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B20902 Mensalia sacra, or, Meditations on the Lord's Supper wherein the nature of the holy sacrament is explain'd and the most weighty cases of conscience about it are resolv'd / by the reverend Mr. Francis Crow, late minister of the Gospel at Clare in Suffolk ; to which is prefixt a brief account of the author's life and death. Crow, Francis, d. 1692. 1693 (1693) Wing C7365 75,143 146

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present world seduce many Souls from their Allegiance to Christ and the care that is due to their Salvation How are most deceived with the specious appearances and painted Slavery of the world to make us happy enough without Christ The covetous Pharisees mocked at Christ and Farms and Business do still excuse worldings from a serious and hearty imbracing of Christ's glorious Offers Q. What shall we do that we may not betray Christ and prove false to our Covenant and Profession in times of Tryal A. 1. Leave not a root of bitterness behind no beloved Lust unmort fied this was Judas his bane the love of the world he kept up under a profession and this betrayed him into Satan's hand and he stuck not to betray his blessed Master into his Enemies Hands 2. Rest not on doubtful Evidences of your Heavenly Interest but get things better cleared between God and your Consciences It will be a dreadful snare to you when sufferings come to the loss of Life and Estate and not be sure of Christ and Heaven 3. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life Love if alive will be strong at Death all the floods of Affliction cannot drown it 4. Keep up a close Communion with God constantly in secret If you slack in secret Prayer and wear out of personal acquaintance with the Fountain you will wither and your strength dry up like a Pot-sheard and your foot soon slide 5. Let never a day go over your head without actual Faith on some promise that this may keep you from fainting under discouragements Ps 27.13 6. The most refined formal lifeless Religion will not always secure you from being scandals on Earth and being cursed wretches in Hell eternally 45. That your minds may not be empty and wandring doubtful what to fix upon enquire Q. What doth this Ordinance call for A. 1. A Crucified Christ calls for Crucified sins 2. Be saying to thy self did this Blood satisfy God and shall it not satisfy me Why then O my Soul do'st not thou rest more intirely in this ransome and possess more of that rich Legacy his word hath left us and his Death hath purchased My peace I leave you my peace I give you and in me ye shall have peace and this man shall be the peace 3. Think whose Body and what a Body is here represented The blessed Body of the Son of God that was our Sacrifice broken bruised and bleeding on the Cross for us That same body that his Father gave him who needed it not but for us to receive our buffering in that Body that Devils envy to this day even that the Human Nature should be assumed into a personal Union with the Divine An honour denied the Angels That Body that hung on the Cross a spectacle to men and Angels for shame pain and a curse due to us That same Body that was laid in the Grave and raised up unto Glory God in our Nature appearing in Heaven for us preparing a place for us perfuming it with his Glorious Possessions and Presence 4. Think how due it is I should remember him in my Life who remembred me so kindly at his Death especially having made a Law for it in this Ordinance and making the remembrance no more costly nor painful than you see it this day He might have sent us a Jerusalem Jou●●●y to the holy Grave and appointed some costly Offerings there But let us bless our Merciful Lord and Law giver that hath spared us these expences and is content we should remember him in this plain Gospel Simplicity 5. Think you are now remembring your best and dearest Friend in Heaven or Earth who loves you be●● and hath done most for you Wherefore with what affections should he be remembred and how precious should every thou●h● of him be to your Souls Song 1. 4 Psal 139.17 6. Think how miserable you had been to eternity if he had not remembred us in our low estate And what you have deserved that needed such a surety and Sacrifice Q. How may we know if our remembring of Christ in this Ordinance hath been good and right A. 1. If we have here a remembrance of the right stamp we leave not off remembring of Christ when we are gone but the life of a Christian in hearing reading meditating and praying will be much more a remembring him in his ways than others attain to 2. We will cause others remember Christ with us as we can Psal 45. ult 3. It will leave a las●ing desire of remembring him here again Psal 42.2 4. 〈◊〉 right its Virtue will run thro g●●all our Di●●ies and Actions till we come again 〈◊〉 th●ll find is more easy to perform every duty and ●bey every precept As we sind sin that Dago● fall before this Ark of the Lord temptations resisted and services Spiritualized we may j●●g of this case 5. A right remembrance of Christ will make a Sanctified Soul even forget the best and most needful things on Earth to remember him now in Heaven 6. It will humble thee for former forgetting of him and stir up a holy hatred against vain thoughts that kept Christ out a few moments of a Sanctified remembring thy sweet Saviour here will send thee away with a sad Heart for thy forgeting of him days without number 46. Q. What came we hither to learn at the Table of the Lord A. 1. Humility from a meek and lowly humbled suffering Saviour Phil. 2.57.2 Patience from this Lamb of God that opened not his Mouth Learn here to possess your Souls in Patience and suffer not every trifle to provoke you 3. And here may we learn to Love where it shines out so gloriously 4. Self-denial and a publick Spirit who not regarding his own ease and pleasure glorified his Father in Redeeming us 5. See here your strong rock and learn to live by Faith A sight of a Crucified Sanctified Saviour should give us confidence both in Duties and Dangers In Duties this sight should lift you up above all your doings when you see what your surety hath done and suffered for you And in Dangers your great help to believe he will not let your temporal evil sink you is his delivering your Souls from eternal Miseries and Hell and the second Death 6. We can no where at a better advantage learn with them that are Redeemed from the Earth the new Song of Promise than here at such a solemn sight of our Suffering Redeemer But that we may learn our Lessons the better let us be considering where and with whom we are sate Solomon says Prov. 23.1 When thou sittest with a Ruler consider what is before thee It 's a great Ruler we sit with and a great Feast ser before us Now let us consider we sit at the Table of the Lord and we eat the Supper of the Lord. If this be the Table of the Lord what wonderful condescention is this that
There is nothing to be conversed with in the lower world that may compare with this to stir up dead hearts to serve a living God It 's by beholding a bleeding dying Christ for us that we become a ready obedient and zealous people for him Tit. 2.14 5. Here have we the best occasion for exercising every Grace Love Faith Hope Patience Prayer Praise forgiving injuries and bestowing kindnesses 6. Herein get we the best advantages against sin by seeing what sin cost Christ and by sealing most solemn Covenants against it 7. This is all the Picture Christ hath left of himself no Image or Crucifixes 8. It offers Christ and conveys him with all his Treasures most expresly Take eat take drink 9. There being so much of Christ in it and nothing but Christ shewing forth nothing but his Mercy and Grace his Merit and Fulness his Love and Pity his Grace and Righteousness 10 It 's a feasting it with God at a heavenly Table on Earth where he bids all his children welcome and gives the best entertainment in the whole world Rev. 3.20 Song 5.1 43. Our great business here being to remember Christ our suffering Saviour and Redeemer Qu. What in particular are we called to remember at this Table of the Lord A. 1. That love that laid the first Foundation-stone of our Redemption by a dying Christ and let us here praise the Lord from the Fountain of Israel even for electing Love chusing us in Christ 2. Let us remember how the heart of God was set on man's Redemption who like one that dearly loves the purchase says I 'll rather give more than it's worth than go without it God says I 'll give my All for the redemption of my Elect. Christ says I 'll give my best blood Shall the Father and the Son be so zealous for my Redemption and my Soul be so little affected with my own Salvation and my Redeemer's Service 3. Remember here the difficulty of man's Salvation none but God could do it Isa 45.21 It 's no easy matter to save a soul If any other in Heaven or Earth could have done it as well as Christ it 's reasonable to think that God would have spared his dear Son but such a High Priest became us and best suited our circumstances as was separated from the whole creation for divine qualities and perfections I have found a ransom said God There was nothing could be thought on to any purpose by Angels and Men for our relief Only Divine Wisdom contrived Divine Love bestowed and Divine Power did effect and execute this whole work and of all the People there was none with him 4. Bear in mind how gloriously God's Grace is advanced by our Redemption and what Honour and Glory redounds to the wise and gracious contriver of it never such a rent of praise was raised as this brings him in This is that Glory of praise that is said to be above the Heavens The Glory of making and beautifying and enriching of Heaven and Earth is nothing to this Glory that excelleth of Saving Sinners by such a Saviour 5. Nor is there any thing more pleasing to god in all the World than a due Remembrance of the Death of Christ in this Ordinance which may be gathered from his Displeasure against a Church that did it but unduly 1 Cor. 11. Now all Duty must take its rise from this Principle and Motive of loving God for Christ and acknowledgments of Divine Goodness in giving his Son O! never think he hath dealth hardly with you in keeping or taking any thing from you if he hath given you a part in Christ And this is a point of such Affinity with the Vitals of Christianity and of Graces thriving in the Church of God that even here should we desire to dwell viz. To learn and look on all things in Christ Eph. 4.21 To be taught the truth as it is in Jesus There is nothing rightly taught or known but as it is in Jesus 1. The Types and shadows of things to come are all opened in Jesus 2. The Prophesies and Predictions are all accomplished in him How dark are many Prophetical passages of the Old Testament till they face Christ and then the Vail is taken away as Calvin Expounds that of 2 Cor. 3.16 3. We must see our sin as he did bear it on the Cross as a most accursed thing that laid such load on his blessed back 4. And you must see your Soul in Jesus as he hath purchased it from Hell with his own Blood O! then how precious is my Soul that was so dearly ransomed 5. See your Selves in Jesus your new Covenant-state in Christ You never see your safety nor dignity till in him 6. And all the great and precious promises of God to you must you see yea and Amen in Christ all made to Christ our Head first and in Jesus unto us 7. And lastly You must see your good conversation in Christ Pet. 3.1 A●l your perform●nces in the re●●●●●ce to him and for him and by him 〈◊〉 to the Lord Christ as grateful recor●● to your Redeemer And Christians ought to labour after this feeing all things in Jesus Christ For 1. This is to see all thin●s in the tr●e light whereb● much contu●●on is cleared and many shadows fly away We are bid come to Christ and he will ●ive us light Eph. 5.14 And in his Light we shall see light 2. The great Gospel-Command and Invitation is Behold me behold me Isa 65.1 3. The Father is no further pleased than all i● seen and done in him 4. This makes all sweet and easy when we see all his yoke we bear and his work we do and his purchase we shall possess that is one so tender of our concerns as to pay our Debts and undergo our Curse And now shew your selves worthy partakers by resolving on this That you 'll meddle with nothing in Religion but in Christ you 'll walk in his Steps you 'll pray in his Name you 'll Suffer for his sake In a word you 'll to Christ's Cross for all you want you 'll take Life from his Death Hope from his Resurrection Pardon from his Merit and expectation of all good from that Love that parted with Christ And on these Terms I am sure Christ is well contented to give you a kind meeting at his Table and to Seal his everlasting Covenant with your immortal Souls 44. Q Why are we generally so little affected with ●●e great concerns of God and our Souls here represented A. I because of Unbelief which turneth all the precious concerns of Salvation to a romanti●k Story The greatest matters you can speak of do no more affect than they are believed Isa 53.1 1 Pet. 2.7 2. We want a lively sense of our Natural Bondage Sin and Misery are not laid to Heart and therefore what signifies Christ and his Sacrifice 3. God Mammon blinds our Eyes and corrupts our Hearts The cares pleasures and profits of this
He is spoiled by Jesus ●hrist Col 2.15 2. More power is implo ed for Believers than can be against them 1. John 4.4 2 Kings 6.16 3. Victory o●er him is sure and near to Believers Rom. 16.20 Qu. But since we must be strong in the Lord and in the power o● his might if we wou d overcome may we not question with our Selves ●s once the ●hilistines with Dalilah concerning Sampson wherein lies the great strenth of a Christian This case Satan studies that he may know how to deal with us 1. The great strength of a Christian lies in his Covenant Relation to God and Union with Christ his head for tho weak in our selves yet a strong head have we in Heaven The Church is a weak Woman b●t hath a Redeemer mi●hty to plead her Cause A Christians strength lies in his Confederated Friendship in Heaven the improvement of this is the laying out of that strength Psal 44 4. Tho Jacob was des●itute for outward help yet was he well befriended in Heaven and the blessed God whom he sought did his business for him against his Brother 2. In the gracious qualitie● brought into the Soul at C●nversion without which in a natural unrenewed State we are said to be without strength Rom. 5.6 So that Grace is a new party or Spiritual Power brought into the Soul for Christ to oppose sin and appear for God 3. In Divine Assistances for every Christian is weak or strong as ●ssisted as God girds or loosens us the girdle of his Loins wherefore we had need to keep in good terms with Christ that we fall not under his withdrawings of Gracious aids so needful for our Spiritual Warfare 4. In a careful retaining the impressions of O●dinances O! pray that God ●ould stamp these glorious apprehe●sions of himself on your minds that you have sometimes here and may not t●●e in other Images to bow down unto Let the impression of these Ordinances of Word and Sacrament wear off and you are weak as others Peter had forgot Christ s work and so forgot himself Luke 22.61 and his M ster too Had Evah's thoughts been intent on the word the Lord hath said and not diverted to sensual Motions it had been sufficient to put by all the passes Satan could make against her O Christians be first sound that ye may be strong Job 17.9 The way of the Lord is strength only to the upright but the more a Hypocrite does in Reli●ion he is inwardly the weaker And for your encoura●ement let never a found heart despair of higher measures than ●ommon attainments ●or your helps viz. The love of Christ and hope of Heaven are greater than your hindrances can be 18. We say times of Trouble and great Afflictions are trying times but I say Sacrament seasons ought to be trying times with us Now in the trying of the truth of Grace we must labour to find out the habitual temper and disposition of hearts by the quality of their Acts. 1. If they be free and chearful not constrain'd or such as we had rather not do if we could help it Psal 119 108. 2. How frequent opportunity offering Psal 55.17 3. Thorough and serious else they prove neither habit nor disposition Rom. 12.11 4. We must try the Soul by the acts which make after the end as desire and love to God Christ and Heaven and this is more than to try our hearts by the Acts that make after the means only I know all gracious hearts would fain know their own sincerity 1 It is willing if sincere to know all its sin Job 13.23 even the worst of its own heart to c●me to the light that it may be made manifest to its self yea had rather a l the World should know it than its rottenness should be hid from it s●lf it loves the most discovering Ordinances best but a Hypocrite had rather have a rotten Heart than be searched and repent 2. It 's willing to part with every sin it knows of it self when one is more willing to part with a sin than to keep it that puts the Soul out of danger by it 3. And then the best way to know our sincerity in this parting with sin is by serious indeavours in the use of all appointed means to oppose sin and carry on the spiritual Warfare against the Body of Death 4. And is obtaining some success and Victory The Spirit of God repeat that prom●se to all the seven Churches of Asia to him that overcometh 0● 〈◊〉 vincenti every sincere Soul is in the way of overcoming the honest use of means gives some check to th● prevailing of Iniquity where no Conflicting with sin there can be no sincerity and every honest heart will be helped of God to some Victory and what ever men make now of other Victories this is that which you will have only cause of triumph in at the last as Valentinian the Emperour said on his Death-bed That of all his Victories one only comforted him and that was his overcoming his own naughty heart And that we may finish this Tryal we are upon in examining of our selves if we can find our sins and be humble● for them and judg our selves with a righteous Judgment impartially and severely we may warrantably partake of the Body and Blood of Chri●t in the Sacrament tho we cannot discover our Grace● as we would For such examination as issues in self-judging hath the promise of not being judged of the Lord for unworthy receiving 1 Cor. 11.28 31. Now our sins which are the proper ca●se of Self judging are the object of Self-examining rather than our Graces 19. Rom 8.3 God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh Obs 1. God's sending is a great Mistery It 's the Grandure of Earthly Princes that their Subjects send to them and a wonder if Rebels have access if they come in the humblest manner but he sends to us and sends for us that we may come an● be pardoned come and be saved 2. He sends his Son not an Angel 1 John 4.9 3. In the flesh he sen●s his Son which is but gross in the state of Beggar to bring in the Blind and the Lame Heb. 2.16 4. In likeness of sinful flesh as like a sinner as might be not to be a sinner that he might save us from our sins i e. with infirmities and necessities that attend sinful man that no eye could descern a difference Isa 53 4. As the brazen Serpent was like a Serpent but had not the Venom of a Serpent This Incarnation of God is a Subject of the highest Admiration and fountain of the sweetest Consolation that the World affords O! the wonder of God's coming down to man to be handled seen and tasted of us a contract even for the wonder of Angels as the welfare of Man O wonder of wonders that ever it should be heard in Heaven or on Earth Let one of us become Man A Redeemer could never have suited
like Lions against sin and Satan 3. Hath he not past his promise for feeding his own yea to eat and be satisfied Psal 22. 6. Psal 111.5 Prov. 10.3 4. Hath he not made them worse than Infidels that feed not their own Family 5. Did he feed the multitude because he had compassion on their Bodies and wi l he not have compassion on the Souls or his own 6. Doth he feed young Ravens and will he starve Believers 7. Have we not his own invitation to the Feast and will the Master of the House make it a Fast 8. Shall we ear of the Tree of Life and hidden Manna in Heaven Surely he n ver meant to starve such by the way but allow t ●m s●me cau●●r of the first ripe Grapes to refresh them in the Wild●rness 9 May we not plead with our loving Lord thus Lord I hear thou keepest a good House having bread enough to spare give me such a Portion as may commend it unto me and I will commend it to others 10. We may say How many hast thou refreshed of thy poor and needy Hast not thou said Whosoever will let him come and Drink freely upon thy call I come to drink of Wisdom's spiced Wine of this consecrated Cup that I may here and hereafter remember thy Love more than Wine 11. I plead my own necessiti●s and wants where should the poor be filled and the hungry feed but at the gates of the Rich and Full If thou hast not enough send me away empty but I make a Vertue of Necessity I must live by my Food as other Creatures do and is not Christ the food of a hungry Soul 12. I plead thy Glory for my feeding here will this commend thy bounty and compassion to send away from thy Fulness a starving Beggar without supply Let us cast an eye on that Miraculous Feast Christ made the Multitude Luke 9.17 And they did eat and were all filled and the fragments gathered up far exceeded the poor provision it was made of O! but it had Christ's blessing and that made much of a little And when we are Christ's Guests we should not only eat but look to be filled And gather up the Fragments incomes and expences of Divine Love and Favour Now that we may take this Feast up aright it is not a Sacrifice but a Sacrifical Feast or Covenant Feast of Peace and Friendship a Feast after a Sacrifice and by our eating here is declared our interest in that Sacrifice of Christ's Flesh offered to reconcile us to God even as they under the Law did ●●t of the Sacrifice and so partake of the Altar to shew it was theirs that the Priest offered as if they had been at the Altar with the Priest And further this is a Feast of God's providing as Abraham to Isaac God will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt Offering and therefore was the Sacrifice accepted because it was of his providing for known unto him alone it was what would satisfy his own Justice And str●ng● it was that this Sacrificeing of his Son should be a sweet smelling Savour a more wonderful word was never written Eph. 5.2 How dear must our Salvation be unto God that made the greatest Sufferings of Christ so pleasing to him which other wise the Lord would have abhorred Wherever the Sacrifice is said to be a sweet Savour its ●aid to be made with Fire Num. 28. and 20 chapters shewing that nothing but Christ s Sufferings can Satisfy for our sin For all the Sacrifices only signified Christ but could not satisfy God 36. Our proper exercise here consists of Meditation Petition and Resolution For Meditation the thoughts of the righteous are right it 's no small part of our work to have right and proper thoughts at present 1. Think how unworthy I am to appear here and have place among them that stand by tho I were not admitted to sit down with my Lord himself I who to Natural Corruption have added such a heap of actual Transgressions inward enmity and outward contrariety to God Ignorance unbelief apostasy despising of grace and abusing of patience have so filled up my measure and made so great a part of my wretched days and unworthy Life 2. Think how worthy and honourable is Christ to whose holy Table I presume to approach He who is the Fathers dorling and delight the light of Heaven and the great Blessing of all Nations who hath obtained a name above every name at whose name every knee must bow and whom the Angels of Heaven all do Worship He whose Table I am now sitting at on Earth sits highest in Heaven at this very moment 3. Think again how good it is to sit here with a sound Heart we cannot be better set on Earth But if a Hypocrite how ill I am set having not on a Wedding Garment I mock God harden my own heart heap up wrath eat and drink damnation by Crucifying the Lord afresh 4. Think what is my business here but to meet the Lord Chri●t by his own appointment that I may get more acquaintance and grow more in Love with him and to be more obliged to him by a new sight of my Redemption by him and receiving some Spiritual gift 5. Think what is prosered me here His Love his Grace his Peace his Pardon his Covenant and Kingdom 6 You have never a right thought here if you think not of a bleeding Christ a suffering and satisfying Redeemer hanging on the Cross and all your sins hanging on him For what else could ever bring him there having no sin to suffer for of his own and all power to avoid suffering by any And think again how he was dealt with on terms of Justice that we might be dealt with on terms of Mercy And ●●●t which would have been in so many drops of an Eternal Hell to us was made to meet on him in one great Sea drinking up Dregs and all O! think ransomed Saved Sinner if Christ had not drunk thy Cup of Wrath to free thee thou must had such a Cup put to thy head as if brought to a great Sea fill'd with Gall and Wormwood and Justice say to thee Now sinner thou that likedst so well the Cup of sin ●o here is the Cup of wrath drink and never leave Drinking while one drop is left Now see your obligation to Christ and despise him if you can And see how sad it had been to be without him 37. As for Petition and Resolution that belongs to this purpose in hand Q. What Petitions are here to be preferred A ● For much of Christs gracious and powerful presence a clear day without clouds that he would not hide himself at such a time and disappoint the Expectation of the needy but so countenance his ow● work as we may com●●●d●● unto others 2. For a heart humbling look of your dear dying Lord O how should it humble us to see how my sins humbled the Lord of glory 3. Put in
against prevailing Iniquities and predominant Corruptions that your jea ous Lord and Husband may give Idols a deadly blow at such a time 4. For the 〈◊〉 ●pirit of Jesus to make Graces lively that 〈◊〉 ●pikn●rd may send sorth the smell thereof and the Spices slow out 5. For growing in all grace that Gods own work in the heart may be s●t forward by our waiting on Christ in his so precious appointment 6. That he would suspend quarrels yea ●●move the ground of all by forgiving grace and send away poor penitents comforted with a sealed sen●e of it in their own bosomes 7. For further manifestations of God's Love and clearer F●●●dences of an heavenly Interest 8. For a more fruitful Life of Godliness to the praise of the g●ory of his grace 9 For Families and Relations that it might please the Lord to bring ours h●me to Christ make them his by grace and build them up to glory 10. For poor Zion that he would pity her desolations heal her breaches plead her cause pardon her sins help her to improve her mercies and prepare her y●t for greater deliverances from Evil when ●er gr●cious God shall see good to grant them 11. That God would pity the ●●rk corners of the Ear●● and open the Eyes of bold and blind sinners among us Q. What he the Resolutions this solemn occasion should pu●●●● pon● 1 To love Christ ●●re 〈◊〉 ●●tly 2. To remember him more frequently 〈◊〉 we 〈…〉 to remember him here th●● we may forget him when gone 3 To perform all duties more spiritually 4. To watch our hearts more narrowly 5. To walk more tenderly 6. To follow him more sully 7. To renounce and deny self more freely 8 To trust in Christ more intirely 9. To take his part more boldly 10. And to keep Covenants more faithfully 38. Here have we the most amazing Instance of love that ever was given in the world and when you have travell'd the Vniverse over to seek for Love here lies the richest and rarest manifestations of Love that God gave his Son and Christ gave himself This is the heighth depth length and breadth of the love of God that passeth knowledge So great a ransom so rich a purchase so great a one become so low to set thee on high make himself so poor to enrich thee empty himself to fill thee and to do all this yea God to lay out his All on such unworthy and undeserving ones others love for some worth or good quality but God loved us when lying in our blood Now what ●an we do less for all this but make heart returns of love again Love being the very heart of the new creature and he that hath most love hath most grace and 〈◊〉 the best Christian And to provoke your love to this Beloved you may assure your selves 〈◊〉 he would never have died for you if he had not loved the meanest of you better than the highest Angel in Heaven can love him And besides if you can but love him his love will breed you more delight and hear● ravishing pleasure than all the love of creatu●es can Read but that Song of Love between Christ and his Spouse and see the unparallell'd delights of divine love between Christ and his Church Well if you love him keep his Commandments be careful to please him be tender of his honour deny your selves for his sake account all loss to win Christ thirsting after his communion longing to be perfectly free from sin that grieves his good Spirit and keeping your selves in the love of God looking or the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life No such motive to love God as studying his love to us and surely he must love us that sent his Son from his bosom to fetch us thither But why should a little love of creatures affect us so much and the great 〈◊〉 God affect us so little A●● Meerly b●●●us ●e are ●●ore ●●esh than spirit and have al●● 〈◊〉 s●ns● then faith Weak faith makes 〈◊〉 impressions of all spiritual things 〈◊〉 faith and better rooting would make ●●●●●●ions ●a● more ●●●●y Pet. 1.8 Now if we love Christ we will prize the ●●ast token of his ●●ve before all 〈…〉 can give us ●nd will thi● 〈…〉 sight of him 39. It s recorded of the Qu●●● of ●beba that when she had seen the sitting of Solomon 's Servants there was no more spirit in her 1 King 10. How much more may this sight of our sitting confound and amaze us That Christs sinful servants should be set with himself at his Table considering 1. That he hath not a higher board on Earth than we sit at now and the Lord himself speak of stting with us Soag 1 12 Rev. 3.20 2 That tho it becometh ●s to stand when the King sitteth yet this glorious King came not to be ministred unto but to minister to us to gird himself as a Servant and mash the feet of his poor disciples 3. Wonder that we who deserved to lye in Hell should sit so high here 4. And the greatest wonder of all is that we should be fed at the King's Table with his own flesh allude to Job 31.31 Job 6. Shepherds use to eat the flesh of their flocks but here the good Shepherd gave his life for his sheep and feeds them with his flesh and blood And wonder also that we sit at peace a midst so many enemies that envies our feeding but it 's of the Lords great power ●nd bounty both that he prepares us a Table in this Waldern●ss and fills our cup in the presence of our enemies Now at this sacred so ●emnity is represented unto us the weightiest things of our Soul-concerns viz. Our sins and Christs sufferings we offending and he punished for our offences something in his Sufferings answering to our sin we a life of sinning and he a life of suffering we a load o● sin and he of suffering as our sin was God's provocation so is his suffering Gods satisfaction He was taken and we se●●ree his death was our release Josh 20.6 there was no release nor returning in safety for the Man-slayer till the death of the High-Priest We have been light-hearted in suning but our Surcty groaning and heavy even unto death for our sin We contracted the debt and he taid the score sor us Now charge your Souls with Love Repentance Faith and Obedience with love to so friendly an ●nde●taker who valued nothing whatever it cost him if he might but ransom thy soul and set thee ●●ee● 〈◊〉 p●nt● ance for those bloody ●●●s that ma●● him sweat and weep Faith in that blood that made so perfect satisfaction and is so ●ull of Vertue to purge thy pe●ssured and guilty soul And Obedien●e even a w●●le Life of graceful Obedience to him that hath redeemed thy soul from H●●● 40 The upper end of this Holy Table of the Lord is to get hearess●● Chrish at the K●s own Elbow when he 〈◊〉 t●●●●●t his Table Q