Therefore when we are to come to the Sacrament looke to that and provide for it before-hand that when we are come we may see Christ have him see and owne us But how may that be done Set thine heart first strongly to desire to see Christ and then though thou may have discouragements that there is a multitude and a crowd of duties to be done and that thy stature and strength is very little and therefore no great hope that thou shouldest get the sight of Christ in the Ordinance yet for all that hold on thy desires to see Christ and run before and get up and though it cannot be done without much adoe yet climbe up into the Sycamore Tree and thou shalt see Christ and have communion with him from the top of that Tree I but what is that Sycamore Tree what is this running before what is this climbing up It is out of a desire to see and enjoy Christ in his Ordinance an industrious paines-taking in private duties of preparation examination excitation and renewing of faith and repentance and striving in prayer with God This is running before this is climbing up into the Sycamore Tree And whosoever takes paines before-hand in the fore-named and forehandled duties of preparation he runs before he climbes up into the Sycamore shall speed as happily as Zacheus did shal from the top of that Sycamore so painfully climbed see Christ and enjoy fellowship with him All that come to the Sacrament say they desire to see Christ and injoy him there and yet to how many doth Christ say in effect at the Sacrament as the Lord speakes to Ezekiel Ezek. 12. 18. Son of man eat thy bread with quaking and drink thy water with trembling So Son of man eat thy Sacramentall bread with quaking and drinke the Sacramentall wine with trembling Go get your wayes home with a drooping and an heavie heart But why should they so do because they see not Christ nor Christ looks not at them vouchsafes no fellowship with them in his Ordinance Go thy way eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart sayes he Eccles 9. 7. for God now accepts thy workes but contrarily may it be said to many Go thy way eat thy bread at the Sacrament with sorrow and drink thy wine at the Sacrament with an heavie heart for God accepts not thy work nor thy service herein Christ doth not looke upon thee doth not invite himselfe to thee And what may the reason of it be Men say they desire to see and injoy Christ in the Sacrament but they doe not run before they doe not take paines to climbe up into the Sycamore Tree Their desires are idle lazie slothfull there is no industrious preparation no industrious examination no industrious renewing faith and repentance there is no industrious praying and painfull seeking of God before hand And hence is our mischiefe and miscarriage we run not we climbe not and therefore we see not So long as Zacheus kept on the ground he saw not Christ nor could see him but when he had run before and climbed then he doth more than see him Our desires keepe on the ground we spend no time wee take no paines the week and the day before and therefore we misse the comfortable sight of Christ in the Sacrament But let our desires be once running and climbing desires let them once get up in the Sycamore Tree and they shall finde fruit worth the running and the climbing for Pro. 27. 18. Whoso keepes the Fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof so he that climbs the Fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof We must not thinke that these Figs will drop into our mouthes they must climbe for them that will have them and climbing is painfull They that will take Zacheus's paines shall reape Zacheus's gaines A little faith a faith of as small a stature as Zacheus if it be industrious and will take paines before-hand will helpe a man to great benefit and comfort from Christ in his Ordinance Though industrious preparation examination prayer c. be teadious and wearisome to sloathfull flesh and that pretends a presse and a crowd of earthly businesses that must be lookt to and a crowd of duties to be done that will keepe a man off from a possibility of seeing Christ yet all the wearisomenesse notwithstanding and presse of secular businesse notwithstanding hold thy selfe closely to this worke there will come that comfort and that sweet in the Sacrament that will pay for all Though it were troublesome to run before though it were a matter of trouble and difficulty to climbe and clamber into the Sycamore Tree yet findes Zacheus that precious fruit therein that richly payd him for all his paines Now besides all this paines in our own personall preparation we must also know that we must have a care to prepare others as wee stand charged with them in their severall relations to us Ministers must not onely prepare themselves but must do their best to prepare their people As Iosiah speakes to them 2 Chron. 35. 6. Sanctifie your selves and prepare your brethren so it may be said to Ministers sanctifie your selves and prepare your people so to Parents sanctifie your selves and prepare your children so to Masters and Governours sanctifie your selves and prepare your servants and your Families See Exod. 12. 26 27. It shall come to passe that when your children shall say What mean you by this service that ye shall say It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover c. And Vers 48. When a stranger shall sojourne with thee and will keepe the Passeover to the Lord let all his males bee circumcised c. Such whom it concerned must looke that he were prepared before he came Thou therfore that hast others under thy charg have a care to prepare them instruct them direct them call upon them to have a care to come in due Order If thou know'st any sin or evill in them admonish them and advise them to repentance for it and to a resolution to a reformation of it before they come to the Sacrament And thus much for preparation to the Sacrament Ob. But when I have done all that I can I must say I am an unprofitable servant When ye have done all those things which are commanded you sayes our Saviour say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do The Lord then be mercifull unto me for if when I have done all
speakes in another case Psalme 39. 3. Mine heart was hot within me whilest I was musing the fire burned So whilest we are thus musing and meditating of the love of Christ in his passion the fire should burne and our hearts should waxe hot within us the fire and flame of our love to Christ should kindle and grow hot in our hearts The view of his passion should worke in us an holy Rogo te per illa salutifera vulnera tua quae passus es in cruce pro salute nostra e quibus emanavit pretiosus ille sanguis quo sumus redemptiâ— vulnera hanc animam meam peccatricem pro qua etiam mori dignatus es vulnera eam igneo potentissimo telâ— tuae nimiae Charitatis Configcor meum jaculo tui amoris ut di cat tibi anima mea Charitate tua vulnerata sum c. Aug. lib. medit c. 37. passion of love The view of his wounds should wound our hearts with holy and enlarged affection to him Follow and goe along with CHRIST in all his sufferings in thy meditations Begin where his passion begun Iohn 12. 27. follow him thence into the Garden from thence into the High Priests Hall from thence into the Iudgement Hall from thence to the Crosse There is not a passage in all the story that affordes not matter of meditation and not a meditation that may not set forth his love to thee and kindle thine to him Thus therefore at the Sacrament should our hearts be imployed in the meditation of CHRISTS death and passion and thus should we make that good Cant. 1. 12. Whilest the King Sitâ—â— at his Table my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof that is whilest CHRIST had communion with me my graces were exercised and manifested themselves even then whilest I had fellowship with him As CHRIST sate at Table Mary tooke a pound of oyntment of Spikenard very costly and annoynted the feete of Iesus and the house was filled with the odour of the oyntment So the King sits at his table and when wee sit at his table in the SacrameÌ„t we shold cause our spikenards to send forth the smell thereof That we do when in the ordinance we take up our hearts with the holy meditations of the love of Christ in his bitter passion Such holy meditations are the smell of the spikenards and are as pleasing to Christ as Maries spikneard was that filled the whole house with the odour therof This Christ commandes and makes it one maine end of the Institution of the Sacrament Doe this in remembrance of me therefore appointed he the Sacrament that therein we might in speciall manner meditate upon his passion and his love to us therein David had a Psalme of Remembrance Psalme 38. in the title But for the death of Christ his love in it and the benefits by it we have not onely some Psalmes of Remembrance as Psalme 16. 22 and 69. and others but besides the Lord Christ hath to the worlds end appointed a Sacrament of Remembrance that this great worke of CHRISTS death and his infinite love and mercy therin might above all other workes bee meditated upon and had in remembrance One specially in the Evangelists is worth our notice Some of Christs workes are specified only by one Evangelist at his turning of Water to wine as his healing the sick man at the poole of Bethesda his healing that blind man Ioh. 9. Some of them are specified by two Evangelists as the history of Christs birth by Matthew and Luke Some things are recorded by three of them as the Institution of the Sacrament of the Supper But as for Christs death and Passion it is recorded by them all foure Onely two write the History of his birth but all foure the History of his death without doubt to teach us that though all Christs workes and actions are to be seriously minded meditated upon and remembred yet none so speciall as his death and sufferings And therefore specially should his death be meditated upon at the Sacrament whose institution was purposely for the remembrance of it Therefore ought men to make speciall conscience of this duely How cold and dead a remembrance of Christs death is the receiving of the Sacrament without this serious meditation of the bitternesse of his death and the sweetnesse of his love therein Wee make not good the end of the Sacrament without it yea wee as much as in us lyes make the Sacrament but a dumbe shew What remembrance is there of Christs death in such receiving the Sacrament Makes it bee in a fresh crucifying him againe by our unworthy receiving 2 Secondly An exercise of Repentance And this exercise of Repentance must be in two things 1. First in godly sorrow for sinne 2. Secondly in a solemne renewing of our Covenants with God 1. First in godly sorrow for sinne for our owne sinnes in particular for which Christ did undergoe all that sorrow and smart in his sufferings Wee have in the Sacrament a representation of the sufferings of Christ wee have him crucified before our eyes Behold saies Iohn the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world In the Sacrament should we behold him taking away the sinnes of the world In it we see and behold Christ crucified wee see his hands feete and side pierced now this sight should so affect us as it should pierce the very hearts of us What The blessed Sonne of GOD to strip himselfe of his glory to humble and abase himselfe to the ignominious and accursed death of the Crosse The glorious Sonne of GOD thus abused and abased Why How comes this about The only begotten Sonne of the Father to make such bitter lamentation My God my God why hast thou forsaken me What may the cause of all this be Alas all this was for our sinnes It was not Iudas not the Iewes not Pilate not the Souldiers but they were our sinnes thy sinnes my sinnes that put the Sonne of God to all his sorrow We we and none but we were the evill beasts that devour'd this Ioseph Our sinnes were so heinous and had so provoked the Iustice of God that there was no way to satisfie Gods Iustice to appease his wrath and to make our atonement but by the pretious bloud of the Sonne of God crucified on the Crosse And shall I now see my sins lye so heavy upon him as to make him sweate bloud shall I see him even squeezed under the huge weight of my sinnes shall I see my sinnes crowne him with thornes nayle his hands and feete to the Crosse Gore his side with the speare with an unpierced heart Oh the deepe sorrow that our hearts should bee leavened withall when wee see Christs body brusing and bleeding in the Sacrament Christ our Passeover is sanctified for us The Passeover was to be eaten with bitter herbes or will bitternesses Exod. 12. 5. And how happy is that soule that in this respect can say at the
Sacrament as Lamen 3. 15. Hee hath filled me with bitternesse hee hath made me drunken with wormewood It should bee with us at the Sacrament as with them Zech. 12. 10. They shall looke upon him whom they have pierced And how shall that sight affect them And they shall mourne and bee in bitternesse for him as one that mournes for his only sonne as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne How bitterly will such a man mourne So bitterly shall they mourne when they looke upon Christ whom they have pierced And great reason for is it not a matter of greater sorrow to pierce the only Son of God the first borne the first begotten from the dead then to loose one onely or first begotten sonne So here in the Sacrament we looke upon Christ whom wee have pierced this sight should fill our hearts with bitternesse should make our hearts full of sorrow Not only with an Historicall sorrow or a sorrow of naturall compassion when wee heare or see some sad or sorrowfull event this is nothing but Homini non est necessarium ut ChristuÌ„ in ipsius passione deploret sed magis seipsuÌ„ in Christo Luther with a practicall sorrow with an unfained sorrow of heart that wee by our personall sinnes have had our hands imbrued in the bloud of the Sonne of GOD that our sinnes envenomed those thornes those nayles that pierced him and by their venome made them put him to such bitter anguish Have we hearts conformeable Si vis ipsum cognoscere sicut se fregit ita te frange quia qui dicit se in Christo manere debeâ— sicut ille ambularit ipse ambulare Bern. hom de duob disâ—euntib ad Em. to the Christ wee see in the Sacrament Thou beholdest a broken Christ thou beholdest a bleeding Christ thou beholdest a bleeding Christ behold him therefore with a broken heart with a bleeding heart with a pierced spirit So behold Christ in the Sacrament as the Virgin Mary his Mother beheld him on the Crosse And how was that Woman sayes Christ behold thy Son How did shee behold him Simeon tells her Luk. 2. 35. That a sword shall passe thorow her soule Then did a sword pierce thorow her soule when she beheld him pierced on the Crosse that sight was a sword through the heart of her So when wee see him pierced in the Sacrament it should be as a dagger in our hearts Oh wretch that I am that my sinnes have beene thornes on his head nayles in his hands and feete a speare in his side LORD saies David when he saw the people slaughtred by the Angels sword loe I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these sheepe what have they done 2 Sam. 24. 17. So say Electe puer Dei mei quid tanta amaritudine quid tanta confusione dignum commiseras Prorsus nihil Ego perditus homo totius proditionis tuae causa extiti Ego domine unam acceâ—bam comedi dentes tui obstupuerunt quia quae non rapuisti tunc exvolvebâ—s Bernard Serm. de pass Dom. here lo I have sinned I have done wickedly but this Innocent and Immaculate Lambe what hath he done It is I that have sinned and it is thou Oh LORD that hast smarted It is I that have sinned and it is thou Oh Lord that hast suffered It is I that have put thee to all these sorrowes my oathes my uncleannesses my lusts my covetousnesse my drunkennesse c. These were the Iudasses that betrayed thee these were the Iewes that crucified thee Lord I have eaten the sowre grapes and thy teeth were set on edge LORD I plaid the thiefe and thou restoredst the things thou tookest not Doe this sayes Christ in Remembrance of me Hee would have the Sacrament appointed to renew and refresh the remembrance of his sufferings that in the remembrance of his sufferings wee might remember our owne sinnes the causes of them and bee deepely humbled for them That as the Prophet speakes in that case Lamen 3. 19 20. Remembring mine affliction and my misery the worme-wood and the gall my soule hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in mee So in â—â—is case remembring Christs affliction and his misery the gall and the worm-wood our soule should still have them in remembrance and be deepely humbled in us what a sweete temper were it to bee at the Sacrament with a melting heart Mine eye saith the Prophet affecteth mine heart Lam. 3. 51. how happy that our eye could effect our heart we have Christ crucified for our sinnes in our eye at the Sacrament ô that that which our eye sees could affect our heart with such sorrow for sinne as becomes That our vide quomodo his qui Christi commemorant passionem inter sacra officia quasi per quosdam canales de interioribus fontibus egrediantur torrentes super omnes delicias lachrymis nectarijs anima delectetur Ros matutinus est de caelestibus stillans quasi unctio spiritus mentem deliniens Gemitus illos pietas excitat se sanatam sanctificatam agnoscens fletibus se abluit lachrymis se baptizat Cypr. de caen Dom. eye could affect our heart and our heart could affect our eye that whilest wee behold Christ shedding his bloud for our sinnes we could be affected with such sorrow upon the sight of our eye that our heart could melt out at our eyes and shed teares for those sinnes for which wee see Christ shed his bloud That we could turne the Sacrament of the Supper into a baptisme of teares and could wash and baptise our selves with the teares of Repentance as Saint Cyprian speakes It was layde to the charge of those unkinde husbands Malach. 2. 13. that by their unkindnesses they caused their wives when they should have been cheerefull in Gods service to cover the Altar of the Lord with teares with weeping and with crying out insomuch that he regarded not the offering any more nor received it with good will at their hands But how happy were it with us that wee could so bee affected with our unkindnesse to CHRIST our Husband that we could cover the Lord's Table with our teares with weeping and with crying out how then would the Lord regarde our service the more and receive our receiving with good will at our hands Vere potest conscindere cor meuÌ„ miserum sanguineis lachrimis madefacere quia ecce creator meus pro me sanguineo rore prefunditur nec levi quidem sed decurrente in terram Vae misero cordi quod taâ— tanto â—udore non madescit perfusum Bern. de pass DoÌ„ tract c. 37. Alas alas for the hardnesse of our hearts that we can see our Lord all in his gore bloud for our sins his bloud shedding upon the earth and that our hearts cannot be rent and bleed teares of bloud that this bloud moystens not and softens not our hard hearts Consider yee and call
in which this bloud is put This bloud is held forth in this bason This is my bloud Now when this bloud is held forth to us in this bason wee should sprinkle our selves with this bloud That must be done by Actuating our faith and by the act of faith applying that bloud of Christ unto our selves We finde mention Rom. 3. 25. of faith in Christs bloud there is not onely faith in Christs Name but faith in his bloud Faith when Christs bloud is holden out to us either in the Word or Sacrament puts her hand into this bason or dippes the hyssope into the bloud in the bason and so besprinkles a mans soule therewith Faith applying CHRISTS bloud to a mans selfe doth put her hand into the bason doth dip the hyssop into the bloud in the bason ye doth with Thomas put her hands into the wounds of CHRIST and take bloud thence and besprinkles the soule withall When therfore we see CHRISTS bloud in the Sacrament we are to take it and besprinkle our selves with it that is we are to have faith in his bloud and by faith to apply the merit of Christs death unto our owne soules And this application is the Actuation of faith Nay that is not all faith seeing the wounds and the bloud of Christ not Cruci haeremus sanguinem sugimuâ— intra ipsa Redempturis nostri vulnera sigimus linguam Cyp. de Coen Dom. onely puts her hands into Christs woundss or into the bloud in the bason but faith layes her mouth to these wound and to this bloud and suckes these wounds suckes in this bloud with an holy greedinesse A faith Actuated in the Ordinance is a bloud-sucking faith Prov. 30. 15. The horse-leech hath two daughters which cry Give give Such an eager and holy greedinesse hath faith in sucking in Christs bloud It cannot be satisfied but still cries Give give Lord give me evermore of this bloud give me of this bloud to sprinkle my unrighteous soule Give me of this bloud to staunch the bloudy issues of mine heart Give me of this bloud to heale my leprose spirit Give me of this bloud to helpe subdue and mortifie my lusts Give me of this bloud of Christ crucified to crucifie old Adam and all my rebllious lusts Thus when a man suckes in earnestly the bloud of Christ whom he sees crucified and shedding his bloud in the Sacrament and suckes it in for his severall and speciall necessities then is faith Actuated in the use of the Sacrament And thus also may and must a man Actuate his faith for his comfort In this bason of the Sacrament I see Christs bloud Christs bloud is a reconciling bloud Rom. 3. 25. Col. 1. 20 21. It is justifying bloud Rom. 5. 9. We are justifyed by faith How by faith By faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. It is a pacifying bloud Col. 1. 20. Ephes 2. 13 14. A pardoning bloud Mat. 26. 28. Eph. 1. 7. It is a sanctifying bloud Heb. 13. 12. A purging bloud from dead workes Heb. 9. 14. A cleansing bloud 1 Ioh. 1. 7. It is a mortifying bloud such a bloud as fetches out the heart bloud of old Adam and delivers from the dominion of sinne The bloud of Christ crucified is crucifying bloud Rom. 6. 2 3 6. Gal. 6. 14. It is a bloud that sets prisoners free Zech. 9. 11. It is a bloud that makes men Kings and Priestes Apoc. 1. 5 6. It is a softning molifying bloud that makes the heart tender it supples a stony heart and Illa invicta vis duarum violentissimarum naturae rerum ignis ferti contemptrix hircino tamen â—sipitur sanguine faedissimo Animalium Plin. makes it a heart of flesh Zech. 12. 10. Goats bloud some say breakes the Adamant which neither Iron nor fire can doe but to bee sure the bloud of this Goat Lev. 16. the bloud of this Lambe breakes the Adamant heart of a man which nothing else can breake It is a quickning bloud that brings life and strength with it Therefore represented by wine in the Sacrament It is life-bloud bloud full of CHAP. 21 spirit that fills the soule with excellent vigour to holy performances Heb. 13. 20 21. Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus c. typified by that Exodus 24. 7 8. Now what a deale of comfort may faith draw from all this Alas my person is unrighteous but LORD thy bloud is Iustifying bloud mine heart is uncleane but thy bloud is sanctifying bloud my lusts are many and mighty but LORD thy bloud is Mortifying bloud Mine heart is wondrous hard but Lord thy bloud is softning bloud mine heart is exceeding dead but Lord thy bloud is quickning bloud In this bloud of thine I beleeve this bloud of thine I thirstily drinke downe this bloud of thine I heartily apply with a comfortable expectation of all these blessed benefits Be of good cheare oh my soule here is pardoning bloud to comfort thee against thy guilt here is sanctifying bloud to comfort thee against the pollutions of thy nature CHAP. 20 here is crucifying bloud to comfort thee against thy lusts here is following bloud to helpe thee against thy hardnesse quickning bloud to helpe thee against thy deadnesse He was wounded for our transgressions Isa 53. 5. And here in the Sacrament we may see his wounds and faith must looke upon them as healing wounds With his stripes are we healed Isa 53. 5. what sweete comfort may faith fetch hence Looke upon the wounds of Christ on the Crosse as on the Cities of refuge whither thy pursued soule by the avenger of bloud may flye for safety and Sanctuary Indeed I am a grievous sinner I have wounded my conscience Feccavi peccatuÌ„ grande turbatur conscientia sed non perturbabitur quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor NeÌ„pe vulneratus est propter iniquiâ—ates nostâ—â—â— Quid tam ad mortem quod non Christi moâ—te salvâ—tur Bernard â—iâ—p Can. Serm. 61. with my transgressions but behold my Saviour here wounded for my transgressions I have â—â—â—se to be troubled in my conscience for the wounds my transgressions have made therein but yet my conscience needs not sinke in a despondency of spirit whilest I looke at these wounds of Christ Here be wounds for wounds healing wounds for stabbing wounds curing wounds for killing wounds He was wounded for our transgressions what wound so deadly that cannot or may not be healed by his death and wounds what comfort is here for faith in the wounds of Christ crucified whose death is represented in the Sacrament a FoderuÌ„t manus ejus pedes latusque lancea foraverunt per has rimas licet mihi sugere mel de petra oleum de saxo id est gustare videre quoniaÌ„ suavis est dominus At clavis reserans clavis penetrans factus est mihi ut videaÌ„ voluntatem domini Quidni videaÌ„ per foramen clamat câ—edens sit