sound in love As faith must bee without hypocrisie 1 Tim. 1. 5. so must love Rom. 12. 9. It is dangerous to bee rotten in the faith it is also dangerous to be rotten in our love It therefore concernes a man as well to examine the truth of his love as of other graces Men may doe much and go far in the love of Gods people and yet not love them as they ought to be loved First they may hold an outward correspondency with them in outward peace and neighbourhood they may live quietly by them and with them bee free from quarrels suits contentions vexations and oppositions against them and in these respects may keepe faire quarter with them and yet for all this not love them as godly people are to be loved Abimelech and Phicol Gen. 26. 28 29. desire to live peaceably and quietly with Isaac that there may bee an oath and a covenant betweene them But yet these being heathens could not love Isaac as a godly man should be loved They departed from him in peace Vers 31. Peace is one thing and love is another 2 Secondly they may preferre dignifie advance and honour them and yet not love them as godly men should be loved Besides Gods sanctifying graces there are oftentimes in Gods children other gifts of wisdome prudence learning fidelity skill and activity in secular imployments All which may gaine them great respect in other mens hearts So Pharaoh honoured Ioseph and we see his ground Gen. 41. 38 39 40. So Nebuchadnezzar preferred Daniel and we see his ground Dan. 2. 47 48. So Laban set Iacob over his flocks and we see his ground Gen. 30. 27. So many a Master loves a godly servant not because he is a good man but because he is a good servant This is self-selfe-love they love them because they love themselves such men are for their ends of profit advantage c. and for their turnes and therefore out of a selfe-love and selfe-respect love and respect them That their love of them is not for their godlinesse appeares by this because though there were not one dram of grace and godlinesse in them yet for their other abilities should they be no lesse deere unto them then now they are with all their graces 3 Thirdly they may magnifie them highly commend and reverence them for good men and yet not love them as godly men should be loved Abimelech called Isaac The blessed of the Lord Gen. 26. Herod observed and reverenced Iohn Marke 6. The people magnified the beleevers Acts 5. 13. There were a great many that hated opposed and vilefied them but yet among the Iewes there were some that were of a more tolerable and equall temper and though they durst not goe so far as to joyne themselves with them yet thus farre they went that when others reproached scorned and calumniated them they were ready to commend and pleade for them They would haply thus speake Well you may say this and that and speake your pleasure of them but when you have said all that ever you can yet we see they be very good people very conscionable and godly men they are 〈◊〉 other but what you and we should â—â— Here was magnifying of them but yet not loving them as they should have beene loved because as the Text saies Of these no man durst joyne himselfe to them All this arises not from love but from the conviction of conscience upon the sight of the lustre and beauty of their shining graces and upon the experience of the integrity of their wayes Conscience convinced cannot but open the mouth to give godly men an honourable testimoniall in magnifying and reverencing them 4 Fourthly they may doe them many kinde offices courtesies and favours and yet for all this not love them as godly men are to be loved Ieroboâ—m may invite a Prophet to dinner The very Barbarians did shew courtesie to them Acts 28. 2. and yet were farre enough from this love Humanity civility good nature and good nurture may carry men farre in this kinde 5 Fifthly they may as honour their lives so desire their deaths and yet not love them as godly men should be loved Balaam desires the death of the righteous and that his latter end may be like unto his and yet Balaam that faine would have cursed Israel was farre enough from the love of a Saint Many when they see a godly mans end may speake honorably of him and wish Oh that my soule might rest with his oh that my soule might speed as his for I am perswaded he is in heaven and yet all this while not love a godly man as a godly man should be loved 6 Sixthly they may honour the memory of them when dead and gone and upon all occasions give them honourable testimonialls for their piety godlinesse c. and yet not love them as godly men should be loved The Pharisees Matth. 23. built up the Sepulchres of the Prophets and seemed to shew great love to their memorials and yet if they had beene alive they would have dealt no better by them than their Fathers did Thus much may be done and yet love wanting that love wanting wherewith a Saint is to be loved For with such a love must a man come to the Sacrament in which there is so speciall an exercise of the communion of Saints Since therefore all this is not enough let us see then what it is that is required more that our love may bee such as will qualifie us for the orderly receiving of the Sacrament True love then to the members of Christ to godly and gracious persons may bee thus knowne 1 First it loves them as Saints under the relation of brethren because they be brethren because they bee sons of God the same Father sons of the Church the same common mother and members of Christ our elder Brother When a man loves godly men not because they be great rich learned wise because they may doe or have done him a pleasure but meerely because they have Gods Image upon them in grace and holinesse he loves them as godly persons should be loved When Gods grace in them is the ground and Gods Image upon them is the Loadstone of our love when we love them not because we love our gaine respect c. but because we love God and see them to be his then is our love right 1 Iohn 5. 2. Hereby wee know that wee love the children of God and love them as the children of God bearing Gods Image upon them when wee love God That is true love of godly men when our love to them is grounded upon and flowes from our love to God On the contrary may it be said of many that they love not the children of God No not love the children of God Why I love such and such a man and you will not say but they are the deere children of God I but by this wee know that men love not the children of God
that it be only out of joynt it cannot thrive and prosper till it be set in joynt againe So it is here in the body Mysticall it is a growing body every member thereof growes and increases Col. 2. 19. It increases with the increase of God But how comes it to increase All the body by joynts and bonds having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God So that unlesse the body bee knit together by joynts and bands it cannot increase by the ministration of nourishment But now what are these joynts and bands and what is it that knits the parts of the body so together as that it increases That the Apostle layes downe somewhat more fully Ephes 4. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplies makes increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love These words are taken and translated from the naturall body and the Apostle shewes that it is in the Church the mysticall body of Christ as in a naturall body Now in a naturall body first there be diverse and small members which goe to the making of it up secondly these members are fitly joyned and compacted together thirdly there is a conjunction of them after an excellent manner and that thus all the severall parts they have their bones the solid parts of those members Now these bones are coupled by the joynts so as the end and the round part of one bone goes into the hallow end of another This is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 16. Col. 2. 19. But this is not all but as the joynts are fitted and suited each to other so as the round part of one joynes to the hallow part of the other so also that there may be a sure coarticulation there be certaine ligaments and bonds that grow fast to the end of each bone in the joynt that fasten bone to bone this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 19. There is not only a fitnesse by which one bone suites with another in the joynt but there a fastnesse also by vertue of that bond that knits bone to bone This is a compaction by that which both the bones in the joynt mutually minister fourthly the parts of the body thus sweetly fitted and suited together and thus firmely fastened they all by their nourishment received thrive and grow and so the body increases which it could not doe if there were a dis-union or a dislocation or ◠luxation of those parts Now thus it is in the Church the body of Christ 2. There be many and sundry members to make up this body 2. They are all joyned and compact together 3. Their conjunction is after the same manner The mindes and spirits of beleevers are so coupled together as that one mans spirit doth as it were insinuate it selfe into anothers and that this conjunction joynt may be the surer there be certaine bonds and ligaments that knit these members together and these bonds are two first The Spirit of God they have all one and the same spirit Ephes 4. 4. One body one spirit and by this one spirit Christians are knit in this one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. Secondly The bond of love and peace and every joynt or member supplies and ministers this bond each to other whereby they are knit each to other Ephes 4. 3. Endeavouring to keepe the unity of the Spirit that is endeavouring to be of one spirit and minde as two bones meeting at a joynt are coupled in the unity of the joynt there is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that spoken of Rom. 12. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a fit joyning together and this is added in the bond of peace There is the compaction of both by that which each joynt supplies each Christian supplying and ministring the bond of peace and love doe thus knit and joyne together themselves members in the same body this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 19. there is mention not only of joynts but of bonds And Col. 3. 14. love is called The bond of perfection that is a bond which doth perfectly binde together the members of the mysticall body each ministring and supplying love to another as the ligaments that knit bones together are mutually ministred from both the bones so that the compaction of the members is by the ligament of love as the Apostle expresses it Ephes 4. 16. Fourthly the body of the Church thus compacted increases it selfe and is edified and growes up Epes 4. 16. Maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love The body encreases and edifies when the severall parts doe and they doe increase and grow when joyned together and knit together in love So that all this serves to shew the necessity of love in such as come to the Sacrament we come to the Sacrament to be nourished to grow to increase none of these can be done without love A man comming to the Sacrament out of charity is a member out of joynt yea as a member disunited It is not possible such a member should bee nourished and thrive As therefore a man would finde nourishment and increase with the rest of the body so it concernes him to come prepared with love 4 God requires that men should eat their bodily food with love mutual charity There is little contentment in bodily Feasts when men sit down at one Table with divided hearts and affections we may see Acts 2. 46. how the Primitive Christians did eat their common bread at their common Tables Breaking bread from house to house did eat their bread with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart the which they could not have done if they had not met at their Houses and Tables as they did in the Temple in the same Verse with one accord or unanimously They could not have eaten with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart if they had not eaten together in love For there can be neither gladnesse nor singlenes of heart where love is wanting And if they came together with such love affection to their common tables to take their bodily repast how much more think we did they come with love and all good mutual affection one to another to the Lords Table Therefore it was that before the Sacrament they had their love-feasts to testifie with what affection they came to the Lords Supper The sweet and sauce of common repast is love Prov. 15. 17. Better is a dinner of greene herbes where love is than a stalled Oxe with hatred love makes a few green herbes farre better cheere than the greatest fare that is eaten with hatred and malice If love therefore be required at our own Tables that when wee eate together wee should eate in love how much more then will God require it in those that come to sit downe at his
when men love themselves and seek their owne base ends It is one thing in some sort to love a man that is a childe of God and another to love him because he is a childe of God It is one thing to love a godly man and another because he is a godly man A man may love one who is a Scholler and a Preacher but yet not love him because he is a Scholler or a Preacher nay it may be he could love him a great deale better if he were neither The Apostle speakes of love out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. And S. Peter of loving the brethren with a pure heart 1 Pet. 1. 22. When love is pure it is true Then it is pure love when it springs from none other Fountaine but the lovelinesse of Gods grace and Image in those whom we love 2 Secondly true love to the children of God and to Saints it loves such above all others the best of all others 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all men love the brotherhood There is a love and a respect to be given to all men according to their relations worth quality c. but yet true Christian love bestowes its Beniamins portion the specialty and choise of its affection upon godly ones It loves a godly religious man better than a learned man and the more godly a man is it loves him the more Doe good to all but specially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6. So love all men in their order and degree but let your brotherly love your heartiest and sweet affection be towards such as are brethren Love the brother-hood A love of the brother-hood must be a brotherly love a love as to brethren In a Family a man loves all the servants but yet he beares a more speciall neerenesse and deerenesse of affection to his brethren than to servants 1 Pet. 3. 8. Love as brethren We reade of a young man Mark 10. that came running to Christ and enquiring how he might inherit eternall life And we reade of Lazarus whom Christ raised from the dead Ioh. 11. It is said of both that Christ loved them of the rich young man Marke 10. 21. Then Iesus beholding him loved him of Lazarus Iohn 11. 3. Lord he whom thou lovest is sick Now the young man was a Pharisee only he had some candour and ingenuity in him more than usually was in Pharisaicall spirits and so farre Christ loved him shewed loving respect and carriage towards him But now Lazarus was a godly and an holy man and therefore Christ loved him with a more specialty of affection He loved the one as a morall faire conditioned man that had some good desires and inclination towards good but he loved Lazarus deerely and intimately as a godly and a good man with such specialty of affection that it was enough to know him without his Name by Christs love to him The man whom thou lovest By this try the truth of thy love Whom lovest thou best Have the best men the best of thine affection Are those deerest to thee who are deerest to God the best evidence that can be of the truth of thy love But this proves many to want this love and that they love not the godly as godly men should be loved what ever their professions and protestations of love be For let it be granted that they love them yet let it bee enquired whom they love best to whom their hearts and affections are closest knit Looke upon those that are deepest in their affections and judge whether they be at the best more than morall and civill and whether those that be godly and religious have halfe that affection and love that meere civill persons have Thou doest not love godly men best therefore thy love is hypocriticall thou lovest a morall man better than one that is religious therefore thy love is with dissimulation 3 Thirdly true love loves as the Colossians did Gol. 1. 4. It loves all the Saints Where grace is the ground of love where ever grace is there is love as fire still followes the fuell Grace hath the same beauty in all and if grace be the attractive of affection it drawes affection to all in whom it is The love that is amongst Gods Saints is compared to the ointment that was powred upon Aarons head Psal 133. 2. It was powred upon his head but it rested not there it ran also downe upon his beard nay it ran downe to the skirts of his garments So the love that is among the Saints it diffuses it selfe to all the members of Christ it runs not only upon the head and beard but upon the skirts of the garments to the very lowest and meanest of Gods people in whom there is grace It excludes not any whom God hath received Rom. 14. 3. despises not any whom God hath chosen Iames 2. 5 6. Love the brotherhood sayes S. Peter He doth not say love a brother or such of the brethren but love the brother-hood the whole fraternity society and company of the Saints the whole brood and brother-hood of Gods people Try thy love by this He that loves a godly man for his grace that hath no other thing to commend him neither friends nor riches nor credit nor profit that can love poore godlinesse as well as rich godlinesse that can love grace in rags as well as in robes in russet and leather as well as in silkes and velvets such a love to all Saints is a good evidence of truth of love But when men love onely some great and rich ones that have grace and regard not meaner ones though gracious it is a signe that it is not true love Yea it is a blameable errour in many that though their love be indeed to the godly yet it is with a kinde of confinement only to some as worthy of their communion and affection It is not to be denied but that a man may love some godly men more than othersome Christ himselfe had his beloved Disciple and wee shall finde that thrice Christ shewed some speciality of favour and affection to three of them above the rest Luke 8. 51. He suffered none to goe in save Peter Iames and Iohn Luk. 9. 28. in his transfiguration he tooke up with him onely Peter Iames and Iohn And in his agony when he sequestered himself from the rest of his Disciples yet he takes these three along with him Mat. 26. 37. But yet such a confinement of our affection to some choise ones as goes with a contempt or plaine neglect and exclusion of others of meaner abilities and graces is an unwarrantable thing such as will not be allowed by this signe of love now instanced in 4 Fourthly true love loves and delights in the fellowship and society of the godly Love the brother-hood sayes S. Peter He doth not say love the brethren but love the brother-hood that is as some expound it the fellowship of the brethren and so our former translation reades it Love
Son go work to day in my Vineyard here are neither wages promised nor anger threatned and yet hee went It was neither hope of wages nor feare of punishment that carried him but meerely a sonlike love and the dutifull affection he owed to his Father that wrought upon his heart and constrained him to goe though at first he refused it And such is true obedience unto God Love unto God is the weight that sets the wheeles on going Iohn 14. If ye love me keepe my commandements 1 Iohn 5. 3. This is the love of God that we keepe his commandements Try we our obedience by this What is it that moves to obedience If thou canst plainely say as the servant Exod. 21. 5. I love my Master I will not goe out free so I love my God I will not sweare c. I love my God therfore I will yeeld him all carefull obedience If love be the weight and the oile that makes the wheeles run thine obedience is such as it ought to bee But this discovers a great deale of false obedience Some men yeeld obedience for the love of themselves the love of their credit Such was the Pharisees obedience in their almes prayers and fastings onely to purchase credit with men Such is a civill mans obedience whose obedience is only to such commandements and onely to such branches of those commandements the breach whereof would blemish his reputation and blurre his credit in the world Some yeeld obedience and worke in the Vineyard for their penny such as doe all they doe with a conceipt of binding God to them and bringing him into their debt Some againe yeeld some obedience neither for love nor wages but for meere feare for feare either of the penall lawes of men which fence any commandement of God or for feare of a greater measure of wrath in Hell None of all these is filiall obedience rising from love These are obedient workemen obedient slaves that dread the whip but not obedient children It is love to the Father not wages from the Father that is the ground of a childes obedience The sonne of a poore man that hath not a penny to give or leave him yeelds his father obedience as cheerfully as the sonne of a rich man that lookes for a great inheritance If there were no heaven Gods children would obey him and though no hell yet would they doe their duty So powerfully doth the love of their Father constraine them 2 Secondly the end of obedience that is obedience indeed is the honour and glory of God 1 Cor. 10. Whatsoever ye doe let all be done to the glory of God Iohn 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruit The maine end that true obedience propounds is the glory of him that commands When Christs people give him obedience it is the setting of the crowne upon his head what makes him more a King than obedience Cant. 3. 11. Behold King Salomon with the Crowne wherewith his mother crowned him Now this is the main end of right obedience that the Crown may be set on Christs head that it may bring him in the honour of the King the crowned King of the Church Phil. 1. 11. Filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are unto the glory and praise of God Let every man examine his owne heart what his end is in his obedience If wee have any other maine end but Gods glory it makes it obedience to our end and not to God How many yeeld that obedience they do not to set the Crowne on Christs head but to set the crown upon their owne heads So doe hypocrites that seeke their owne praise and credit or profit so doe all specially that doe any thing with a conceit of meriting at Gods hand Such obedience as hath squint respects at base and by ends is in Gods sight as base as the ends it lookes at 3 Thirdly the properties of obedience And they are these 1 First true obedience to God must bee universall And that in a three-fold respect 1 In regard of the subject or person that yeelds obedience he must do it with the strength of his whole man and all the faculties thereof Ps 119. 4. To bee kept exceedingly Psal 103. 1. All that is within me And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. 2 In regard of the object and of the commandements to be obeyed They must be all obeyed Deut. 6. 25. Psal 119. 128. The obedience to bee given to God is a filiall obedience 1 Pet. 1. 14. Now filiall obedience must be universall Col. 3. 20. Children obey your parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. It is not well pleasing to God when children will obey their parents only in what they thinke good That is to yeeld obedience upon courtesie and not upon duty See what a filiall obedience the sons of Ionadab gave their father Ier. 35. 8 10. In all that he hath charged us According to all our father commanded It was but an homely businesse that Kish sent Saul about all considered Kish a man of great substance A mighty man of power 1 Sam. 9. 1. And Saul his son a choise young man and a goodly not a goodlier man amongst all the children of Israel and yet his father sends him with one of his servants to seeke the Asses And though it were but a meane service yet Saul yeelds him obedience Our obedience to God must be a child-like obedience a childe-like obedience is universall to all commandements without exceptions dispensations and reservations Here Saul failed 1 Sam. 15. 3 In regard of all time Obedience must not be for some times nor for a time Not for sometimes to bee sometimes on and sometimes off but it must be a constant setled even course of obedience that God lookes for Some men have their fits of goodnesse and have their good daies as men in an ague but are fickle and loose hearted hold not their hearts close to God and good duties Thus is that obedience which the Scripture calls walking with God Some take a turne or two with him go with him three or foure steps but that is not walking with him Walking with God implies a setled even course of obedience to him Neither must obedience be for a time but it must be continuall to our lives end Luk. 1. 75. All the dayes of our lives 2 King 17. 37. He shall observe to doe for ever more Phil. 2. 8. Christ became obedient unto death that is as Beza expounds it Vnto his dying day not onely obedient in his death but Christs obedience as it begun at his incarnation so it continued to his dying day on the crosse 2 Secondly true obedience is prompt and present ready and speedy without shucking and hucking without delayes and consults Psal 119. 60. I made hast and delayed not Mar. 1. 18. And immediately they forsooke their nets and followed him Zech. 5. 9. They
semper passio sist in memoâ—ia c. Cypr. de caena Dom. Mâ—dâ—tâ—â—io â—uminat â—â—vores vulne 〈◊〉 fixuâ—as â—la vorum lanceam ut acetum persecutoâ—uÌ„ faeviâ—iam Apostoloâ—um fugam moâ—â—em â—urpissimam corporis sepulturum Bernard Hom de dâ—ob Discip eâ—nt ad Eâ—â— wrath upon the crosse Behold the man saies Pilate That is our duty to doe now by meditation to represent unto our selves the bitternesse of Christ's passion Exod. 24. 8. And Moses tooke the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant So here Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sins of the world Ioh. 1. and behold the blood of that innocent and spotlesse Lambe yea behold him now shedding his precious blood to take away the sinnes of the world and looke upon him as the Scape-goat bearing and carrying our sinnes upon him Represent we unto our selves in our meditations as lively as wee are able all the sorrowes of Christ's passion Ps 26. 6. How prodigious a darkenesse was there at Christ's passion for three houres together Surely a speciall end of this darknesse was to shew the dreadfull and horrible wrath of God against his owne Sonne now hanging on the crosse a sacrifice for the worlds sinnes was it nothing or was it but a small matter that God did manifest his wrath against him by letting loose the tongues and hands of all his carnall enemies against him but that the Lord himselfe from heaven would reveale his wrath against the unrighteousnesse of the world which now lay upon him Now stood Christ in our stead we should have suffered the horrour of darkenesse for ever even that blacknesse of darknesse as Iude calls it Now Christ undertaking for us he suffers darknesse And God by this as by a visible signe would testifie that the blacknesse of darkenesse caused by Gods wrath for sin was upon him Thereby conceive wee in some sort the sad plight and wofull agony in which Christ then was God causes the Sun to shine upon the Iust and the unjust Mat. 5. 45. But now that Christ is a sacrifice for our sinnes and to suffer his Fathers wrath for them he must not have so much as the common comfort of the light of the Sunne but as if hee were of all vnjust ones the most unjust the very light of the Sunne shall be taken from him and hee be left in horrid darknesse Do but looke upon Christ on the crosse under all our sins lying upon him and how heavie a presse how ponderous a waight was that But consider besides this how many were the paines of his body by their inhumane and barbarous usages what was the bitter exacerbation of his Spirit by so many base and ignominious reproches of all his malignant opposites what was it nothing to be scourged to give his cheekes to the smiters to be spitefully intreated to be spitted on and indure all those outragious insolencies of his enemies before and at his crucifying Oh! how bitter were these things But consider besides all this to have all the power of Hell against him and all those Lyons Bulls Vnicornes and Dogs to be taken up and imployed in assaulting and afflicting him Oh! how past all conception of the understanding of man was the smart of this misery Heere was Earth against him here was Hell against him And yet Earth and Hell not enough but Heaven it selfe against him After all this to have God his Father from Heaven by this prodigious dreadfull and long darkenesse to testifie his wrath against him here was that which added waight and perfection to all the rest To be three whole houres together under a visible signe of the darkenesse of Gods countenance under the darkenesse of the sense of his wrath witnessed from Heaven by the darkenesse of the Sun how bitter and sharp a conflict was this above all the rest Thus represent we to our selves Christ hanging on the crosse thus Behold the Lambe of God rosting in the fire of wrath yea further After that we have seene Christ thus for three houres space in deepe silence conflicting in this time of darknesse with all these sorrowes Now as not able any longer to hold his peace thinke wee that we heare him by that formidable cry manifesting the bitternesse and unutterable extremity of his passion My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me All these three darke houres was Christ drinking this bitter cup and now at the third houres end was he come to the dregs and lees of it This was the sharpest paroxisme and fit of his passion Now were the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty shot up to the heads in his soule And how can we see and heare Christ suffering all this for us and not withall in our meditations stand astonished at the heynousnesse and hideousnesse of our sinnes for which no other way of expiation could be made but by this bitter passion of Christ Behold in the passion of Christ as in a glasse the greatnesse of sinne Thinke we sadly with our selves Surely sinne against God must needs be more than men commonly esteeme it It could be no small matter for which the deare Sonne of God did suffer such horrible and dreadfull torments on the crosse Let we out our hearts therefore here in the meditation of the greatnesse of our sinnes And withall Ad victimam illam pendentem in cruce nos conferemus Ibi vere contemplabimur Deum ibi in ipsum cor Dei introspiciemus quod fit misericors quod nobis mortem peccatoris c. Luther in Gen. 19. let we out our hearts especially in the meditation and admiration of such unmatchable love and goodnesse as God hath shewen in the worke of our Redemption Labour to comprehend what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know and see the love of Christ which passeth knowledge What heart is able sufficiently to admire the depth of the riches the bottomelesse depth the unfadomable depth of the riches of Gods love and mercy in Christ How may wee with David cry out Lord what is man that thou art mindefull of him Psalm 8. 4. and upon a better ground with Iob Iob 7. 17. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him especially that thou shouldest so be mindefull of him that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him as to give the Sonne of thy love to suffer the cursed death of the crosse to make us cursed children firebrands of hell damned hell-hounds heires of blessings and eternall life Is not here matter of meditation and admiration to take up all the thoughts and hearts of men and Angels And how should such love fire and inflame our hearts with holy love to God and Christ How should our hearts grow warme and hot within Tribue ut concaleat cor meum intra me in meditatione mea exardescat ignis Aug. medit c. 17. us That as David
his mouth for thy love is better than wine Communion with Christ and the expressions of his favour and love these are the things should be desired and looked after What is the receiving of bread and wine if a man meet not with expressions of Christs love if Christ kisse him not with the kisses of his mouth What may be the meanes to get Christ to kisse a man in the Sacrament That same Psal 2. Kisse the Son namely with a kisse of obedience and subjection for so kissing sometime betokned Gen. 41. 40. let us give him the kisse of obedience and subjection and he will give us the kisse of his love 〈…〉 other times so especially in the use of the Sacrament By both these things then we see how needfull it is for a Communicant to be prepared with obedience And by this also we see how many deceive themselves in their comming to the Sacrament who minde nothing lesse than an obedient walking in a godly course to fit them for the Sacrament How many that give no regard at all to Gods word that indeed slight it and obedience to it and yet would seeme to make an high account of the Sacrament Make men what account they will of the Sacrament yet if they slight the Word and obedience to it they shall finde as little comfort or benefit in the Sacrament as they give respect and obedience to the Word See how the Lord speakes Psal 50. 16 17. What hast thou to doe that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou castest my words behind thee So God will also say what hast thou to doe to take the Seale of the covenant into thy mouth the Sacrament into thy mouth seeing thou castest my words behinde thee and refusest to CHAP. 9 yeeld obedience thereunto What Quid est autem dementius quà m Sacramentis Domini communicare verbis Domini non communicare Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 2. cap. 55. likelihood that God will vouchsafe communion with that man in the Sacrament that regards not to have any communion with him in his word It is a madnesse to pretend a desire of communion with God in the Sacrament and to refuse communion with him in his Word for so they do that yeeld not obedience to Gods Word There is communion with God in obedience Ier. 7. 23. Obey my voice and I will be your God and you shall bee my people And therefore a refusall of communion with God in refusing obedience and respect to his Word And certainly he can have no communion with God in one Ordinance that refuses to have communion with him in another Chap. 9. Of the solemne sequestring and setting a mans selfe apart before the Sacrament THus we see how a Communicant is habitually prepared and wherin his habituall preparation stands It followes now to speake of that actuall preparation which is required in every one that would bee a worthy and a welcome guest at the Lords Table and would come after that due Order that is required for though a man have all these forenamed qualifications yet he must not here set up his rest but there is yet a further worke to be done as wee partly before saw in the fourth Chapter This actuall preparation stands in the fitting of himselfe in speciall manner for that worke and service of receiving by doing those things and performing such duties which are requisite not onely for a good Christian but for a good and profitable Communicant Knowledge Faith Repentance Charity and Obedience are required in every one that will bee a good Christian A good Christian a man must be before he can be a good Communicant but yet a good Christian is not enough in the generall there must be something in speciall done in reference to this duty Indeed some Papists thinke that actuall devotion is not necessary to the receiving of the Sacrament because as the Sacrament was of ancient given to children so now it may be given to mad-men and frantick persons who have no actuall devotion at all But it suffices that this conceit is disallowed of their owne men for to give persons without actuall devotion no more right to the Sacrament then to children and mad-men is to give them no right at all There is no question but they may come as orderly to the Sacrament as children and mad-men may doe But whosoever it is that will come orderly must have actuall devotion and actuall preparation yea though he be already habitually prepared The five wise Virgins took oile in their Vessels with their lamps Mat. 25. 4. and their lampes were burning but yet when they heare the Bridegroome was comming they presently arise and trim their lampes and so prepare to goe and meet him They prepared to meet him when they tooke their lampes and when they lighted them and when they tooke oile in their vessels all this was preparation to meet the Bridegroome but when they heare the Bridegroom was comming then they fall to a fresh preparation in trimming their lampes to make them burne brighter and cleerer So it is in this case habituall preparation is like the taking and lighting the lampes and carrying oile in the vessels actuall preparation is like the fresh trimming of them when they burnt dimly The geting of knowledge faith repentance love and obedience this is the taking and the lighting of the lampes and taking oile in the Vessels but the renewing exciting of these and the doing of other things in actuall preparation is the trimming of the lampes A Musitian hath skill and cunning on his instrument but yet if his Instrument be out of tune and his hands cold and his fingers num he will first tune his Instrument and warme and rub his hands and fingers to make them active and nimble to play on his Instrument An Artificer hath the skill of his trade and knowes the mystery of it thorowly well but yet when he goes to build a house or doe some such worke hee first grindes whets and sharpens his tooles If a Musitian shall play upon an untuned Instrument or with his benummed fingers he will make but harsh and unpleasing musick If the Carpenter though ever so expert in his faculty shall worke with blunt and gapt tooles hee will make but bungling and clouterly worke of it And though a man may have knowledge faith c. yet if he rest contented with that habituall preparation and doe not besides actually prepare and fit himselfe hee is like to meet with little comfort and content in the duty in regard of the cold and dead manner of performance he will but fumble and bungle in the worke So that besides this habituall there is an actuall preparation necessary Now this actual preparation stands in these things 1 In a solemne sequestration of a mans selfe 2 In examination 3 In renewing quickning these former graces in us 4 In raising and stirring up in our selves strong desires after Christ 5
brotherly fellowship Brother-hood implyes sometimes fellowship as Zech. 11. 14. I will breake the brother-hood betweene Iudah and Israel The naturall relation between them could not be broken but their mutuall society and fellowship should be broken they should be divided and dispersed each from other So then they that love the godly love their brother-hood their company their conference and communion with them This evidenceâ— tâ—â— truth of Davids love Psal 1â— 3. All my delight is in the Saints on earth my delight is in their company and conference Many in the world magnifie the Saints in heaven yea some over magnifie them whilest they would give divine worship to them but in the meane time make little account of the Saints on earth nay hate them imprison kill and burne them Apoc. 13. 7. but David delights in the Saints on earth Psal 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that feare thee and of them that keepe thy precepts Try then where lyes thy delight What is the company and society thou affectest If it be the society of the godly thy love is to them But this discovers the hypocrisie of many mens love They doe love godly men with all their hearts But yet examine who be their companions and marke who they be in whose society they delight and are they such as are godly and religious Take they not more delight in the fellowship of drunkards vaine and â—â—â—thy persons Is not godly company the most irkesome wearisome thing in the world to them What can cleere it more that men love not the godly It may be thou commendest them and speakest all good of them but if thou joyne not in society with them thou doest but as those before spoken of Acts 5. 13. They gave the beleevers good words but they durst not joyne themselves unto them It may be thou speakest not against them not because thou lovest them but because thou lovest thy selfe that they may not speake against thee It may be thou speakest well of them and all because with good words thou wouldest buy good words againe This is love in word in tongue but not in deed and in truth Look where thy delight and company is there is thy love 5 True love is hardly angred easily pleased Hardly angred 1 Cor. 13. 4. Charity suffers long Vers 5. It is not easily provoked It will suffer long and beare much ere it will break It may be provoked but not easily Easily pleased 1 Cor. 13. 4. Charity is kind Iames 3. 17. The wisdome that is from above is gentle easily to be intreated God is love sayes the Apostle 1 Iohn 4. 8. And God is slow to anger Ps 103. 8. He suffers long Exod. 34. 6. He is not easily provoked And he is easily reconciled Psal 103. 9. Neither will he keepe his anger for ever Nay not easily to be intreated but he intreates and beseeches us the offending parties to bee reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now what makes God so slow to anger so quick so easie to be appeased Because God is love It is the nature of love so to be and love is his nature The Apostle presses Christians to two speciall things Col. 3. 13. For bearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrell against any I but these bee hard things to bee done how shall a man come to be able to doe these things Therefore the Apostle teaches us a way how to doe it in the very next verse and words And above all things put on charity which is the bond of perfectnesse The way to do these things is to get charity and love Mark then the nature of love It is not easily provoked it is hardly angred it is a forbearing grace It is easie to be pleased It is a forgiving grace It is hardly angred because it forbeares It is easily pleased because it forgives Love is a forbearer and a forgiver Try thy selfe by this If thou art exceeding loth to be provoked sufferest much and sufferest long and art willing to beare till the number and weight of the burthens grow so heavie and unsupportable that thy back is ready to breake before thou complaine If thou art willing to swallow injuries and wrongs one in the neck of another so long as they are swallowable that they would not choake or poison thee if thou shouldest offer to swallow any more for no charity bindes a man openly to wrong himselfe such forbearance argues that thou hast put on charity If offences be given thee and wrong grosse wrong done thee yet if thou canst readily cheerefully willingly and cordially forgive it is a good signe of true love But how farre are many from the truth of this grace in their hearts who are easily off the hookes and presently provoked and all to peeces upon a small offence given nay it may be upon no offence given at all only upon an accidentall slip or a faile in a formality and complement No forbearance argues small charity As far are they from love that are of implacable irreconcileable spirits once lost and lost for ever whom no kindnesses can overcome whom no satisfactions can appease nor no wisdome can set in joynt againe Quest But what if a man have done me wrong and diverse wayes injured me by offensive carriages whether am I bound to forgive him or no hee seeking no reconciliation with me Am I bound to forgive where forgivenesse is not sought and must I stay from the Sacrament because I have not forgiven one that wrongs me and seekes not peace Answ In forgiving of an offender there be three things 1 The letting fall of al wrath malice and desire of revenge 2 The testification of forgivenesse A solemne profession of remission 3 The re-acceptance and re-admission of an offendour into former society communion and familiar converse For the first A man is bound to forgive in that respect whether the party offending aske forgivenesse or aske it not A man must so forgive as that he must beare no malice nor nourish any thoughts of revenge For though mine adversary sinne in his obstinacy yet his sin will not warrant me to sin in malice and thoughts of revenge If mine enemy will not doe that which belongs to him yet I may not doe that which belongs to God Therefore for matter of revenge and malice we must alwayes forgive and unlesse a man doe so forgive as to let fall all malice and thoughts of revenge he sins in comming to the Sacrament For the second Our Saviour gives a rule Luke 17. 4. If he trespasse against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turne againe unto thee saying It repents me or I repent thou shalt forgive him He doth not say If thy brother offend against thee seven times thou shalt forgive him seven times but if he say I repent Whether he say so or not I must forgive him in regard of malicious and vindictive thoughts But I
am not bound to testifie my forgiving him and to say to him I forgive thee unlesse he say I repent To forgive is one thing and to say I forgive and make a solemne profession of remission is another For the third A man is not bound in that particular to forgive till just satisfaction be given Satisfaction being duly given I must forgive so far but satisfaction obstinately denied I may refuse society and fellowship with him Religion bindes not to receive an enemy into bosome communion now so long as he stands out in his enmity he can be interpreted to be none other so long as hee sayes not It repents him yea and though a man doe not forgive in these two cases yet may he with a good conscience come to the Sacrament And therefore marke how our Saviour speakes Matth. 5. 23 24. If there thou remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee go thy wayes and bee first reconciled c. He doth not say If there thou remembrest that thou hast ought against thy brother Thereby shewing that the barre is against the party delinquent and that a person receiving injury and wrong so he come without malice and forgive in the first respect is not debarred Gods ordinance though he remit not in both the last just satisfaction not being tendred upon wrong done 6 Sixthly true love loves fervently fervent love and unfained love are joyned together 1 Pet. 1. 22. True love will abound and increase more and more 1 Thess 4. 10. Yee love all the brethren but we beseech you that ye increase more and more It sets it selfe no sint nor bounds it is ready and willing to give and take all occasions for increase and confirmation As fire is not only ready to kindle when blowne but ready to catch of it selfe any combustible matter being ministred True love hates all hypocriticall reservations and le ts out it selfe to the giving and imbracing of all opportunities that may prove incentives to it Thereby try and examine the truth of thy love A sparke will kindle to a flame if it bee true But this one thing discovers a great deale of hallow-hearted hypocriticall love in the world There bee that for their turnes and ends can doe more and dispense further than they will for God and his Commandement if God and his Commandement and coales heaped upon their heads call for the letting fall of their stomacks they cannot stoope to it nay with scorne and pride of spirit reject tenders and offers of love But if some end of their own to be compassed or turn of their own to be served then they can make a shift to make some shewes of love and desire of friendship but yet with resolutions to keepe a faire distance that there shall never bee an intire knitting and mutuall closing of affections and therefore set themselves bounds and a stint beyond which they are resolved never to passe They will not be wanting in common courtesies civill correspondencies but yet for intirenesse and intimate familiarity will be sure to block up the way thereto by affected distances and reservations of themselves They will be pardoned for familiarity that is more than needs A carriage faire to the worlds eye that the world shall not see but all is well they will frame to but further they resolve never to goe Surely they were as good say they will play the hypocrites with men and that their love shall be with dissimulation For love which sets it selfe bounds and bars beyond which it will not step that love steps not beyond hypocrisie That love which will not kindle which will neither bee blowne to a flame nor take flame it is love dissembled True fire though it bee ever so little a spark may be blowne and be brought to a flame but all the blowing in the world will never make painted fire burne Such persons are but like Salomons silverd potsheard Prov. 26. 23. Burning lips and a wicked heart are a potsheard covered with silver drosse What ever faire silverly shewes they make they are potsheards slubbered over with drosse Such love as is not fervent is fained So much for the examination of love Chap. 14. The Examination of Obedience CHAP. 14 THe last thing whose truth is to be examined is Obedience There is deceit in obedience and much hypocrisie may be in it Saul glories in his obedience 1 Sam. 15. 13. I have performed the commandement of the Lord. Behold I have obeyed God Yea after Samuel had pinched him with so close an answer he still stands to it Vers 20. Yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me And yet Samuel charges him still with rebellion and disobedience and leaves him not till he makes him confesse his sinne So ready are men to deceive themselves in their obedience to God as if their obedience were good and acceptable when there is no such matter Men will not be borne downe but that they are obedient people to God I have performed the commandement of the Lord Behold I have obeyed God sayes Saul and so say many as well as he as farre from it as was he But as Samuel there convinced Saul 1 Sam. 15. 14. so may men be convinced of disobedience What meanes then sayes Samuel this bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the Oxen which I heare There was not an Oxe that Iowed not a Sheepe that bleated but openly and loudly proclaimed Saul a disobedient person So men say they doe obey God and they are wronged to be charged with disobedience But what then meanes the bleating and the lowing of their oathes What meanes then the neglect of God in the publike ordinances in their private families what meane their Lords-day profanations what meane their whoredomes drunkennesse and other not bleating not lowing but crying loud crying sins in the eares of God and man It is needfull therefore that men examine their obedience whether it be such as is required in him that will be an orderly Communicant True obedience then may be knowne by these things 1 The Grounds of it 2 The End of it 3 The Properties of it The Grounds of obedience are 3. 1 First the ground of true obedience is the authority and will of God Gods will is that such a thing bee done and his power is soveraigne and absolute to command so as whatsoever hee commands it must bee done because he commands Therefore we shall finde Levit. 19. that in that one Chapter this one reason I am the Lord is used thirteene severall times The meaning whereof is this such and such commandements I enjoyne you if you will know the ground why you shold obey thē this is the ground I am the Lord a God of soveraigne power and authority and my will it is that such things be done And therefore it is that Gods will is brought in Scripture as the reason of the obedience that is required
speakes in another case Psalme 39. 3. Mine heart was hot within me whilest I was musing the fire burned So whilest we are thus musing and meditating of the love of Christ in his passion the fire should burne and our hearts should waxe hot within us the fire and flame of our love to Christ should kindle and grow hot in our hearts The view of his passion should worke in us an holy Rogo te per illa salutifera vulnera tua quae passus es in cruce pro salute nostra e quibus emanavit pretiosus ille sanguis quo sumus redemptiâ— vulnera hanc animam meam peccatricem pro qua etiam mori dignatus es vulnera eam igneo potentissimo telâ— tuae nimiae Charitatis Configcor meum jaculo tui amoris ut di cat tibi anima mea Charitate tua vulnerata sum c. Aug. lib. medit c. 37. passion of love The view of his wounds should wound our hearts with holy and enlarged affection to him Follow and goe along with CHRIST in all his sufferings in thy meditations Begin where his passion begun Iohn 12. 27. follow him thence into the Garden from thence into the High Priests Hall from thence into the Iudgement Hall from thence to the Crosse There is not a passage in all the story that affordes not matter of meditation and not a meditation that may not set forth his love to thee and kindle thine to him Thus therefore at the Sacrament should our hearts be imployed in the meditation of CHRISTS death and passion and thus should we make that good Cant. 1. 12. Whilest the King Sitâ—â— at his Table my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof that is whilest CHRIST had communion with me my graces were exercised and manifested themselves even then whilest I had fellowship with him As CHRIST sate at Table Mary tooke a pound of oyntment of Spikenard very costly and annoynted the feete of Iesus and the house was filled with the odour of the oyntment So the King sits at his table and when wee sit at his table in the SacrameÌ„t we shold cause our spikenards to send forth the smell thereof That we do when in the ordinance we take up our hearts with the holy meditations of the love of Christ in his bitter passion Such holy meditations are the smell of the spikenards and are as pleasing to Christ as Maries spikneard was that filled the whole house with the odour therof This Christ commandes and makes it one maine end of the Institution of the Sacrament Doe this in remembrance of me therefore appointed he the Sacrament that therein we might in speciall manner meditate upon his passion and his love to us therein David had a Psalme of Remembrance Psalme 38. in the title But for the death of Christ his love in it and the benefits by it we have not onely some Psalmes of Remembrance as Psalme 16. 22 and 69. and others but besides the Lord Christ hath to the worlds end appointed a Sacrament of Remembrance that this great worke of CHRISTS death and his infinite love and mercy therin might above all other workes bee meditated upon and had in remembrance One specially in the Evangelists is worth our notice Some of Christs workes are specified only by one Evangelist at his turning of Water to wine as his healing the sick man at the poole of Bethesda his healing that blind man Ioh. 9. Some of them are specified by two Evangelists as the history of Christs birth by Matthew and Luke Some things are recorded by three of them as the Institution of the Sacrament of the Supper But as for Christs death and Passion it is recorded by them all foure Onely two write the History of his birth but all foure the History of his death without doubt to teach us that though all Christs workes and actions are to be seriously minded meditated upon and remembred yet none so speciall as his death and sufferings And therefore specially should his death be meditated upon at the Sacrament whose institution was purposely for the remembrance of it Therefore ought men to make speciall conscience of this duely How cold and dead a remembrance of Christs death is the receiving of the Sacrament without this serious meditation of the bitternesse of his death and the sweetnesse of his love therein Wee make not good the end of the Sacrament without it yea wee as much as in us lyes make the Sacrament but a dumbe shew What remembrance is there of Christs death in such receiving the Sacrament Makes it bee in a fresh crucifying him againe by our unworthy receiving 2 Secondly An exercise of Repentance And this exercise of Repentance must be in two things 1. First in godly sorrow for sinne 2. Secondly in a solemne renewing of our Covenants with God 1. First in godly sorrow for sinne for our owne sinnes in particular for which Christ did undergoe all that sorrow and smart in his sufferings Wee have in the Sacrament a representation of the sufferings of Christ wee have him crucified before our eyes Behold saies Iohn the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world In the Sacrament should we behold him taking away the sinnes of the world In it we see and behold Christ crucified wee see his hands feete and side pierced now this sight should so affect us as it should pierce the very hearts of us What The blessed Sonne of GOD to strip himselfe of his glory to humble and abase himselfe to the ignominious and accursed death of the Crosse The glorious Sonne of GOD thus abused and abased Why How comes this about The only begotten Sonne of the Father to make such bitter lamentation My God my God why hast thou forsaken me What may the cause of all this be Alas all this was for our sinnes It was not Iudas not the Iewes not Pilate not the Souldiers but they were our sinnes thy sinnes my sinnes that put the Sonne of God to all his sorrow We we and none but we were the evill beasts that devour'd this Ioseph Our sinnes were so heinous and had so provoked the Iustice of God that there was no way to satisfie Gods Iustice to appease his wrath and to make our atonement but by the pretious bloud of the Sonne of God crucified on the Crosse And shall I now see my sins lye so heavy upon him as to make him sweate bloud shall I see him even squeezed under the huge weight of my sinnes shall I see my sinnes crowne him with thornes nayle his hands and feete to the Crosse Gore his side with the speare with an unpierced heart Oh the deepe sorrow that our hearts should bee leavened withall when wee see Christs body brusing and bleeding in the Sacrament Christ our Passeover is sanctified for us The Passeover was to be eaten with bitter herbes or will bitternesses Exod. 12. 5. And how happy is that soule that in this respect can say at the
in Christo muÌ„dum reconcilians sibi patet Arcanum coâ—dis per foramina corporis Patent viscera misericordiae Dei Quidni viscera per vulnera pateant In quo enim clarius quam in vulneribus tuis eluxisset quod tu domine suavis multae misericordiae c. Ego vero sidenter quod ex me mihi deest userpo mihi ex visceribus domini quoniam misericordia affluunt nec desunt foramina per quae affluant Bernard sâ—p Cantic Ser. 61. They pierced my hands and my feete Psal 22. 16. They pierced his side with the speare and there came out water and bloud nay there comes out of those wounds honey and oyle unto faith By these passages may our faith sucke honey and oyle out of the rocke and may taste how good and sweete the Lord is The nayles the speare the wounds all preach unto faith a reconciled God that God is in Christ reconciling the world to Himselfe The Lords bowels are laid open by these CHAP. 21 wounds so as throughout them wee may see the tender bowels of his mercy and so as through them mercy flowes from those bowels unto us Oh my Dove that art in the clefts or holes of the Rocke Cant. 2. 14. Some of the Ancients understood those clefts of the Rock the wounds of Christ in which the Dove the Church hides and shelters her selfe However it may be alluded to and that should be no work of faith at the Sacrament when it sees those clefts of the Rocke opened like a Dove to betake her selfe therunto for shelter and security against all feares and distresses Tuta requies est infirm is peccatoribus in vulneribus salvatoris securus illic habito Patent mihi viscera per vulnera August Mannal Miles aperuit mihi latus Christ lancea ego intâ—ali ibi requiesco securus Aug ibid. that wrath and guilt may put the conscience to Doe any feares of wrath trouble thine heart Doth any Conscience of guilt disquiet thee with the feares of hell Why now in the Sacrament for thy comfort behold the holes in the Rocke where thou mayest be sheltred Dwell now in the rock and be like the Dove that makes her rest in the sides of the holes mouth Ier. 48. Nessell thy soule now at the Sacrament in the clefts of this Rocke See and fully beleeve thy peace to be made with God in Christs bloud and look upon him wounded for thy transgressions with such a faith as may fill thine heart with an holy security against all such feares faith thus Actuated cannot but send thy soule from the Sacrament with much comfort And thus much for the Actuation of faith which is the third thing in that holy disposition requirrd in the receiving of the Sacrament The fourth thing followes which is an exercise of thankesgiving to God for the great worke of our Redemption by the death of Christ And this must rise from an heart affected and enlarged in the use of the Ordinance the heart being warmed and growing hot with the sense of Gods goodnesse a man should breake out and give vent to his heart in magnifying CHAP. 20 the mercy of God for the death of Christ represented in this Ordinance and the fruit thereof is communicated to us therein In the use of our naturall foode there followes a cheerefulnesse of spirit Act. 14. 17. Filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse Now when the heart is cheered and refreshed with the creature it should then let out it selfe in thanksgiving to God Nehem. 9. 25. So they did eate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in thy great goodnesse Psalm 22. 26. The meeke shall eate and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seeke him So when the heart is cheered with the sense of the sweetnesse of an Ordinance of the Sacrament when the Lord hath filled the heart with spirituall foode and gladnesse when we have beene filled and have delighted our selves in Gods great goodnesse in the Sacrament then let we out our hearts to blesse and praise the LORD See it in David Psal 63. 5. My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse That blessing he looks for in Gods ordinances and what should then follow And my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lippes When men are excessively filled with Wine they shout and make a noyse and sing and take on The Prophet alludes to it Psalme 78. 65. like a mighty man that Fons vitae replementem meam torrente voluptatis tuae inebria cor meum sobria ebrietaâ—e amoris tui Aug. medit c. 37. shoutes by reason of wine Such excesse and such drunkennesse the Apostle forbids Ephes 5. 18. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse But yet there an holy and a sober Inebriation the Apostle allowes and calls for But be filled with the spirit Drinke deepe of that Wine And where is that Wine to be drunke As in other Ordinances so in the Sacrament Here Christ makes merry with his people Eate O friends drink ye drink abundantly ô beloved or be drunken with loves Now when a man hath liberally Cant. 5. 1. drunke of this Wine of the spirit at the Sacrament what should follow That which followes in that CHAP. 21 Text Ephes 5. 19. Speaking to your selves in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. When a Quo interius exteriusque rubricati a sapientibus hujus saeculi judicamur amentes man is made Red with this wine within and without as St. Cyprian speakes then should a man let out his heart in holy Iubilitions and Thankesgivings Haec ebriâ—tas non accendit sed extinguit peccatum c. Cypr. de caen Dom. unto God Doe this in remembrance of mee that is in remembrance of the great worke of your redemption wrought by me and doe it in a thankfull remembrance So remember it as to have your hearts in special manner enlarged in all thankefulnesse unto me for this worke And from this it is that this Sacrament beares the name of the Eucharist as being the Sacrament of Thankesgiving for the work of Redemption in the remembrance whereof it is celebrated Our Saviour gave a patterne of this Matth. 26. 30. When they had sung an Hymne So then they sang an Hymne together An Hymne is a Psalme of praise So the Iewes in the celebration of the Passeover did sing the 113. Psalme with the five following Psalmes which they called the Great Hallelujah which they began to sing after that cup of Wine which they called Poculum Hymni seu laudationis the Cup of praise And thus it should bee with us in receiving the Sacrament At all times upon all occasions wee should sing Hallelujahs to GOD but at the Sacrament wee should sing a Great Hallelujah at all times wee should thankefully blesse GOD for the worke of our Redemption but at the Sacrament we should have our hearts greatly
enlarged in more speciall manner to blesse God for Christs Death and the sweet comforts received in the use of the Sacrament Fifthly and lastly this holy Sacramentall disposition stands in an exercise of love and mercy In an exercise of love when wee looke upon our fellow members communicating with us we should cleave to them in CHAP. 20 one spirit as unto members of the same body 1 Cor. 10. 17. For we being many are one bread and one body for wee are all partakers of that one bread So that in partaking of that one bread we are one bread and one body Many cornes goe to the making of one loafe but yet they will not be knod into one loafe unlesse by the mixture of some moysture they bee wrought and fastned together Love exacted stirred up is that moysture that unites us many severall graines into one bread So 1 Cor. 12. 13. We drinke into one spirit that is into one soule In an exercise also of mercy and compassion to the poore members of Indigne manducant qui corpus sanguinem Christi in Sacramēto manducunt bibunt membra autem ejus Evangelio non agnoscunt Aug. cont lit Tetil l. 2. c. 55. Christ shewing mercy to them in contributing to their necessities And here specially at the Sacrament shold that ground work with us 2 Cor. 8. 9. And thus we see what the concomitant duties are and such as accompany the Action Chap. 21. Subsequent duties and such as must follow the Sacrament received CHAP. 21 VVEE are now come to the third and last sort of Duties in which the due order of receiving the Sacrament stands and they are subsequent duties such as follow after the Sacrament received There ought to be a speciall care of duties after the Sacrament as well as before and in receiving for though a man may come conveniently prepared and may in a good measure be holily conversant in the duty of receiving yet if a man be carelesse and looke not to himselfe after the duty is done he may marre all A man may come to his meate prepared with a good stommach may eate it with a good appetite and feed hungrily and heartily and yet as soone as he hath eaten may doe that which may spoile all If a man before his meate bee well out of his mouth fall to sleepe or to serious study or to violent exercise or specially if he shall after meate eate some unwholesome food or take some poyson these must needs hinder digestion and concoction these must needs make him the worse after his meat though he come to it prepared with a good appetite and fed upon it with a good stomach Physitions before they give physicke prepare the body for it and give it when the body is in a convenient disposition for it but that is not all They have also a speciall care to order and dyet a man after he hath taken his physicke For though a mans body may be well prepared before taking physicke and be well disposed in taking it yet if a man be not afterwards carefull of taking cold be not carefull what and when he eates his physicke will not kindly worke nor doe him any good Carelesnesse in dyet in taking cold afterwards may Qui pharmacum sumunt solent eo die ab omnibus abstinere quibus pharmaci vis operatio impediri potest Gualth in 1 Cor. 11. 27. dead and kill the force of the physicke so as it may not onely doe a man no good but much hurt though the physicke were very good and proper for his body and disease A great care therefore ought to be had of a due and a right ordering our selves after the Sacrament And this care thus to order our selves stands in these two things First In a mans examining himselfe after he is come from the Sacrament Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate and so let him drinke So also let a man eate and drinke and so let him examine himselfe A man is seriously and faithfully after he hath beene at the Lords Table to consider between God and his owne soule what entertainment and welcome GOD hath given him whether God hath dealt with him at this Supper as Mary delt with CHRIST at that Supper Iohn 12. 2 3. whether the LORD hath powred any precious oyntment upon him or not what comfort and increase of faith and grace he hath received what quickning what refreshment what friendship and communion with CHRIST what vertue hee hath found to flow out of Christ into his owne soule Now upon such examination a man shall finde that it hath been well with him at the Sacrament or it hath not he hath had a good day of it or no good day And accordingly as he findes so he is to proceed First then if a man have found no joy comfort enlargement no communion with nor answer from CHRIST but upon examination findes that he hath beene unfruitfull and that his heart was full of deadnesse hardenesse and dulnesse of spirit then two things are to bee done First Suspect thy selfe that some miscarriage hath beene in thee either in thy preparation to or in thy performance of the duty Labour therfore to finde out where the faile was and what it was that hindred the efficacy of the Sacrament that caused God to keep his hand close that caused him to deny to anoynt thee with fresh oyle And having found out what hindred and deaded the Sacrament judge thy selfe for that and be seriously humbled for it And this being thus done so that after our receiving we can but be sensible of our owne senselesnesse of heart in that holy duty and can mourne for it and complaine to God of it and of our selves we neede not be overmuch dismaied and cast downe because this is one fruit of the life of Christ which was undoubtedly received in the Sacrament Though thou hast not that thou wouldest have had yet thou hast that which was worth the going for Construe this very thing as a fruite of going to the Sacrament and be thankefull for that Secondly Endeavour by after paines in prayer and humiliation to quicken and awaken the efficacy of the Sacrament for this wee must know as a point of great use and comfort that Sacraments doe not alwaies worke for the present but the efficacy may come afterwards It is in this case as in that 1 Sam. 10. 1. 6 9. Samuel anoynted Saul and said The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee c. And it was so that when had turned his back to goe from Samuel God gave him another heart The Spirit of God came not upon him in the Anoynting but afterwards when hee was departed from Samuel The Actions of God are of eternall efficacy though he put forth that efficacy in such times and seasons as he sees good Though the Sacrament worke not for the present in the administration yet if wee bee after touched with a