prevail with them when they saw in good earnest what was like to betide them And if Christ would take this course and shew heaven and hell if that were possible plainly to their eye-sight it s like the most stubborn sinners would be awakened but he will not doe thus nor is there any reason he should Since we are made men to be ruled by reason why should he deal with us like bruits that must be led by their senses yet because he will not take this way with them bruitish sinners disregard him as if they needed him not But ah Sirs all you that could see no need of Christ when he was so urged and prest upon you when shortly you shall see all the world stand before him and shall behold the devouring flames into which all they must be cast who have not a part in his love then you will see what benefit comes by Christ then you will no longer count them fools that took it for their greatest businesse to get an interest in him Then if the most passionate wishes that you had been so wise would doe you any good if the loudest roarings and bitterest cries for mercy might preval you would think them all well spent but alas all will be to no purpose Cry Lord Lord with never so much noise and earnestnesse if thou wast here a worker of iniquity no other answer shalt thou obtain but Depart from me I know thee not And thou thy self shalt be forced to acknowledge that this Sentence is as just as terrible For didst not thou here hid Christ to depart from thee thou desired'st not the knowledge of his ways and is it not just he should then command thee to Depart from him as one he will not know nor own Heaven thou didst refuse since it was to be had on no other terms than submission to Christ and therefore thou must needs fall into Hell since there is no third place provided But perhaps thou wilt flatter thy self with a conceit that none of these things shall come upon thee in that as thou pretendest thou putst thy whole trust in God that he 'll save thee and reliest upon thy Saviour Jesus Christ alone to be kept by him from hell and the power of the Devil But beware I beseech thee how thou cheatest thy soul into that misery whence no trick or wile can ever fetch thee Dost thou put thy trust in God he 'll take thee to heaven when thou diest who now allowest thy self in those very sins for which he hath threatned to turn men into hell If indeed thou dost so then I hope it is some promise of his that thou bottom'st thy trust upon or else it is a vain confidence now shew me if thou canst one promise in the whole book of God that gives thee the least ground to hope for happinesse whilst thou continuest in an unregenerate naturall estate in love with thy sins take thy Bible and turn it over from one end to the other and see if thou canst find any such place but I could shew thee an hundred Texts where wrath is threatned to all unconverted sinners continuing such So that in plain English thy trust in God is no more than a wretched presumption that he will be so mercifull as to break his word to save thee and if indeed this word prove false than thy confidence will not deceive thee but if it prove true as for certain it will then woe be to thee for all this pretended trust And of the very same stamp is thy reliance on Christ whilst thou rebellest against him For tell me prethee does the Gospel say that every man who shall believe that Christ will save him shall be saved by him let his heart and life be what it will I am sure neither Christ nor his Apostles ever made known such a doctrine and if thy faith be grounded upon any other Gospel than Christ hath revealed thou art like to go seek another heaven than that he hath promised For he hath told thee plainly that without holinesse thou shalt never see the Lord that he is the author of salvation onely to those that obey him and that he takes off condemnation from none but such who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now if thou dost truly believe in Christ thou wilt set thy self to seek for happinesse in the way that he hath appointed not in one of thy own devising for else it is a sign thou dost not depend upon him for salvation but on thy own fancy or Satans delusions or whoever it is whose directions thou followest rather than Christs If thou wast in a place where two ways meet and one man should bid thee follow him in this way and another should bid thee follow him in the contrary way if thou would'st come to thy journeys end is it not plain that thou believest him whom thou followest Or if thou hadst some dangerous disease and an able Physician should tell thee that if thou would'st depend upon him by the help of God he would recover thee and should leave with thee such and such Physick to take if in the mean time thou should'st take a conceit that thou mightest be well without following his advice and some one else should direct thee to an easier and cheaper way whereupon thou throwest away his medicines dost thou then depend upon this Physician for cure Thus the Lord Jesus the great Physician of souls assures thee if thou wilt depend on and trust thy self with him or believe in him he will keep thee from that everlasting death whereof thou art in danger and to this purpose he sends his Word and Spirit to cure thee of thy ignorance and wickednesse which is the disease of thy soul he would bring thee to Repentance and thoroughly purifie and sanctifie thy heart but thou think'st this a tedious course and wilt by no means submit to it come on it what will but fanciest thou maist be saved without so much adoe and that forsooth by reliance on Christ. Is not this a very wise businesse to rely on the Physician for health and throw away the Physick that should procure it I know well enough what thou would'st have Christ shall keep thee from hell but yet by all means he must give thee liberty to live in sin that is he must let thee carry fire in thy bosome but yet he must keep thee from being burnt he must let thee drink poison but yet he must keep it from griping thy bowels But believe it Christ came not into the World for any such ends This he hath purchast That no sins great or small shall damn the man that 's truly humbled for and forsakes them and depends upon him for a pardon and is made holy in heart and life but not that he who lives and delights in sin should escape misery which is indeed a kind of impossibility For man is in bondage and sin is his fetters now
examine well whether thou art such a one as I have here described yea if thou hast any desire to escape everlasting misery and be received into heaven when thou diest examine thy self for except thou beest or becomest such a one as sure as God is true thou art never like to be saved CHAP. XI An invitation to come to Christ and his Sacrament with Motives thereto Use. MY next work now is to call upon and exhort all thus to examine and prepare themselves and so to come and eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup. Ho! all you that have any love to the blessed Jesus who loved you to the shedding of his warmest hearts-blood for your sakes come hither and shew forth his death till he come If Christ be precious to you let his memory be precious and be you carefull to preserve it by your due and frequent attendance upon this Ordinance set up on purpose for the Remembrance of him All you whose eyes have been opened to discern the vilenesse of your natures and conversations come hither and give a kindly vent to your sorrow beholding sin at the worst in those wounds that it gave to your dearest Saviour All you that are indeed convinced that Christ is the true Messiah come forth from God to give life to the world and are resolved to hearken to him that your souls may live come hither and before God Angels and Men professe these resolutions and bind your selves over to him to be his Disciples and most obedient servants Be not asham'd of the Crosse of Christ but a vow it before all the world that your hope of happinesse is placed onely in that Jesus who was slain and hanged on a tree but is risen again and ascended into the heavens hereby own that you are Christians let others be what they will Come hither all you that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and feed upon him who here conveys of himself to the empty longing soul and satisfies his people with good things suitable to their wants Come hither poor dejected drooping soul that dost unfeignedly love thy Lord but art afraid thou shalt never obtain his favour come and see what he hath done to assure thee of the reality the freenesse and fulnesse of his love Come and tast the provisions he hath made for thy comfort and rejoyce in the sense of his bounty All you that expect shortly to look your Redeemer in the face come hither and behold him where till then you may most clearly discern him Here stamp his imâ—ge firmly upon your minds that he may live in your breasts though for a while he is out of your sight that till you shall see him you may never be forgetfull of him Come hither young ones and betimes list your selves under Christ your Leader here Remember your Creatour and Redeemer in the days of your youth Come hither ye aged that have stood idle in the Market-place till the eleventh hour of the day now at length hire your selves under the Lord of the Vineyard to be more industrious in his service for the hour that is behind Come hither ye poor and partake of a Feast that shall cost you nothing Come hither ye rich to a Feast more precious and costly than ever you were at which cost the Master thereof his own life to provide it Come hither ye Masters and promise to become the servants of Christ. Come hither ye Servants and by taking Christ for your Lord become his Free-men Yea all you that have been the most estranged from God and greatest despisers of Christ yet now at length if you will come in acknowledging the folly of your former ways protesting against any longer continuance therein humbly imploring mercy and acceptance from God through his Son even you are invited hither to testifie the truth of your return to him and to receive the pardon that is ready for you Behold Wisdome hath builded her house and furnisht her table and calls to all to eat of her bread and drink of the wine that she hath mingled to all that are fully determined to forsake the foolish and go in the way of understanding Hearken you foolish prodigâ—ls whose souls are out of tast with all solid food through your feeding upon the luscious delights of sin and the creature which yet have onely deluded never satisfied you Cast away these empty husks and come to a plenteous Feast here made ready wherein you will acknowledge there is sweetnesse and fulnesse if your distempers be cured and your appetite and relish changed So large is the commission which Christ hath granted that in his name I dare confidently invite all whoever they are or whatever they have been even the most profane and sensuall drunkards and whoremonger the proud and covetous if now at last you will be perswaded to bid an everlasting farewell to all your ways of wickednesse and for the time to come to walk in the holy path see that you are sincere and you may come boldly to the Sacrament there to manifest and confirm these purposes If at length you are weary of that miserable drudgery wherein the enemy and tormentour of mankind the Devil hath imploied you labouring to keep you in bondage to sin than which there is not a more loathsome stinking dungeon more intolerable chains in all the world if I say you would fain be delivered from this slavery and will take on you Christs easie yoke that you may find rest for your souls come hither and enter your selves into his service engaging to be subject to him all the days of your life In a word all you that have been baptized into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and understanding what that signifies doe consent to the obligations thereby laid upon you come to the Lords Supper and manifest this consent and renew this covenant to be the Lords Some considerations I shall lay before you to quicken you to the performance of this weighty duty which I propose not so much to those who are already prepared that they would come to this Feast but rather to all indifferently that they would prepare themselves and come away without any longer delay 1. To that end first consider this is the expresse command of Christ as you may find at his first institution of this Sacrament before mentioned Luk. 22.19 This do in remembrance of me And to whom was this command given do you think onely to the Apostles or in them to all Christians What reason can be given why it should be peculiar to them and not common to others They were lookâ— upon and spoke to here as Disciples and therefore all Christs Disciples are concerned therein And you cannot think this was an injunction that had reference to that time onely the very phrase Remembrance speaks the contrary for this implies something that 's past or absent which shews they were to do this after the Death of Christ should be past and
travailing to Emaus crying out We trusted this had been He who should have redeemed Israel Luk. 24.21 Then would our faith be vain we should be yet in our sins But we may now comfort our selves and use the Apostles gradation Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It 's Christ that died yea rather that 's risen again and is even at the right hand of God And now with joy let this Resurrection and Glory be remembred as being the fore-runner of yours When in your thoughts you have descended as low as his Grave and there stand weeping to think how your sins have slain him imagine you heard some Angel bespeaking you in almost the same language that he did the Women at his Sepulchre Mark 16.6 7. Fear not yee for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified He is not here for he is risen as he said and is gone before you not into Galilee but into Heaven there shall you see him When therefore you shall in this Ordinance see Christ crucified before you think with your selves This is the Lamb that was dead but is alive and lives for ever By the celebrating of this Sacrament you are to shew forth the Lords death till he come Remember then he is to come for this second coming would Christ have you keep much in your thoughts as well as his first He left not this pledge of his love with his Church as a dying Man leaves some gift with his friends to put them in minde of him whom they shall never see more but as one who goes a long journey leaves his Pâ—cture with his Wife that she may be mindfull of him in his absence and be quickned to long after his return And good reaâ—on have you to be mindfull of the Glory of our Lord since you your selves will be sharers herein and so at once you remember both Here I told you you take an earnest of the everlasting treasures and the consideration thereof is exceeding necessary to raise your value of that which will otherwise appear but worthlesse and mean And conceive of your selves as in a journey to that Kingdome having here taken in by the way to refresh your selves as travellers are wont to tuâ—n in and bait And like the Prophet 1 King 19.8 In the strength of this meal you are to go on toward the Mount of God These are provisions sent by your Joseph to serve you by the way till you come home to himself Yet a few more Sacraments and you shall be past the need of all Here are some fragrancies and drops of sweetnesse for the refreshment of Pilgrims till the day breaks and the shadows flee away when we shall get up after our Lord to the Mountains of Myrrhe and the Hill of Franckincense Here a Table is spread for us in the Wildernesse and some clusters of Grapes prest into our Cup till we shall come to Canaan and enjoy the vintage Behold in this transaction at the Lords Table an emblem and shadow of the future glory and let your thoughts take advantage from what is here presented to ascend to the joyfull contemplation thereof yet within a while and you who are here his welcome guests shall sit down with your Master at his Table in his Kingdome and there shall taste of the fruit of the Vine new with him and shall eat of a Manna that is yet hidden to you and shall exchange your present company for the society of innumerable Angels and perfect Saints And let this something quiet your mindes though not take off the quicknesse of your desires all you holy souls who are acted by so noble and strong a passion that you are imâ—atient of that distance at which you yet finde your selves from him whom you love and are even weary of the World where you cannot fully enjoy him much more of your own hearts that are so estranged from him comfort your selves for within a very short while your eies shall behold him and you shall be fully satisfied in your most intimate accesse to and abode with him You may look back with joy on the Redemption Christ hath wrought for you and may look before you and lift up yâ—ur heads with joy as knowing the day of full and finall Redemption draws nigh Only see that you now thirst ardently after that spiritual communion with him which is here attainable in being possest by him and closely uniâ—ed to him that being joyn'd to the Lord you may become one spirit This is the blessed and only possible transubstantiation to be transformed into the likenesse of Christ which is of infinitely more advantage to the believing soul than if according to that monstrous Popish fiction he should chew the very gross flesh and swallow the raw blood of Christ For by this means his body would only be changed into ours but by the change I speak of our Spirits become like to his And if now you hold but this fellowship with Christ in the spirit shortly you shall have a real presence even to the satisfaction of sense it self Then shall you see him as he is for you shall be made like to him in that day of his appearance Then indeed shall Sacraments vanish as useless shadows you having got the substance Christ himself You need then no more behold him in a Glass but shall see him face to face and be perfectly changed into his Image Oh the difference that will be betwixt that clear sight and this dark alas through our own fault too dark remembrance Oh that 's the comfort we shall then have laid by all that stupidity and dulnesse which here attends us whatever we are about That full view of our blessed Lord will for ever cure us of all coldnesse and unbelief and ravish us into one eternall affectionate admiration of divine love If that joy which arose from faith and love whilst he was not seen was unspeakable and full of glory how inconceivable how transcendently glorious must that be which shall arise from his immediate sight If it be such a precious priviledge to have a right to Heaven here solemnly given us what will it be to enter upon actual possession Oh then Christians whilst you are remembring Christ at his Table let it rejoyce your hearts to consider that he is remembring you at his fathers right hand and thither will shortly exalt you All you whom the King of Glory now espouseth to himself as it were by Proxie as Princes take Wives by their Embassadours remember that the day is hastening when your marriage shall be more publickly and triumphantly solemnized when all you blessed ones shall be call'd to the great Marriage-Supper of the Lamb. Yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry And do you now get your souls mounted as high as you can climbe by all the means that are afforded you and stand ever wishly looking and diligently preparing for his appeearance and
to be faithfull and obedient Even thus hath it pleased the Lord Jesus Christ the Redeemer of rebeâ—lâ—ous degenerate mankind to proclaim free and full pardon to all that will heartily repent of and turn from their wicked ways and take him for their Lord and Saviour and submit to his directions for their attainment of happinesse and withall he hath commanded all that will thus become his disciples first to be listed under him by Baptisme whereby they are visibly entred amongst the number of professing Christians and afterwards they who were baptized in infancy are to come to this Sacramental Feast and there to joyn with their fellow-believers in a personall profession of their willingness and resolution to stand to that Covenant whereinto they were engaged by Baptisme in testimony whereof they eat the Bread and drink the Wine whereby the Body and Blood of Christ is represented as I shall further shew anon Now would it not in like manner be a strange piece of folly and monstrous hypocrisie for any man to rest satisfied with his having been baptized or his receiving the Lords Supper and think himself therefore a Christian good enough without taking care to perform those promises which he then made but rather encourage himself in sin by the consideration of what he had done as if he might the more safely rebell against God because he had expresly vowed against all such rebellion Could there be a more desperate dangerous wickedness than to make such a wilfull mistake And yet I wish there be not thousands guilty of it Alas alas how few that have taken the earnest-peny and wear Christs Colours that ever think to any purpose what they are hereby bound to How many in effect renounce their Baptisme by their ungodly lives and either neglect the Lords Supper or come to it to pacifie their Consciences that they may sin the more freely rather than to strengthen and engage themselves against every sin As for Bapâ—isme I shall not insist on it though I grant that this is the leading Sacrament appointed for the testimony of our being first devoted to God which engagement we ought to call to remembrance and renew at the Lords Supper whereof according to my promise I now come to speak CHAP. II. What it is to doe this to celebrate the Communion in reremembrance of Christ. And I. That it includes the true knowledge of him AND being desirous to contribute some assistance to those that need it to bring them through Gods blessing to a conscientious performance of this great duty I observe there are two sorts of persons faulty herein either such as neglect it or that miscarry and fail in the manner of doing it Those that neglect it are either such that doe it out of meer wilfulness as the grossely vicious that will not come to this Sacrament because they think this would lay an obligation upon them to forsake those sins which they never intend to part with whatever come on 't and the stupid sensless ones that know not the worth nor see the need of this Ordinance or any other duties of Religion who live as heathenishly as if they had never heard of God and Christ and another world nor doe they care to be instructed in these points as if they were not at all concerned in them or else they are such that abstain from it out of doubting and fear not thinking themselves worthy or not knowing whether they are worthy or not Of this sort there are many excellent Christians who too much indulge to their own melancholy and despondent apprehensions and also many weaker but I hope honest well-meaning people who seem to have a great esteem for this Sacrament but having always heard what a dangerous thing it is to receive it unworthily dare not venture upon it not being well acquainted wâ—th the nature and reason of it and being doubtful whether they are fit to come or not being also I fear too languid and heartless in desiring after it or in making preparation for it and for such as these principally doe I intend my Directions By those that are guilty of miscarriage in the doing of this duty I mean such as rush upon it ignorantly and rashly not well weighing what they doe and who notwithstanding their customary attendance at the Lords Table continue their old sinfull course of life These also I hope may receive some benefit from the following Discourse together with the most profane and ignorant whilst I shall endeavour plainly to shew the intention of this Sacrament and perswade them to attend thereupon in a regular manner For since in behalf of those for whom especially I write this my great business is to shew who it is that is worthy to partake of this Ordinance and wherein this worthiness doth consist the method I will â—ake shall be this namely to shew for what purpose it was appointed by Jesus Christ and thence to discover those qualifications and graces which are required in the Communicants that they may receive it aright to those purposes for which it was appointed and after I have done this I shall lay down some arguments or motives to quicken all to come to and celebrate it in this due manner and then briefly direct those that intend to come As to the first what was the reason and end why this Sacrament was appointed I know not whence we should be better informed than by looking back to the time of its first appointment and to see what Christ tells us he did ordain it for and this we may find expresly set down Luke 22.19 when he had broke the Bread and distributed he addes This doe in remembrance of me And the same words he used also after the delivery of the Wine as appears by the Apostle S. Paul's relation who delivered unto them what he had received of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.24 25. where after the giving of the Cup is added This doe ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me and so again ver 26. saith the Apostle As often as ye eat thâ—â— Bread and drink this Cup ye doe shew the Lords Death till he come that is you publish and represent it to the world you acknowledge and commemorate it So that by this it is plain that the great end of this Sacrament to which all others may be reduced is that by the celebrating thereof we may remember Jesus Chrâ—st and especially that we may keep up the memory of that inestimable mercy to mankind his dying for us a mercy which should never be forgotten by those on earth and shall never be forgotten by those in heaven Now hence it follows that they who are in a capacity and fitness rightly to remember Christ and his Death are worthy to partake of this Sacrament which was set apart for that purpose wherefore without going any farther I shall shew what is necessarily required to contained in or immediately flows from this remembrance of Christ that
they converst with and after some time this King taking pity on his banish'd Subjects should agree with his onely Son that if he would venture upon the hazards and troubles of so long a journey he should take a chief Officer along with him and go to these rebels with proclamation of pardon to all such who should acknowledge their crime and were willing to return into their own land there to live in the obedience and favour of their Soveraign and in order hereto would come to this Officer to be taught by him the language of their Countrey and how to behave themselves so as they might please their King and be fit to be in his presence when now the King's Son should come to these men and shew them his Commission and perswade them to be ruled by him who is come so tedious and dangerous a journey to free them from the miseries of banishment proposing the terms on which he will deliver them all those that believe he speaks true and hath power to help them and being willing to be delivered upon his conditions doe put their trust in him by his means to be restored to the favour of their Prince and their former habitations they doe by this very action manifest their love to their native Countrey and their willingnesse to live in obedience to their King whom they had displeased and doe hereby also engage to accept of this Officer that accompanies the Prince to teach them the language and manners of the Countrey they are about to return to The application of this to the matter in hand is very easie for in the same manner doth Faith in Christ and our acceptance of him implie our love to God and desire to live for ever in his favour which is that Christ offers us and by his death hath purchased for true Believers and it implies also our willingnesse to be sanctified by his Spirit that we may be made meet to live for ever in the love of God Oh hearken then and give ear all you lost sinners somewhat to pursue the former comparison all you that are the posterity of sinfull Adam who by his transgression banish'd himself out of Paradise you that are wandring up and down in this wildernesse and have even forgot the heavenly Countrey as if you were made onely to be inhabitants of this lower world here to live with the Beasts a miserable life for a while and hereafter to die like Beasts that perish and accordingly make it your onely work to run and ride to labour and toil for such things as are needfull for this present life without regarding that which is to come whilst you are thus estranged from God forgetfull of and daily running farther and farther from him behold a message of glad tidings and great joy is dispatch'd to you from heaven The great God that made you takes pity on you and is even grieved to see what a misery you have plunged your selves into when he made you so happy He is by no means pleased that such noble Creatures lately raised out of nothing for such glorious ends should through their own folly and the subtlety of the tempter be debased into such a wretched sordid slavery Wherefore in pursuance of his gracious designs for your recovery and to shew how his bowelâ— yearn over you he hath sent his own Son out of his bosome who is one with himself to take our nature upon him and to become one with us that he might be every way fit to be a Mediatour betwixt God and us that he might teach us by his doctrine encourage us by his example and make attonement for us by his death Accordingly all this is done the Son of God is come into the world and hath abundantly evidenced his Commission from the Father to treat with lost mankind about their reconciliation to him for the procuring of which reconciliation he laid down his life and being risen again he furnished his Ambassadors with authority to assure all that life was given to the world and this life was in the Son so that he who hath the Son hath life And this is that message which the Ministers of the Gospel at this day and to the end of the world are to proclaim to the sons of men This Sirs is the joyfull sound that is now in your ears If you will but trust your souls with Christ and consent that his Spirit should teach you the language of Canaan and work in you an heavenly nature and disposition suitable to the state and place he would bring you to then shall you be happy with God for ever What say you then shall Chriâ—â— be your Redeemer to bring you to glory upon these terms or not What have you to object against him Doe you think he does not mean as he speaks or that he cannot doe what he promiseth Dare you question his power his willingnesse or his truth If you will not believe his Word yet give credit to his Death Does not that tell you he is in good earnest with you and fully bent upon the Redemption of mankind And beside the miracles wrought by and upon him which fully witnesse for him let his Resurrection put you out of doubt that him hath God the Father sealed to this Office of Mediatour by this is assurance is given to all men that he is the Judge of to be world and therefore that all are delivered into his hands to save or condemn as he shall think fit and he hath plainly declared that to those who receive him he will give power to become the Sons of God but as for those who reject him upon them the wrath of God abides for ever But these things I shall branch out into two or three particular considerations to perswade you if it may be to accept of Christ the Prince of peace who comes with the tender of peace to your souls to accept of him I say to wash you in his Blood and sanctifie you by his Spirit that at length he may present you without spot or blemish into the presence of his Father CHAP. V. Perswasions to accept of the Redeemer and give up the Soul in Covenant to him 1. AND first consider I am onely perswading you to be Christians which you professe your selves to be And will you not indeed be what you professe Why doe you embrace the name if you dislike the thing I know you have false measures whereby you judge of Christianity and think perhaps that all who are Baptized and keep their Church and call themselves Christians are so indeed but you should rather say such doe professe themselves so to be but they are not so in Gods account except they are true to this profession He that wears a Noble-mans Livery seems to be his Servant but if he will not acknowledge him to be his Master by doing what he commands him you will scarce say such a one's his Servant however not a Servant to be
a souâ— as well as a body and whether this soul must not remain in being and alive when thy body is rotting in the earth and whether then it doth not as much yea infinitely much more concern thee to seek out for somewhat that may at that time make thy soul happy than for what may now please thy senses Yea since thou must live somewhere for ever think whether it is not more worthy thy care to provide for an everlasting well-being than for the comforts of a frail short life If thou art thus farre convinced then make an impartiall search whether there be any thing here below that 's able to make thee perfectly happy Thy houses and lands thy pleasures and honours will any or all of these give in all that felicity which thou desirest or needest Are they of the same nature with thy soul or will they last as long as it will last must not all thy merry days at length come to an end And wilt thou be ever the better for all thou hast enjoy'd when once it 's over will the remembrance give thee any satisfaction In that night wherein thy soul will be required of thee what advantage wilt thou have from the goods thou hadst laid up for many years yea or from those goods thou hadst liv'd upon the years before When the earth and all its works shall be burnt up where will all thy possessions and treasures be If thou hast nothing to live on but what will be turned into flames what wilt thou then fix upon At that day when there shall be no marrying or giving in marriage no wives or children no relations or friends whose society will afford any such comfort as here it did when the interest of Princes and great ones whose favour was here thy shelter and thy pride shall all be vanisht what will thy confidence in men avail thee Examine these or any other outward prop whereon thou leanest and see whether it be not a broken reed And if so except thou art resolv'd against thy own happinesse methinks thou should'st now onely make choice of that which will never give thee cause to repent what thou didst as all things will but the eternall glory which God hath promised to those that love him But he that can once upon good grounds say This heaven is mine I shall see the face of God with joy and live in his love for ever may now lead a serene and chearfull life in the midst of all occurrences and need not be daunted at Death it self but rather rejoyced as it takes him to the possession of his treasure wafts him to his own home Wherefore if thou love thy life be perswaded to aim at this highest glory let nothing short of it content thee think no condition hard to get it rest not till thou hast made it as sure as thou canst that it 's thine and then having thus fixt thy end thou maist travell on with alacrity and speed and take abundance of comfort in the fore-thoughts of thy future blisse in using all helps afforded in thy journey to it and in the remembrâ—nce of that precious blood which was shed to purchase it and by consequence wil be fitted to celebrate the Sacrament CHAP. IX V. It must be a thankfull Remembrance IT is not possible that the death of Christ can be remembred as it ought without the most hearâ—y and unfeigned thankfulnesse to God for so great and glorious a mercy Hath he the heart of a man that can coâ—template the sufferings of Christ and the infinite unspeakable benefits thereby procured for poor sinners and not find himself raised to return thanks and praise to God for his gracious dealings with mankind This duty is so proper to the Lords Supper that hence it antiently obtained the name of Eucharist a return of thanks Since then every man who partakes thereof ought to be thus truly thankfull to God for his love revealed in Christ this again acquaints us what kind of persons Communicants must be namely such who are capable of rendring acceptable praise to God which doth but give farther evidence of the necessity of those qualifications before laid down None but such as have been made sensible of the evil of sin and of the danger they were thereby liable to will be heartily thankfull for that mercy which preventâ— this misery by purchasing and vouchsafing the forgivenesse of their sins How formall and hypocriticall are his thanks like to be for Christ who never yet saw what need he stood in of him Will he thank you for a plaister who never felt himself wounded Can he have any gratefull sense of the love that plucks poor sinners as brands out of the fire who never perceived himself in any such danger Can he be thankfull for ease and rest who never felt his strong lusts nor the curse of the Law and wrath of God as any load or burden upon him Nor can he be thankfull for the grace that is given by Christ who had farre rather keep his sins than be renewed and sanctified Little thanks will he return for the light who is but disturbed and troubled with it and so far shamed by it that he cannot pursue his wicked designs with that freedome and eagernesse as he could before whilst he was more in the dark where he had still rather remain How can he thank God for grace who rejects and despiseth it For being taken out of the snares of the Devil who wilfully fastens himself into them Will he praise God for liberty and ability to serve him who saith of his service what a wearinesse is it and thinks it would be better for him if he might live as he list and never be put upon so much trouble as godlinesse brings along with it Nor can he be thankfull for the glory to be had by Christ who hath not a sound perswasion of the certainty and excellency of it and who hath not firmly resolved to take it for his portion He that knows nothing better than bodily enjoyments and would think himself undone was he stript of these is like to be very cold in giving thanks for spirituall blessings In a word he that is sensible of no great benefit he shall have by Christ either here or hereafter cannot be expected to have any great measure of thankfulnesse for this mercy which he so little understands And this is the case of all unhumbled unsanctified ones to whom the Gospel is hid their minds being darkned by the God of this world And if these poor senslesse creatures should with a few feigned words pretend to give God thanks for Jesus Christ yet would it be but the sacrifice of fools a meer lip service and therefore no way acceptable to the most holy God Yea indeed they would hereby but very solemnly mock the Divine Majesty whilst they thank him for those mercies which they will not accept at his hands praising him for Jesus Christ and the benefits
never flack your watch nor let your expectations cool till either you see him comming in the clouds or shall be taken up beyond them With some such Meditations as these which I have suggested to you under each Head let your thoughts be taken up whilst you are emploied in this duty as you shall find your selves most inclined and as Gods Spirit shall direct you for you need not confine your self as to the method and form but rather let your affections have their free course Onely see that you watch narrowly over your hearts through the whole work that deadnesse and distractions may not possesse you Keep up a strong sense of God's presence with you and often lift up your hearts to him for life and quickning And let all the powers of your souls be summoned up and engaged in this action with all possible vigour and closenesse Let your minds be kept cleer from sadning and from impertinent thoughts that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction and be more capable of those sweet foretasts of his goodnesse which may be as a certain pledge of your everlasting enjoyment of all that he hath in store for his people 9. Lastly let me in a word or two direct you to be carefull in the exercise of brotherly love I need not stand I hope to repeat the advice I gave you to get all breaches made up betwixt your selves and brethren to do all that in you lies to obtain peace and if that cannot be had yet to forgive all injuries that have been done you and to cleanse your minds from rancour and malice and all desire of revenge to this let the love of Christ constrain you And moreover let your hearts be let out with a sincere and strong affection toward all your Fellow-members of that body whereof Christ is the Head A pleasant sight it will be to your Master who is in heaven to look down upon you his Disciples and see you here feasting together in mutuall love and delight in the remembrance of all that love which he hath shewn to you and in the joyfull expectation of what farther he hath promised And whilst your love is stirred up to Christ himself it cannot chuse but be imparted to his friends that are in sight such who sincerely love him on whom he hath set his heart and hath shed on them his Spirit whereby they are made like to him and therefore must needs be lovely in your eyes to whom Christ is precious as being also by this same Spirit made like to your selves and when in your joyning with them in this sacred action you remember that these shall be your everlasting companions in the joy of your Lord and shall there joyn with you in sounding forth his praises this will farther engage you to them as being heirs together of the grace of God and will work in you the beginnings of that love which will hereafter be perfect and perpetuall Whilst your love is built upon such right and Catholick principles as these being placed upon a Christian as a Christian you hold a Communion in the Spirit with all true Christians throughout the world though your affections will be most sensibly enlarged to those that you know and with whom you hold a locall communion in the worship of God And your joint assembling at this Table is a badge of your mutuall love and an engagement to the firm continuance of it Here are you made to drink into one Spirit by which you were Baptized into one body according to that Text I named 1 Cor. 12.13 This Sacrament is if I may so call it an Holy Philtre whereby Believers are united in more fervent love to their common Head and to one another The Blood of Christ is the onely cement and soder of souls And this is that Christian love which they are taught of God to which they are inclined by their new nature and which will easily be brought into exercise where the grace is first wrought in the heart wherefore it 's needlesse to stay longer hereon having also spoke somewhat largely to it before Onely one thing let me suggest before I conclude this namely that you take care to give a practicall demonstration of this love by contributing according to your abilities to the necessities of the poor members of Christ. This is a sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased a work never out of season but now most seasonable being an evidence not onely of your compassion to the poor but of the stedfastnesse of your belief in Christ and his promises and of your thankfulnesse for his bounty therefore you find both these mentioned together Heb. 13.15 16. As we must offer thanks so we must not forget to do good and communicate To quicken you to this charity both now and any other time when fit objects are presented Let me onely desire you to imagine to your selves that the Lord Jesus who was willing to part with his blood for you and thinks not an infinite glory too great to give you upon most easie terms that even he comes to you in one of his necessitous members to see what you can find in your hearts to bestow upon him If you that have Estates think he deserves nothing let him have nothing if he deserve but a little give him but a little if your lusts have more right to your riches than he then let your lusts have them rather than he Let Christ in his members starve whilst pride and luxury are maintained if you think this be just If you can improve your Estates better some other way take what you think the most gainfull course For remember Christ himself needs not anything you have or can do onely he 'll try the kindnesse of your hearts His is the earth and the fulnesse thereof and even his poor servants can he sufficiently provide for without you Wherefore if you give notwillingly and cheerfully you may keep your money to your self for any good that an extorted charity is like to do you But remember also you will be sure to lose and leave all that which God hath not one way or other but by giving it to him you send it before you and when all things here below fail you shall enjoy it with infinite advantage in the everlasting habitations And let this suffice by way of Direction for your preparation to and carriage in Receiving A few words for your behaviour afterwards and I shall come to a conclusion CHAP. XVII Directions for duty after the Sacrament 1. WHen you come home get alone and blesse God for the liberty and opportunity of a Sacrament which he hath afforded you and for all the priviledges that are thereby conferr'd upon you And let your souls chew the Cud and retain the savour of those pleasant things you have been entertained with keep them still lifted up and exceedingly gladded in the sence of that love which you have this day been celebrating and tasting in