Consolation and full Assurance and raised Joys at the Table of the Lord never while we live yet the Authority of Christ requiring us To do this in Remembrance of him should be enough to determine our Practice against all the little Cavils and Objections that may be made against it O let us not be wanting in our Duty and the God of Love and Grace who is the Father of Mercies and our Gracious Redeemer of whose Compassion we have had such large and dear Experience will never be wanting to those who diligently and sincerely seek him THE END The Sixth Discourse After the LORD'S SUPPER OF Christ's Last Passover And its Accomplishment From LUKE XXII 15 16 17 18. With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you befoâ—e I suffer For I say unto you I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God And he took the Cup and gave thanks and said Take this and divide it among your selves For I say unto you I will not drink of the Fruit of the Vine until the Kingdom of God shall come GReater Love hath no Man than this saith our Blessed Lord than to lay down his Life for his Friend To part with that for Another which of all things is the dearest and the most valuable to himself In all Ages of the Christian Church there have been some ready to give this Proof of their Love to Him who spake these words by not loving their Lives unto the Death when they stood in Competition with their Fidelity to Christ And with how much the greater Chearfulness and Alacrity Willingness and Desire they did it by so much the more powerful and constraining was the Principle of Love By this we may make some Judgment what manner of Love it was wherewith the Lord Redeemer loved us when he gave Himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling Odour unto God The Voluntariness of his Sacrifice argued the Excellency of his Incomparable Love Though his Death was Necessary with respect to the Eternal Purpose and Appointment of Heaven For it was by the determinate Counsel of God that the Messiah should suffer Death And though it were Violent with respect to the Instrumentality of Men in his Crucifixion they did it with violent hands Yet with reference to himself his Death was voluntary He made a willing Sacrifice of his own Life He laid it down None else could have taken it from him He gave himself a Ransom He became Poor He made himself of no Reputation He poured out his Soul unto Death It was not rent from him He was obedient to Death even the Death of the Cross This gave an extraordinary value to his Sufferings Upon this depended the Merit of his Sacrifice and the Efficacy of his Blood And this is one endearing Circumstance which heightens his Love and calls for our thankful Admiration He willingly offered himself in the first Council of Peace about our Redemption and undertook to suffer for us and make satisfaction to Divine Justice And after his Incarnation he always knew and frequently foretold his own Sufferings and Death He reproves Peter as if he acted the Devil's part when he would have disswaded him from it Yea he most earnestly desired this most bloody Baptism I have a Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I straitened till it be accomplished Luke 12.50 The night before his Sufferings he makes his last Will and Testament and leaves it with his Disciples Giving his blood to drink in the Sacrament to show hâ—w willingly he would pour it out the next dâ—y upon the Cross And on this Account he so earnestly desired to eat this Passover which the Text speaks of because it was the last before he should suffer Death And afterwards even the same Evening he goeâ— out into the Garden where he knew he should be betrayed And so in effect he brings himself to the Door of the Tabernacle to be offered to God a Sacrifice for us With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer As if he had said The Sufferings I have so often spoke of are now approaching The hour is at hand when I shall be betrayed and Crucified This is the last Passover I shall ever keep with you before I am lifted up from the Earth And therefore I most earnestly desire it because it is the last that will precede my Death Whereby I shall put an end to these legal Services which have all along referr'd to me and to the Sacrifice and Oblation I am to make for sin Henceforth I will eat and drink no more of the Passover Supper for my own Sufferings and Death is that which they signified and related to I am the true Paschal Lamb All the Rites and Observances about the killing and eating of it were but Typical of my Passion and shall now be fulfilled And here 1. I shall consider the Passover which our Lord desired to eat of 2. His ardent Desire to eat of this Passover and the Reason of it 3. The Company with whom he desired to eat it With you 4. The Time when Before I suffer 5. The Accomplishment of it in the Kingdom of God What we are to understand by the Kingdom of God and what by the fulfilling of it therein 6. His Resolution and Declaration That he would eat and drink no more so till it were Accomplished Lastly Some Reflections as the Application of the whole 1. Concerning the Feast of Passover You have the Institution of it Exod. 12. the beginning Where we find that it was appointed by God as a Memorial of the Israelites slavery in Egypt and their Deliverance out of it Former Miracles having been unsuccessful upon Pharaoh God intends to slay all the First-born of Egypt in one Night whereby in part the Curse of God pronounc't on Chaâ—â— is execâ—ted on his Posterity viz. the Egyptians in destroying All the First-born of botâ— Man and Beast The Israelites were ordered by Moses to slay a Lamb on the Fourteenth day of the First Month which answers to our March and to Sprinkle the Posts of their Doors with the Blood of that Lamb and to feed upon the Flesh of it in their several Families That very Night the destroying Angel strikes the First-born of every Family where this Command of sprinkling the Door-posts with the Blood of the Lamb was not observed On this you know they were delivered out of Egypt the Egyptians not only giving leave but dâ—siring them to be gone And this Deliverance being the Foundation of the Jewish State was to be perpetually observed by them in their Generations and to be an Ordinance for ever Exod. 12 42. The whole Institution of the Paschal Lamb is called by the Name of the Passover though it refer especially to the first Lamb in Egypt whose blood was sprinkled on the Door-posts of the Israelites Houses when the destroying Angel passed them by And the
feared lest thy wrath as a consuming Fire would have devour'd such a Guilty Soul but while I condemn'd my self thou hast forgiven and justified me and surpriz'd me with the sweet Embracements of thy Love I see now thy thoughts are above our thoughts and thy ways above our ways and thy Love above the Love of man even more then the Heavens are above the Earth with how dear a Price hast thou redeem'd a Wretch that deserves thy Everlasting Vengeance With how precious and sweet a Feast hast thou entertain'd me who deserved to be cast out with the workers of Iniquity shall I evermore slight such Love as this shall it not evercome my Rebelliousness and melt my cold and hardn'd heart Angels are admiring these Miracles of Love and shall not I admire them Their Love to us doth cause 'em to Rejoyce while they stand by and see our Heavenly Feast and should it not be sweeter to us that are the Guests who feed upon it O my God how dearly hast thou Purchased my Love how strangely hast thou deserv'd and Sought it nothing is so much my grief and shame as that I can answer it with no more fervent and fruitful Love Oh what an addition would it be to all this precious Mercy if this Love poured out might draw forth mine and my soul might flame by approaching unto these thy flames and that Love drawn out by the sense of Love might be all my Life O that I could love thee as much as I would Love thee yea as much as thou woulst have me love thee but this is too great an Happiness for Earth Thou hast shew'd me the place where I may attaine it My Love is there in full Possession who hath left me these pledges till he come and fetch us to himself and feast us there in our Masters joy O Blessed Place O Blessed Company that see his Glory and are filled with the streams of those Rivers of Consolation yea happy we whom thou hast called from our dark and miserable state and made us Heirs of that Felicity and Passengers to it and Expectants of it under the Conduct of so sure a Guide O then we shall love thee without these sinfull pauses and defects in another measure and another manner than now we do Till then my God I am devoted to thee by Right and Covenant I am thine My soul bears witness against my self that my defects of love have no Excuse Thou deservest all if I had all the love in Heaven and Earth to give thee What hath this vaine world to do with my Affections what is there in all the sufferings that man can lay upon me that I should not joyfully accept them for his sake that hath redeem'd me from Hell by such matchless voluntary sufferings Lord seeing thou so regardest so vile a Worm my Heart my Tongue my Hand confess that I am wholly Thine O let me live to none but thee thy service and thy Saints on Earth O let me no more return unto Iniquity nor venture on that sin which kill'd my Lord And now thou hast chosen so low a dwelling O be not a stranger to the heart thou hast so freely chosen O make it the daily Residence of thy Spirit Quicken it by thy Grace adorn it with thy Gifts employ it in thy love refresh it with thy joys and the light of thy Countenance and destroy this Carnality selfishness and unbelief and let the world see that God will make a Palace of the lowest Heart when he chuseth it for the place of his own abode To conclude Did we thus retire at the close of every Lords day after the Participation of solemn Ordinances to renew our Repentance to beg needful Mercies to offer the sacrifices of Praise and Thanksgivings for the Blessings we have and hope for the Advantages of such a Course would be so many and so considerable the Consequences would be so comfortable to our own Souls and so beneficial unto others it would be so influential to exercise and increase our Grace to promote our Assurance to secure our Establishment and Perseverance to render us useful in the World for the Honour of Christ and his Gospel and the credit of our holy Profession That it surpasses the possibility of an exact Description and reserves its full Discovery to be the reward of Experience Blessed be God for Jesus Christ The Third Discourse Concerning SPIRITUAL WASHING The Nature Means and Evidences of it Before the Lord's Supper 1 COR. VI. 11. And such were some of you but you are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God OUR Lords condescention to wash the Feet of his Disciples and the discourse between Him and the Apostle Peter upon that occasion contains many things very observable and Instructive unto all Christians S. Peter is astonish'd at his Master's Proposal to wash his feet he wonders he should ever design or attempt so low a service He cries out as a man amazed 13. John 6. Lord doest thou wash my Feet words that savor of humble respect and Reverence unto Christ and had he proceeded no farther it had been very commendable for these expressions seem to proceed from a true sence of his owne unworthiness considering both himselfe and our blessed Lord and the meanness and inferiority of the action which he offered to do toward him Unto which our Lord Replys What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter i. e. when the Spirit shall be more aboundantly pour'd out as it was upon his Ascention into Heaven But Peter is not satisfied with this but peremptorily refuses to submitt to an order which he did not yet understand the Reason of and therefore replies againe Thou shallt not wash my Feet or far be it from me that thou shouldest wash my feet This gave occasion for that severe Rebuke and Threatning which went to his very heart in those words of Christ If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me no Intrest in me no communion with me It cannot well be thought that the external washing should be the only thing here meant for Judas was partaker of that as well as the Rest and yet our Lord says at the tenth verse ye are clean but not all Upon this we find the Apostle Peter submitts to his Saviour and instead of denying that he should wash his feet he passionately cries out not my Feet only but my hands and head too i. e. Lord wash me all over Hands Head and Feet the three most visible parts of the body for the whole our Lord tells him that was not necessary for he that washeth need not but to wash his feet verse 10. as one that comes out of a Bath may have contracted some Filth in walking out of it and therefore needs only to have his feet washed alluding to the Custom * D. Lightfoot of the Jews as to
Sacramental Discourses ON SEVERAL TEXTS BEFORE and AFTER THE Lord's Supper By JOHN SHOWER LONDON Printed for Abr. Chandler Sam. Clements and Sam. Wade at the Chirurgeons-Arms in Aldersgate-Street the Swan in St. Pauls Church-yard and Bible under the Piaza of the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill MDCXCIII Mr John Shower THE PREFACE THERE are Three Things especially requisite unto a Worthy Communicant to believe and own the Truths which our B. Lord would preserve the Memory of by this Institution and to have a lively sense of the Comforts and Encouragements that may arise from thence and then to perform those Duties of Love and Gratitude and faithful Obedience which result from our Covenant Relation to him and the open Profession of it The Doctrines and the Encouragements and the Duties of Christianity are admirably connected and joyn'd together The Principal of all these we are called to consider in this Sacred Ordinance Which yet is shamefully neglected by many who would take it very ill not to be thought good Christians who live from year to year in the Omission of it who make no Conscience of Remembring the Death of Christ in this manner As if they had no Saviour who dyed for 'em or he had not Appointed this way of Remembring his dying Love Or as if the Command Do this in Remembrance of me because spoken to the Apostles did only concern them and the Ministers of the Christian Church Whereas tho' our Lord sate down with the Twelve the Command is given to them as Disciples and Representatives of all his Church rather than as Apostles Or if the latter He gave it to them to d spense it afterwards unto Others not excluding their own Communicating for they who deliver the Elements as Ministers do partake of 'em as Disciples and Christians and Brethren What I have received of the Lord that also I deliver unto you saith the Apostle and if Ministers are bound to Deliver it the People are bound to Receive If our Saviour's words Do this in Remembrance of me relate to Ministers as such it is a Command for them to Administer the Lord's Supper and the same Command must be supposed to bind the People to Receive it that doth oblige Ministers to Deliver it There be some who omit it from Superstitious unbecoming Fears and Scruples as if our Lord were more to be Honoured by our absenting from his Table than by frequenting of it Many on the other hand are guilty of Presumption and Rashness by careless unprepared Approaching to it Several Cases are here spoken to which relate to both sorts though many more should be added As to the manner of performing this Duty we cannot come too humbly in a sense of our Ignorance and Weakness and Sinfulness owning that we are nothing and have nothing and can do nothing without his Grace that may be pleasing to him and that we have done very much to dishonour and provoke him especially by our late Transgressions that we deserve to be cast out of his sight and denied the Priviledges of his House and Family never to taste of the Childrens Bread But having renewed our Repentance before we come we are called to express our Love Gratitude and Joy When we view a Dying Saviour a Crucified Jesus before our eyes lifted up upon the Cross drawing all Men to him bowing down his Head and stretching out his Arms to embrace us as he appears all bloody to fright us from our sins so he opens his side that we may see his Heart flaming with Love He calls us to behold his wounded body with Hearts wounded with a Penitent Sense of Sin and a growing Love to the Redeemer He calls us to seal a Covenant of Fidelity to him and to accept the Purchased Benefits of a Gracious Covenant sealed back from him to us Here we behold the Lamb of God a Sacrifice for those sins we have so lately Repented of removing that Wrath which we so lately trembled at as having justly deserved and therefore we should Approach this Table with Gladness and Rejoycing Here we are called to give publick Expressions of the Love and Honour we bear to the Remembrance of Christ We do it in Thankfulness to him for all he hath done and suffered for us Here we profess our Faith and Hope and Trust in a Crucified Saviour We own him for our Lord and our Jesus we declare we are not ashamed of his Cross or of any Difficulties Trials or Sufferings we may be exposed to for his sake He needed not have cared whether we were Saved or no And yet how low hath he condescended to purchase our Happiness and Salvation and to Assure us of it What manner of love is this that the Eternal Son of God Incarnate should endure a Painful Ignominious cursed Death for us that we might not dye Eternally How wonderful and incomprehensible is this love How pleasant should be the contemplation of it Here is an Abyss of Love of Adorable Allmighty Love on this side Heaven but leading to it which we cannot fathom but are called to admire A Crucified Jesus represented and commemorated as a Sacrifice for us What more Glorious Sight can we desire to see How should this awaken all our Affections and in some respect puzzle not only our Passions but our Faith too As an Object too large for our narrow Thoughts too high for our Finite Minds too Great for our Wonder and for our little Love and Joy How delightful is it to be thus even lost in the consideration of this matchless condescension and Grace of our Redeemer When the Object is too big for our highest Raptures and Transports and we are swallowed up in silence and astonishment How should this Love constrain and draw forth ours When we consider for what vile and sinful creatures the Son of God gave his life and made his Soul an Offering How his Love to us Enemies and Rebels was stronger than fear or shame or death without bounds and without example When we Feast on this Sacrifice what can we do less in requital for this Infinite love than devote our selves Souls and Bodies to him as the Purchase of his Death And lay all our Affairs and dearest concernments at his Feet to be disposed of as he pleaseth How can it be but our love to him must be kindled maintained and encreased by such an Institution Remembring and considering his love to us till we are brought practically to conclude and determine that our love to him is too little if we love any thing besides him except it be by his order for his sake and to his Glory except it be according to the prescribed Rules and limits he hath set us And how proper is it here to Renew our Baptismal Covenant faithfully to promise to be entirely the Lord's to be obedient and resigned to him to be Treacherous to him no more but stedfast and resolved in his Service taking his Law as our Rule his will to be
Righteous Avenger However there is a great difference between what Christ suffered and what the Damned in Hell suffer For they hate God and Holiness and are hated of him and forsaken by his Holy Spirit and are under the power of sin and are tormented by the Conscience of their Personal Guilt But what Christ suffer'd was for us and he was still in the Love of God and continued to love him c. Let us consider him incompassed with Grief and seized by sorrow appaled with Fear lying prostrate on his Face on the ground deprecating that Cup of vengeance which the Justice of God had mingled saying Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me He Prays again a second time in the same place to the same purpose Abba Father if it be possible let this Cup pass He adores his Majesty he owns his Omnipotence he takes hold of his Power he pleads his filial Relation with all imaginable earnestness submission and importunity Father if it be possible and with thee all things are possible Abba Father Holy Father let this Cup pass from me And then he groans and sweats and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground He prays again the third time using in effect the same words as if nothing else would yet his Importunity might prevail for the removal of the Cup. And yet notwithstanding all this he was then Willing All the struglings of his Innocent Nature issued in this That the Will of God should be done and his Glory be accomplished Holy Father glorifie thy self Not my will but thine be done It was for this end I came into the World for this end I came unto this hour The desire of his Humane Soul submits and yields to the determination and Will of his Father And therefore those words if it be possible must be explained by those other If thou wilt if it be most for thy Glory of a possibility in respect of the Divine Will and Glory rather than of the Divine Power And having two Natures he must needs have two Wills he could not else be the true Son of God and true Man He desires to decline his Sufferings as a Man for so they were against Nature But as they were the means to reconcile us to God he is willing as Redeemer to undergo them We may abhor a Medicine as bitter and yet resolve to take it as wholsome So that after all the reluctance of his Humane Nature he was still willing and his entring into this Garden when he knew that Judas was acquainted with the place and would find him there and betray him is a proof of it 6. Our Saviour's Custom to retire to this Garden He was wont to resort thither with his Disciples This Garden of Gethsemane was on the side of the Mount of Olives and that we are told was at the distance of a Sabbath-days Journey from Jerusalem Act. 1.12 If we reckon from the foot of the Mountain or the 〈…〉 part of it unto the City it is thoâ—ght to be about five or six 〈…〉 thousand 〈…〉 â—ting by 〈…〉 measured And it is most probable that the People in the Wilderness were to keep from the Tabernacle at the distance of two thousand Cubits And on that account this distance is supposed the measure of a Sabbath-days Journey when they went to the Ark to Worship It is an ordinary Tradition among the Jews That it was not lawful on their Sabbaths to walk above two thousand cubits which seems to be founded on that Text Josh 3.4 where the People are commanded in their March after the Ark and on either side of it to keep at the distance of two thousand cubits and when they encamped did usually pitch their Tents at that distance from the Ark And so the Custom arose of travelling but 2000 cubits on their Sabbath-days which is reckon'd not above half a mile It may be for this reason the Holy Ghost measures the distance between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives by a Sabbath-days Journey and not by so many Furlongs Because in fair Weather many devout Jews were wont to retire thither for Meditation after the Publick Worship was over From hence let me make two Reflections for our own practice and so conclude 1. Since our Lord was wont to retire from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives for Meditation and Prayer Let me hence take occasion to press these Duties It is certainly one of the best Evidences of an Upright Christian to be serious in this secret work It is of mighty advantage to our growth in Grace to the Evidence and Comfort of it And he deserves not the Name of a Serious Christian who can pass whole days and weeks contentedly without Meditation and secret Prayer Our stedfastness in the ways of God and our daily walk in holy Security and Peace is manifestly assisted by it Such a course cannot consist with regarding and indulging deliberately any known sin This will be a good Argument of our Integrity before God this constant intercourse and Communion between God and us These frequent visits to Heaven will be so conversing with God and pouring out our hearts before him in Secret retiring as it were to the other World so as no temptation of Applause or Reputation from Men can be thought to byass or mislead us when no eye sees us but the great searcher of hearts when no ear hears us but that of our Invisible Judge when no hand can reward us but the Omnipresent Lord our Father and our Redeemer in Heaven who sees in secret and will reward us openly You have been often told That the Conscientious performance of Secret prayer will make you leave sinning or a Course of sin will make you desist daily serious praying 2. I infer from this example of our Lord That after the participation of solemn Odinances especially on the Lord's-day it is very fit and useful for Christians to retire by themselves to spend some time alone in Meditation and prayer To call your selves to an Account to reflect on your wayes and frame to make a trial of your State and Temper to observe your Spirits how they have been influenced or not by the Divine Spirit in the Solemn Duties of Worship to humble your selves before God for the sins you are convinced of such especially as other Men cannot charge you with but God and Conscience know you are guilty of To thank God for his numberless Mercies to beg the suitable supplies of his Grace and whatever Blessings you stand in need of for you and yours This is the right improvement of Sabbaths and Sacraments and such seasons of Mercy as God is pleased to continue to us in order to Eternal Life And without something of this kind tho you frequent the Publick Assemblies and sit before him as his People you do but mock God and trifle with Heaven while you pretend to Religion and assume the Name of Christians You act
perish in my filthiness if I am never washed till I come as I ought to the fountain opened For my Heart is hard and impenitent I feel it so I have not such an heart to turn to God as I should It is the grief of my soul that I find it thus I am without strength and unable to turn Answ But hast thou no Strength no Power to consider whence thou art fallen and how low thou art sunk and to bewail the wretchedness of thy present Case which thou beginnest to be sensible of Canst thou not lament the hardness of thy Heart which thou ownest to be thy grief Canst thou not consider thy past and present câ—ndition and thereupon Cry to God for help and a little thing will save a Man that is Drowning One look from Christ made Peter remember the Warning he had before given him and go out and weep bitterly Canst thou not reflect and consider how much better it was with thee formerly than now when thou hadst good hopes through Grace of Divine Acceptance when thou couldest go to God with Comfort and pour out thy Heart before him with freedom But now since the breach thou hast made upon Conscience if thou comest at all into his Presence thou art drag'd by fear and hardly knowest what to do when thou art there Art not thou ready to cry out O the Communion with Christ that once I had in such or such an Ordinance but now it is lost He is a stranger to my Soul He hath justly withdrawn himself If I seek him where I was wont to find him I find him not My Peace my Joy my Light my Strength is gone Therefore let me return to my first Husband for it was then better with me than now Hosea 2.6 7. Can you not thus reflect to awaken your Repentance and assist your Resolution to return and stir up your selves to call upon God for healing Mercy Object V. But some may say If God should again receive such a returning Backslider Will he not bear me a Grudge for it Will he not hereafter upbraid me with it I shall hear of it again the next Sacrament besure or under the next Afflicting Providence Answ No saith God turn and I will heal your Backslidings I will receive you graciously I will love you freely I will be merciful to your Iniquities and remember them no more Hos 14.1 2 3. Did he upbraid the returning Prodigal and say Where hast thou been Resolve therefore O Backsliding Children to return to your Father to be again Washed Sanctified and Justified Whatever Discouragement be in the way you may hope for welcome For you are Children still though Backsliding Children And remember he is your Father though you have displeased him For First If it be said by the Devil or an accusing Conscience How darest thou take the Name of Father into thy Mouth since thou hast so dishonoured him and grieved his Spirit by thy Revolt A Returning Backslider may say he is A Father still and the Love of a Father is unmeasurable measurable the kindness of a Father is infinitely Tender Though his Paternal Justice may Correct me with a Rod he will not take away his Loving Kindness utterly from me I will therefore go to my Father though he frown upon me though he chastise me though he threaten to turn me out of doors I will yet Return and go to my Father for I must be there I will dye in his Arms or I will dye at his feet I will Return But Secondly What wilt thou venture to go presently all in Rags like a Beggar rather than a Child all in thy filth and dirt thou wilt shame thy Father's House and discredit his Family if such a one as thou shouldest come and call him Father Notwithstanding this I will return presently to him saith the penitent Backslider for the longer I delay the more hardness shall I contract and the greater will my sin be and every day I shall be exposed to further sin and the same Duties now lie upon me as before which I cannot perform duly except I Return therefore I will return presently This Dr. Preston upon 1 Sam. 20.21 adviseth as the wisest and best way after the Commission of any great Sin or the Guilt of any great Backsliding Thirdly But it will be said thy Work is great and difficult before ever thy Peace can be made thou must mourn and weep and Repent in dust and ashes and be humbled to the very mouth of Hell before thou and thy Father be Friends again And will not that discourage thee No sayes the Returning Backslider I will vet go to My Father I will own that I deserve to be rejected for ever but I 'le plead the Mercifulness of his Nature and the freeness of his Covenant Love and Promise you shall never beat me out of it I will return to my Father I know he will meet me half way yea he hath met me and prevented me by his Grace He put it into my heart to return therefore he will accept me I easily foresee what will be Objected against all this That no Backslider is able thus to argue He is holden in the Chain of his own Sins He durst not use such Language I grant that while he is under the full power of Backsliding he cannot thus speak and act But to a Returning Penitent Backslider that begins to be Awakened who feels the burden of his sin and seeks after God the Relation of a Father is an unspeakable Support And notwithstanding his late Backslidings he may make out his Relation to God as his Father when once he is awakened to Repentance Partly by his Mourning and Godly Sorrow for Sin Partly by the remembrance of his former Covenant and Communion with God which when he returns by Repentance may yield him comfort though before it could not Partly by the Inward Motions of the Spirit which he finds lusting against the Flesh Partly by his vigorous importunate Desires to turn to God and be at Peace with him When it comes to this he may take Heart and ought to receive Encouragement by the Promise and Call of God Turn you Backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings The Fourth Discourse After the LORD's SUPPER OF THE Communion OF Christ 's Body and Blood From 1 COR. X.xvi. The Cup of Blessing that we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ WHen the Apostle would Reform the Church of Corinth as to that profane liberty which some of them took boldly to meddle with the Mysteries of Paganism and to Eat of things offered unto Idols He gives an Account of the Nature of this Divine Institution of the Lord's Supper and leaves it to themselves to judge whether they did not do very ill to be present at the Feasts upon the Heathen Sacrifices and to eat of things that were offered unto
is a fit Season for extraordinary Thanksgiving and Praise blessing God for Jesus Christ Which Thankfulness for Christ disposes and fits us for the Reception of further Grace as the Fruit and Purchase of his Death and so is the Means of our Communion in his Body and Blood Thus it is the Cup of Blessing and of Thanksgiving that we there Receive which Cup of Blessing upon such Accounts as these is our Communion in the Blood of Christ. 2. You will hereby the better perceive what is to be done on our part in order to this Communion 1. Our Faith must Eye the Authority of Christ enacting it We must act in Obedience to an Institution and Appointment of Christ It was a Remarkable Instance and Act of his Kingly Office to enjoyn this Memorial of his dying Love And the Season of its Institution is the more observable viz. In the close of his Publick Ministery of his Prophetical Office upon Earth and in his Entrance upon the Execution of the Principal part of his Priestly Office by being made a Sacrifice between both of these And to render both Effectual our Lord interposed an Act of his Kingly Office in the Institution of this Ordinance Accordingly it should be eyed and owned by us in order to our Communion with him therein 2. The Love of Christ must especially be Eyed and Attended to in this Supper as Exprest by his Death and Sufferings Of this we have here the most lively Representation with the Glorious Effects of that Love which are not Represented with such a Beauty and Lustre by any other Ordinance as by this The constraining Love of Christ in his whole undertaking is better discerned and tasted in this Ordinance than as it is proposed 〈◊〉 several parts in the Holy Scripture Here we are called to the particular Application of it He loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 Rev. 1.5 3. The Soveraignty and the Wisdom of God in Instituting these External Signs and Elements of Bread and Wine must also be Eyed and Attended to They most fitly Signifie and Represent the great Things they are designed for and yet without a Divine Institution could have no Relation to the Thing signified How suitable is the plain matter of this Sacrament unto the holy Author of it We remember in this Supper his Body hanging on the Cross and therefore it was not fit the Sacrament of his Body should be sumptuous and rich upon the Table Nevertheless by Bread to strengthen and Wine to comfort all the Benefits of a crucified Saviour are fitly Represented and much better than they could have been by the choicest Delicates In order to this Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ we must take heed to our selves not to rest in the External Signs but to discern the Lord's Body to apprehend the Spiritual Import and End of this Divine Institution That by Faith we may Receive Christ and feed upon him so as to Experience the Communications of his Grace and Receive fresh Influences of his Spirit That we may Accept all the Benefits of the New Covenant which are here Offered and Sealed to us and that we may Devote Resign and Dedicate our selves afresh to be the Lord's to Obey him and serve the Purposes of his Glory while we live in hope of the blessed Recompence which he has Purchased and promised and is gone to prepare and which he will not fail to come again and bestow Until which time this Ordinance is to continue in the Church To shew forth the Lord's Death till he come Vse 1. The first Reflection I would make on this is upon the Sacrilegious Confidence of those Men who deny Christians the Means of their Communion in the Blood of Christ who rob them of one half of this Sacrament by denying the Cup of Blessing to the Laity The Cup is the Communion of the blood of Christ says the Apostle Drink ye all of it says our Lord. And yet the Church of Rome will not suffer the People to taste it But as one Errour makes way for another they pretend that by the New Doctrine of Concomitancy the Bread or the little Wafer which is not broken neither according to the order of Christ but put whole into the Peoples Mouths by the hands of the Priest This Wafer shall be enough for the People and by the help of a strong Imagination of the Authority of their Church the very Body Blood and Bones of Christ shall be contained under the Form and Appearance of Bread One would wonder how any Thing can be plainer both in this and the next Chapter and in the Institution it self as Recorded by the Evangelists than the Universal Obligation upon Christians to partake of the Cup as well as the Bread And what Authority can any Man or Number of Men have to alter such a Constitution May they not as well take away the Bread from the People as the Cup They will grant that for a Thousand Years after Christ it was the Sense and Practice of the Christian Church that the People should partake of the Cup too And for Fourteen hundred Years it can be proved that they did even from the Apostle's Time down to that of Thomas Aquinas in the latter end of the Thirteenth Century Justin Martyr Cyprian Nazianzen Chrysostom and all the most considerable Writers of the Ancient Church are express in their Testimony for it But what need we concern our selves about the Judgment of Antiquity When there is a Positive Institution of Christ and in a large Account thereof by the Apostle Paul in the Eleventh Chapter he speaks but one word of the Consecration of the Bread but uses divers Expressions to signifie the Excellency of the Cup. This is my Blood says Chrâ—st The Blood of the New Testament shed for the Remission of Sins of many His sufferings and the reality of his Death are in a most lively manner set forth by the shedding of his Blood Not to insist upon his bloody sweat in the Garden You know when he was whipt and scourged and crowned with Thornes he then shed Blood Blood issued from his hands and Feet when he was nailed to the Cross and from his side when he was pierced by the Roman Soldiers By the shedding of his Blood he lost his Life and without shedding of Blood there could be no Remission So that to deprive the People of the Cup is to take away the most lively and the most essential Representation of the Sufferings and Death of Christ The Doctrine of Concomitancy will not availe in this Case The partaking of the Bread only is not sufficient whereby to remember his Death For the Separation of his Blood from his Body was the means of his Dying This destroys the Distinction between the two Symbols which yet are very different in their Names in their Properties in their Vse and in the Time of receiving them Besides it is contrary to all the Rules of Language
Forgiveness of Others If we have not had Love to our Fellow-Christians more excited in us to all that are Members of the same Body though they err and mistake though they diner from us though they be angry with us though they think hardly of us and speak hardly against us Yet if we have not had our Spirits brought to a Temper able to forgive them to pray for them and be ready to do them good c. We cannot say we have had Communion with Christ in his Ordinance For such Effects as these wiâ—l follow upon it Or rather it is in these things wherein a great part of our Spiritual Communion doth consist 2. If there have been any thing of this kind bless God for such a merciful Season For this is the Real Advantage and Good of any such Ordinance when it Rectifies our Spirits and betters our frame and subdues our Corruptions and recovers us from our back-slidings and gives us any thing more of the Divine Image and Likeness and makes us hate Sin more and love God and one another better This is the Real Advantage of such Seasons These are gainful Opportunities indeed where these Things are Attained where in any measure there are such Consequences of Approaching to the Lord's Table 3. Let us endeavour hence-forward to walk worthy of such a Priviledge and long for the Repetition of it Let us watch our Spirits this Evening and to Morrow and the following Week and Month that we may not presently lose the Savour of these things by secular and common Discourse and vain Converse When we go away from the Publick Worship let us spend the Remainder of the Day in such Offices and Exercises of Religion as may Assist us to prosecute our Great Design and may strengthen the Vows of God into which we have newly entred And let us shew we like his Fare and are pleased with the Entertainments of his House by desiring more such Opportunities and by Improving them when-ever they return One thing have I desired of the Lord says the Psalmist and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord for ever By this means we should endeavour to become growing thriving fruitful humble self-denying heavenly exemplary Christians walking worthy of our High and Holy Calling purifying our selves more and more from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit That our Hearts may be more fixed for God and Christ against all Competitors and under all Discouragements That Christ Jesus may have the more intire Possession of our Souls and the Service of our Lives That his Love being shed abroad in our Hearts nothing may ever be able to separate us from it That whether we live or dye Christ may be All in All to us Who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood To Him be Glory throughout all the Churches for ever Amen The Fifth Discourse Before The LORD's SUPPER THE Sin and Danger OF Unworthy Receiving From 1 COR. XI xxix He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself SO deep and General is the Corruption of Mankind that it may truly be said of very Many whose Carriage and Conversation is fair and unspotted that they are rather restrained by the Fear of Punishment than of Guilt of being Sufferers rather than of being Criminal Such an Errour it is true is injurious to the Dignity of the Divine Law and to the Honour and Authority of God's Government Nevertheless God doth so far Accommodate himself to our State as to Rule us by Moral Arguments that are proper to Influence our Hopes and Fears and therefore employs Threatnings as well as Promises and punishes some as Examples of Severity to warn others from the like Transgressions This Method the Apostle makes use of in this and the foregoing Chapter when he designed to Reform the scandalous Abuse of the Lord's Supper which these Corinthians were guilty of After he had Explained the Nature of the Institution and opened the Design and End of it he had Represented it as the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ He tells them what most manifestly follows from thence viz. The Greatness of the Sin to eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup unworthily that if they do it without Self Examination they are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord They offend against the Lord Redeemer who hath appointed this Sacred Rite and even against his Body and Blood which are Signified and Represented by the Bread and Wine as the Memorial and Sign of it This to those that have any due Regard to the Authority and Love of a dying Saviour one would think should be Argument enough But least it should not besides the Declaration of their Sin he Denounces the Punishment of it in these Words That such do eat and drink Damnation to themselves Wherein we have First The Description of their Punishment who do unworthily partake of the Lord's Supper That they eat and drink Damnation to themselves Secondly the Reason of that Punishment intimated in the Nature and kind of their Sin That they discern not the Lord's Body Before I consider the Punishment of Vnworthy Receivers it will be proper to open a little the Nature of their Sin mentioned in the latter part of the Verse Not discerning the Lord's Body This may refer to the foregoing Expression of being Guilty of his body and blood and the one Phrase will give light to the other Such as receive Unworthily are Guilty of the body and blood of Christ because they do not discern and distinguish it aright They do not think of it as they ought They do not carry it suitable to its Excellent Nature and Vse and so they eat and drink Judgment to themselves by not discerning the Lord's body And thereby are Criminal against the Person of the Redeemer as cloathed with Human Nature and as giving the Memorials of his body and blood separated to betoken his Death and Sufferings For so we remember a crucified Saviour in this Ordinance It is therefore no wonder if such a Fault be severely punished That which we Translate Discern it is well known signifies to make a difference between one thing and another as Acts 15.19 So not to discern the Lord's body is not to difference and distinguish concerning it to look no further than the outward sense not to make a difference between common and sacramental bread not to eye the body and blood of Christ as signified by the Sacramental Elements not to remember or consider his cruel Sufferings which this should put us in Mind of This be sure is not to discern his body But few can be supposed so ignorant as not speculatively to discern and distinguish in this case But practically to do so is a greater mattâ—r it Imports to mind to attend to to esteem to honour to apply to use the body and blood of Christ and the sign and the Memorial
Acts of Faith Apply this Blood for our Encouragement and Consolation as the Purchase of our Peace with God and as that whereby we have Peace with Conscience All the Blessings we receive are owing to this Blood All the Services we perform must be Accepted through the sprinkling of this Blood and our Faith in it Let us therefore continually apply and plead it The Vertue of it is still the same as when it was at first shed We need not doubt but it is as Acceptable to God now and of as sweet smelling a Savour to him as ever Therefore the Life that we live in the Flesh should be by the Faith of the Son of God having daily Recourse unto his Blood for Pardon and cleansing and strengthning Vertue The Lord teach us this Great Mystery of Godliness THE END The Seventh Discourse BEFORE THE Lord's Supper From CANT II.iv. He brought me into the Banquetting-house and his Banner over me was Love I Shall not need to spend Time to prove this Book to be Canonical and of Divine Auuthority It was never questioned to belong to the Jewish Canon though some other of the Writings of Solomon have been doubted of The whole is an Allegorical Description of the mysterious Vnion between Christ and his Church as Represented under the Persons of a Bridegroom and Bride Which Metaphor is pursued in several other Places of Scripture and alluded to by Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament The 45th Psalm is in some sort an Epitome and Abridgment of this Song of Solomon And that by all Interpreters even the Jews themselves is acknowledged to speak of the Messiah In this Chapter Christ and the Church seem to strive who shall outvie each other in their Encomiums and Commendations In the Two first Verses Christ speaks In the following you have the Voice of the Church or the Language of sincere Christians They Praise and Magnifie and Extol the Lord Christ in the Fourth Verse for his Bounty and Magnificence in making such Rich Provisions to Feast and Entertain them She had said before in the Third Verse That She sate under his Shadow with great Delight and his Fruit was sweet unto her Taste And thereupon adds this Commendation of his Rich Provisions He brought me into the Banquetting-house c. Where 1. She describes the Place or the Means of such a Spiritual Feast The Banquetting-house 2. The Welcom she met with there His Banner over me was Love Under the first Expression is Represented the Excellent Provision which our Lord makes to Entertain the Souls of Believers He led me to the House of Wine the Place where the Master of the House was wont to entertain his Friends Where the Wine is drank or the Entertainment made for so the Word signifies Some understand it of the Places where Christians Assemble and meet together to Worship Christ and Receive the Communication of his Grace the Places where the Ordinances of the Gospel are Dispensed But there is more than the Places of such Communication here meant viz. All the special Means and Instruments of Blessing unto the Souls of Believers It may comprehend the Holy Scriptures the Ministers of the Word the Sacraments the publick Assemblies for Worship and all the Institutions of Christ But amongst them all none more fitly or exactly answering to the Allegory than the holy Supper of the World the great Feast on the Sacrifice of Christ where we hope to be Entertained to Morrow 2. The Welcom she met with His Banner over me was Love His Standard towards me by the lifting up whereof I was invited and drawn to come over to his side to yield to him to give up my self to him The Love of a Crucified Saviour is displayed like a Banner to invite and draw Souls to Christ Therefore it is promised Isa 49.22 I will lift up my Hand to the Gentiles and set up my Standard to the people Christ the Captain of our Salvation lifted up upon a Cross Displays a Banner of Love to all the World to invite them to come to him And the Motto of his Banner is nothing but this Dying Love Victorious Or The Crucified Jesus Loving us to the Death And by his Love conquering our Hearts and constraining us to be his to love him and live to him and even dye for him 1. We may observe That our Lord has his Banquet and Feast whereunto he leads and where he Entertains the Souls of his Followers 2. That the Display of Christ's free and glorious Love is of all things the most proper to Invite and Attract the Souls of Men. 1. That Christ hath his Banquet and Feast unto which he leads and where he entertains the Souls of his Followers Under this Metaphor of a Feast or Banquet all the Spiritual Blessings of the Gospel-State are often Represented Thus when we Read of the Invitation to come to the Marriage Feast of the Kings Son Mat. 22. All the Graces and Comforts of the Spirit are meant forgiveness of Sin the Promise the hope of Eternal Life These are the Provisions of this Feast which in the Word and Sacraments we partake of In this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a Feast of fat things of Wine on the Lees well refined Isa 25.6 It is a Promise concerning the Days of the Gospel In this Mountain In Mount Sion In the Church God will make a Feast for all people for the Gentiles as well as the Jews 1. It 's Literally true of Mount Sion at Jerusalem in which sense it must be understood in the next Verse This was the first Place this Mount Sion whence the Christian Law was to be given out and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem There the Holy Spirit fell upon the Apostles at Pentecost And there the Apostles began their Preaching after the Descent of the Holy Ghost with Wonderful Success So Psalm 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures The like in Prov. 9.2 Where Wisdom is said to have killed her Beasts and mingled her Wine and furnished her Table The Revelation of the Gospel c. All kind of Gifts and Graces and Comforts distributed by the Ordinances of the Gospel are to be understood Especially that part of our Spiritual Provision which is said to be Meat indeed and Drink indeed I mean the Crucified Body of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Blood shed for the Remission of Sins That Institution therefore hath the very Name of the Table of the Lord 1 Cor. 10.21 We cannot be Partakers of the Lord's Table and the Table of Devils It is called a Feast on the Sacrifice of Christ 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Of which I shall have occaison to speak afterward There being all Things there that are necessary to a Feast And a Feast for all People for the Gentiles whom the Jews despi sed and counted as Doggs and
hath done and Suffered purchased and Promised we should come to this Feast with a Gladsome Merry Hâ—art All the Musick and Melody that the Feasts of Sensual Men are attended with wouâ—d be nothing to it Therefore take heed of mistaking the Nature of this Ordinance so as to come like Mourners to Morrow to a Funeral It is to no such Solemnity but to a Feast that you are invited to a Royal Feast And therefore your Hearts and Lips should be full of the high Praises of God and Thankful Admiration of Christ and his Redeeming Love and Grace I will bring them to my Holy Mountain and make them Joyful in my House of Prayer 5. At a Feast there is Good Company Now there is no such Company in all the World as is to be found at Christ's Table While the King sitteth at this Table Cant. 1.12 Christ himself is there present and the Father also For in this Ordinance especially we have Fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Spirit A Communion with them supposes the Presence of Father and Son The Cup of Blessing which we bless is the Communion of Christ's Blood and the Bread we break the Communion of his Body 1 Cor. 10.16 We are invited Guests by Christ and treated as his Friends We are entertained with Kindness and Familiarity which is an Honour we ought to value in his own House we are treated and have the same Fare with the best of his Friends who are Invited with us We sit down with him at his own Table in the best Company that we can desire Haman expresses it as an Honour that the Queen let none come to the Banquet but himself And to morrow says he I am invited also with the King Esth 5.12 If the Father and the Son and the Children of God that are his special Favourites and Heirs of the Heavenly Inheritance if these are Good Company you may have it at the Table 6. At a Feast there is Welcome Exprest and giveâ— by the Master of the Feast Such an expression we have of it Psal 23.5 Thou preparest my Table for me and Anointest my Head with Oile or with Aromatical Ointments formerly used at great Feasts as a token of Respect and Kindness Thou biddest me to a Feast and biddest me welcome Alluding to the Custom of the Eastern People and of the Jews particularly who exprest the h arty wâ—lcome they gave their Guests by pouring some pretious Ointment on their Heads Psal 92.10 Luk. 7.39 A very usual * See Bp. Patrick's Christian Sacrifice p. 100. Festival Solemnity Therefore when you come to morrow to this Feast you must think and believe that Christ speaks to you when you behold the Symbols of his Body and Blood For you are not to consider the broken Bread and the VVine poured out as dumb signs no they speak very distinctly to all the Communicants but come with a chearful Wedding Garment hearing the Voice of your Redeemer as if Christ should say to you That you were welcome to his Table and that he is pleased that you accept his Invitation Come My Brethren as if he should say for so he calls us when he Ascended to his Father John 20.17 Go and tell my Brethren that I Ascend to my Father and their Father to my God and their God Come my Brethren doth he say I sent and commissioned my Ministers to call you to my House solemnly and earnestly to Invite you to my Table You did well that you are come I take it kindly that you did not reject my Invitation I am glad you are come to Remember my Love and to shew your selves my Friends I have no other Design in sending for you but to make you more sensible of my Love and to give you Fresh Tokens of it to repeat the pledge and assurance of my Dying Kindness Do not despise the Entertainment I here give you though you see onely Bread and VVine Open the eyes of your Minds and let your Faith discern that this Bread is my Body my crucified Body my Body broken for you And this Wine poured out is my Blood my Blood shed for you Oh see how I loved you see what my Love to you brought me to undergo Consider how I was used for your sakes to procure your Peace and to purchase your Reconciliation I have nothing to desire of you but that you would continue in my Love and then I promise you the Love of my Father and that your sins shall be forgiven they shall not be remembred against you you shall not come into Condemnation And all your wants shall be supplied Nothing you can need but I have purchased nothing you can want but I will give Till I have fitted you for my Presence above till you come to be with me in the Heavenly state You shall receive it all from time to time Come take the Pledge and the Assurance of this by doing this in Remembrance of me Come therefore says Christ Take and Eat Eat O Friends drink abundantly O Beloved Take eat this Morsel as little and inconsiderable as it seems to be it cost my Life I give it to you as a Token of my Love and of my Fathers Love Take it and Remember both I say the same for the Cup of Blessing Drink it in Remembrance of me Come pledge me This is Wine of my own making when I trod the Wine-press of my Father's Wrath alone This will strengthen and revive thy fainting Spirit This will cure the Ulcers of thy Heart This will give thee Boldness and Courage to enter into the Presence of thy Father c. Thus does Christ give Welcome to his prepared Guests 7. And Lastly This is a peculiar sort of Feast viz. a Feast upon a Sacrifice A Feast that betokens a Covenant and Reconciliation between God and such as are Invited Guests at this Table I often take occasion to mention this because I judge it the true Notion of the Lord's Supper and the sense of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.8 Christ our Passover was Sacrificed for us Let us therefore keep the Feast with the Vnleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth which is spoken of the Feast from which the Corinthian Church by the Authority of Christ was to bar and seclude the disorderly Person It is well known that Sacrifices were wont to be attended with a Feast The Peace-offering under the Law was to be brought on the top of the Burnt-offerings No burnt offerings were without some peace-offerings And having offer'd them to the Lord they were to eat their part chearfully among their Friends For then they had as it were one Dish sent them from God's Table One part of the Offering viz. God's was consumed upon the Altar Another part the Priests had by God's Appointment And a Third the Offerers had to Feast upon Christ's Offering up himself upon the Cross is the Great Sacrifice This Banquet at the Table of the Lord is a Feast on that Sacrifice
because you have many good Books on this Subject that will Assist you in this Matter I shall only put you in mind of a few Things As 1. That you take some convenient Time for solemn and serious Preparation They especially should do so who have never come till now And they who for some considerable time have neglected it with whom several Months have past since they have been at the Lord's Table Either through their own Neglect which they must Repent of or for want of Opportunity God expected and required solemn Preparation for the Passover Feast Exod 19.10 He doth so for this Feast upon Christ our Passover sacrificed for us Therefore take some time to consider what you are about to undertake Beg of God a prepared Heart and by Reading Meditation and Prayer endeavour to bring your Spirits into a suitable Frame for such solemn Work He brought me into his Banquetting-house Christ himself by his Spirit must lead his own Guests to his own Table He must awaken and excite all those Graces that are to be exercised in this Feast Therefore beg a prepared Heart and do what you can by other means to endeavour it 2. Renew your Repentance for all the Sins of your Life Do not come with filthy Hearts and Hands to the Table of the Lord no more than you would in filthy Rags to a great Man's Table Lay aside all Filthiness and Superfluity of Naughtiness Purge out the Old Leaven of Hypocricy and Malice of Ignorance or Envy and Wickedness of every sort that you may come with penitent humbled Hearts and so with a thankful receptive Frame consenting to all the Claims and Purposes of this Ordinance 3. Therefore Examine your selves afresh that you may thus come Review the State of your Souls see how it hath been and is with you as to Heart and Life State and Frame Let a man examine himself and so let him eat 1 Cor. 11.28 Examine your selves about your Knowledge and your Faith to understand the meaning and the very mystery of this Table that you may firmly Assent to and heartily believe what is Represented and exhibited here And have right Apprehensions of those Doctrines that Explain this Ordinance as concerning our State of Apostacy concerning the Method of our Recovery by Christ and our Faith in him as Teacher Saviour and Lord in all his Offices The like might be said concerning Repentance or Godly Sorrow for Sin hatred of it and hearty forsaking of it Whether you can penitently believingly seal back your part of the Covenant when God sets the Broad Seal of Heaven unto his part when he says I will be thy God and I will remember thy sins no more I will with my Christ freely give thee all things This I promise this I seal to every of you says God I here deliver it as my Act and Deed. Now can you seal back your part of the Covenant Lord I will be thine henceforth I desire and resolve to be entirely thine thy sealed Fountain thy sealed Garden I engage henceforward to be the Lord's This I deliver as my Act and Deed. In a word Examine your selves Do you believe the Gospel of Christ to be true and heartily consent to the Doctrines of it Do you resolve to be Governed by Christ as your Lord and consent to the Terms of his Gospel Do you take him for your only Saviour and look for all your Acceptance with God and hope of Pardon and Life only for his sake and upon his Account Do you consider the Vow you made in Baptism of Fidelity to Christ and resolve to be true to it Do you here seriously Renew it and will you now again promise Faithfulness to him to your Lifes end Do you value his Favour and Grace above all things and come to remember his dying Love and receive the Communications of the purchased Spirit with this Desire Design and Hope That you may love him and obey him better and that you may live in Love and Charity towards your Brethren and all Mankind c. 4. Look to the Inward part of the Ordinance and labour to Appropriate and Apply Christ to your selves Here is a Covenant confirmed by Sacrifice by Blood by the precious blood of Christ I am called O my Soul to feat upon it This Blood was shed to Reconcile me to God I will drink of it in token of such a Reconciliation made as a Testimony that I have Recieved the Atonement made by that Blood My Body was broken for you says Christ Take and eat it My Blood was shed for you Take and drink it Apply it to your selves every one to his own Soul saying He loved me and gave himself for me 5. Endeavour to fix your Purposes and Resolutions of faithful Adherence to Christ whatever it cost you Tell him that you distrust your selves and are afraid of Temptation Tell him in Prayer You are almost ashamed to come to his Table you are such vile unworthy Sinners and are afraid you shall not keep the Covenant that now again you desire to renew But bewail your selves as sensible of your sins and weary of them Tell him that you hate them and resolve against them or else you durst not have the face to ask forgiveness and receive the Seal of it Therefore Resign your selves into his Hands Beg that the Holy Spirit would take possession of you that you may not backslide and wander as you have done Tell him that you renounce all Confederacy with his Enemies you would fain be more stedfast in the way of the Lord It is the desire of your Souls that you may not violate this Covenant but having sworn that you may perform it to keep his Righteous Judgments and that you hope you are ready through his Grace strengthning you to do and suffer any thing for him Therefore penitently and humbly offer up your selves to be his for ever saying Lord I present thee with what thou hast so dearly bought And here without reserve I give up my self to be Thine O do not reject a broken and contrite Heart that desires to be employed and used as may best please and serve thee Lord I am nothing I have nothing I can do nothing I deserve nothing I desire nothing but to love thee better to be more filled with thy Grace to partake more of thine Image to be enabled to honour thee now and enjoy thee for ever Grant me this Lord and do with me what thou wilt Accept the Sacrifice I make of my self unto thee of Soul and Body of all I have without any Exception or Reserve to thy holy will and pleasure Lastly After all this Remember that Thanksgiving and Joy is a principal part of our Work at this Table Let our Souls and all that is within us then praise the Lord giving Thanks to the Father of Mercies for this unspeakable Gift Blessing the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for all the Riches of his Grace in him
The very Name of this Sacrament the Eucharist imports this That Thanksgiving is our principal Work He took the Bread and he took the Cup and he gave Thanks say the Evangelists indifferently of the one and of the other Blessing and Giving of Thanks being the same This Food is hallowed by Thanksgiving and if ever the High Praises of God should be in our Mouths it ought to be so upon this Occasion Praising God for parting with his only Son not sparing him that we might be spared Thanking our Lord Redeemer for leaving the Right Hand of his Father and the Glory of Heaven to come and Tabernacle amongst us and take our Nature and Dye for us Lord Jesus Who are we What am I that thou shouldst part with the Glory of Heaven and part with thine own Life upon the accursed Tree for such a Wretch as I am Was I dearer to thee than thine own Heart-blood that thou didst freely shed it upon the Cross for me How Amazing is thy Love How do I rejoyce in it With what Thankfulness do I reremember it How am I ashamed of my self that I love thee no more O that I might feel the Constraints of thine Endearing Love to warm and quicken my cold and dead Heart that so I might speak thy Praise And let Heaven and Earth and Angels and Men for ever Extol thy Matchless Grace and Love which passeth Knowledge but calls for Everlasting Thanksgiving With such a Frame as this let us endeavour to Come and we shall find that His Banner over us will be Love THE END The Eighth Discourse AFTER THE Lord's Supper From St. JOHN xx 27 28. Then said he unto Thomas Reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be not faithless but believing And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God A Strange and surprizing Spectacle to see an Apostle of our Lord carry it like an Infidel an Vnbeliever To behold one of the Twelve that was to spread the Faith of Christ throughout the Universe to want that Faith which he was to perswade others to To hear the great Article of the Resurrection one of the most deeply Fundamental Articles of the Christian Religion to be obstinately denied by those Lips that were to Publish the Gospel of Christ And this as the Sum of it That he is Risen from the dead What more likely to scandalize the Weak to stagger the Faith of many not yet confirmed Disciples and to hinder the belief of Christ's being Risen than such an Example of Incredulity in one of his Apostles But the permission of such Falls and the raising a Revenue of Glory to the Redeemer by them is one of the Secrets of Predestination that will be Eternally Adored This is sufficiently manifest in this very Passage relating to the Apostle Thomas whose Infidelity as one of the Ancients observes has proved as serviceable to Christianity as the Faith of the other Apostles His Incredulity strengthens our Faith in the Resurrection of our Saviour as it gave occasion to his Appearing another time for the Cure of his Unbelief And because after so much Obstinacy and pertinacious Doubt he at last yields and acknowledges the Truth of Christ's Resurrection and makes a Glorious Confession of his Faith Whereas if only a few credulous Men men of an easie and hasty Faith had assured us of it their Testimony had been more liable to suspicion The Wisdom of God has Recorded the Faults and Miscarriages of the Apostles for our Instruction and Vse These Suns enlighten us not only by the Lustre of their good Examples when they shine in Grace and Holiness but even by their Eclipses too Their Cowardize their Rashness their Presumption their Unbelief is of use to be considered Our Heavenly Physician Extracts some of the best Medicines out of the most deadly Poyson to caution and warn and instruct and Edifie us by the Miscarriages and Faults of David of Peter of Thomas and the like Let us therefore view this Passage and consider what Reflections may be made upon it And the whole may be comprehended under these Four Heads 1. The Incredulity of this Apostle he could not believe without seeing feeling and having the Testimony of Sense Except I shall see in his Hands the print of the Nails and put my Finger into the print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Side I will not believe Verse 25. 2. The Condescention and Kindness of Christ in appearing to him another time and granting it Verse 26 27. 3. The Cure of his Vnbelief and the Excellent Confession of Faith which thereupon he makes Verse 28. And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God 4. The useful Admonition which our Saviour gives us concerning Faith that though Thomas having seen him had believed yet Rather blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed 1. Concerning the Incredulity of this Apostle the Evangelist gives us an Account that on the First Day of the Week towards Evening our Lord being Risen from the Dead early in the Morning when the Disciples were met together and had shut the Door for fear of the Jews Ver. 19. He suddenly presents himself amongst them saying Peace be unto you He assures them of his being Risen from the Dead imparts to them the Holy Ghost and gives them a Charge and Commssion to act as Apostles in Remitting or Retaining Sins But Thomas whose Greek Name was Didymus both signifying Twins was not present at this Assembly But as soon as the other Disciples met him they tell him They had seen the Lord that Mary Magdalen had seen him that Peter had seen him and the two Disciples going to Emaus and then all the Ten and had full Assurance that he was Risen This makes little Impression in order to his believing it for no Eyes will serve him but his own Though Faith comes by hearing he professes he would not believe except he saw Except I see in his hands the print of the Nails and put my Finger into the prints of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Side I will not believe O suspicious incredulous Man Who will be the Loser if thou wilt not believe But wherefore dost thou doubt How is it that so many Eyes and Tongues are not as credible as thine own Eyes and Hands Shall the World be Proselyted to the Faith of Christ upon the Testimony of these Witnesses and wilt not thou Assent Did not thy Lord foretel his own Death and Resurrection Didst thou not hear him declare that he must be Crucified and that afterwards on the Third Day he would Rise again Is there any thing we Attest concerning his Resurrection but what was promised and foretold Why may not we be credited in our Report of a Matter of Fact whereof we have so plain and full an Evidence What ground is there to disbelieve so many Eye-witnesses