against prevailing Iniquities and predominant Corruptions that your jea ous Lord and Husband may give Idols a deadly blow at such a time 4. For the 〈◊〉 â—pirit of Jesus to make Graces lively that 〈◊〉 â—piknâ—rd may send sorth the smell thereof and the Spices slow out 5. For growing in all grace that Gods own work in the heart may be sâ—t forward by our waiting on Christ in his so precious appointment 6. That he would suspend quarrels yea â—â—move the ground of all by forgiving grace and send away poor penitents comforted with a sealed senâ—e of it in their own bosomes 7. For further manifestations of God's Love and clearer Fâ—â—â—dences of an heavenly Interest 8. For a more fruitful Life of Godliness to the praise of the gâ—ory of his grace 9 For Families and Relations that it might please the Lord to bring ours hâ—me to Christ make them his by grace and build them up to glory 10. For poor Zion that he would pity her desolations heal her breaches plead her cause pardon her sins help her to improve her mercies and prepare her yâ—t for greater deliverances from Evil when â—er grâ—cious God shall see good to grant them 11. That God would pity the â—â—rk corners of the Earâ—â— and open the Eyes of bold and blind sinners among us Q. What he the Resolutions this solemn occasion should puâ—â—â—â— ponâ— 1 To love Christ â—â—re 〈◊〉 â—â—tly 2. To remember him more frequently 〈◊〉 we 〈…〉 to remember him here thâ—â— we may forget him when gone 3 To perform all duties more spiritually 4. To watch our hearts more narrowly 5. To walk more tenderly 6. To follow him more sully 7. To renounce and deny self more freely 8 To trust in Christ more intirely 9. To take his part more boldly 10. And to keep Covenants more faithfully 38. Here have we the most amazing Instance of love that ever was given in the world and when you have travell'd the Vniverse over to seek for Love here lies the richest and rarest manifestations of Love that God gave his Son and Christ gave himself This is the heighth depth length and breadth of the love of God that passeth knowledge So great a ransom so rich a purchase so great a one become so low to set thee on high make himself so poor to enrich thee empty himself to fill thee and to do all this yea God to lay out his All on such unworthy and undeserving ones others love for some worth or good quality but God loved us when lying in our blood Now what â—an we do less for all this but make heart returns of love again Love being the very heart of the new creature and he that hath most love hath most grace and 〈◊〉 the best Christian And to provoke your love to this Beloved you may assure your selves 〈◊〉 he would never have died for you if he had not loved the meanest of you better than the highest Angel in Heaven can love him And besides if you can but love him his love will breed you more delight and hearâ— ravishing pleasure than all the love of creatuâ—es can Read but that Song of Love between Christ and his Spouse and see the unparallell'd delights of divine love between Christ and his Church Well if you love him keep his Commandments be careful to please him be tender of his honour deny your selves for his sake account all loss to win Christ thirsting after his communion longing to be perfectly free from sin that grieves his good Spirit and keeping your selves in the love of God looking or the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life No such motive to love God as studying his love to us and surely he must love us that sent his Son from his bosom to fetch us thither But why should a little love of creatures affect us so much and the great 〈◊〉 God affect us so little Aâ—â— Meerly bâ—â—â—us â—e are â—â—ore â—â—esh than spirit and have alâ—◠〈◊〉 sâ—nsâ— then faith Weak faith makes 〈◊〉 impressions of all spiritual things 〈◊〉 faith and better rooting would make â—â—â—â—â—â—ions â—aâ— more â—â—â—â—y Pet. 1.8 Now if we love Christ we will prize the â—â—ast token of his â—â—ve before all 〈…〉 can give us â—nd will thi◠〈…〉 sight of him 39. It s recorded of the Quâ—â—â— of â—beba that when she had seen the sitting of Solomon 's Servants there was no more spirit in her 1 King 10. How much more may this sight of our sitting confound and amaze us That Christs sinful servants should be set with himself at his Table considering 1. That he hath not a higher board on Earth than we sit at now and the Lord himself speak of stting with us Soag 1 12 Rev. 3.20 2 That tho it becometh â—s to stand when the King sitteth yet this glorious King came not to be ministred unto but to minister to us to gird himself as a Servant and mash the feet of his poor disciples 3. Wonder that we who deserved to lye in Hell should sit so high here 4. And the greatest wonder of all is that we should be fed at the King's Table with his own flesh allude to Job 31.31 Job 6. Shepherds use to eat the flesh of their flocks but here the good Shepherd gave his life for his sheep and feeds them with his flesh and blood And wonder also that we sit at peace a midst so many enemies that envies our feeding but it 's of the Lords great power â—nd bounty both that he prepares us a Table in this Waldernâ—ss and fills our cup in the presence of our enemies Now at this sacred so â—emnity is represented unto us the weightiest things of our Soul-concerns viz. Our sins and Christs sufferings we offending and he punished for our offences something in his Sufferings answering to our sin we a life of sinning and he a life of suffering we a load oâ— sin and he of suffering as our sin was God's provocation so is his suffering Gods satisfaction He was taken and we seâ—â—ree his death was our release Josh 20.6 there was no release nor returning in safety for the Man-slayer till the death of the High-Priest We have been light-hearted in suning but our Surcty groaning and heavy even unto death for our sin We contracted the debt and he taid the score sor us Now charge your Souls with Love Repentance Faith and Obedience with love to so friendly an â—ndeâ—taker who valued nothing whatever it cost him if he might but ransom thy soul and set thee â—â—ee◠〈◊〉 pâ—ntâ— ance for those bloody â—â—â—s that maâ—â— him sweat and weep Faith in that blood that made so perfect satisfaction and is so â—ull of Vertue to purge thy peâ—ssured and guilty soul And Obedienâ—e even a wâ—â—le Life of graceful Obedience to him that hath redeemed thy soul from Hâ—â—â— 40 The upper end of this Holy Table of the Lord is to get hearessâ—â— Chrish at the Kâ—s own Elbow when he 〈◊〉 tâ—â—â—â—â—t his Table Q
There is nothing to be conversed with in the lower world that may compare with this to stir up dead hearts to serve a living God It 's by beholding a bleeding dying Christ for us that we become a ready obedient and zealous people for him Tit. 2.14 5. Here have we the best occasion for exercising every Grace Love Faith Hope Patience Prayer Praise forgiving injuries and bestowing kindnesses 6. Herein get we the best advantages against sin by seeing what sin cost Christ and by sealing most solemn Covenants against it 7. This is all the Picture Christ hath left of himself no Image or Crucifixes 8. It offers Christ and conveys him with all his Treasures most expresly Take eat take drink 9. There being so much of Christ in it and nothing but Christ shewing forth nothing but his Mercy and Grace his Merit and Fulness his Love and Pity his Grace and Righteousness 10 It 's a feasting it with God at a heavenly Table on Earth where he bids all his children welcome and gives the best entertainment in the whole world Rev. 3.20 Song 5.1 43. Our great business here being to remember Christ our suffering Saviour and Redeemer Qu. What in particular are we called to remember at this Table of the Lord A. 1. That love that laid the first Foundation-stone of our Redemption by a dying Christ and let us here praise the Lord from the Fountain of Israel even for electing Love chusing us in Christ 2. Let us remember how the heart of God was set on man's Redemption who like one that dearly loves the purchase says I 'll rather give more than it's worth than go without it God says I 'll give my All for the redemption of my Elect. Christ says I 'll give my best blood Shall the Father and the Son be so zealous for my Redemption and my Soul be so little affected with my own Salvation and my Redeemer's Service 3. Remember here the difficulty of man's Salvation none but God could do it Isa 45.21 It 's no easy matter to save a soul If any other in Heaven or Earth could have done it as well as Christ it 's reasonable to think that God would have spared his dear Son but such a High Priest became us and best suited our circumstances as was separated from the whole creation for divine qualities and perfections I have found a ransom said God There was nothing could be thought on to any purpose by Angels and Men for our relief Only Divine Wisdom contrived Divine Love bestowed and Divine Power did effect and execute this whole work and of all the People there was none with him 4. Bear in mind how gloriously God's Grace is advanced by our Redemption and what Honour and Glory redounds to the wise and gracious contriver of it never such a rent of praise was raised as this brings him in This is that Glory of praise that is said to be above the Heavens The Glory of making and beautifying and enriching of Heaven and Earth is nothing to this Glory that excelleth of Saving Sinners by such a Saviour 5. Nor is there any thing more pleasing to god in all the World than a due Remembrance of the Death of Christ in this Ordinance which may be gathered from his Displeasure against a Church that did it but unduly 1 Cor. 11. Now all Duty must take its rise from this Principle and Motive of loving God for Christ and acknowledgments of Divine Goodness in giving his Son O! never think he hath dealth hardly with you in keeping or taking any thing from you if he hath given you a part in Christ And this is a point of such Affinity with the Vitals of Christianity and of Graces thriving in the Church of God that even here should we desire to dwell viz. To learn and look on all things in Christ Eph. 4.21 To be taught the truth as it is in Jesus There is nothing rightly taught or known but as it is in Jesus 1. The Types and shadows of things to come are all opened in Jesus 2. The Prophesies and Predictions are all accomplished in him How dark are many Prophetical passages of the Old Testament till they face Christ and then the Vail is taken away as Calvin Expounds that of 2 Cor. 3.16 3. We must see our sin as he did bear it on the Cross as a most accursed thing that laid such load on his blessed back 4. And you must see your Soul in Jesus as he hath purchased it from Hell with his own Blood O! then how precious is my Soul that was so dearly ransomed 5. See your Selves in Jesus your new Covenant-state in Christ You never see your safety nor dignity till in him 6. And all the great and precious promises of God to you must you see yea and Amen in Christ all made to Christ our Head first and in Jesus unto us 7. And lastly You must see your good conversation in Christ Pet. 3.1 Aâ—l your performâ—nces in the reâ—â—â—â—â—ce to him and for him and by him 〈◊〉 to the Lord Christ as grateful recorâ—â— to your Redeemer And Christians ought to labour after this feeing all things in Jesus Christ For 1. This is to see all thinâ—s in the trâ—e light wherebâ— much contuâ—â—on is cleared and many shadows fly away We are bid come to Christ and he will â—ive us light Eph. 5.14 And in his Light we shall see light 2. The great Gospel-Command and Invitation is Behold me behold me Isa 65.1 3. The Father is no further pleased than all iâ— seen and done in him 4. This makes all sweet and easy when we see all his yoke we bear and his work we do and his purchase we shall possess that is one so tender of our concerns as to pay our Debts and undergo our Curse And now shew your selves worthy partakers by resolving on this That you 'll meddle with nothing in Religion but in Christ you 'll walk in his Steps you 'll pray in his Name you 'll Suffer for his sake In a word you 'll to Christ's Cross for all you want you 'll take Life from his Death Hope from his Resurrection Pardon from his Merit and expectation of all good from that Love that parted with Christ And on these Terms I am sure Christ is well contented to give you a kind meeting at his Table and to Seal his everlasting Covenant with your immortal Souls 44. Q Why are we generally so little affected with â—â—e great concerns of God and our Souls here represented A. I because of Unbelief which turneth all the precious concerns of Salvation to a romantiâ—k Story The greatest matters you can speak of do no more affect than they are believed Isa 53.1 1 Pet. 2.7 2. We want a lively sense of our Natural Bondage Sin and Misery are not laid to Heart and therefore what signifies Christ and his Sacrifice 3. God Mammon blinds our Eyes and corrupts our Hearts The cares pleasures and profits of this
present world seduce many Souls from their Allegiance to Christ and the care that is due to their Salvation How are most deceived with the specious appearances and painted Slavery of the world to make us happy enough without Christ The covetous Pharisees mocked at Christ and Farms and Business do still excuse worldings from a serious and hearty imbracing of Christ's glorious Offers Q. What shall we do that we may not betray Christ and prove false to our Covenant and Profession in times of Tryal A. 1. Leave not a root of bitterness behind no beloved Lust unmort fied this was Judas his bane the love of the world he kept up under a profession and this betrayed him into Satan's hand and he stuck not to betray his blessed Master into his Enemies Hands 2. Rest not on doubtful Evidences of your Heavenly Interest but get things better cleared between God and your Consciences It will be a dreadful snare to you when sufferings come to the loss of Life and Estate and not be sure of Christ and Heaven 3. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life Love if alive will be strong at Death all the floods of Affliction cannot drown it 4. Keep up a close Communion with God constantly in secret If you slack in secret Prayer and wear out of personal acquaintance with the Fountain you will wither and your strength dry up like a Pot-sheard and your foot soon slide 5. Let never a day go over your head without actual Faith on some promise that this may keep you from fainting under discouragements Ps 27.13 6. The most refined formal lifeless Religion will not always secure you from being scandals on Earth and being cursed wretches in Hell eternally 45. That your minds may not be empty and wandring doubtful what to fix upon enquire Q. What doth this Ordinance call for A. 1. A Crucified Christ calls for Crucified sins 2. Be saying to thy self did this Blood satisfy God and shall it not satisfy me Why then O my Soul do'st not thou rest more intirely in this ransome and possess more of that rich Legacy his word hath left us and his Death hath purchased My peace I leave you my peace I give you and in me ye shall have peace and this man shall be the peace 3. Think whose Body and what a Body is here represented The blessed Body of the Son of God that was our Sacrifice broken bruised and bleeding on the Cross for us That same body that his Father gave him who needed it not but for us to receive our buffering in that Body that Devils envy to this day even that the Human Nature should be assumed into a personal Union with the Divine An honour denied the Angels That Body that hung on the Cross a spectacle to men and Angels for shame pain and a curse due to us That same Body that was laid in the Grave and raised up unto Glory God in our Nature appearing in Heaven for us preparing a place for us perfuming it with his Glorious Possessions and Presence 4. Think how due it is I should remember him in my Life who remembred me so kindly at his Death especially having made a Law for it in this Ordinance and making the remembrance no more costly nor painful than you see it this day He might have sent us a Jerusalem Jouâ—â—â—y to the holy Grave and appointed some costly Offerings there But let us bless our Merciful Lord and Law giver that hath spared us these expences and is content we should remember him in this plain Gospel Simplicity 5. Think you are now remembring your best and dearest Friend in Heaven or Earth who loves you beâ—â— and hath done most for you Wherefore with what affections should he be remembred and how precious should every thouâ—hâ— of him be to your Souls Song 1. 4 Psal 139.17 6. Think how miserable you had been to eternity if he had not remembred us in our low estate And what you have deserved that needed such a surety and Sacrifice Q. How may we know if our remembring of Christ in this Ordinance hath been good and right A. 1. If we have here a remembrance of the right stamp we leave not off remembring of Christ when we are gone but the life of a Christian in hearing reading meditating and praying will be much more a remembring him in his ways than others attain to 2. We will cause others remember Christ with us as we can Psal 45. ult 3. It will leave a lasâ—ing desire of remembring him here again Psal 42.2 4. 〈◊〉 right its Virtue will run thro gâ—â—all our Diâ—â—ies and Actions till we come again 〈◊〉 thâ—ll find is more easy to perform every duty and â—bey every precept As we sind sin that Dagoâ— fall before this Ark of the Lord temptations resisted and services Spiritualized we may jâ—â—g of this case 5. A right remembrance of Christ will make a Sanctified Soul even forget the best and most needful things on Earth to remember him now in Heaven 6. It will humble thee for former forgetting of him and stir up a holy hatred against vain thoughts that kept Christ out a few moments of a Sanctified remembring thy sweet Saviour here will send thee away with a sad Heart for thy forgeting of him days without number 46. Q. What came we hither to learn at the Table of the Lord A. 1. Humility from a meek and lowly humbled suffering Saviour Phil. 2.57.2 Patience from this Lamb of God that opened not his Mouth Learn here to possess your Souls in Patience and suffer not every trifle to provoke you 3. And here may we learn to Love where it shines out so gloriously 4. Self-denial and a publick Spirit who not regarding his own ease and pleasure glorified his Father in Redeeming us 5. See here your strong rock and learn to live by Faith A sight of a Crucified Sanctified Saviour should give us confidence both in Duties and Dangers In Duties this sight should lift you up above all your doings when you see what your surety hath done and suffered for you And in Dangers your great help to believe he will not let your temporal evil sink you is his delivering your Souls from eternal Miseries and Hell and the second Death 6. We can no where at a better advantage learn with them that are Redeemed from the Earth the new Song of Promise than here at such a solemn sight of our Suffering Redeemer But that we may learn our Lessons the better let us be considering where and with whom we are sate Solomon says Prov. 23.1 When thou sittest with a Ruler consider what is before thee It 's a great Ruler we sit with and a great Feast ser before us Now let us consider we sit at the Table of the Lord and we eat the Supper of the Lord. If this be the Table of the Lord what wonderful condescention is this that
desires of sin obeyed and the commands of Christ slighted and yet these are the most common sights we see on earth O! what pride self conceit passion prejudice revenge worâ—dlynes spiritual sloath and slumbering about salvations work is there among us These we oppose not as the enemies of our souls who thinks that a sweet lust is the poison of his soul the disgrace of our nature the cause of our unhappiness bereaves us of true delight subjects us to Vanity and Satan tyranny and Gods wrath We hide and smother sins deformity and damnableness under the mask of pleasing and pitying our selves O might Christ prevail this day with our hearts to perswade us to be up and doing even acquitting our selves liâ—e men in this matter to assault our corruptions like them who are really allarmed from heaven against our mortal enemies O that ye would resolve to give your selves no rest till you be rid of them Except not against this counsel by saying that they stick too fast and are too good friends and the work too hard and they too strong I answer all hell can put in against mortifying of lusts with this one word viz. Where eternal salvation is concerned there is no excuse to be taken Rom. 8.12 It were better to pluck out your ey s yea bowels than spare your sins and perish Be not affraid of hurting your self by parting with sin no no could we fall upon our sins and cutt them off O what free lives might we live what noble Lords and brave conquerours were we And for their strength fear it not Go forth against them in the faith of this Lord you see crucified for them and invites you to partake of the life purchased by the death this ordinance calls us to remember It ill becomes us to complain of the strength of this enemy that Christ hath overcome All sin's strength consists in our cowardice Fight and ye shall overcome conquer and ye shall be crowned 6. If we eat of the sacrifice let us have faith that we may partake of the Altar and have Christ in it We may say to you in this sacrament as Philip to the Eunuch in the other if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest Act. 8.37 At all times we have need of faith for we must live and walk by faith but in no step more need than in this John 6.56 We cannot eat his flesh unless we dwell in him now Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 Faith is the eye to discern the Lords body here the hand to receive him the mouth to feed on him We do neither see receive nor feed here without Faith Now it 's an easier matter to look with a bodily eye on bread and wine than to behold the slain lamb of God bruised for us The world think it easy to believe who never had a true sight of their sins nor sense of Gods wrath nor were ever sifted or shaken by Satans temptations nor troubled with terrours of Conscience nor acquainted with natural weakness and Christian infirmities and our own insufficiency for so much as a right or good thought of God Is it easy for a proud heart to deny it self in the point of salvation And wholly to take a Righteousness from Christ heartily submitting to a Gospel salvation in saith and patience Is it easy to see Christs humiliation and look for exaltation out of it and to look for pleasure by his pain Riches by his poverty strength by his weakness and life by his death and a blessing by his curse There is a kind of bastard faith is easy to come by you 'll find every where too much of it but the Faith of Gods elect peculiar to them even the spirit of Faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love and maketh the soul live is not so common Now 1. this faith is never without heart humiliation for sin even a looking on him whom we have pierced with a tender sense of the dishonour and wounding of him by our Rebellions and Unbelief O! here the soul sees its baseness and weeps that so blessed a Redeemer should bleed for the sins of such a wretch and be still so insensible of this love 2 And then it wonders at infinit mercy and mourns more misery and mercy pierce the soul and make it even exceed in tenderness and tears to think of abuseing such inestimable treasures of grace 3. And it wonders at the glorious freedom of love that it should chuse such objects and this even confounds a sinful soul and makes it with a holy shame lye down in the dust and open its mouth no more Ezek 16.63 4. It renounceth carnal reason and a rebellious will and now gives up all to him who hath won its heart and payed its Ransom and therefore it 's called the obedience of faith 5. It abandons a vain world and tramples on all its glory Psal 119.96 6. And now resolves to trust in Christ for all other things since it sees a sufficiency in him for saving its soul 1 Tim. 4.8 Rom. 8.32 Luk. 12.32 7 I am affraid some come hither to seal a Covenant who never knew to make or keep a Covenant Isa 19.21 Even to enter into a perpetual Covenant with Christ to be wholly and unreservedly devoted and resigned to him in love and obedience and who have taken him to be all that the Father have given him to be to the souls of his Eâ—ect i. e. Not only to be a high priest to ransom their â—ouls from sin in hell and to appear for them before God in heaven but likewise for their great prophet to â—each them the wâ—â—le will of God and a King to conquer their lusts even a leader and commander to the people in all the ways of his revealed will Now whosoever comes hither short of this at best the seal is but set to a blanck and so stands them in no stead for they receive not Christ and carry none of his benefits with them yea it 's well if it seal not their damnation And I 'm likewise affraid of another sort that may come hither who formerly might have covenanted with Christ but for want of a lively and well exercised faith grow blind and see not astar off and have forgotten that they were purged from their old sins and so turn formal and customary And readily such Consuetudinaries who follow the drove can give little other account of their coming but that it 's the way other good people go in and it they should not come they might be missed by good neighbours and how could they keep up a name to live if they cast themselves out of good company It 's to be feared many such things are with us But if so such may eat and drink Judgment to themselves temporal Judgments in stead of spiritual enemies For such things many were weak some sick and others fallen asleep in the Church of Corinth 1. Cor. 11.30 And if such
mind for as Christ is now bodily in heaven so will he not be spiritually and sacramentally in any but a heavenly mind the doors must be list up before the King come in 10. Look on Christ your Passover Sacrificed for you and be humbled 1. That you were worthy to dye 2. That you live by the death â—f another 3. That your sin should Crucisy the Lord of â—â—ory What a humbling sight is it to â—ee Christ thy Sacrifice fall before the Altar and laid upon it and burn yea consumed by the Fire of God's wrath for thee O sigh and say alas Was not this for my sake should not I have lyen there suffering and satisfying for ever if he had not interposed and bore my Burden Shall he sweat and bleed for me and I not grieve for him But tâ— make the remembrance of Christ's Death for me the more affectionate consider first it was the Death of the humblest and worthiest person that ever appeared on the Earth the Son of God the Lord of Glory the eternal God the Heir of all things on Earth was never his like Secondly He was no greater than Good the innocent and spotless Lamb of God that Holy thing who knew no sin and yet he suffered Death In his Life was no spot and in his Death was no complaint or murmuring This Noble and Just One died for us was our ransom and attonement He who knew no sin made sin i. e. a sacrifice for ours our sin imputed to him who had none of his own our sorrows made his and by his stripes we are healed We live by his Death Gal. 2.20 He is taken and â—â—e â—â—ape If ye seek me let these â—o their way leâ—â—â—n â—eâ—â—r he charged on mine Elect My sâ—â—ep I lay down my life for tho they bâ— under a â—â—aw condemnation for breaking of it yet let them be acâ—â—â—â—d for my â—eeping of iâ— parâ—oned on my account and all their scores reckâ—ned for with me Look on the blessed Surety of the Covenant and be hold him obeying and dying for us For albeit the Law be not now a Covenant Believers are under yet the meaning is not that perfect Obedience is not required even of believers but not being sound in them it 's performed by our Surety the Second Adam for the exchange is only of the person not of the righteousness Thus was laid on him the Iniquities of us all and if it had been laid on us it had sunk us for ever But that love that deliver'd him up was unparallell'd Whatever Satan Sin Conscience or the Law charge upon you shew you here the Lord's Death 11. Every Sacrament is a Certificate of Christ's Death and hereby we tell the world we believe our Lord was cut off out of the Land of the Living Now to shew forth this death are we come hither he would not have his Death forgotten but to remember it as we often do without lively affections is next door to a total forgetting of it Without an affectionate remembrance of the death of Christ and a Soul inflamed with love to our Ransomer we partake not of his body we may be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord when we put forth polluted hands to take it and take all with unbroken is hearts And indeed the sweet of the Pasâ—ver is lost for want of the bitter herbs of godly sorrow for sin that slew the Lord of Glory Now let the remembrance of our Lord here not only affect us but change us into another temper and disposition to be his and for him to conform to him to carry a way better thoughts of him to live a life of remembring of him to give him alone the Glory of so wonderful a work as our Redemption by his death to love him that hath so loved us and to hate sin that so offended his Father and crucified him If we weep not over him we have no fellowship with his sufferings if we wash not here we have no part in him if we carry not away a better remembrance of him we come here but to mock him if we prefer the World to him we shew our selves unworthy of him and if we can go away and live in our sin we do but seal our own damnation by coming hither What is it to undertake a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to weep a tear over the holy Grave but to return with a new heart and another life is the business And to affect you further with this Representation by his accursed but blessed death to us he seals the Testament and confirms a great Legacy to us that he may not only keep the condemned from going to prison but settle a Revenue on the poor and needy and make them rich for ever and set them wâ—th Princes even with the Princes of his people that had nothing but rags and poverty and now he lives for ever to see his Legacies bestowed 12. The Gospel-Proclamation is Christ's Invitation Whosoever is a thirst let him come Desires are the Soul's hunger after Christ they are the best sawce they add a sweetness to the bread of life A man that â—ath lost his stomach and can taste no sweetness in the choicest food is not fit to sit at this Feast who hath no desires after Vnion and Communion with Christ. He that is the desire of all Nations will be sought after and found of all that do desire him Not to desire him is to despise him Is 53.2 3. and to hide our face from him Will he disclose his Secrets to them who hide their face from him If we desire him not we shall never enjoy him The same thing that is the Saints desire now will be his satisfaction for ever Let us not think a desire of Christ a light thing In the Gospel a poor man's hunger is his blessing Mat. 5.6 in the world it is his misery God accepts of our appetite as much as if we pay'd ready money for his Graces and their hunger is insteaâ— oâ— a price Is 55.1 There was never Soul miscarried with longing after Grace O blessed hunger that ends always in fulnâ—sâ— The wooâ—e ife of Christian is but a holy desire saith Austin And the soul desires Christ absent but tâ—ese desires are raised in the Soul by Christ present We burn with a desire to settle our selves but mistake the way and build Castles in the air but the Sum of â—anctified desires is unutterable groans for the â—ull application of good things promised and eager thirâ—ting for a larger communication and before Christ hath perâ—ected his Gracâ— in the Desires of the Soul it will find it self so inflamed with them that if Hell should stand between its Beloved and it he would wiâ—lingly pass through its very flames to embrace his dear Redeemer And seeing it is to him we come to seal his Covenant by Soul-resignation let the matter admit of no dispute or deâ—ay but be dispatched with all haste and speed Ps
soul compose a distracted mind Consider so great a presence and lift up thy heart for a blessing ere thou eat knowing that even the best partake unworthily if his Graces be not excited and exercised But again beware of resting on preparations for never more unfit than when proud of fitness like poor children that grow proud of being a little finer than ordinary but considering how far short of what God requires and Christ deserves there is cause of humbling Never are we more fit than when humbled under and ashamed of unfitness If ashamed of our selves we are most like to have a sight of himself Ezek. 43.11 And at our best there will still be room left for Hezekiah's prayer 2 Chron. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his Fathers tho he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary But beware of abusing God's Grace in allowing or regarding in your heart any sin you seek pardon or with your Lips Seek to be sanctified wholly and get of God no less than his own allowance of a new heart and a new spirit for God will not put his new wine into your old bottles nor his precious Liquors into unclean Vessels but his secret is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant Sensual hearts that savour nothing but of the world cannot feed here on Christ and eat of the hidden Manna For the carnal mind can neither be subject to the Law of God nor suit the Gospel of Christ And here being high set let us labour to be such as may be well served with the best Now to perform high duties upon low motives argues a heart full of flesh The Noblest Motives to Duties are to be found in God especially as revealed in Christ And unto the service of this exalted Lord should we be engaging all that is within us for he is worthy for whom we should do it But if any be questioning if so great a Majesty will give man a meeting But will God in very deed dwell with men Ye he will Tabernâ—â—le it with man And if any come hither sensible of sin and with a broken heart for it and well resolved to break away from sin and all that may hinder this happy meeting he will noâ— fail to meet yoâ— yea to dwell with you too Isa 5â— 15 Again must you meet with him and cannot be refused this Request whatever he say you nay in 〈◊〉 I dare promise such a soul a meeting this day if with Jacob you cannot be contented to go without him And yet again â—â—st thou shâ—t thy Eyes on all preparations and performances as Mediators in the meeting and fixed them on Christ for merit and mercy then will he come and commune over the mercy-seat and no where else If thou be'st so addicted to his fellowship as no Joy is to those banquets Isa 64.5 And if strong desires from fervent love can be maintained there is a visit a coming Hos 6.3 Song 2.5 8. 29. The title of this Ordinance of the Lords last supper is the same with some Psalms To bring to remembrance Christ is here to be remembred in his death at the best advantage for his love to sinners and where Faith is best accommodated with an object to feed upon above what all the earth can afford it Christ crucified is the great doctrine of the Gospel and the great sight in this ordinance It s a dying Christ we come here to remember which hath something in it beyond all his life in doctrine miracles and obedience And this memorial is appointed to be kept up of him till he come again not that afterward he shall be more forgotten but that there will then need no such help to remember when we shall be ever with the Lord and Immediately behold him But till we come to see him as he is we can have no better sight of him than thro' the glass of this ordinance we have now at our eye For here are we under the view of a pierced Lord Jesus to mourn and rejoyce to believe and love for no other ordinance can give so fair an oceasion to exercise a Gospel grace at once as this does For here have we matter of mourning in our eye for sin that sacrificed our high priest himself And no small matter of Joy in God through Jesus Christ by whom we have received the attonement and then let us look on our suffering Lord and believe in that sacrifice offered for Grace and peace And love him that hath loved you and washed you in his own blood so the Capital Graces in stead of the four Cardinal Verâ—ues may all here be most eminently imployed and exerted And how can we partake but unworthily if we neglect the exercise of graces in and about the Action And no Wonder then one guilt draw one another viz. We exercise not Grace in the Action if we neglected to prepare for it before our coming hither And let no Christian think that our examining for all will serve no at every approach be seeing how it is with faith in Christ how lively strong and well grown since last occasion of looking on your Redeemer in this Ordinance 30 This is the most solemn memorial of Christ crucified that his Church on Earth is blessed with Now it is appointed for remembring of Christ implies 1. That for all Christ hath done for us yet his people are apt to forget him 〈◊〉 That Christ is careful to help his people's weakness 3. That there is that in Christ's death which is worthy of a perpetual remembrance 4. It points out the easy â—â—kâ— of Christ and reasonable service of Christianity that for all his death and purchase he requires but a thankful remembrance of what he hath done for his Elect. 5. It speaks the deâ—ire of Christ to be in his peoples thoughts and shews how much his de iâ—hts are with the sons of men still 6. It shews forgetters of Christ can be none of his Disciples and that no frame can fit this ordinance without heart affecting thoughts of our blessed Redeemer Think never so much of sin and duties and of all other divine truths if you think not much on your suffering Saviour you answer not the end of this ordinance 7. That if you can by the help of this ordinance keep up a due remembrance of Christ here you shall not need to fear for getting of him hereafter where we shall for ever look this Lamb of God in the face Qu. What are we to remember of Christs death in this Ordinance Ans 1. The bitter Agonies and bloody Passions of his Death How pained pierced buffeted reviled tempted betrayed denied deserted by his own Desciples and which is more than all bruised and forsaken of his Heavenly Father And who can declare the sufferings that he endur'â— in his generation 2. The unspeakable patience with which he suffered all
I who have sate so long at the Table of Devils by feeding my Lusts and serving Satan should be advanced to feast it with the Lord of Glory Even I who deserved the lowest place in Hell should here be sate in the highest place on Earth Let the thoughts of such wonderful love lead you into his Banqueting-house and suffer your Souls to be overcome with this Banner of his love that unparallell'd love that loved you and washed you in his own blood Again consider it is the Supper of the Lord he setteth us down unto This is that we eat and drink even our Lord's Last Supper on Earth This was the parting-Cup after which he was not to drink till he drunk it new in the Kingdom of God For preciousness Cleopatra's Cup was nothing to this tho filled with dissolved Pearls O the love that lay at the bottom to sweeten this Cup to us tho the bitterest to him that ever was put to the head of any Mortal and the more Gall and Wormwood to him the more Love and Good Will to us for whom he drank it This Last Supper on Earth is a Emblem of an after-Supper in Heaven And truly that large and long sumptuous Supper of the Lamb 's preparing above may make a Saint sit down satisfied with a short Dinner on Earth Let the Heirs of Glory never grumble at a dish of green herbs the poorest and meanest Morsel wiâ—h a Cup of cold water since the finest of the Wheat and Honey out of the Rock are too low expressions of thy Heavenly Commons a coming And for what our blessed Lord allows you here you have it with the heartiest welcome Christ sayeth to none of you Eat and drink and his heart is not with you That you are forbid to eat of for it 's the â—â—eâ—d of him that hath an evil eye Prov. 23.6 7. But this you are commanded to eat we offer it in his Name take it in obedience and believe a blessing 47. My sighing come before my eating says Job So must ours doâ—â—w before we can comfortably eat and drink here many a sigh and groan the body of death will cost us many a sad heart for sin Sigh saith the Lord to the Prophet to the breaking of thy Loins 1. That thou shouldst have been so unhappy as to have hand in cutting off the Messiah and slaying this Lamb of God that thy sins nailed him to the Cross and pierced his siâ—e yea his hands and his feet wounding the Son of God even to death with thy sins 2. That his Love hath been neglected so long and so much that the offers of his redeeming Grace hath met with so little hearty entertainment that his sufferings for our sins have been so faintly resented that we have carried so strangely to him that was so deeply concerned for us 3. That he hath had so little honour by us for whom he hath made so rich a purchase that we have laid out our selves so sparingly for him that spared not to pour out his blood for us yea that we should ever prove treacherous to him that was so true to our Interest 4. That now we can love him no more when his Banner of Love is so fairly displaved over us in this Ordinance of his own Supâ—er this Feast of fat things Oh that such choice entertainment should meet with so sorry welcome and such dull affections That our ordinary food should more refresh us than this heavenly Manna That we can meet our suffering Lord with so little remorse for sin and so little delight in his Love But tho grief preceed and go before yet let Joy take its own place and enter his Courts with praise Let transports of heavenly joy fill our redeemed souls that ever the glad tidings of the great salvation sounded in our ears that ever we heard of that great gift of God Jesus Christ and that he hath been at any time recommended to our heart with power that the holy Trinity hath so well contrived our Redemption in that ancient Covenant wherein the Father gave his Elect to Christ to be redeemed and the Son most readily undertook the Work and went through all its steps with such heroick and hearty resolution and good acceptation Rejoice O righteous ones that the Father laid help upon one so mighty able to answer all his demands and to pay our debts Rejoice that Heaven sent to the Earth by so sure a hand and hath made with us so sure and well-ordered a Covenant in all things we can be concerned in for life and Godliness that the Gates of Paradise which our sins shut are now so open unto us that sinners through their High Priest in Heaven have so free and bold access to this exalted Throne of grace but alas for our bruitish stupidity and unbelief that have carnal minds much more taken with a vain World and empty dying comforts than with all the Treasures of Grace and Mansions of Glory 48. This Feast of fat things here presented who can feed upon it Do we know the entertainment of this Table Here is represented the singular and wonderful love of a dying Saviour The great Mystery that Angels desire to look into The Lamb of God Sacrificed for sinners Can we behold it with dry eyes and dead hearts Qu. What impressions should it make upon us and leaves us under Ans 1. I 'll never give sin a good look again thro the grace of God that cost my loving Lord Jesus so dear 2. I 'll despise the love of creatures never lay it in the ballance with Christs Whether they smile or frown I 'll be little affected For her 's a love puts all love down A love who can comprehend in It 's matchless adventures and transcendent exceedings 3. My love should be a constant careful study of some answerable returns of love again 4. I 'll never like my self again Farther than I may be serviceable and suitable to this loving Lord that bled for me My members shall all be servants of righteousness unto Holiness my soul shall ever magnify the Lord my thoughts shall be captivated unto him I shall know no Friends nor Enemies but his My prayers shall be to him My Joy and my delight shall be in him My faith shall firmly rest in his righteousness and satsfaction my patience shall be imployed to bear his Cross my heart shall stand ever open to his Calls The zeal of his house shall eat me up My life shall be a transcript of his Laws and my death a desired dissolution to be with him In a word the Covenant I now renew with him at his own holy table I am willing should be laid against me for Conviction Accusation and humiliation in all my departings from him But knowing that without him I am nothing and can do nothing all my expectation is from him and amidst my best purposes sensible of my sin and weakness I do with holy David say O Lord when wilt
Wherefore comes the Diseasâ—d to the Physitiâ—n but for health and â—ase 6 And wherefore comes the oppressed Subject to the King but for Relief against his Enemies I come for help against a hard heart I come for Power against a strong Lust a mighty Goliah that threatens the Life of my Soul 7. I am weary and heavy laden with sin and therefore I come for rest and Peace My sins are my greatest Burden my ignorance sloath â—nd slowness earthlyness and lukewarmness the indwelling body of Death pains my Heart and the guilt of Sin stings my Conscience and I come for purging and pacifying by Christ 8. I come for mutual Communication of Love-tokens to give and take I would have my Faith Confirmed my Love more Fervent my Heart more Enlarged more weaned from Earth and more set upon Heavenly Glory I come to condole with Zion and put in for Songs of Deliverance and for restoring of a decayed work of God among us that the right Arm of the Lord may put on strength and encounter his Enemies on their high places that Christ may be great in these Nations and the reproach of his People he may take away and prosper his Gospel in Conquering sinners and converting the Elect. Q. In what Posture or Condition must we come to Christ A. 1. In a praiseful posture must we come to meet our Redeemer We begin the new Song here that will never be ended in Heaven 2. As Subjects to pay our homage to our Prince Psal 45.11 He is the Lord and Worship him 3. As Servants to receive their Masters Orders and Commands Psal 123.2 Lord what wilt thou have me to do 4. As Schollars to their Masters to be taught 5. As Children to their Father for a blessing 6. As Beggars for an Alms poor and needy but think upon me 7. As Paâ—ienâ—s to a Physitian for Health and Cure Like a Malâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—ath pleaguâ—y sores needs a Physiâ—â—â— a 〈…〉 as â—â—ll as a Pardon 52. If the questâ—â—◠〈◊〉 asked what doest thou here or how camest 〈◊〉 hithâ—r A. The Master calleth come Q. But hâ—â—r knoâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—lleth thee A. 1. I. have exaâ—â—ed 〈◊〉 my self and 〈◊〉 â—re allowed to coâ—â— 2â—ly 〈…〉 â—â—eth his Call saying behold I come aâ—to thee 〈…〉 in my Heart thâ—t I am the â—erson called 〈…〉 from the call Whosoever will let him câ—me and drink of the Water of Life freely First A great latitude in 〈…〉 â—â—â—soever and why may not I be one among so maâ—y 〈◊〉 But 2ly whosoever will I find he hath made me one of his Willing ones my Heart is here and I never went to eat and drink for my outward man more willingly 3dly I am called to drink and truly I find my Soul a thirst and wants its refreshing â—ere 4thly It 's â—â—ater of Life that is offered and it 's the same my Soul câ—mes for that I may have life and have it more abundantly And 5thly I am called to take it freely and so do I take it as the sweetest gift of mâ— dear Redeemer withoâ—t any plea of my own righteousness But yet tho call'd let thy soul say He that calls must carry me too for no man can come except the Father draw O! be looking up for Divine drawing for heartâ— will faint and draw back if Christ draw not â—ear Our Sâ—vâ—â—ur said to Peter come but if he that called him had not bore him up he had sunk for all his call Learn to look to Christ for all without him we can do nothing Law not the great stress on thy coming hither but on Christ's coming to thee in the Ordinance for it 's our Lords own presence which is the master-wheel of all spiritual Mâ—tions I will come in that made the Feast Rev. 3.20 â—â—emeâ—ber John 11.28 when Martha told her Sister Mary fâ—â—retly the Master is come she arose quickly and came unto him All our inward motions to him depend upon his coming first unto us and therefore leâ— your heart be saying Come Lord Jesus come quickly until the day break and the shadows flee away We read of a deferred Christian after much sad Soâ—l exercise crying out he is come he is come Q. How may we know he is come A. 1. How did Elizabeth know that Mary brought Christ in her Womb when she came to see her but by some inward unusual emâ—â—ions thy heart will not be without its own transporting extasies of love and wonder saving with Elizâ—â—â—th Whence is it that the Lord of Glory should come and 〈◊〉 k on me and will not fail to â—â—ave iâ—superable ties upon thy â—â—art to entertain his fell â—ship and attend his service 53. Concerning the Jews hearing of John our Saviour asked What went you out for to see and else where to enquiring Disciples come and see You have been hearing but now come and see That will be the sense in Heaven that will be most saâ—â—â—fied when we shall see him as he is There a Glorified Christ and here a Cruâ—â—â—â—â—d one Here you maâ— sâ—e the true Isâ—â— laid on the blâ—â—k and the bloody knife at his throat Hâ—re is the Scaâ—â—â—â—â— over whose Heaâ— Isâ—ael confessed thei◠〈◊〉 â—â—nt into thâ— Wilâ—â—â—ness carring our sin inâ—o a lâ—nâ— of forgerfulnâ—ss â—â—â—e you sâ—e the Church of God purchased which 〈◊〉 own 〈◊〉 Here your sacrifiâ—â—d 〈◊〉 surety payiâ—â— your deâ—t 〈◊〉 â—ou must have been paying to all â—â—â—nity and 〈…〉 dâ—ne paying Here is the most high Go◠〈…〉 to â—â—ke our blows our Heave◠〈…〉 of his Hâ—â—â—our Healing by his Wounding 〈…〉 the â—nowleâ—g of sin shining forth in God's Holiness and hâ—â—râ—d of 〈◊〉 For all the threatnings of the Law and 〈◊〉 of thâ—m on others could never preach it foâ—th â—s exceâ—â—ing of them on Christ hath done And here new you see the treasure hid in the field Let none 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 because brought in earthen Vessels This offers injury to Divine Wisdom and Goodnâ—â—s who condescends to make such familiar râ—presâ—â—raâ—ions of our Redemption adapted to our infiâ—â—â—es here on earth who cannot conceive heavenly things but in an earthlâ— manner and the meaning is that the excellency may be of God and not of man Learn O Believer to glory in nothing but in the Cross of Christ whatever else we glory in will be our shame another day and why should we glory in any thing so much as in that whereby God hâ—th his greatest glory John 13.31 God's Glory and our happiness center in a Crucified Christ Q. What benefit have we by the Cross of Christ A. 1. Without it we must â—ave 〈◊〉 all that he suffered for us 2. â—o mercy for uâ— buâ— thâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Christ's merit our surety was 〈…〉 of strict iustice that we manâ— be 〈◊〉 wâ—th on 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 3. Christ being â—ast iâ—â—o the Fâ—â—â—â—ce of 〈◊〉 Wâ—â—th â—â—â—ched the 〈◊〉 â—â—â—mas thâ— type being can inâ—o tâ—e raging Sea 〈◊〉 the storâ—â— he made his Soul an Offering for sin No maâ—â—◠〈◊〉 me dâ—â—â— be if
becomes a means of fortifying and fixing the heart 2. Renewing Covenants are of great use to recover us out of backslidings after which we are to put forth the same acts again in Covenant way by closing with Christ which we acted and put forth at first conversion 3. It 's of great use to revive our declining delight in God And certainly if we make a covenant with all our heart as Asa and Israel did 2 Chr. 15.5 It 's almost impossible not to rejoice in it considering the great ends and purposes it 's made for and the Noble Person Christ that Plant of Renown we make it with a Marriage covenant with the King's Son a new Wedding-day in bringing back the Soul from its sinful wandrings unto its first Husband with whom it's much better than with any elsewhere 21. We come hither professing our selves Christ's Disciples sitting at his Table as they did that night he was betrayed whereby we say we are his sheep who hear his Voice receive his Grace and follow him yea that we are his Spiritual House to offer up spiritual Sacrifice acceptable to God through Jesus Christ But yet Grace received had need to be strengthened and quickened and therefore are we come Had not Repentance and Humbling work need to be quickned and renewed by considering our sins and miseries Faith by Meditating on the Promises Love by the sense of his mercies even his tender-mercies in Christ we come to taste of to day and to pay the Tribute of Praise for bestowing such special favour upon us O! let us magnify that Mercy that hath Redeemed us at so dear a rate that all his humblings were to raise thee to Honour his Sufferings to keep thee from Perishing All this tends to bring home our Hearts to him that hath bought them so dear Now Love hath no such incentive in all the World as the Cross of Christ it grows out of it it lives in it and we are Crucified by it to all other Lovers that would seduce us from the Loyalty we owe to our own Lord Alas what can these silly pretenders say Were they Crucified for us Hereby perceive we the Love of God or else we are very Blind for he hath writ his Love in capital letters on his cross laying down his Life for us when we were â—nemies seek the world over for such Love and it cannot be found Now the very Publicans love those that love them and will ye be worse And shall our love be so faint and luke-warm when his is so flaming and passionate Look up to him that can warm thy heart at his own Table with his sacred Fire And now when Love to your Lord begins to revive think what Lust you harboured last and this is the time to get above it yea to Kill and Crucify it tho it hath been rampant and raging hitherto despising all opposition offer it now as a Sacrifice to him who was a burnt Offering for thee Shall ever sin that slew the dear Husband becomes the Wises Darling If ever you think of dwelling with Christ give it a Divorce and that the rather your Lord hath drawn the Bill with his own hand All ye that Love the Lord hate evil Love Christ and hate Sin are the two great lessons this Ordinance teacheth Love Christ that suffered for you and here sin that flew him Now here he is who descended the same also who asended follow him thither but while here look to the Grave where he lay and then to the higher House he was taken into above and leave not off looking for him till he come again 22. Here are we come to our great Physitian of Souls And among our many Diseases we had need to seek cure of these two viz. Christians faint-heartedness in sufferings and dead-heartedness in Duties Now a look of Christ would cure both What is the reason Christians faint under Sufferings but because they mind not their suffering Lord who endured all so patiently overcame all so powerfully and hath Sanctified all so comfortably to us Consider him lest you grow weary and faint in your mind that is the Remedy prescribed and so we are dead hearted and formal in Duties because we consider not Christ that is to come with Salvation at the last It 's his first coming to suffer must sweeten our Sufferings and his last coming with Salvation that must quicken us to Duties look more to the recompence of reward for ginding your Loins to the word of God Isa 35.3 4. And that you may meet with something that may do you good amidst the waverings of an unsetled mind labour to fix something on thy thoughts that may help to stay thy mind on God such a principle as this men cannot make me miserable not the world make me happy my true misery is my sin bound up and a hard unbroken Heart for it My happiness is not my thriving in Health and Wealth but my interest in the Covenant and partaking of the Divine Nature Let thy heart be breathing how happy should I go home if I might be but more Holy and live more to the honour of my Lord and be in some better condition for his blessed Service Hath not God said Behold I will make a new thing on the Earth How many such new things hath he done on the earth as to give us all new hearts and new thoughts of the things of God to Day Our Lord is saving to sinners Mind your Souls and make much of my Salvation Your Souls are precious and my Salvation is great and if ever your Souls enjoy my Salvation hereafter they must be set a longing after it now Psal 119.81 Neglect it not for it cost him dear and if you miss of it it will cost you dear For how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation 23. There be three things that commend Christ most unto any viz. His personal excellencies his usefulness and his love As for the last love lies at the bottom of the whole work of our Redemption The midst thereof paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem Song 3.10 We have the Father loving his Son for laying down his life for us Job 10.17 and and shall not we love him for it And as the Father loves the Son for this love to us so he loveth us for loving his Son John 16.27 the first pleads for our love to the Father in loving the Son for our sake in the undertaking of our Redemption the other pleads for our love to Christ since our loving of the Son commends us to the Fathers love O unheard of wonders of divine love That as the Father loveth the Elect in Christ and for Christ so he should seem to love him for our sake being so forward in our cause to suffer for us and save us from our sins It 's this love that this ordinance brings to remembrance you see it is a feast of love and love must keep the feast or all
is nothingâ— for the unparralleled pattern and spring of all love is here represented to the life believe his love and let him have love again you may well believe it for he that loved us so as to lay down his life for us when enemies how will he delight in us when washed in his blood and renewed to his likeness and if Christ have his due he will have love again And if true love it longs to see him and can deny it self to please him it will desire to know his will and delight to do it We must prove our love as our Lord did his John 14. â—1 A soul in love with Christ reckons him chiefly worthy of his love endeavours the nearest Union with him and is still going out after him Hence spring Langour and melting to enjoy him and receive his impressions resignment of will to him and a concern for his interests Love the Lord all his Saints for he keepeth their souls Love him once and all he saith and doth will be more acceptable to you and all that you do in love will be pleasing to him Love him and you will be loath to offend him â—esirous to please him and satisfied in his love Love God and you are sure of love again Prov. 8.17 Now that you may love him contemplate his goodness and see him in the face of Christ and behold his love in the design of our Redemption in the person of our Redeemer in the promises of grace and in all the benefits of Râ—demption Yea if you would love him look to the sin he hath pardoned Luk. 7.47 the spots he hath washed the Covenant he hath made the Adoption he hath bestowed the Hell he hath redeemed you from the Heaven he hath appointed and prepared for you And now get some further preparations for him and it too by loving him better and loathing your selves more We might all love God more 〈◊〉 we could love our selves less Could holy Mr. Pradford sit and weep at dinner till the â—â—â—rs â—â—ll on his trencher because he could love Christ no more and we sit dry here at his own table with hearts void of Love to him 24. Here have we our gracious Redeemer with died garments glorious in his apparel travelling in the greatness of his strength staining his raiment with the blood of his enemies and ours trading the wine press of Gods wrath alone mighty to save ready to pardon This ordinance of the supper â—ives us the best occasion of airing our selves in the sweet and spacious field of our Lords sufferings And we cannot be good Christians if we do not hartily imbrace the opportunities the Gospel gives us of calling his Cross to remembrance The bent of every believers mind stands this way else how can we be said to live by the faith of the son of God who gave himself for us And if we be not led by a natural complacency to converse with a crucified Saviour how dwelleth the Love of God in us Or how can we clear an interest in his Death for us Hath he the heart of a Christian that cares not to meditate on the death of Christ Did the Apostle bear always about the dying of the Lord in his body and should not we do the same in our hearts Now since our great business here is about Christ crucified let us enquire a little what doth the Lord require of us The sum of all is in three words Behold me Receive me and Walk in me First observe how that great Gospel-invitation of the Gentiles Isa 65.1 15. is doubled Behold me Behold me 1. To shew how serious a suiter Christ is for our souls 2. to shew our natural aversness from looking unto Christ 3. To shew how much of a Christians work lies in looking unto Christ 4. To take in and comprehend all kinds of people and sorts of sinners 5. To hold out the delectably variety of sweet Sights a soul may have of Christ in his Natures Person Offices and Excel encies and Usefulness 6. To teach that tho' the first look of Christ should not please yet to look again and not to leave looking till we can find something in Christ to aâ—lure us Secondly Receive me rest in me and build upon me Receive him that is come so far to you and suffered so much for you When I was abundantly well with my Father always rejoycing before him and was daily his delight yet my delights were with the sons of men And down came I to be cloathed with your flesh a course garment for the Lord of Glory to go in â—â—at in your nature I might bear your curse and dy the death you deserved to dy and to redeem you from that misery you must have groaned under for ever And should such a Comer not be welcome Be summoning up all the powers of your souls to give him the hastiest Reception Lastly as you have received him so walk in him by a constant depending on him drawing vertue from him and keeping Communion with him yea farther we are to walk in Christ as we have received him i. e. with the same freshness of affections bent of will satisfaction in him and obsequiousness to him daily repeating that consent and renewing that Covenant we made at first with him Thus are we to behold him with an eye of faith receive him with a hand of faith and walk in him by a life of faith and so shall we have the blessed end of our faith the salvation of our souls 25. The sanctuary of the Lord may be profaned by us when we little think of it The truest notion of profaneness is a contempt of sacred things Heb. 12.16 Now we shew our contempt of them not only in keeping far from the things of Christ and salvation but by setting about them with an ordinary and common frame careless in preparing to meet our God in them with a broken heart becoming best an ordinance that shâ—ws forth a broken Christ for us In common providences we cannot know love or hatred by all that is before us But here is something before us whereby we may see Gods love to our souls and his hatred to our sins If we could by this Sight be stirred up to hate our vile lusts and love our dear Saviour more then were we fit guests for the table of the Lord. Let us not look off this precious attonment here represented till our hearts be turned against the sins that put our Lord to all the pain and shame he suffered for them Let never any of us love our selves till we can heartily loath our selves for sin and then Christ will love us and delight in us Next to our considering what sights shall we have of Christ our thoughts should be taken up with what a sight is he like to have of us We come hither to see Christ And be sure the King comes in to see his guests if there be ever a one that wants the wedding
garment The best sight Christ could see of us here were to see us as once he saw Nathaniel sitting under the fig-tree an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile Joh. 1.47.48 Or as once he saw Mary and so taken with that sight that he points her out for others to see Luk. 7.44 weeping for sin and exceeding all the company in shewing love to Christ As the people would not eat till Samuel the Prophet came to bless the sacrifice unto them 1 Samuel â— 13 We can have no better proof of our High Priest's coming and blessing a Sacrament unto us than to be found with Mary at Christ's Feet in Penitential Tears of Love towards our Pardoning Redeemer But alas how dead lye we by the Ark of the Lord as is said of Vzzah 2. Sam. 6.7 whom God struck in his Anger with Death for a wrong touch of the Ark at a Time Here was God's severity shewed on a Man who meant well but gave the Ark a touch that he should not Now what wonder of God s Patience is it that some remarkable Judgments are not more frequently upon us for our untender touching of his most Holy things on Earth How often take we and touch we the Body of Christ with hard Hearts and unclean hands O! let us lament over our insensible Souls and say with David till better prepared How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me 2 Sam. 6.9 26. Luke 23.48 And all the people that came together to that sight smote their breasts and returned That sight that strange sight that sight of Christ on thâ— Cross Bleeding and Dying such another sight was never seen in the World Creatures Murdering their Creator The Church of God purchased with his own Blood no wonder then all the people returned amazed They smore their Breasts O! that it might break our hearts for that is the heart-affecting sight we come to see this day O! the Heart-humbling sight of Christs Sufferings the Son of God suffering for the sin of Man And as the Death of Christ is held out as the most wond rful Object â— that sight so is it recommended to us as the most excellent Subject to be Discoursed of not only as it was the great Subject of the great Apostles Preaching 1 Cor. 2.2 but as it is the only Subject mentioned of Conference between Christ Moses and Elias Luke 9.30 â—1 A Subject most wâ—rthy of the most excellent persons that can appear on Earth And our Saviour recommends the sayings of his Sufferings to a deeper impression on their Hearts than all the Miracles he wrought to their amazement who beheld them Luke 9.43 44. Now if Wisdom hath furnished her Table with the representation of so rare a thing yea with the Bread of Life from Heaven and the Cup of Salvation even the Cup of the New Testament in Christ's Blood let not so rich a repast be received as a common thing Our blessed Lord comes not with an empty offer but a full-hand and a free-heart to confer all his benefits and purchases the dispising of which by continued unbelief will be the worlds greatest condemnation It was charged on the Israelites as the great aggravation of their sin that they provoked God at the red sea even at the red sea the place where their miraculous salvation was wrought But how will it aggravate our sin to provoke God with a hard unprepared heart at the red Sea of his precious blood here represented by which we are Redeemed Let us never be friends with our own hearts till we can love our Saviour bet er and hate our sin more If Namaan when cured of his Leprosy went away resolved to serve no other God but the God of Israel what should we do whom Christ hath cured of many fâ—r more desperate and dangerous diseases Labour to be that ground which drinketh in the rain which cometh upon it and brings forth herbs meet for him that dresseth and receiveth blessing from God Heb. 6.7 Now what rain comparable to a showre of Christs blood in a sacrament Where we either receive great blessing or are brought nigh unto cursing 27. The Persians had a Festival day in the year they called Vitiorum interitum whereon they slew all Serpents and Venemous Creatures And suffered them to swarm till that day of year came about again It 's to be feared some do so at sacrament times who by some Confessions and formal humblings think to clear old Scores and then go away and take on new ones but if so such may look the unclean spirit will return with 7 worse and take a stronger Possession than he had formerly And sinners must know their Confessions and humblings are hypocritical if one Lust or known sin be left As 1 Sam. 16 11. Samuel said to Jesse are here all thy Children So when we leave some sins Christ says are here all Jesse answered There was one more says Samuel â—ill that one come I will not sit down So says Christ as long as there is one be â—ind I will not sit down with thee sit where thou wilt It 's dangerous to boast with the moral young Man in the Gospel I have done this and tother thing and yet one thing be lacking To have our door lock t up still to keep Christ and salvation out as a Covetous heart for the world a sensual heart for the flesh a proud heart for the Devil will marr all cannot be fit for heaven if the door were open would not go in where no fuell for such a lust And therefore let us make a diligent search and take great care ere you come to ransack well all the corners of a deceitful heart and truely repent of all sin viz. when our sorrow springs from the root and are affected with the seed of all sin even our corrupt nature and inclinations and when we repent of all known sin on the common account of sin as contrary to Gods holy Law and Nature And tho the heart be not always affected with a high degree of sorrow intensively yet is Repentance true if it be appretiative accounting sin the only thing to be sorrowed for and it we be displeased with our selves that the heart is not answerable to our light and convictions in the exercise of Repentance And think not that all your sorrow for sin without Faith in God through Christ will suffice The weeping eye must look upon Christ whom thou hast pierced with thy sin We must look for all good from him against whom we have sinned take up our rest in him and it 's faith and hope in God must purify our heart for him make our soul despise the world desire heaven loath self love the Lord and venture all on a word of promise trusting God with all the most dangerous like events of providence and consequences of duty 28 Two things had need be minded about this business viz. to prepare diligently Take pains with a dull heart cleanse a polluted
ver 7. But still God has all along put a remarkable difference betwixt these And some by being diligent to accomplish themselves for their Master's Work are thereby render'd much more capable of doing him service than others are And such a one certainly was he He has left but few Equals I think scarce any Superiors This Pains taking of his he would hardly be perswaded to intermit even when the crasie infirm state of his body which began to give place to the impetuous Assaults of Old Age seem'd to require it at his hands But was resolv'd Taper like to give the greatest blaze at his Departure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dictum Solonis Senesco non Segnesco Hoelus Anglus That Good Old way he had so long walkt in with a most inexpressible satisfaction he would not now leave tho he was going to a place where all knowledge comes by Intuition The Object of his Studies I must confess was always Noble and Excellent 'T was not a Trivial Frothy Book tho adorn'd with never so many gaâ—dy Trappings of Rhetorick and Language that could induce him to spend a quarter of an hour about it No it must be somewhat truly masculine and edifying that he judg'd worth his consideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Metaph lib. 11. cap. 1. Nevertheless what he had acquir'd with so great expence of Time and Spirits he as freely communicated to young inquisitive Learners imitating therein the glorious Jehovah one of whose Attributes is Omniscience and whose great delight is to convey Knowledge and Happiness to his poor creatures And this I mention not only to illustrate his Excellent Disposition but also in testimony of my own Gratitude Ingenuum est fateri per quos profecerimus Plin. having often had the Happiness to partake of such Advantages Yet did not that vast variety of Learning he had made himself Master of cause him in the least to neglect his Theological Studies as it did with Funcius that celebrated Chronologer who might have liv'd longer as a Divine but dy'd a Prince's Counsellour Disce meo Exemplo mandato munere fungi Fuge sen pestem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he still strenuously apply'd himself to the Work of the Ministry as his chief business using the others only as a by-work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vir bonus cito fieri nec intelligi potest Nam ille alter tanquam fortaste Phoenix in anno quingentesimo nascitur Senec. To sum up his Character in one word He was a Laborious Student a Great Scholar an Able Minister a Kind Husband a Tender Father a Faithful Friend a Good Master a Vseful Neighbour and which crowns all a Real Christian The Distemper that depriv'd the Church of so great a Light and us of a vigilant Pastor was the Stone He had often been troubled with it before but God's Blessing upon the Physician 's Art had as often given him ease But now his decreed time was come and his Divine Master would no longer spare him out of his Heavenly Kingdom Both his Ureters were stopt which of course impeded Nature in her regular motions Yet can it not be said that any heard him using unbecoming Language or charging God foolishly His patience was very extraordinary Licet pereat Saeculum nihil moror si lucrifaciam patientiam Cyp. de Patien and no less exemplary As he found his End drawing nigh he addrest himself to leave this World with the same serenity and composure of mind as he had many times done upon going a Journey from home Mors iis solum terribilis est quorum cum vita extinguuntur omnia Cic. taking a solemn leave of such of his Congregation as came to pay their last respects to him Soon after this selecting some particular Friends to tarry with his mournful and disconsolate Widow and to behold the last act of his Life Et nunc quasi jà m mundo senescente Rerum atque Hominum decrementa sunt Aul. Gel. Noct. Artic. lib. 3. cap. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex Poedag lib. 2. cap. 1. p. 104. he without any great Conflict or Agony surrendred up his Spirit into the hands of his faithful Creator He is now enter'd into that blessed place of Rest and glory where he shall never know Sin or Sorrow more and where all Tears will be wiped from his Eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Muns ex Rabin in Thalamo Justorum I can hardly with any Moderation reflect upon the greatness of our loss but am ready to use the Language of Basilius Amberbachius when he heard of the Death of the incomparable The odorus Zuingerus Piget me vivere post tanrum Virum â—ujus magna suit Doctrina sed exigua si cum Pietate conferatur Melchior Adam Vit. Germ. Medic. p. 304. It grieves me says he to live after so extraordinary a man whose Learning was very great yet but small if compar'd with his Piety When Elijah was translated Elisha cryed out My Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 currus Israel 2 Reg. 2. cap. 12. v. That is as the Chaldee Paraphrast expounds it Tu qui plus Juvabas Israelem precibus quam Currus falcati Equites Vattab in loc Thou who more helpedst Israel with thy Prayers than all the Chariots or Warlike Supplies that she had belonging to her The Righteous are taken away from the evil to come And their Death is a sad presage of approaching Calamities Astrologers say Quum Luminaria patiuntur Eclipsm mâ—lum omen est mundo Gassendi Astron When the Lummaries are eclips d it fore bodes mischief to the World God has been pleased to call many of his Servants the Prophets out of our Land within this few years Oh! that we would learn Righteousness then his Judgments are walking abroad upon the Earth Possidonius in the Life of St. Augustineâ— tells us that he was remov'd by Death when the Goths and Vandals had just begun tâ— besleâ—e Hippo. Thus of good King Josiah 't is said that he should be gathered to his Grave in peace and not see all the evil that God would bring upon Jerusalem Hidelburgh could never be taken so long as Paraeus the Palladium of the place was a ive May the Death of Mr. Crow and divers other Godly Ministers that are lately snatcht to Glory aâ—raken us all to a timely Repentance that so Destruction may not be our rort on Let us all be endeavouring to live the Life of these righteous men that our Latter End may be like theirs Sic mihi contingat vivere sicquè mori MENSALIA SACRA OR Sacramental Exhortations and Preparations 1. THAT we may not stumble on the Threshold and miss the Mark it wi l be needful to understand the proper Ends of this Ordinance of the Lord's Last Supper which are 1. To commemorate Christ's Death till he come again 2. To
be a solemn renewing of the holy Covenant first enter'd into by Baptism consenting to the Covenant we are there to renew 3. To be a living means to exercise and encrease Grace by representing the evil of sin and the infinite love of God in Christ 4. For a solemn profession of our Faith love and Obedience 5. For a sign and means of Vnity and Communion of Saints Christ hath appointed their consecrated representations to be in the eye of the Church in their manner and measure to supply the room of his bodily presence while he is in heaven The table in the tabernacle Exod. 25.23 24. May represent this Table of the Lord overlaid with pure gold and a crown of Gold round about it because of Holiness becoming it and a King sitting at it At this table should we be asking our own Souls what our thoughts are of Christ and what we have for him that it may be no idle visit you make or fruitless view you take of him but let your requests and great askings be ready on the string for more grace to your selves or true grace to your Relations what is upon your hearts for your Soul child yoke-fellow or son the Church of God Make sure you have grace before you come if you can I say if you can for every worthy communicant cannot profess himself certain of his sincerity but so far as he can discern by observing of his own heart he is truely willing to have Christ and his benefits on the terms that they are offered i. e. To take Christ in all his offices as King to rule him as Prophet to teach him and as Priest to pardon and save him And next we must be careful to exercise grace given They who have no grace can act none and therefore mustly by and sit idle here gazing on an unknown Christ And if any be here who know themselves to be ungodly ones I think they had best rise and run from their own damnation Some feed without fear or remorse for sin yea perhaps resolve to keep up some lust they know of To what end is this ordinance for you It 's a day of Darkness and no Light 2. The great voice of this Ordinance is Behold me Behold me We are called here to look on a pierced Lord Jesus And what shall we see in him See the maker of all things bowed down under the burden of our sins and weight of Gods wrath Look on him whom you have pierced and mourn Look on his wounds and weep Look on his Love and wonder Look on his satisfactions and Believe Look on his Victory and rejoyce Look on his purchase and contemn your earthly interests Here is the best and brightest glass in all the world God gives us to behold his son in and we may come as near him here as any ordinance can bring us When you look on the Elements stay not there till you ascend and see him who is invisible When by faith you come to see him whom your Soul loveth prostrate thy sinfull Soul with a holy wondering that sinfull dust and ashes may draw so near Study to get the fixed eye on him as loath to take it off being so well pleased with his beauty and worth Learn to think the less of other objects after you have seen the Lord. As Mahometans put out their eyes some of them after they have beheld Mahomets tomb that they may never defile their eyes with an other sight after so goodly and glorious a one The name of the Lord being so eminently engraven on all we are about should strike a dread and holy reverence on all our hearts the day the table the supper we are at are all the Lords but what if we be not the people of the Lord truly if we be not he bids us not welcome and what if we be here and the Lord not with us Then we had far better be else where But how may we know if we have him present even his sweet society and blessed company It 's his table we sit at and that is no small honour for he is a â—ing and that is not all he will sit with us himâ—elf and give us his own company and we may know it by this when the King sâ—tteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof Song 1.12 Whence Obs 1. Believers wâ—ll observe what others doe not viz. When Christ is at the table and when not and it will be empty to them when he is absent 2. That Christs own presence must be depended upon both for sensible comfort to believers and for reviving their graces and making them lively It 's the exalted Kâ—ng oâ— glory 's own presence that makes his own grace in our hearts livelâ— and savoury It 's our keeping near him and his condescending to keep near us makes all his gracious work in us to bud and blossom 3. O the great condescention of God to sinful mortals that when he was invisible by reason of that infinite distance between the divine nature and ours he made himself to be seen in the flesh and now by his ascention having made his flesh also invisible by reason of the vast distance between his place and ours he hath made his flesh in a mystical sence even to be seen and tasted in the sacrament O if he hath humbled himself thus far unto our senses let us not by an odious ingratitude humble him lower even under our feet and trample on this precious blood of the Covenant by rushing on this so solemn and sacred a thing with a careless and unprepared frame taking no pains to get a broken and holy heart to intertain him with To take this sacrament into an earthly dirty heart is to take this heavenly bread and throw it into the dirt O do's any of you think to come hither and take these holy mysteries into your covetous proud lustful unrenewed hearts It 's plainly to resolve upon laying up his richest treasures in a noisom Sink and what an indignity is this Christ is in heaven himself and will not enter into any but an heavenly heart here And he who exposeth himself so much to the view of your senses calleth you to Spiritualise your earthly senses let that mouth that cateth at this table never speak vanity nor lies that hand which is reached out to receive him be no more a right hand of falshood or injury to any these eyes which look on your Lord here be no more gazing on Vanity or forbidden objects But to raise your hearts above beggarly Elements which you see this day with eyes of flesh consider this ordinance signifies and seales Christ and his Covenant with all his rich promises of grace and glory The body of our blesed Lord is really in heaven for he is risen and ascended but his body is as truely sacramentally here as really in heaven making the most clear representation of his death and solemn commemoration of it that the