are the means or steps by which we may win in and ascend to this heavenliness of Conversation which is indeed a very suitable and necessary question and would God we were serious in proposing of it and were convinced of the necessity of it However let such as would fain be at it know First That they must be much mortified and denyed to Creature-Comforts therefore Col. 3. These two are opposed Seek those things which are above set your affections on things in heaven and not on things of the earth to go both up and down at once is impossible if ye would be heavenly in your Conversation seek to have the world litle and low in your estimation to be not only free from the sinfull intanglements of it but to be Mortified to things lawfull I press you not to negligence in your honest and lawfull callings far less to lay them aside but to a heavenly mindedness and holy denyedness in your diligence Use the things of this world as not abusing them as not being taken with them nor glued to them the minding of earthly things too much clogs and keeps mens hearts that they do not mount up to heaven It 's impossible while the heart is surfeited with the cares of this life that it can thus sore aloft And therefore Secondly Those that would be heavenly in their conversation must lay up their treasure in heaven For where the Treasure is there will the heart be also were ye under the deep and due conviction of the vanity of earthly things and of the excellencie of heaven and heavenly things and laying your reckoning soberly and seriously that heaven ye must have it would be much more easie to Scrue up your affections to it as where mens stock and treasure is there is their heart even so were your great stock and treasure in heaven your heart would certainly be there your hope your love and delight would be there But your seeking after contentment and satisfaction in earthly vanities where it cannot be found keeps your heart out of heaven Thirdly Be much in the duty of meditation and contemplation of heavenly things this is as it were the great wheel and first mover of the Clock to have the mind heavenly often conversing in heaven and often thinking of it and often recounting the blessed advantages the glorious and great happiness that are there even till your meditation of God be made sweet and till your delight in him thereby stirred up and strengthened make a heavenly conversation for litle such meditation makes litle heavenly-mindedness and when the mind is not on heaven something that 's worse comes in the place of it ye that know the bent and inclination of your own minds to be naturally downward and how natively to speak so it runs on vanities and how difficult it is to keep it but alongst two or three sentences fixed on heavenly things and how preternatural a motion it is as it were to make it ascend and mount upward will easily assent to the truth of this It is an excellent word that David hath Psal 139. When I awake I am still with thee Fourthly We commend this to you hinted at before that ye would be much in trading and Trafficking with Heaven to be often and serious in Prayer frequently sending up desires thither and bringing thence returns of prayer in gâ—eat measures of Grace catching hold of and griping at somewhat above you whereby ye may be helped up that high and Holy hill It transforms into the same Image from Glory to Glory to be keeping love to Christ fresh to have hope as an anchor cast within the vaile In a word love to Christ and delight in him being as a considerable part so also the result of Holiness There must be a study of Holiness in all the Parts of it of Holiness in all manner of Conversation and a Heavenly frame aimed at and endeavoured in all duties and in all the steps of our walk and conversation in order to the keeping in cherishing and increasing of love to and delight in him and often thinking on that which helps to it viz. Let thy will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven A word often in the mouths of many but litle in their hearts And Q how lamentably unlike are the practises of many of you to it We may indeed blush and think shame to speak and you may think shame to hear of having a Conversation in heaven there being so litle of it amongst us But we must speak of it and ye must hear it spoken of since it is a part and a great part of our duty and will be a part and a great part of our reckoning and we lay and leave it upon you from the Lord to be studied by you Do not think that ye shall ever have your Conversation in Heaven afterward who have not your Conversation in Heaven here many of you that have a fair Profession of Religion and seem to come near to that harbour of rest and yet never enter into it are like to a ship that comes as it were with up-sails very near the Port and is unexpectedly blowen back to the Sea again whereas the Believer who has his Anchor cast on firm and sure ground within the vail is enabled to endure tossing being like a tight ship that is able to ride out the storme and to stem the Port His Treasure is in Heaven and there is a sure and indissoluble knot cast betwixt Heaven where his treasure is and his heart Now from all this judge what a mighty prejudice it is to be earthly minded and to slight this walk with God and Conversation in heaven and who are they that dare offer or presume to come before God the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth in whose sight the very Heavens are not pure to abide his tryall who have been puddling all their dayes in the world never once seriously and suitably minding a Conversation in Heaven O let the consideration of eternal Happiness on the one hand and of Eternal miserie on the other provoke you and necessitat you all to study in good earnest to have your conversation in Heaven and ye believers in Christ and Children of light walk in the light suitably to your Heavenly Father and to the hope of your Heavenly inheritance O! be more conversant in Heaven before ye come to it and where ye shall be by and by for evermore A Preparation SERMON for the Communion On ISAIAH 55.1 2 3. I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David IT is hard to conceive or express whether the things which the Gospel offereth be the most large or the terms on which they are offered be the most free There is that no doubt in both together which may make the beholder stay and wonder Among many excellent offers of the Gospel that which is here is one very full and free would to God we
evening though ye did not so much as designe or aime at this throughout the day And can ye with any shadow of reason think ye have attained it or can attain it who never seriously proposed this as a Rule to your selves to walk by nor never had a Conscience-disquieting challenge for such neglect and manifest short-coming 2. What Labour are ye at what pains take ye to prosecute such a designe and blessed project as this It 's one thing to pray to be about external duties of Religion and to be a Christian in the letter and another thing to be in these duties after a heavenly manner and to be a Christian indeed a Christian inwardly and in the spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Is it really your honest aime designe and endeavour whatever be the attainment to be as much Heavenly in your conversation as it is to be civil and formal or to attend the outward Ordinances I fear many of you cannot say it is 3. What weight lyes on your spirits for your short coming in this Ye will be like say we are all short which is a sad truth for indeed so we are but are ye really weighted and grieved for your short-coming in this Have there been any times taken to deal purposely with the Lord to remove the earthly mind and to help to Heavenly-mindedness Have there been challenges and any measure of serious heart-exercise because of the want of a heavenly mind and that not only sometimes at the hearing of a Sermon or in time of sickness or when under some other trouble but in your more constant and habituall walk Is it one of the great things for which ye blame and find fault with your selves before God And though your outside and visible Conversation be blameless yet while you look on the carnalness and earthliness of your mind and on the want of this Divine and heavenly frame of soul it makes you hang the head marres your boldness and as it were layes your feathers because do what ye can your heart will not abide in heaven If it be thus It 's a token for good and some ground of peace but O! How rare is this many of you be like have often overly prayed Forgive us our sins who never took with nor prayed for the Pardon of this sin but have lyen down at night and risen up in the morning having your hearts plunged and pudled in the world without once minding heaven in earnest and yet have never been challenged for it Q sad state The Third Use Serves to Reprove and Expostulat for this unworthy carriage for having either nothing at all or but very litle of a Conversation in Heaven We take it for granted that many of us are far from it and that all of us are litle in it but very few even of the best are dayly and constantly Conversing in Heaven Alace it's but now and then with many sad interruptions For quickning this reproof and expostulation a litle let me propose these few Queries to you and in the First place do ye not know that the neglect of this is a sin and the breach of a Command Be ye followers of me 2. Is not this an excellent duty and royall priviledge to be admitted to converse in Heaven And therefore the neglect of it must not only be a sin but a great sin even a trampling on the Grace of God a slighting of heaven and of a most noble priviledge and dignity 3. Think ye Heaven to be of great worth if so must not conversing in heaven be of much worth Will ye never so much as once go to see the house wherein ye say ye are to dwel Q How unsuitable a thing is it that those who are but dayes men here should sit down and settle on the earth without minding Heaven and be so confined within time as not seriously to mind eternity 4. How can ye come before God with confidence and boldness who do not endeavour thus to walk with him Can ye say with Holy boldness Our Father which art in Heaven Whose Conversation is not Heavenly Can ye pray for Holiness and say these words Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven who never studied to be heavenly in any duty that ye put hand to But 5. And above all I would ask you can ye hope to die comfortably nay can ye hope to die in safety as to your souls who know not heaven nor what is there nor what is the way to it It gives a man confidence and comfort at death that he hath conversed in heaven in his life-time such a man hath but litle to do when he comes to die he knows the way and is not afraid he knows the company and longs to be with them he knows the privileges and longs for the full enjoyment of them he hath litle here his Treasure is above in heaven and his heart Faith Love and hope are there his Anchor is cast within the vail and he would fain be ashore sure this is the Believers both duty and priviledge do not think that it is only called for from some More then ordinary Christians and who have nothing else to do the matter is not so it 's most certainly a duty to which ye are all called that have a mind to land fairly in heaven when ye come off the troublesome tossing and tempestuous Sea of this world Now Therefore in the Last room as the Fourth Use of the Doctrine I Exhort beseech and Obtest in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ all of you that lay any claim to the hope of heaven that ye would and more then ever study to have your Conversation in heaven Q Be followers of Paul and of his fellows in this thing Need we adduce any motives to press this Is not the duty clear And is it not a most excellent duty a most desireable qualification of a Christian walk Is not heaven Transcendently excellent And is it not excellent to be heavenly minded and conversant in heaven Wherein may we expect to prevail with you if not in bringing you to heaven what is the thing that should sweeten the study of holiness to you Is it not this even that by having your conversation in heaven ye come thither Those who are now in heaven think it a great motive and if it be not a motive to you ye will one day curse your selves that ye Neglected it studie it therefore in due time This is the way to be free of the encombrances of an evil World there is no hazard of this estate its being forfeited or sequestred there are no Plunderings nor quarterings here no poverty nor pain nor any sad evil occurrent here Q what a desirable life is it to be above all those things And indeed in so far as your Conversation is heavenly in so far ye are above them and live the life of Angels It 's like ye will Ask what
wine of Heaven and to Drink it new with Christ even to share in his Glory to have one feast and Glory with him And truly if there were no more to be said we may most confidently say that these are wonderful glad tidings which our blessed Lord Jesus hath left to be the great subject of the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Scope of the Sacraments We shall 1. Open up the words a litle 2. We shall draw some Doctrines from them And then 3. Insist in the Application First Then for Explication From the 26. vers is set down the Institution of the Supper of the Lord wherein we have First What Christ did Secondly What he Commands the Disciples and us in them to do Thirdly He Explicats in these words what he hath been doing and Commande to be done This is my Blood saith he of the Neâ— Testament c. As if he had said would you knoâ— what it is that I am doing There was a Covenaâ— made long since betwixt my Father and me coâ—cerning the elect wherein I condescended anâ— transacted to take on mans nature and in that natuâ—â— to suffer and satisfie Divine Justice for their sinâ— this is the Commemoration of my Satisfactioâ— according to that Covenant and the exhibiting anâ— giving to you a confirmation of your interest in aâ— the blessings of that Covenant whereof Remissiâ—â— of sins is one and a main one He needed as wouâ—â— seem to have said no more but that he was goiâ— to suffer and to suffer for this cause Even to puâ—chase Redemption to sinners but he will furthâ—â— shew his Disciples and in them all Believers in hiâ— That this came not to pass by guess but accordiâ—â— to an old Covenant and Eternall transaction thâ— past betwixt Jehovah and Him and so adds the Sâ—crament to be a Commemoration and a more fâ— Confirmation thereof to Believers of all that purchased by it and Promised in it In the 29. veâ— He hath two words further one of warning anothâ—â— of encouragement 1. One of warning I say uâ— you henceforth I will not drink of the Fâ—uit of tâ— Vine As if he had said take heed what ye are dâ—ing make this Communion very welcome and 〈◊〉 it confirm and strengthen you against the tryals thâ— are coming for I will have no moe Communioâ— with you after this manner in this World 2. word of encouragement and consolation becauâ—e they might think and say Alace Lord what will become of us if we shall have no moe Communions with thee Be not saith he to them on the matter discouraged We shall yet have more and more intimat Communion then ever we had here on earth There is a day coming when we shall have a sweet Communion in the Kingdom of Heaven together when we shall drink it new when we shal have the thing signified Even Communion without the intervention of Ordinances in the full Harvest of joy in God in his Kingdon Then vers 30. As if he were going to a Triumph He and they sing a Hymn or Psalm Partly thereby to teach us to be chearfull and partly to shew that singing of Psalmes is not unsuitable for this action To make the former words and what we are to say on them a litle more clear We would in this Sacrament which here the Lord Explicats Consider Three or Four things First Christs Offer Wherein there are Two things viz. The outward and visible signes the Elements and the inward invisible thing signified by them Which is Christs Body Blood In the Offer then in short We have not only the Element or signe but the thing signified and represented by it Even as in the word of the Gospel there are these Two viz So many words made up of Letters and Syllables and the matter Contained in them Secondly Consider the receiving of Christs offer wherein there are Two things 1. The act of receiving the Element by the hand 2. The hearts receiving what is offered in and by the Elements Even as in hearing the word There is the giving or lending of the ear to the voice of words that they may be understandingly heard and there is the receiving what is spoken by Faith in the heart As Christ holds forth both in his offer so the Believer would both wayes receive by the hand the Element should be received and by Faith the thing signified should be received Thirdly Ye would consider this Application of the thing signified in a twofold respect 1. As it holds out the entering of us into the Covenant in order to the receiving of the Pardon of sin when the Sacrament is Considered complexly with the word 2. As it Applyeth Christ and the benefits that come by him for our consolation Christ is to be received in the former respect before he can be received in the Letter we must needs receive Christ in his offer ere we can receive any benefit that comes by him Therefore the word goes along with the Sacrament that we may get a gripe and catch hold of Christ by the Covenant for they that are without the Covenant are without Christ and all saving benefit by him But where Christ is received and Faith closeth with him as he is offered The Soul may warrantably make Application of him Not only for Pardon of sin The Particular benefit here expresly mentioned but for all the other benefits of the Covenant Whereas they who have not faith have nothing and receive nothing but are deeply guilty thorow their not receiving but rather rejecting and despising of Christ and his benefits Fourthly Ye would consider this Sacrament as it seals directly our warrant to receive Christ and his benefiâ—s or as it seals our Application of Christ and his benefits for it may be usefull for both and is actually so to believers In the First respect we offer to you a good security for your Salvation on condition of your receiving Christ But in the Second Respect the security is sealed simply as baving Gods seal appended to it to all who have received him Thus the tree of life was a seal of the Covenant of life by works to Adam if be stood but it was not a confirmation that he should have life by the Covenant except he fulfilled that which was called for in it So Circumcision was a Seal of the righteousness of Faith to Ishmael and other visible Church Members as well as to Isaac in the First Sense that is that the security was good But to Isaac and Believers It was not only a Seal or a Confirmation that the security was good and sufficient in it self but a Seal of Confirmation that it should be good to them Therefore in coming to partake of the Sacrament We would premit alway our closing with Christ And then we have not only Gods word and Oath but also the Sacrament for his Seal of Confirmation of the Covenant In a word Christ doth offer here to all a Pledge that he will make
by whose company he might have been estranged from him depart from me all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard the voice of my Supplication And indeed it is Highly suitable and congruous that it should be so for what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols and Believers are the Temple of the living God as the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 6.16 Seventhly It is a heart quickening and reviving Fellowship Therefore he is said Isai 57. vers 15. To dwel with him that is humble and of a contrite Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite one Eightly It is a heart-staying Calming and composing fellowship it husheth into silence and drives away disquieting Perplexing and excruciating fears And therefore saith the Psalmist when near to God Psal 3.56 I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me I will not be afraid of ten thousands of People that have set themselves against me round about â— and Psal 4 8. I will both lay me down in Peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety So Psal 27.13 14. Ninthly It is a heart chearing refreshing and Rejoicing fellowship the refreshing and joy that result from fellowship with God do quite surpass and transcend the joy that the men of the world have in the enjoyment of all their earthly Pleasures Lift thou up saith the Psalmist in the name of the Godly Psal 4.7 In contradistinction from and opposition to those many who cry who will shew us any good debasing and in a manner brutifieing themselves as if they had not rational and Immortal Souls capable of enjoying God the chief good the only Object suited Compleatly to satisfie their most inlarged desires Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us for thou hast caused more joy of heart to me to wit thereby Then when their Corn and Wine abound And Psal 89.16 those who walk in the light of His Countenance are said to Rejoice in his name all the day Thus when he Prays Psal 43. For admission to fellowship with God in his publick ordinances to which he had gone with others of his people with the voice of joy and gladness as they that kept Holy days as he telleth us in the Preceeding Psalm he promiseth in that case that he will go unto the altar of God unto God his exceeding joy the gladness or joy of his joy the very heart and Soul of his joy or the Cream of it as some translations render the word there is reality Solidity strength and Efficacy in that joy it is heart-joy while as in the very midst of the carnal joy jollity and mirth of natural men arising from the greatest affluence of worldly pleasures and enjoyments their heart is sorrowfull as Solomon saith there is no solidity in it it hath not a bottom if they would but a little retire within themselves and ask for a reason of their laughter mirth and jollity it would instantly evanish and their hearts would die within them as stones it 's kept up to their delusion and ruine by their abstracting from and non-reflecting upon the unsolidity and irrelevancy of the Grounds thereof but the more the grounds of this joy of the Godly be reflected on considered and searched into they are found to be the more able to bear the Highest Superstructures of their joy Tenthly It is such a fellowship that whatever measure of it be attained by sojourning Saints It wakeneth desires sharpeneth appetite and stirreth up kindly longings for more and yet more of it even till it be compleated Thus Moses the man of God and his great favourite whom he knew face to face when admitted to very much familiar fellowship with him and is told that he had found Grace in his sight that he knew him by name And that at his earnest desire his presence should go with him Exod. 33.12 13 14. Yet saith he to the Lord vers 18. I beseech thee shew me thy Glory So Holy Job Gods darling whose candle shined on his head by whose light he walked through darkness and on whose Tabernacle the Secret of God was Yet with much Holy longing cryes Chap. 23.3 Oh that I knew where I might find him I would come even to his seat and comforts himself amidst all his Sorrows with the assured hope of the fully Satisfieing sight and enjoyment of his Redeemer at the latter day So likewise the Spouse in the Song who had often been brought into the Banquetting house having the Banner of her beloveds love spread over her whose left hand had lain often under her head and whose right hand had emâ—raced her who had often sitten down under his shadow with great delight and found his fruis sweet to her taste whose Spikenard did send forth the smell thereof while the King sat at his Table who had frequently found by the kisses of his mouth his love to be better then Wine and to whom he had often given his loves in the Vineyards Yet cryes in the conclusion of that High Song make haste or flee my Beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart on the mountains of Spices So was it also with David the man according to Gods heart who had much sweet Communion with him in his wandrings and wilderness condition in Caves and Dens of the Earth and had often seen his Power and his Glory in the Sanctuary Yet pants and breaths after more fellowship with him even as the chased Hart doth after the water brooks and cryes when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42. So in like manner was it with the Apostle Paul Christs great Minion who beside all the good dayes he had in dispensing Gospel Ordinances in planting and watering Churches in converting and edifieing multitudes of Souls in his triumphing by making manifest the savour of Christs knowledge had been ravished into the third Heavens caught up into Paradise and heard there unspeakable words that were not lawful or possible to be uttered Yet as if he had never been with him desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ as best of all and groans within himself longing to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord And thus was it finally with John the Divine the Beloved Disciple who had often lyen in his sweet Masters bosom and could confidently say Truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ closeth his Revelations with that Holily Passionat desire Even so come Lord Jesus Dear Friends let it be more then ever your great work and business to keep your selves in case and capacity to enjoy his blessed company and Fellowship And in order to this end 1. Study to keep your selves through Grace as chast virgins to Christ Jesus as your one Husband let him be to you as the loving Hart and Pleasant Roe let his
or unbecomingly as the Apostle when he willeth the Christian Romans Chap. 16.2 To receive Phebe as becometh and is suitable to Saints he makes use of the word worthily for so it is in the Original and this being the opposite to that is to be understood unsuitably and unbecomingly to such a manifestation oâ— the love of Christ in giving himself to and for his people as in our common language when a man does a thing unsuitably we say he did it unworthily when it answers not the end proposed 2. Judgment or Damnation here takes in these three things 1. A Temporal stroke as v. 30 31. For this cause many among you are sickly and weak and many sleep 2 It may look to eternal Judgement as Damnation is often taken in Scripture 3. It may look to Spiritual Judgements for though a Believer be not capable of eternal Judgement yet by unworthy Communicating he may draw upon himself temporal stroakes and spiritual Judgements he may much wear out the life of Grace and bring himself under blasting and withering and unbelievers draw upon themselves not only those but eternal damnation and that with a higher degree of aggravation 3. That he is said to Eat and Drink this to himself as in the former verse a man is Câ—mmanded to Examine himself It may take in these two as aimed at by the Apostle 1. It is to provoke every man to his particular duty from his particular hazaâ—d He hazards his own soul 2. It s put here to shew the restriction of the Judgement according to the Sun and so if a man examine himself though others neglect it the Judgment shal not overtake him but if he examine not himself whoever escape Judgement he shal not escape it and thus it s an encouragement to a man to go about the duty of Self-examination as well as a motive of terror Corinth being corrupted with manâ— abuses one Person could not amend all well sayes he Let a man examine himself and so he shal escape the hazard if not he will fall under it We shal First draw some observations from the words and then speak a word for Use First it is supposed here that in this ordinance of the Lords Supper there is a special eminencie excellencie dignitie and worth or this Ordinance of the Lords Supper is of a singular Solemn nature and this I gather partly from this verse considered in it self He that Eats and Drinks unworthily implies that there is a special worthiness in it that a man should not offer indignâ—ty to and partly from the connexion of this verse with the former for it is made a reason why he presses particular and strict Self-examination which shews that there is a more singular excellencie in this ordinance then in others and partly from the context for every Circumstance speaks out a Solemnity in this Ordinance as 1. The night when it was instituted vers 23 The same night in which he was betrayed and when he was taking his goodnight of his Disciples 2. His jealousie of and his quarrelling and threatening for the abuse of this Ordinance Speaks out a speciall excellencie in the Ordinance that all who approach thereunto should be suitably affected with all the ordinances of the Lord are excellent for if all his works be excellent Then much more the Gospel-ordinances as being a step above those and yet this ordinance of the Lords Supper seems dignified with an eminencie and excellencie above them all 1. In reference to what it sets out and exhibits They all set out love but this sets out love in an eminent degree for it sets forth the Lords Death wherein the most eminent step and degree of his Love shines Yea this Ordinance sets out his actual dieing and so sets out his Love in its Liveliest Colours and as the great Master-piece of it 2. In respect of the excellent Benefits communicated in it It is true there is no other thing on the matter communicat in it then there is Communicat in the word and Baptisme Yet if we look to the words Take ye eat ye this is my Body They hold out Christ Jesus not so much giving any Particular gift as actually conferring himself in his Death and Suffering And the main scope being to conferr Christ and all that is in him to the Believer It holds out some way the excellencie of this ordinance beyond others 3. In respect of the manner how our Lord Jesus makes over himself whereby I mean not only the clearness of his making over himself for in this ordinance there is the clearest view of a slain Saviour and of Covenanting wiâ—h God and often the most comfortable manifestations of Love go alongst with it for which cause it s called eminently the Communion But also that there is here a clear glance of Heaven upon earth Jesus Christ and his People mixing to speak so and being familiar together he condescending not only to keep company with them but to be their food and refreshment and he giving them not only the word to their faith but himself as it were to their sense in so far as the mean whereby He communica eth himself is more sensible It is by his Spirit that the mean is made effectual and there is not only a fixedness of Faith on ouâ— Part but a sort of Divineness in the ordinance it self the very First fruits of Heaven being communicat as it were to the very senses of the Believer I say unto you sayes the Lord Matth. 26 29. I will not Drink henceforth of the Fruit of the Vine until that day I Drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome where he seems to point out a more speciall way of keeping communion with his people in this Ordinance in resemblance to that which he will have with them in heaven There being here a more speciall union and communion betwixt the head and members sealed up a type of that which is to be in Heaven A taste whereof is sometimes given in this ordinance of the Communion hence it s not only called the Communion as in the foregoing Chapter but the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ and the Table of the Lord. The first Use of it serves to let us see how much we are oblidged to Christ Jesus what could he have given more then himself And what mean could have been invented that could have mo e confirmed and warmed the hearts of his people then this which is so lively a representation and Commemoration of his Blessed Body very like we might come to dâ—scern His body better if there were a more high estimation of this ordinance not as if there were any efficacie in it of it self to communicat Grace Yet in respect of Christs institution it s a most lively mean of Grace and there is not a circumstance in all the action but it s to be wondered at as that it was instituted the same night he was betrayed and aâ—ter the
is ready the fatlings are prepared the Promises are filled with every necessary good thing there is bread enough in the Prodigals fathers house and to spare the contract is ready and an offer of it made on the Bridegrooms side the terms are drawn up and put in Form and all things agreed upon and ready even to the Subscription and there is no more required but that the hearers of this Gospel heartilly consent to take him and submit to his righteousness and dominion which if they do all things shall be theirs even life eternal and all things that may fit them for it Promises for this life and that which is to come and Christ engaged to keep the bargain and this is it that is preached every day to you though alace unsuitably so that it 's not now Who shall go up to Heaven and bring down Christ from above or Who shall descend unto the deep and bring him up from the dead That we may get him to Marry but the righteousness of faith saith the word is near thee even in thy mouth c. Christs consent is not to be asked or brought from afar for he hath declared it in his word and the terms of the contract are if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe with thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.8 9. Engage therefore honestly with Christ and keep to him deny your selves and close wiâ—h him give uâ— your selves to him and ye shall be saved and that is all one with this to be married to him yea the day of the Marriage is set and that iâ— the day of the Gospel the Bridegroom is come to the Church the Table is covered and the Ministers the Bridegrooms friends are waiting on to espouse you â—o him and to make up the Marriage so that all thinâ—s meet and requisit for making peace betwixâ— God and sinners are ready The Fifth Observation was that Christ the Bridegroom his Father are very willing to have the match made up and the marriage compleated therefore doth he send forth his servants with a strict commission not only to tell sinners that all things ready but to bid them come to the Marriage yea he not only wills them to tell that all things are ready and to invite but to Compel them as Luke hath it Chap. 14.23 to come in to stirr them up and press them to it to threaten them if they come not and to accept no refusal or naâ—-say the evidences of his willingness are many which I will not now insist upon as that he hath made the feast and such a feast and prepared so for it and given himself to bring it about and keeps up the offer and Proclamation of the Marriage even after it is slighted all these and many moe tell plainly that the Father and Son are most heartily willing therefore they expostulat when this Marriage is refused O! Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you but you would not Matth. 23. O! Jerusalem Jerusalem if thou even thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Luk 19. All these sad complaints that Israel would not hearken to his voice and his people would have n ne of him Psal 81 7. That he came to his own and his own received him not Joh. 1.11 And that they will not come to him that they might have life Joh. 5.40 make out his willingness abundantly and undenyably The Sixth Observation was That the great work of the Mâ—nisters of the Gospel iâ— to invite unto and to endeavâ—ur to bring this Marriage betwixt Christ aâ—d Souls to a close the Servants are sent out for this very end to conclude the bargain Though he be Lord of all yet he would not imploy in this work Angels neither would he speak immediatly by his own voice from Heaven for by reaâ—â—n of his greatness we could not have endured that way of wooing but sayeth on the matter to men subject to the like passions and infirmities go tell that the King haâ—h such a Son and that ye are sent out to wâ—o in his Name and make not only offer of Marriage but request intreat perswade pray and obtest yea command and compell them to come to the Marriage by holding forth the curse which comes on them that will not come and hence are those denounced woes and shaking of the dust off â—heir feet for a Testimony against them that will not come The Seventh Observation was that iâ— is the duty of all to whom the good news of this marriage come to come to it and when theâ— aâ—e invited to it Presently without all delay to yeeld Needs there any proof of this do not the Masters sending and the seâ—vanâ—s coming call for it do not his preparing of all things his inviting to the Marriage and his expostulating wâ—â—h them that come not and our own great necessitie urgently require it The Eighth and last Observation was that all they that come may expect a very good and heartsome welcome none need to fear that they shal not be made welcome seeing they are come not uncalled they shall not sit unserved The Lord will not look down on such as come nay he is waiting on to welcome them and to meet them as it were Mid-way as we see in the Parable of the Prodigal Luke 15. His father stayes not till his son come to him but seeing him afar-off coming he runs with speed to meet him and then most affectionatly embraced him and falls on his neck and kisses him and if the poor child should say I am not worthy to be called a Son He answers that not suffering him to speak out all that he had resolved to say Even when the debaucht runagate had spent all by riotous living and would fain have told out the sad and shameful story of his grosse miscarriages and great unworthiness he interrupts him and says in a manner Son hold thy peace as to that I know well it is grievous to thee go quickly and put on the robe the Ring and the shoes that are provided for thee I come now in the Third place to make application of all and is it possible to speak or hear of this Subject as becomes who is sufficient for these things to speak suitably in the name of the Lord and to lay before you this contract of marriage with such a Bridegroom Beloved hearers are ye in a suitable Posture to tryst with him Do ye think that ye are for this Marriage is it your serious purpose to close the bargain with him If so Pray the Lord to give us to speak and you to hear the word in such manner as it may be a marriage-day indeed there are very good news here and blessed eternally be God that ever we heard them or had them to speak of and that ye have them yet to hear they should make your very
he delights in and on which his soul feeds and all that he is comforted with is in heaven and he hath not a day to do well nor one comfortable good hour but that which is given him from heaven and this is not only to be abiding with but to be delighting in God having the peace of God that passeth understanding guarding the heart and His love shed abroad therein and having all that which entertains his life coming from heaven Thus Col. 3.3 It is said that our life is hid with Christ in God So that the Believer is affected with nothing feeds upon and is satisfied with nothing so much as he is with that which comes from heaven He awakes he sleeps he rests there This is to live in Heaven and to be heavenly in our Conversation And this is it that ye are called and oblidged to even to have your conversation in heaven in all these forementioned respects that as ye believers are of another nature so ye may be of another and more divine Frame of soul in your work and walk in your thoughts and words in your outward duties and in the exercise of inward Graces in your commerce and trading in your contentment delight and satisfaction to be heavenly in all And if any shall here say This is a very hard task I Answer first Can it be hard to be in heaven Nay it 's an ease rather for Christ's yoke is easie and his burden is light in as much as our Conversation is in heaven we have so much true Spiritual ease repose of soul it is what we leave behind in the world that makes the difficulty to get our Spirits scrued up to heaven and to be kept there here lyes the difficulty but the more the heart and the mind be there we have really the more ease 2. Will ye shift deny or decline the duty because it 's difficult and hard As indeed it is to corrupt nature Notwithstanding all the difficulty of it the Apostle Paul with his fellows and followers did win to it in a good measure and we may attain it through Grace according to our Measure Is not this the way to heaven which our Lord calleth Strait and which but few find And yet if ye would try and make proof of it in good earnest ye would find it to be not so very strait or unpassable as ye Imagine it to be It would be found to be waited with such delight as would much sweeten any hardness in it and ye would not want an insight in those heavenly mysteries and the beholding your names written in heaven and in the Lambs book of life nor one hours feeding upon and being solaced by them for all he delights of the men of this world and since it 's only hard to corruption it should be so much the more endeavoured and plyed hard The Second Use serves for Tryall that we may know who is a Christian indeed and a Thriving Christian or it may serve rather to be an use of Discovery and of Conviction and indeed it may very easily and quickly make discovery of the unsoundness of many and of the short-coming of all Need we insist on this Is it not a truth obvious to all viz. That Christians are called and oblidged to be heavenly in their Conversation Are not these the Characters of such a Conversation Nay is there not yet much more requisit in a Christian even a divineness above what we can express And if ye be as ye may be convinced that this is a truth then let me in the next place ask you if your Conversation be such Put your own consciences to it enquire at them whether your trade be to Heaven whether your peace and joy your delight and satisfaction be there Would God ye would essay it and could upon good ground say that it is so But Ah! is there any that can say it without some hesitation Is not the best exceeding defective Or if many of you shall say it is so What then means your carnalness your prevailing lust distempering humours and passions What means your so much pleading for self-interests this turning as it were of the World up-side down for our own particulars How comes it to pass that ye who are profane do spend so much of your precious time in Tipling and trifle away so much of it unprofitably many other wayes Dare ye say that ye who walk thus are indeed followers of the Apostle Paul Or if ye dare not say that ye are followers of him in his Heavenly Conversation can ye think or expect to dwel with him in Heaven O! be not deceived for God will not be mocked when ye reflect seriously on your selves and on your way will ye not find just ground for being ashamed and confounded before God or is there any of us all that needs to want an errand to the Throne of Grace to confess and crave Pardon for our sinfull short-coming in this I shall only speak a word or two in further prosecution of this Use to you that are Stout-hearted and know no changes that have alwayes a good opinion and a good word to say of your selves Who are ready to say that ye have a good meaning and to think and say that ye loved God all your dayes and who at best content your selves with and sit down on a form of Religion who never studied to die to the world and never made it your business in good earnest to Mortifie your lusts and to be holy in the inward frame of your souls Is this think ye to have your Conversation in Heaven Would ye know then if ever ye have studied Christianity seriously try it by this viz. Whether ye have been heavenly in your conversation for however ye Judge of your selves God will most certainly Judge you according to this Rule and qualification of a Christian It is both sad and strange to think how it comes to pass that many of you bear and bolster up your selves with a hope of Heaven and profess that ye have no doubt but you shall come thither who yet want and are void of this qualification I know such will be ready to Object Who are they that come this length To which I shall only Answer That as I would be very loth to quench any smoking flax or to break any bruised reed whereof our Lord and Master is very tender or to cast water of discouragement upon any the least spark or spunk of sincerity where there is any honest aiming to walk according to this Rule So I cannot I dare not but say to others in the first Place have ye walked under the conviction of this as a duty incumbent on you and have ye seriously Proposed it to your selves as your great business in the World to be sincerely aiming at and endeavouring after this Conversation in Heaven or have ye not rather had peace such as it was when ye said your prayers morning and
care ye for Remission of sins Or care ye for the enjoying of God If ye do then sure it is unspeakably of your concernment to consider and close with the call offer of this Gospel And if there be any of you that have loved your Idols and after them will go I would desire you in soberness to say to it will ye prefer any Idol to Christ the Creature to the Creator the temporal finfull being of your body to the Eternall well-being of both Soul and Body If ye will then be sure that this Conviction in your Judgement and Conscience will go along with such a cursed Resolution that Christ and Heaven were the absolutly best Bargain The Third Use Serves to Cheer and Solace sinners that have betaken themselves to Christ O All ye who are glad to hear tell of such a Saviour and whose heart is even now content to take him to Renounce all Idolâ— for his sake We have First Remission of sins Noâ— only to offer but even to proclaim freely to you Hâ—â— that believes is past from death to life and shall not comâ— into condemnation There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh buâ— after the Spirit as it is Rom. 8.1 If ye say what wilâ— become of the sins that we are now under the guilt of I answer they shall be freely forgiven in those dayeâ— and at that time saith the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 50.20 The Iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will Pardon them whom I reserve When all the books shall be cast open there shall be nothing found to Charge upon a Believing Elect It 's God that justifieth who shall condemn sin as Pardoned to you it was to Abraham and to David and Heaven is made as sure to you as it was to them who are now in it ye have the same Surety the same Saviour the same Covenant Secondly What Promise would ye have I know ye need many but is â—here any of all the Promises that is not in the Covenant Yea ye have the Covenant and Christ both for He is given for a Covenant to you All things are yours as it is 1 Cor. 3. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs Ye have a title and right to all the Promises and may comfort your selves in the assured hope of the Performance of them O! That many were in capacity to receive this consolation Thirdly There may be a wearisome time here and who knows what tryals and Scatterings may overtake you What times may go over you ere ye get another Communion It were best then that ye who seriously mind to cleave to Christ and his Covenant were making for them and therefore lay up this Consolation O Believers Comfort your selves in this Blessed bargain ye have Christ and Remission of sins take the Sacrament as a Seal thereof There is a day coming when ye will drink it new in the Kingdom of Heaven O cheer your selves in the hope of it and for the time in this Resemblance of it when ye see a poor man personating our Lord Jesus Christ and by his warrant offering him to you The day is coming when there shall be no Resemblance no Temple no Ministers no Ordinances no Sacrament but ye shal drink of that new wine the grapes whereof grow on Christ Jesus the Tree of Life in the midst of the Paradise of God Even the wine of the Consolation of Glory that will keep you in a continuall Holy Ravishment when all fears shall be wiped away and ye shall have fully Satisfying Blessedness in the Immediat vision and fruition of God And since it is so Let the joy of the Lord be your strength There shall not a Believer come to the Lords Table this day but there is a day coming when he and she shall drink it new without interruption Eternally in the Kingdome of Heaven Father saith Christ John 17. I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am to Behold my Glory and again the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them and saith he Revel 3.12 I will write upon him my new Name and the Name of the City of my God c. That is the Communication and Participation of the Glory of the head as the Members are Capable Labour O Labour to have your Appetits Sharpened and your longing desires quickened to taste of this new wine It will be fresh strong and sweet there And seeing the Lord allows you such consolation take it and take the Sacrament as a Pledge of it and think with thy self O Believer in Christ what shall I sinfull and unworthy I ere long sit with Christ at his Table in Glory and is this a signe and Representation of it under a vail What manner of Person ought I to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness ought I not to love him much and to continue with him in all his Tentations The Kingdom will Superabundantly make up all The very fiâ—st draught of this new Wine will make sighing and Soâ—row for ever to flee away Let your Souls be comforted in what ye have and in the expectation of what is coming There are great things coming ye have a Rich and liberall a free and frank bestower and notably good Security Come therefore all of you to the due use-making of the Covenant and of the Sacrament in reference to this end And the Lord himself that calls you enable you to come aright that it may be a closed Sealed and confirmed bargain betwixt him and you this day that ye may have ground to say This is the day which the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce in it A Thanks-giving Sermon after the Communion the last that ever the Author Preached on such an occasion at Glasgow On Matth. 26. Vers 29. But I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the Vine untill that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom SERMON II. OUr Blessed Lord Jesus is now near taking leave of his Apostles and preparing them for the storm they were to meet with and for the consolation of them and of all his followers to the end of the World He instituteth this Ordinance of the Communion to be His Love-token in His absence that all his People might be confident of his respect to them as well as to those then Present and that all of them might thereby be put and kept in the Remembrance of him till his coming again He hath given them a Massie and marrowy Sum of the Gospel in the words immediatly Preceeding This Cup saith he is my Blood of the New Testament shed for the Remission of the sins of many To
which he subjoyns partly for warning partly for Consolation these now read But I say unto you I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the Vine till I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom as if he had said though now we be sitting here at the Communion-Table heartsomely together I tell you that I and ye will have no mo Communions here on earth The particle But is to give them a watch-word and yet according to his blessed manner and wont he hath the best word hindmost and tells them glad news on the back of it For they might say Wo's us sweet Master will we never meet again at a Communion think not so saith he we shall yet meet again and have a sweet Communion in Heaven This then is a very heartsome dismiss though he sends them away advertising them of a storm coming and though they knew not well what was before them yet he heartens and encourages them with a Promise that they shall have this Wine new or the thing signified by it with a far other relish in Glory and that then he and they should have good days of it I shall say no more to the exposition scope or Division of the words Take this one Doctrine from them and then a few things on the Connexion for Use The great Doctrine Then implyed is this That Believers will have a sweet Communion in Christs Fathers Kingdom in Heaven This is Expresly in the Text and confirmed by other Scriptures as namely Luke 22.29 Ye are they that have continued with me in my Temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and Drink at my Table in my Kingdom This is that Communion even a partaking of Christs Glory in his Fathers Kingdom and with him in it and John 17. vers 22. The Glory which thou gavest me I have given them and vers 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me may be with me to Behold my Glory which thou hast given me which words set forth not only the certainty of the thing a glorious place and day and the excellency of the Feast but also a sort of Peremptoriness in reference thereto Father I will saith he when he Prayed that the Cup might depart from him he does it Conditionally and with submission but when he prayes for Communion in Glory to him and his followers there is no Submission to speak so because it was according to the Covenant of Redemption and therefore he is absolut and Holily peremptory in it And the Father hears him alwayes So in the Epistles written to the seven Churches of Asia Rev. 2. and 3. It is Promised by our Lord to him that overcometh that he will give him the hidden Manna the white stone and New Name to sit with him on his Throne Let all Believers on earth be gathered together they cannot tell what this is what a Manna what a Communion this will be it quite transcends all experience all expression and conception Only in the Text ' its called 1. Wine which is a very cordiall thing 't is Meat indeed and Drink indeed 2. It 's called new Wine we taste of it here but it 's new and hath another relish there 3. 'T is in a sweet place not in any Earthly house or upper Chamber not in a material Temple made with hands but in Christs Fathers Kingdom that new Jerusalem that Tabernacle of God where God dwelleth with Angels and Glorified Saints the City paved with pure Gold the Gates whereof are Pearl the foundations of the Wall whereof are garnished with all manner of Precious stones which hath no Sun but the Glory of God and of the Lamb is the light thereof O Believers who have some of you but Cot-houses smoky holes here ye shall have Mansions of Glory there admirably good accomodation it is with excellent non such company even with Christ For he says that He will drink this wine new with us in his Fathers Kingdom It 's a great matter to get leave to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob David and the Prophets Elijah Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel and the rest of them with John the Baptist with Paul John Peter and the other Apostles and with the whole Congregation of the first-born but it 's more to drink the new wine with Christ himself in heaven who is to say so the very heart of Heaven This Communion hath in it these Five notable qualifications First It 's immediat all our Communion here is mediat Ordinances and Ministers interveen and come betwixt us and him and there is need of Faith in order to it but in that Communion above there is no intermediat mean there we shall see his face as it 's said Rev. 22.4 There is no Temple no Ministers no Preaching no light of candle or Sun there but the Lamb and the Lord God who enlightens it the Tabernacle of Ordinances will then be taken down every thing which is in part will be done away when that which is perfect is come The Lord shall feed and the Lamb shall lead us by these living waters Secondly There is in it a sharing of the same Glory with the Mediator He and we shall drink of one Cup sit at one Table and sit on one Throne Rev. 3.21 We shall partake of Christs Glory I will saith he John 17.24 that they Behold my Glory there we get eminently The new Name and the Name of the City of Christs God Rev. 3. there his Name will be in our fore-heads Rev. 22.4 And our vile bodies will be made conformable to Christs Glorious Body Phil. 3.21 Our spirits will be made pure as he is pure when we shall be raised in incorruption we shall bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam and our bodies shall be made Spiritual It cannot be told what this will be to be made Partakers of Christs Glory when the fulness of the God head shall be Communicated to us Ojectively and when God shall be all in all Thirdly It 's a Communion satisfieing compleatly If Christs Communion be full ours shall be full in this Communion none shall complain of desertion none shall desire more of the Spirit or more consolation for it shall be full then shall we Satisfieingly know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of God this water of Life will Satisfie to the full the greatest thirst of such as long for Christ there shall not be to speak so an empty Corner in the most capacious Soul thou Poor hungry and thirsty Empty and indigent Believing Soul shalt then be full and keeped full according to Creature capacity to the very Brim and thy heart that is now narrow and straitned shall be widened end enla ged then to take in this sweet and Satisfieing there shall not be one vessel in Glory but it shall be filled brim-full with the new Wine of these strong
Consolations of God being dilated Capacitated Elevated and enlarged for that very end Fourthly This Communion is uninterrupted there shall be nothing to mar it no Cross no Sin no Temptation to sin For no unclean thing enters within the Gates of the new Jerusalem no Curse no Cry in those Streets no weeping no Sorrow no sighing for any thing past nor Horrour nor fear from the apprehension of any evil coming nor any the least mis-turning of the Lambs Song of Praise the heart shall to speak so be so stringed and bended as it shall never again slack in its bent but be stil keeped at its highest note our Harps shall never hang any more on the Willows but we shall keep them still in our hand chanting the Praises of the Redeemer to that new Heavenly Tune never heard on earth with Psalmes of victory in our hands and Crowns of Glory on our heads following the Lamb whithersoever He goes Fifthly It is an Eternall communion we shall drink for ever with him and be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house and made Holily drunk with the River of his pleasures with whom is the Fountain of Life and in whose light we shall eminently see light whose Well of life is always running in Whose presence is fulness of joys and at his right hand Pleasures for evermore though through all Eternity thousands and Millions will be drinking of this new Wine yet it shall never be the less but is and shall be still fresh and flowing Now for Application Let me ask you do ye believe this that there is such a day coming and that these are the true and Faithfull sayings of God O! If ye all that hear me this day did indeed believe it the belief of it sure is very suitable and would make a very sweet life ye will never be Holy ye will never aright fear nor love God ye will never hate sin nor be heartsome in his Service neither will ye be truly thankful till ye really Believe it I am afraid if Atheists Earthly Wretches drunkards Tipplers Cursers Swearers Hypocrites c. Were singled out and Separated from among us they would be found to be but a smal number who Believe this Do ye or can ye Believe it that have your Portion in this life and seek no more Nay believers if ye indeed Believe it why are ye so heartless Why envy ye the poor prosperity of the men of the world Why do ye not press after this mark and Prize If ye believed it suitably your hearts would laugh within you your Spirits would rejoice your faces would some way shine and what is spoken of this day would have a Divine splendor and lustre in your eyes If you believe it why is it not your work and business to live so as ye may hope to drink of this cup of this new Wine with Christ in Heaven Though ye should drink water all your days this Wine will abundantly compense that though now the bread of some of you be but brown this feast of truly Royal dainties is before you our Christian friends that are gone are feeding sweetly on it Long O Believers to be with them and take it not ill though ye be here somewhat straitned and kept scarce and have but a litle portion a small pittance and scant measure of the things of this world when others fare well and Sumptuously live high are Gorgiously apparelled Your Feast and Royal Robes are before you The Rich and great men of this world whose portion is in this life care litle for Poor bodies that seek Gâ—d care ye as litle for their portion as they care for yours they shall not a litle hence get a drink nay not a drop of cold water when ye shall drink this new Wine this Royal wine in abundance Christs Servants shall eat when they shall be hungry his servants shall drink when they shall be thirsty they shall sing for joy of heart when the others shall mourn and howl for vexation of spirit as it is Isaiah 65.13 O seek after clearness of interest in him that ye may throughly Believe Love and long for this life This heartsome Communion with Christ in Heaven is reserved for them that keep Communion with him here on earth and to them it is here promised I will not say that none can get Heaven but those who get the Sacrament but this I dare boldly say that those who have not Communion with Christ here shall never get Commvnion with him hereafter and whoever Communicat honestly here shall have Communion with Christ in Glory be ye comforted who believe in Christ who Covenant honestly with him and who hope in his mercy For He and ye together shall have a compleatly full immediat uninterrupted and eternal Communion in Heaven that shall new end Need ye to be confirmed in the truth of this hiâ— word may serve you and ye have the Sacrament besidâ— he hath left his word to hearten poor Believers undâ— all their inward and outward troubles under their Spâ—ritual maladies and bodily sicknesses and infirmities aâ— to assure them for their comfort that there is a goâ—â— life coming and be hath given the Sacrament as a pledgâ— of it will ye then consider seriously whether this woâ—â— belong to you and if ye may with his allowance heaâ—ten your selves from it that there is a day coming thâ— ye shall get Communion with Christ in Heaven Hâ— doth not mean that all that get the Sacrament get thâ— Communion For Judas who not unprobably got thâ— Sacrament is excluded Would ye know then whâ— have been honest Communicants to day that may expect this Heavenly Communion And me thinks thaâ— every one of you that hath any serious concern for yoâ— Souls will be roused here and greedily longing foâ— marks and evidences of that But if any of you woulâ— be at evidences to make you secure I declare I havâ— none such to give you But I shall hint at Two or Three which may be as directions in duty to you who minâ— honestly The First whereof is Luke 22.29 Ye arâ— they that have continued with me in my Temptation anâ— I appoint unto you a Kingdom here it is clear that theâ— Two go together viz. Continuing with Christ in hiâ— temptations and Coming to his Kingdom In a worâ— it is not to be religious for the fashion but in earnest is not to be Religious for a day or two or in somâ— trials only but to continue in it and with him in hâ—â— Temptations what ever they be Not only to be Râ—ligious when religion is countenanced but when it discountenanced and persecution is met with for it sake and when there are many snares and temptations to draw you away 't is a stedfast abiding with Christ in trying times Summer and Winter so to say If a blast of triall and temptation come and ye grow giddy and wavering in the truth Or if a spirit of Profanity come and look for
it and lay your account with it and ye be ready to laugh and give in your taunt gybe and mock with the Prophane against the power of Godliness and the Godly away with your Religion it is not a continuing with Christ in his Temptations This maâ—k puts you to work and such marks are safest To him that over cometh is a word often repeated Rev. 2. and 3. and set always before the Promise of Glory and Communion with Christ in Heaven On such and on such only will Christ write his new Name and set them on His Throne A Second Mark is Ye that do indeed keep Communion with Christ here and war against your lusts without any allowed peace truce or cessation of Armes till ye get them brought down routed and ruined by an entire victory shall partake of this Communion in Glory If ye do not deliberaâ—ly give up with Christ to keep company with Idols ye may have hope but the unbelieving and fearfull that cannot endure to look a Lust nor a tryall for Christ in the face and who it may be are just now wearying of such a day and Sermon and it is even as a prison to them to be restrained so long from worldly businesses and pleasures are utterly excluded from all hope while they remain such Serious Souls will belike here say we are fighting but we come not speed I Answer Let not that discourage you if there be hope to come speed in end continue in the fight and you shall come speed Christ is thy Captain and a Captain of Salvation at whose back none fell so as not to arise A Third Mark is John 17.6.7.8 Where Christ is Praying for the Disciples that they may be admitted to this Communion anâ— saith he I gave them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them The Believer receiveâ— Christs words and keeps them and makes exception against none of them when he takes one word he cast not at another he takes not one piece of the Covenant of Grace and rejects another but universally he approves and accepts of all Christs words and more paâ—ticularly and in a speciall manner of the Command oâ— believing Thus speaks the Psalmist Psal 119.128 I esteem all thy Commandments concerning all things tâ— be right So saith Christ of the Disciples I have given them thy words and they have received them and particularly as if he had said I proposed a special suit to them that they would be friends with thee and be reconciled to thee through Faith in me and they received that word Therefore Glorifie them Ye may Possibly think these marks difficult but would you have a Religion that will put you to no pains Such marks are high and hard indeed to flesh and Blood and to youâ— lusts but what loss is in mortifying these Is it any prejudice to you to receive Christs words and to keep them and to follow him in his temptations when an hundred fold more then ye can lose is to be gotten by so doing And therefore we declare to you from the word of the Lord if ye resolve not to live as having on yoâ— the wedding garment we cannot say that ye shall eaâ— and drink with Christ at his Table in his Kingdom In the Next place According to the Method Proposed Ye would consider the Connexion and how thiâ— Purpose comes in even thus as if the Lord had said ye have now an excellent communion-Communion-day but ye and I will have no more together in this World whence Observe that the best Communion day that Gods People have here hath a BUT in it or something that makes it appear defective Only in that Communion in Heaven there in no But no defect And it implyes First His saying to them ye have now been at the Communion but ere long ye shall meet with Temptation and trouble and as he said so within a very litle it came to pass So may I say we are here now but do we know how soon a temptation may assault and prevail The Tempter is waiting on and hath it is like given in his Petition for a Permission to essay such and such a person by some suitable Temptation ere to morrow and he offers it may be to make his Hypocrisy to be discovered and it will be a sad Matter if any of you stumble and be overtaken with the temptation Secondly It looks to the scattering that was coming we will not as if we had said be all together at the Communion again For it is written I will smite the shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered It is more then Probable that we shall not all drink and eat at one Table again are there not some both Ministers and People dead and gone since the last Communion And ye may want some of both ere ye get another and may there not some sad diversion trouble or Confusion arise to the offending of some and laying of them aside Nay some may be offended at these same Ordinances Sathan hath many ways to break in upon us nay let me tell you that a cloud of persecution may come and cover us that we shall not dare to come or may scruple to come to such an Ordinance though we be now datted and as it were Dandled on his knee Thirdly It may look to their being deprived of Christs company and bodily presence And who knoweth but there may be a cloud of desertion on Ordinances and a vailing of Christs presence I forewarn you that it is to be seared which sayes we should keep him well while we have him and not stir him up till he please as the Brides frequent desire and resolution is in the Song Fourthly It may look to death that is coming and will put an end to all Communions here after which there will be no moe Communions on Earth And indeed it is suitable that ye were now bethinking your selves what if we never get another Ought we not then to feed well on this If any thing have been amiss or wanting Labour to get it made up O Believers in Christ take hom a Sealed Covenant with you and read it over and over again If any defect hath been on your part write it yet in for if any blank be 't is certainly on our side and not on Christs and indeed 't is Gods great mercy that a Seal of his Covenant may be usefull a long time after it is gotten slighted Baptisms and abused Communions may be yet usefull if we could make the right use of them and I do not question but this Communion did the Disciples more good after Christ was gone from them then it did now when he was with them at Table Fifthly It may look to Eternity Now we are living men and women on Earth but within a litle we will be gone our place will know us no more very probably within Twentie Thirty Fourty or Fifty years we shall be either drinking of this new Wine in Heaven
above or of that Cup of the unmixed Wine of the wrath of God having no rest day nor night O Profane Atheist unbeliever hollow hearted Hypocrite and slighter of Christ all thy dayes what a bitter draught will that be when God shall put into thy hand the Cup of his Iâ—dignation which shall be for ever poured out unto thee and shall never come from thy head O drunkard tippler and belly God be think thy self how that draught will go down with thee The Lord with his one foot on Earth and the other on the Sea with an uplifted hand to Heaven hath Sworn that within a litle time shal be no more Ye that are young People may if ye will follow the sight of your eyes and the way of your own hearts and may take you Pleasure in the dayes of your youth but know and remember that God will bring you to Judgement Your time is wearing away and ye will wear away 't is but a litle and ye will hear no moe Preachings and get no moe warnings O take them in time if ye be wise and the Lord perswade you so to do In the Third place The scope both of the advertisment and consolation is observable when he was giving them the Cup and told them that 't is the Cup of the new Testament in his blood He subjoins but I say unto you I will not drink henceforth c. This he doth First because he would send them away advertised and assured that There is a father Ben to speak so a more inward room in Religion then the most lively and comfortable Ordinance here on earth doth afford a higher more intense spiritual Practice then any outward part of Religion He would have them to go away thinking with themselves that all is not done that may be done that all is not win at which may be had that they are not yet Holy enough nor happy enough O place not for Christs sake Place not your Religion here I was at the Sacrament or I got my Communion Wo to that empty sound and to them who lean all their weight on it ye may come and abide here for a time and go away leaving the marrow of the matter behind you all is not yet done A Second Reason is Because he would have them parting and going from the Communion wiâ—h some thoughts of death of their approaching change and passing out of time and of Eternity it s quickly Marching upon them And indeed it were good going from the Communion and from every other Ordinance with such thoughts as these Death is fast coming on me and I will be soon gone saith our Lord on the matter to the Disciples and ye will ere long follow me and it is not these Ordinances that will be your life in Eternity It were good that we came to the Lordâ— Table to Preaching and Prayer and went away as dieing Men and Women this would lay much of our Pride deaden us to the world and make us endeavouâ— to hold a loose gripe of all things in it and would keeâ— us under the kindly sense of the changeableness uncertainty and short continuance of them all and might be of more use and worth to us then Twenâ—ie thanksgiving Sermons Labour then to go from every Ordinance as if ye were not to enjoy another A Third Reason may be that our Lord would lead in his followers 〈◊〉 look after some stamp of Heaven and of the Glorious Communion that is a coming on their Spirits and would have them going from the Ordinances with such thoughts Alace we have very few such thoughts Our conversation is very litle or not at all in Heaven Believers think and think often that these rags will be rent off us and we shall be set down on the Throne with Christ in that Rayment of needle work It is a good token wheâ— a person goes from a Cummunion from Preaching and Prayer more Divine and Heavenly making every Ordinance the step of a stair as it were to ascend upward having a high esteem of Heaven and a heaâ— Holily eager and bent on it content nay desirous 〈◊〉 be gone when ever He shall see it meet and till theâ— putting on and keeping on the whole armour of God making for one assault of temptation afâ—er another Heavenly in his whole walk in his actions words and thoughts As ye would not O Believers interrupt your Communion with God in Christ study to be Heavenly in your Conversation for saith the Apostle Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour Lay aside as if be had said your earthly mindedness away with that and be Heavenly in your conversation for our Conversation is such and Believers are described to be such as Love Christs appearing A Fourth Reason May be that our Lord would hearten Comfort his Disciples and send them away refreshed Yea it is to Root out their unbelief and to arm them against approaching tryals So then First our Lord Jesus Allows Believers to go from the Communion and proportionally from every Ordinance rightly come to cheerfull and Comforted and therefore he leaves them with this word telling them that they will have hard and sad days but withall bids them cheer themselves in the assured expectation of a day coming when He and they shall drink the Wine new in Heaven Our Lord would have Believers humble thinking on Death and making ready for it dayly yet be would not have them tortured with the thoughts of it but cheerfull as having his joy for their strength though he would not have their joy carnal but Heavenly And it is the Token of a right Communicant and of a good hearer of the word when a Person goes away from it more Spiritually cheered and more Heavenly minded Secondly There is nothing that can be more heartsome cheering and refreshing to the Believer then the lively hope of Communion and of a seat on the Throne in Heaven with Christ and it is the mark and Character of a believer to have no lower designe Alace for the sensless way of hearing the word and of Communicating customary to many who have no other nor higher designe then to partake of the outward Ordinance 't is a heart some thing to go from the Table of the Lord with this sweet and Heavenly Meditation Christ and I will meet again ere long at a table in Heaven Thirdly The thoughts of Heaven and the hope thereof may well sustain a Believe were there never so many BUTS and wants in their present condition here We will not be long together saith He there will be a scattering but this may keep you from weeping and mourning as those who have no hope that the day cometh when we shall meet again and never part asunder It is really a wonder that we have so few serious and solacing thoughts of coming to Heaven there are none who look for a Rich loading coming home by Sea but they will comfort themselves in the expectation of it why do we not then comfort our selves in the thoughts of Heaven since we profess to have a hope of being there even because we are carnal and earthly and it sayes that we either think Heaven litle worth or that it is an insufficient and unvalid right that is to be had to it or that we do not really believe it all the silver and gold in the world comforts not a poor body because he hath no hope to come by it So there are not a few hearers of the Gospel who bear much of Heaven and of the hope of it that never refresheth them A Fifth Reason may be to waken up longing desires and to sharpen and put an edge upon an appetit in his followers after Heaven and to teach them not to place their happiness in any thing on this side Heaven otherwise he would never have put their Satisfaction to a term so far off but he over-leaps to speak so with reverence all the brave days that they had and were to have here and gives them this for their full satisfaction that the day is a coming when he will drink the Wine new with them in his Fathers Kingdom and would have them in their flight never resting nor sitting down till they be there For he sends them away hungering for that Communion-Table And we would yet again exhort and beseech you to study to be in case to go from the Communion and from every Sermon having some serious thoughts of Heaven and longings for it believing that the day the joyfull day is coming when Christ and ye will meet and never shed or separat again when ye shall be with him where he is and be set with him at his Table and on his Throne never to rise off it any more again Blessed be God that that desirable day is coming Believers in Christ cheer your selves in the hope of it If there be any of you as Alace I fear there be very many that relish not this blessed change there is a sad and Sorrowful change before you O be busie very busie to have your interest in Christ and the hope of Heaven well secured by Union and Communion with him here that so ye may have the well grounded hope of Heaven and may frequently draw Comfort from it And O that we could sunder so The litle inch and moment of time that we have will soon and very quickly wear away and be at an end Go then my dear friends wiâ—h this well fixed resolution that ye must needs in Gods own way have Heaven and be eternally happy in the Soul-satisfieing and ravishing enjoyment of that fullest and sweetest never to be interrupted Communion that will be there And thank God and Christ the Mediator for the least measure of the well grounded hope of it and make it your business to have your Conversation suited to and smelling strong of that blessed hope FINIS