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
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
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
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
Christ be the surety The Ocean câ—â— drown a Mâ—un 〈…〉 â—oleâ—â—â—â—ll and yet presâ—â—â—e â—ot to 〈◊〉 â—ecause of eithâ—r mercy or merit who 〈…〉 thâ—ir condâ—nâ—â—â—ion wâ—s orâ—â—â—â—ed of oâ—◠〈…〉 â—ot be 〈◊〉 plainâ— maâ—k of â—â—â—proâ—â— haâ— aâ—d ng tâ—e riches of Gods Grace and 〈◊〉 Jude 4.4 â—e brings us bâ—â—k to Gâ—d again After we had bâ—enest out and put away he hath brought us into favour â—ith God again As all we have from God streams through his Floâ—d so all we give to God aâ—cends by vâ—râ—â— of his Mâ—râ— 5. Iâ— crucifies the World to u and laâ—s all it gâ—ory in thâ—â—ust If I had not this to morâ—ly my hearâ— I had â—â—en as â—ond of earthly shadows as ever deceivâ—d 〈◊〉 was 54. The command of God laid on us leaves us not at liberty whaâ— to do in this matter for he hath said eat and he hath said drink yea dâ—ink 〈◊〉 â—â—â—tly O beloved What the 〈…〉 of God David â—efused to drink the water that was purchased with the 〈◊〉 of the lives of three 〈…〉 God hath made it our duty to drink the precious 〈◊〉 f Chrâ—st as an â—â—speakable priveledg and the most wondâ—rful expression of Divine Love What shall we â—ay to this gift of Christ O wonder of wonders in beâ—â—owing of him on us 1. Considering he hâ—â—â—â—hing â—â—tter â—ay nothing near so good his price is aâ—ove ruâ—â—es and nothin◠〈◊〉 be compared to him 2. God 〈…〉 Man 〈◊〉 but here he gives God even manâ— Creator to him 3. When he gave Creatures into Adam's â—â—â—nd at first he gave them to a holy and righteous man but Christ is given to depraved sinful man 4. To glorify God's grace yet more he takes occasion from so great an evil as sin to manifest such exceedings of Love 5. And all this moving from himself and not another 6. If Angels and Men should busy their thoughts to eternity they could not imagin any thing greater nor half so great as this love that hath glory and Communion in a Heavenly Paradise with God himself for sinners and all by the Death and Sufferings of Christ his Fathers Darling Hence see what a liar Satan was thâ—t insinuated God to be an enemy to mans happiness as if he envied the good fruit forbidden and yet hath the world seen how dear he was willing to recover man out of his lost condition even at the amazing expence of the blâ—od of his beloved Son Oâ—â—he shooting the arrows of God into his Son rather than into the Râ—bel is the highest point his Compassion could mount to Could we but â—â—nd you away with more hatred of â—in and more love to your Saviour the work were done and the â—nd of this Orâ—â—nance obtained But behold another wonder stâ—rts â—p when we speak of Love What wonder that God shoâ—â—d highly and dearly court our Love 1. Considering it's so imperfect not as these burning Serâ—phims or perfected Saints above 2. So polluted is our â—ove he might havâ— disdained and refuâ—eâ— to be imbraced by such aâ—â—ections as have defiled themselves so much with 〈◊〉 asâ—â—dols and sinful Vanities 3. He commâ—ndâ—th my love â—nd makes it my greatest duty and become â—y grâ—â—â—â—s t sin when God is â—lightâ—◠〈◊〉 He so Amâ—â—bâ—â—◠〈◊〉 we so Ugly 〈◊〉 That he should be the first â—â—d most â—â—â—â—si suiter for it 55. Q. Who have a right tâ— this 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ce A. 1. Holy things are â—â—â—dogs and â—wiâ—e that â—â—lloâ— in the miâ—e of sin anâ— luâ—â— 2. â—oâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—â—ching â—â—d sâ—â—â—-jâ—dging sinn â—s I Cor. 11.28.31 3. Noâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—eâ—ry 〈◊〉 ladâ—â— sâ—â—ers that are 〈◊〉 to pâ—rt â—ith their 〈…〉 4. Nâ—ne but they who are willing to â—â—ke Châ—â—â—â— yâ—kâ— on their neck and sâ—nâ—â—rely coverant and resign thâ—mselves to Christ for a leader â—nd commander 5. Name but they who desire Christ and Salvation above all the World that can sell all to purchase the â—â—â—l of Price Having cleared your right consider your work and business when about it viz. Remembring of Christ in his death and sufferings It 's very instructive therein to compare the memorial of our High Priest for us Exod. 28. with our Memorial of him here in this Ordinance Go to particulars thus v. 9. The Names of Israel were to be engraven and have a deep impression with Christ and that on stones to mâ—ke it more legible and less subjest to obliterating And all for a Memorial v. 12. And every one with his Name v. 21. That there may be no suspicion of his forgetting any one of his poor Children And all their Names must he bear on his heâ—rt that it mâ—y not be a faint and formal remembrance But wheâ— shall this memorial of Israel be but when the High Priest goes in before the Lord then shall they be on â—is hâ—art at his most solemn appearing at the right hand of Majesty on high Lastly to consumate and perform our blessedness in this Metrorial it 's a perpetual memorial continually even to make intercession for ever v. 3. No length of time nor emergent of Providence can possibly wear out or â—ut off this happy memorial of us by Christ Now but think what answerable returns you are to make in a humâ—ble â—earty and constant râ—memâ—râ—nce of him who râ—mâ—mbred us in our low â—sâ—â—â—e here and leaves not off remembring us in his exâ—lted 〈◊〉 â—bove This memorial is a memorial of love Joh. 3.35 The Fâ—â—â—â—r â—â—â—â—â—h the Son and hath given all thinâ—s inâ—â— his hand Now â—y your Love by this what can yâ—u intrust him with 〈◊〉 Thâ—râ— iâ— great trust in Love if it be true Can you 〈◊〉 â—ll thiâ—â—â— inâ—o his hâ—â—â—â—s 1. The Fâ—ther that 〈◊〉 â—im best iâ—â—â—â—â—ed him most and they tâ—â—t know 〈…〉 will word â—â—â—st Pâ—â—l 9.10 2. The Fâ—thâ—r trusâ—◠〈…〉 â—ith 〈◊〉 the Souls of his Elect and durst not 〈…〉 with one 3. He 〈◊〉 trâ—â— to his trâ—st 〈…〉 Joh. 17.4 which makes our 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 4. Never any Soul inâ—rusâ—â—d 〈◊〉 â—o â—iâ— hands 〈…〉 â—â—de aâ—â—â—d accâ—â—â—t thâ—â—â—â—f 〈…〉 to the end 2 Tiâ— 1.12 5. â—â—â—vâ—â— a soul did well at lâ—â—â—â—ut â—hat â—as intrulled into his â—ands John 3.13 6. â—â—viâ—g truâ—ted â—im â—ith your Souls canâ—ot you trust him wâ—tâ— â—â—dies aâ—â— sâ—â—sâ—â—on Now let a Sâ—ng of Praise 〈◊〉 â—â—lude this sacred 〈…〉 aâ— our blâ—ssâ—d Sâ—â—iour went before us with his Diâ—â—â—â—â— in â—â—â—â—ing a 〈…〉 â—he concluâ—ion of the S 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 30. â—â—r up 〈◊〉 â—â—lves to it with Debâ—raâ—h â—â—dg 5.12 saying awake awake O my Soul and all within me awake awake to utter a Song to the Saviour of sinners 56. Let no Christian think that Conversion and a new state in Christ is enough for your â—eing here or that one examination may serve for all Indeed many come short of this but as often as you eat the duty of examining must be repeated â—s the word enjoyns Let â—t man examin hâ—â—self and â—o let him eat so thâ—t eating at anâ—â—â—mâ— without it bee â—â—es our sin and â—ransgresseth
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
belong to God he will find out the way to awaken them and not let them sleep the sleep of death but will shew them wherein they have exceeded and a wake them to their work out of this Lethargy either by renewing some terrrors of Conscience or turning his hand upon them by some torturing tribulation And there is a third sort I fear may come who are almost well resolved never to come up to the terms of having Christ because of some beloved lust they are so loath to part with and go away with the young man in the Gospel sad from every discovering ordinance whereby he finds all must be left to follow Christ if he have treasure in heaven which his hypocritical heart could never yet comply with and so finds no sweetness in sacraments nor Sermons nor never can in this condition for the consolations of God are small because of some secret thing with him Job 15.11 But as ever you think to be happy be advised whatever it be hang up that Idol before the sun this day look but to Christ and see whither thou durst lay it in the ballance with him who is yet wooing thee to win tâ—y soul by parting with thy sin Let it wither under Christs curse for the many good days and far sweeter imbraces of a better beloved it hath kept thee from 8. Such a day will either be one of our best or worst days It will either further salvation and bring you nearer God or harden your hearts and heighten your Judgment A hot summers day ripens the corn so do these seasons of grace ripen faster than any thing can for Judgment when not improved but abused Would it not be sad that any of us should be worse at last than if we had never been here nor seen the Lord in these precious ordinances Neglecters of the great salvation are in a worse condition than if the new Covenant had never been made for they must answer not only for breach of Law but abuse of mercy Now that this Feaâ—t hurt â—ou not you must be careful that you be not unworthy partakers To eat and drink unworthily is to eat and drink unsuitably So that the best way to examine this matter is by a due consideration of the nature and use of this ordinance Here is bread that calls for hunger and wine for thirst and both for strength and refreshing Here is bread broken and wine poured out which calls for a broken heart and pouring out of our souls to him whom we pierced and put to pain Here 's consecrated Bread and Wine come as Consecrated Persons to Consecrated Elements Here is a Feast then come as confederated Friends to take a fill Here is a Seal of a Testament call'd the Cup of the New Testament in his Blood come and take a Legacy And as it 's full of Mysteries it calls us to come with a Piercing Eye to discern the Lord's â—ody and its worth under the meanness of outward Signs Now you see to come unsuitably is to come unworthily And may we not tremble to think on the doom of that Guest that came in without the Wedding Garment and that it is not one or a few that come so but very many appears from Matt. 22.11 and 1. v. compared In the application of that Parable they are said to be many that are called but sew chosen ones The King took no exceptions against his guests when he came to view them because of being poor halt or weak but offended with them that refused to come and with them who came without the wedding garment Many refuse to come that are utterly careless to be in any condition to meet Christ in this ordinance and make nothing of a life time of refusing an offered Christ therein For which so gross a contempt of his grace how shall many answer And others come without the wedding garment and with these he is angry intimating that many weaknesses he could pass by provided we make conscience of preparation and putting on the wedding garment which I take to be a good state in Christ through his righteousness imputed and a spiritual frame lamps trimmed and in good fashion for feasting with Christ minds spiritual and graces active Repentance faith hope and love in exercise 9. I am affraid our familiar and frequent conversing with such sacrâ—d things do's great hurt to carnal hearts and hardens hypocrits in their sins and seares their consciences more to obduration Thus Judas received the sop and Satan entered Abuseing these sacred spiritual things with careless and carnal frames makes way for Satans entering and possessing men more strongly whereby they become twice more the children of wrath than before For who eat and drink unworthily eat and drink damnation i. e. Reprobates thereby bring eternal damnation to themselves and it brings to Gods own temporal punishments as 1 Cor. 11. Now to prevent this danger beware of Hypoctisy in sacred things Double dealing here will undo us I mean a heart and a heart or a sacrifice without a heart The work is the Lord's have you a heart for him I wish our case be not Jehu's who had a great pretended zeal for God but had no care of his heart in Gods ways 2. Kings 10.16 31. What sayeth God of this service did he accept and reward it No he avenged it upon his House Hos 1.4 Tho' he shed blood in Gods cause and quarrel yet he did it not with a right and sound heart O look to it that you reap not his reward for a rotten heart We say by our coming hither come and see my zeal but if the heart be not right with him the blood of Christ will be required at our hand it 's a great guilt to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ O take care that things be all right in our dealings with Christ and particulary in our sealing Covenants with him Isa 61.8 It 's a precious promise that in making an everlasting Covenant with them he will direct their work aright or in truth and that is when their heart is directed into the love of God 2. Thes 3.5 Now may we ask for love in this action If it have a root now is the season of its putting forth We may say as the Rulers of Israel spring up O well Let your love be carried out according to the vastness of his loving kindness that we may love him in our measure who hath loved us with a love that hath neither bounds nor bottom let their be some risings of love some returns of love an entertainment of love in this feast of love But when we have said all it 's the Spirit that quickens and giveth life and where its power is wanting there the word is a dead letter the Sacraments dead Elements and we dead creatures Now since the spirit worketh all in all grieve not the spirit resist it not but walk in the spirit and look to Christ for a heavenly
that tho we faâ—l in many things yet our heart stands to it delighting in the Law according to our inward man to shew that a man does not repent but his engagement is still pleasant to him as if it were to do again a man would do the same thing if it were every hour to let the world see there is not a heart drawing back from God and that the heart that is naturally unstable may become fixed for God And yet tho this making and renewing Covenants by this Ordâ—nance be so useful Christ hath not tied himâ—elf to Sacramental Seals for that Faith that eats and drinks the Blood of Christ without a Sacrament doth save And that Covenant whâ—sâ—â—ver believes in Christ shall be saved passeth the sâ—als effectually to a believer tho there were never an occasion of sealiâ—g iâ— sâ—cramâ—ntally Crede manducasti Bâ—lieve â—nd thoâ— hâ—st eaten saith Aâ—stin God needs no Seal to bâ—nâ— himself but to secure and settle uâ— Yet since we are graciously allowed the opportuniâ—y of contemplaâ—ing a crucified Saviour here these two thâ—â—gs among many others ought to be wonder'd at viz the price and the purchase And this adds to the wonder of bestowing Heaven on us that it comes as the reward of our service tho purchased by Christ All Heaven to them who had little or nothing on Earth all Christs â—lood for them who had nothing of his Spirit or Grace by Nature O wonder that a Heaven full of pleasures should be at last the portion of them who have had hearts full of sin and lives full of blemishes If a poor Beggar came iâ—to the King's Treasury and saw all the bags of Gold and Silver and one should tell him they are all laid up for you what would the man think It would strike him with a strange astonishment But whâ—t are these to Bags that wax not old and Treasure in Heaven laid up for you wher of if we had once a believing sight would make uâ— for ever think less of earthly riches nay you would be ready to go home and throw your bags of Gold and Silver to the Moles and to the Bats and say get ye hence ye stumbling-blocks of mine iniquity But again wonder at such a price paid for us so worthless worth nothing and yet cost him so dear Good Lord what do we for him that laid out so much for us If we have nothing he needs nothing yea he requires nothing but to accept his bounty and be ravisht with his love Tho we be utterly unable to pay being broken debtors yet let us even be ready to praise and be thankful debtors For this very End is this Eucharistical Feast instituted At this Festival Commemoration let the Founder of the Feast be remembred with praise and honour And here take we hold of the most solemn occasion for the most passionate and thankful remembrance of that love that gave us so great a gift as Christ to do and suffer for us And without this affectionate frame of heart we now frustrate the very end of the Institution 16. Here have we the Beloved standing and knocking and putting in for entrance at the door of our hearts saying open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled one Here is my divine lasting love that for all her sinful sloath and sleepy temper she was fallen into yet he never changâ—th her name but courts her love with kindest compellations still But the motive he presteth his acceptance by is melting and convincing above all open to me fâ—r my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night He begs a place in our hearts by all inconveniences he suffered for us O the dark and dismal night of his undergoing the wrath of his holy Father when our iniquities were laid on him Thus stands our Lord now knocking and begging our good will and likeing our Love and fellowship by all the wounds he received on the Cross for us Here are we called to behold they pierced my hands and my feet and shall not this pierce our hardest hearts to see the anguish of his Soul The rejected and slighted obtestations of a crucified Jesus will rise up aginst many in the day of their distress that they were besought to mortify their lusts and live to God by every drop of Christs blood shed for them but they would not hear That the requests of a suffering Saviour may have their due influence is this ordinance appointed bringing all his pain shame and sorrow to our remembrance We see he hath a good mind to be in our eye and thoughts If you see a Criple lay out his sores they beg tho' be hold hiâ— peace And if our suffering saviour this day be unlapping his wâ—â—â—â—d and laying his sâ—res open to view shall not they beg more powerfully and prevaile and remember all the wounds of our Lord he had in the house of his friends Now the very great voice of all his wounds are 1. Repent Look on me whom you have pierced and mourn 2 Believe when you see your ransom and sacrifice slain If Justice say I have enough and am satisfied why do not we think it enough even apply it and rest in it Take peace and content yea rejoyce in God thro' Jesus Christ by whom you have now received the atonement 3. The voice of Christs sufferings is my Son â—dive me thy heart If I have loved thee and washed thee in my blood It 's reason I have love again 4. It says 〈◊〉 bey and hearken to thy High priâ—st Hear him in all he hath to say he hath deâ—â—ly bought your obedience and attention to all his motions and Instructions Prov. 8.31 â—2 The force and strenâ—th of that tâ—erefore is never to be studied and undeâ—â—â—ood enough Get Christs Cross to give your lusts a deadly wound rest not till you see him and feel th m thereby disabled and miled to his Cross As for your Darling the world in its profits pleasures and honour hear Christ saying It frowned on me and will my ransomed smile on it It was despised and a little thing with me who knew so well a better and shall it be great with you Remember that to take Christ in and put Christ on are the two great Calls of Heaven in the Gospel And since your suffering Redeemer iâ— taken into heaven these gates of Glory flew wide open to him at his Ascention shall he be kept out of our hearts Are they better than it No but there was he better known and here his own received him not for they knew him not nay not only â—eaven hath received him and therefore so should our hearts but there hath he entred for us which also hath its own weight for his entring into our hearts here 17. Here come we to get more grace and strength to reâ—â—st the Devil and stand againâ—â— his temptations Now our encouragements to encounter this enemy of ours that roaring Lyon 1.
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
v 47 and my words are spirit v. 63. So that all must be understood spiritually and done in Faith Then there is a feeding here by faith on Christ 1. when the soul finds rest in him as it could never do in self or any other now being come to Christ finds rest in him and sees its safâ—ty by building on the Rock 2 when refreshed with the lively hopes of the purchased pâ—sessâ—â—n 3 when it receives spiritual strength for service and his Love girds its loyns 4 when his sensible presence makes glad the soul 5. when sights of Christ mortifies the mind to the world then feeds the Christian by faith on Christ 33. Christ saith to none eat and drink and his heart is not with them Nay this is the bread of him that hath an evil eye we are forbid to eat of Prov. 2.3.6 7. â—ut our liberal Lord saith eat and drink abundantly O Beloved Song 5.1 Q. What is it to eat and drink abundantly in Gods house or at Christs table Ans It s the same with being filled with the spirit Eph. 5.18 Q. What is it to be filled with the spirit Ans 1. To be eminent in Grace and ripe for Glory To be under rich anointings of the spirit above our fellows abounding in the fruits of the spirit 2. A sowing to the spirit full of spiritual projects and designs Act 10.38 a forward activity and doing our outmost to advance the Kingdom of God among men 3. To abound in spiritual thoughts and be spiritually minded Psa 139.17 18. Magis Dei â—neminisse debemus quam respirare Omne tempus quo de Deo non cogitasti cogita te perdiâ—â—â—â—â— 4. To be filled with spiritual desires still breathing after heaven Psa 101.2 Rev. 22.27 5. To be filled with holy zeal and boldness for Christ and his cause 6. To be well furnished with all spiritual abilities for the work and worship of God 7. To be â—illed with spiritual Consolation Acts. 9.31 The Joy of the Lord to be our strength Alas with what stant measures take most of us up in Religion and the matters of God Qu. What are the marks of these fuller measures of eating and drinking abundantly with Christ or being filled with the spirit Ans 1. A constant drawing and ever bringing our empty buckets to his well to be filled A Saint that cannot be contented to stand always at the bottom but teaching forth to get up to the top of the hill for a fuller view and getting new discoveries of the holy land bringing out of his treasures things new and old 2 When spiritual receivings have greatly quenched our thirsts after temporal things 3. When we can rejoyce in our Lords work and find a delight in Gods ways 4 The well is full when it runs over in praises to God for his communications Eph. 5.18 19. And in commending Christ unto others Song 5. Qu. What shall we do for fuller measures Ans 1. Keep a good Stomack fervent desires and spiritual hungrings are the best preparations for plentiful partakings Psa 81.11 2. Beware of self conceit and creature fulness that will hinder being filled with the spirit God gives more grace to the humble Jam. 4.6 3. Be very thankful for measures received Col. 2.7 We can never abound in Grace but by thanksgiving Prize a little grace above all Gods gifts and he will not fail to give you more 4. Put in for larger measure and let thy heart tell God that if he will but fill thee with grace and Godliness you will be content with the less allowance in other things Joh. 16.24 Song 2.5 5. Sue out thy fill out of the promises Joel 2.28 Zech. 9.12 Eph. 3.19 20. And tell God that he put it out there that it should ly there but in thy heart 34. Qu. By what motives may Christians be stirred up to eat and drink abundantly and to richer participations of the spirit Ans 1. There is no other fill recommended to us but to be filled with the spirit not with wine or any nature else Other things are commended to us in a Moderation to be used soberly and sparingly 2 Because in these spiritual enjoyments there can be no excess Surfeiting as in earthly things Eph. 5.18 Other things may cloy you and you loath them as Ammon did Tamar and Solomon his Worldly Vanities But not so with Christ and Grace rich receivings begets greater hungering after richer and full participations 3. It 's set in opposition to sinful sensuality It is not a light tincture but a double dy of Reâ—igion that will bring down some lusts and ast out some Devils What shou d be the reason that lust st nds as a Marble pillar again â— all our partaking of ordinances but that we eat and drink but not abandantly Eph 5.18 4. 〈◊〉 best proportions a Christian for his work He had need feed and gird his loins wâ—ll 〈◊〉 that hath a great Journey to go Much grâ—â—â— will fit us for doing more serviâ—â— Cor 15 10. 5. 〈◊〉 becomes a Gospel state for Christ I come that we might partake more abundantly than believers did under the law Joh. 10.10 6. Our emptyness reflects dishonour on the Fathers fulness as if there were not bread enough and to spare in his house If the servants be seen poor and meanly appareled they will hardly believe the Master to be rich and bountiful 7. The more Grace the more Glory and they lose mâ—re than the whole World that lose thâ— least degree oâ— Glory 8. Larâ—e receivings would make oâ—r passage at last far more easy and comfortable 2 Pet. 1.8 11. Acts 7.55 more of the Spirit would better assure us of our Heavenâ—y Interest so as to have the witness in our selves If we live poor we cannot think to die rich 9. The more of God in any Creature he is the more delighted with it Song 5.1 10. It conforms us best unto our blessed Head who received not the Spirit by measure and all for filling us If we draw not from his fulness we make it void as much as we can 11. We should labour to drink as deep of Grace and Christ's Cup as we have done of Sin and the World's Rom. 5.2 12. It would be matter of Praise in the Churches of Christ 1 Cor. 1.5 2 Cor. 9.11 35. If Satan should accuse any honest comers as once Joseph accused his Brethren You are Spies It were a good Answer what they made to him Thy Servants are true men and for Good are we come I this be our end it 's right in Christ's Eyes that we come for good to our Souls Q. What Arguments may we use with Christ for his feeding and refreshing us â—â—â—e A. 1. Say to Christ as the Aneel to the Prophet The Journey is too great and therefore thou must have that thou mayest be refreshed 1 Kings 19.7 Thou canst not go on thy way without it 2. It 's sights of Christ here that will make Saints go on
thou come unto me that is for my assistance and help to make good my promises to God Psa 101.2 Let my songs of praise be all of him here until I come where I shall be able to tune them higher than my sinful imperfections will now permit 49. Qu. Have I heavens permission Yea have I the Masters Invitation to be here Ans Any that are weary of the worlds Vanity and laden with the sense of sin looking out for Health and cure and come for a Physitian sensible of soul diseases and heart distempers have Christs own Call to come Mat. 11.28 2. If thou durst not come for a World without his Invitation and that the best encouragement of thy approach is his Calls of Grace such a sinner may draw near Mar. 10.49 3. Reconciled Friends are invited to come and eat Song 5.1 And we are Gods Friends no further than we keep his commandments Job 15.14 4. What warm Invitation have you given Christ for coming and blowing on your garden to prepare all for himself to make way for his inviting you Compare Song 4 Ult. with ch 5.1 5. Solemn humiliation and secret personal examination must go before our Lords allowance to eat and drink here 1. Cor. 11. Do we come to imploy Christ in the exercise of his offices upon your souls for grace and mercy to purge and pardon come ye for favour and forgivness Do you come for power and virtue to kill your lusts and coole your affections to a vain world to draw you that you may run after him come you for the things of the Kingdom of God for Righteousness peace and Joy the choice entertainments of wisdom's house Do you comâ— with your Bills in your hand Black Bills of your own indictment for the red lines of his Cross to blot out Bills of Grievances to be Redressed Bills of Wants to be supplied especially Church-grievances and Soul Grievances Satan making havock of the one without and daily inroads upon the other by prevailing Temptations that makes you groan for Heavens Care and better keeping of you than your own Q. Faith being so necessary to right receiving may they adventure to come who doubt whether they have true Faith or no A. 1. Tho we have not such a full perswasion as exempts us from all doubâ—â—â—g yet if on a due examination â—our See 〈◊〉 our Hearts accuse us not of â—â—â—â—criâ—◠〈◊〉 double dealing with God 〈◊〉 may â—â—â—ture to come yea whâ—n 〈◊〉 found much drosâ— and can jâ—dg and â—â—hor our selves for it in dusâ— and asâ—es and betake our selves humbly and sincerely to the blood of Christ for Peace and Pardon wâ— are allowed to comâ— But if any come 〈◊〉 â—hers may not take them for unbeâ—evers and yet are unwiâ—â—iâ— to believe indeed and wholly give up themselves to be ruled by Gods Laws and saved by Christs righteousness had better forbear than mock God and drink Damnation to themselves Happy Soul that can keep a â—ingle eye on Christ in coming hither to partake of his Gracious Spirit and Merit himself and all his blessed benefits to get Grace and Strength to oppose sin and serve God better and to walk more worthy of the Christian Vocation such comers may come and have Christ's Welcome 50. In Prov. 31.27 we read of eating the bread of Idleness And as our painful Redeemer eat no such bread when he was here travelling in the greatness of his strength for us so must we beware of turning this to eating of the Bread of Idleness i. e. to be guilty of the want of a diligent and serious examination of heart and way ere we come hither and not walking worthy of the profession and priviledg of our appearing here Q. What walk will best becâ—me our being here A. 1. A walk of tenderness towards him who was so tender of us as to say down his Life to save ours It ill becomes us to yield to any thing dishonourable to him that hath espoused our best intâ—rests at so dear a rate 2. A wâ—lk of Holy Communion and Heavenly Fellowship with him that sâ—rs you down here with himself That the result of Feasting with Christ here may be a Life of Following hard afâ—â—â—im and going away and remembring hi◠〈…〉 Wiâ—â— 3. A Life and 〈◊〉 of Fâ—â—â—â—lness â—â—ounding in all the fruits of the Spirit whâ—re think we to be filled with the Sâ—iriâ— if not herâ— It 's 〈◊〉 pity when we are gone that it shoul I not be seen â—â—re we have been It 's said of the lean King that when they had â—â—â—en up the sâ—t Kine it could not be known that they had â—atâ—n them they â—â—re still â—â—ill favoured Gen. 41.21 I wish there were no such eaters found among us 〈◊〉 day 〈◊〉 we be Marriâ—d to Christâ— It 's meet we bring fâ—râ—h Fruit unto God 4. A Life of Faithfulnesâ— in reâ—â—ing sin â—o we sit where we have seen our Lord â—â—â—eding a fresh for our Sins and shall we ever plead for sin or listen to Satan any more Have I seen the Lord w shing me in his own blood and will I ever wallow again iâ— the mire O! his never to be forgotten Agony and his dismal groans in the Garden The V neâ—ar and Gall my sin put to is Head on the Croâ— The Bâ—ftâ—tings and Spittings my sin laid on his sâ—â—r Face The cruel Piercings of his blessed Sides hiâ— Hands and his Feet for my sins Shall I â—vâ—r refuse resâ—sting unto Blood striving against Sin Jerome tells of a Woman that reâ—â—llâ—d all temptations with this I am a Christian 〈◊〉 Bâ—ptised and shall 〈◊〉 sit at his Table and lift up the heel against him And now go away resolving to â—onâ— yâ—urselves no more in the dust of this dirty World being â—nce rolled in the precious Garments of yoâ—r â—lder Brother 51. Q. If thou wouldst mâ—â—t with Christ what is thy business with him A. I. I come to pay the â—ebt of Thankfulness and to Celebrate his praise in this way of his appointment for Christ's Unspeakable love to my lâ—st Soul the Ordinance being Eucharistical 2. As Joseph's Brethren came to Egypt so for Food am I come to eat and drink abundantly Song 3.1 3. I am counselled of Christ to come for all his rich Supplies Rev. 2.18 And for these very ends anâ— come for his tried Gold his whire raiment and his eye Sâ—lve that I may be rich with his Grâ—ces cloathed wi h his â—ighâ—enâ—sness and enlightned by his Spirit to know the â—hing◠〈◊〉 given â—e of God 4. For what end comâ—s the Câ—â—ld to the Fathers House the â—â—ngry to the Full the 〈…〉 the Bride to the Bridegroom but to Marrâ— aâ—â— maâ—e Merry Why comes the Prodigal home but to Râ—pent of his Folly and to live with his Father in better Fashion And that thou mayst leave thâ—â—â—â—â—ling and like better of thy Fathers House take a promise for it Jer. 3.19 Thou shalt call me my Father and shall not turn away from mâ— 5.