119.60 as all spiritual purposes are to be manag'd but yet leâ— it be done with greatest seriousness and fulness of consent it being a bargain never to be broken a covenant never to be forgotten and doing a thing never to be undone again If the desires after Christ you make this Covenant with be true they will make worldly desires in a good measure dye and run low Sometimes you desire a thing so that all other things are so little they scarce come into your thoughts for that same thing you love so â—uch Such a desire had Christ to redeem us that even Sufferings were desirable in order to its accomplishment I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished 13 â—o seal our covenant are we come even that Câ—venant he maâ—e with his Christ the everlasting Covenant the sure and ordâ—red Covenant wherein lies all our salvation hereafter and all our consolation here O let our hearts be carried out according to the loving kindness of the Lord shewed in it Consider all the mercies of this Covenant and labour to taste in every one of them that the Lord is gracious This is the Salt of the Covenant without which our Morâ—el will be unsavoury There is something in the Covenant better than Salvation better than Heaven and that is the Lord our Righteousness and Jehovah our God He is not ashamed to be called our God let not us be a shame but a praise to him To have him for your God is to have all in God for your good and O then let all that is in you be for God Christ is here sending us by the hands of his Commissionated Officers the Cluster of Grapes as the first fruits of the Land of promise and commanding you to take and eat the Bread of Life He is reaching unto the thirsty Soul the fruit of the Vine turning it Sacramentally into his Blood bidding you drink it in remembrance of him till he come and feasting you with his fullest Love and satisfying you with the pleasure and presence of his glory Great and glorious things are soâ—nd here under the plainest dress that the eye of faith may be most exercised The glory of their Ordinances under the Law was a stumbling block to them for they rested in the Cabbinet and over-looked the Jewels The meanness of our Ordinances are so to us for we look not for the Treasure in earthen Vessels The Types were rich and our Memorials poor they had finer Spectacles we better Eyes If their Tree had more shadow ours hath more fruit Christ in commanding us to do this in remembrance of him builds a Monument of himself before he dies plain and simple to the eye but firm and lasting to continue till he come again and all that is said of him in the Gospel is here to be seen in this Sacrament Here may we see him dying and paying our Ransom the Lamb of God lying bound on the Altar heated with his Father's wrath On the Table we have a fair prospect of the Cross with the sacrifice of the Son of God set before us And let us say Lord if thou remember our sins we will remember thy Christ For in remembring his death we must by all means mind that as our sins slew him so his death conquers sin and expiates guilt and this is the food of the sacrifice that our souls must live upon And if this be rightly apprehended you see the great benefit by Christ here represented confirmed and participated And it 's easy to perceive how far they forsake their own mercies that for the sake of sin come not up to the terms of the covenant Iâ— ye think good give me my price it not forbear Any that come hither thinking to â—old â—ast their sins receive not Christ in the â—acrament but Satan receiâ—es them as he did Juâ—as after he had received the Sop Such be all these who come not hither to repent of sin but to câ—ver it 14. When we look into our Bibles we fâ—nd the Death and sufferings of Christ represented here a far greater matter than many make of it bearing so great a part in the â—criptures and making so great a figure there â—or we find the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ the chief thing manifested by the Spirit of God to the Prophets together with the Glory that should follow thereupon to him and his redeemed ones 1 Pet. 1.11 which shews us their prime study was taken up in this And this was likewise the end of all the discoveries of sin and threatnings of God's wrath in the Law even to point out the necessiâ—y of his sâ—tisfaction Rom. 10 4. And lastly the very substance and signâ—â—â—â—â—m of all Typeâ— aâ—d sâ—crâ—fices was but to point out the sufferingâ— of Christ and the glorious effects thereof Heâ— 20.1 Now no hing we hear of his Sâ—ffâ—rings in the World or see thereof in Sacraments makes any saving impression upâ—n us till thereby siâ— bâ—comes exceeding siâ—fâ—l and Christ exceeding prâ—cious among the many things we have seen in the World and works we have done whâ—n shall we begin to see sin in its own colourâ— viz. To sâ—e it the only thing that breâ—ks the Law and so dishonoureth the Law giver Crucified Christ Grieves the Spirit gratifies Sâ—â—an debaseth human nature dâ—stracts the world and damos Souls And yet for all this men cannot hatâ— sâ—n becaâ—sâ— it 's oâ—r â—o k Hel 4.10 O monstrouâ— sinful sâ—lfishâ—ess that fâ—r all the inconceivablâ— evâ—l in sin yet cannot hate it because it 's ours whâ—n â—o tâ—â—t we should hate it more than all th◠〈…〉 the whole woâ—ld Now this due sense of Sâ—n 〈…〉 exâ—lt Christ and make him â—â—â—â—â—ous who is the â—â—â—ha and Omega â—n the busâ—â—â—ss of Relâ—giâ—n without him you câ—n do nothing and lok for nothing It'â— by hâ—s â—treâ—gâ—h 〈◊〉 muâ—t wâ—â—k and by his Righteousâ—ess you muâ—t be â—ccâ—pted Isa 45.24 For indeed we cannot for sin â—hink of any mercy till God turn our eye on Christ in whom he is gâ—acious And the end of all we see Christ to be for â—s is to oblige us to love and obedience We have new representations of the favour of God and grace of Christ daily in these Ordinances that our obedience may be new our hearts and livâ—s â—â—larged and consecrated to the service of such a Saviour who hath Redeemed us with the blood we come here to commemorate Iâ— Faith â—ake these things real to our minds we shall be affected now and reformed hereafter If unbelief reign and we abide under its Power we shall be dead still and worldly as we were But look to him for a share of Heavenly Grace to â—xcâ—te our minds aâ—d thoughts to a Holy Zeâ—l and higher â—ctings than we are usually acquainted with in the lower regions of our converse 15. Having given up our names to Christ in Covenant we are obliged often to renew it to shew the â—â—â—câ—ritâ— of our heart
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
present world seduce many Souls from their Allegiance to Christ and the care that is due to their Salvation How are most deceived with the specious appearances and painted Slavery of the world to make us happy enough without Christ The covetous Pharisees mocked at Christ and Farms and Business do still excuse worldings from a serious and hearty imbracing of Christ's glorious Offers Q. What shall we do that we may not betray Christ and prove false to our Covenant and Profession in times of Tryal A. 1. Leave not a root of bitterness behind no beloved Lust unmort fied this was Judas his bane the love of the world he kept up under a profession and this betrayed him into Satan's hand and he stuck not to betray his blessed Master into his Enemies Hands 2. Rest not on doubtful Evidences of your Heavenly Interest but get things better cleared between God and your Consciences It will be a dreadful snare to you when sufferings come to the loss of Life and Estate and not be sure of Christ and Heaven 3. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life Love if alive will be strong at Death all the floods of Affliction cannot drown it 4. Keep up a close Communion with God constantly in secret If you slack in secret Prayer and wear out of personal acquaintance with the Fountain you will wither and your strength dry up like a Pot-sheard and your foot soon slide 5. Let never a day go over your head without actual Faith on some promise that this may keep you from fainting under discouragements Ps 27.13 6. The most refined formal lifeless Religion will not always secure you from being scandals on Earth and being cursed wretches in Hell eternally 45. That your minds may not be empty and wandring doubtful what to fix upon enquire Q. What doth this Ordinance call for A. 1. A Crucified Christ calls for Crucified sins 2. Be saying to thy self did this Blood satisfy God and shall it not satisfy me Why then O my Soul do'st not thou rest more intirely in this ransome and possess more of that rich Legacy his word hath left us and his Death hath purchased My peace I leave you my peace I give you and in me ye shall have peace and this man shall be the peace 3. Think whose Body and what a Body is here represented The blessed Body of the Son of God that was our Sacrifice broken bruised and bleeding on the Cross for us That same body that his Father gave him who needed it not but for us to receive our buffering in that Body that Devils envy to this day even that the Human Nature should be assumed into a personal Union with the Divine An honour denied the Angels That Body that hung on the Cross a spectacle to men and Angels for shame pain and a curse due to us That same Body that was laid in the Grave and raised up unto Glory God in our Nature appearing in Heaven for us preparing a place for us perfuming it with his Glorious Possessions and Presence 4. Think how due it is I should remember him in my Life who remembred me so kindly at his Death especially having made a Law for it in this Ordinance and making the remembrance no more costly nor painful than you see it this day He might have sent us a Jerusalem Jouâ—â—â—y to the holy Grave and appointed some costly Offerings there But let us bless our Merciful Lord and Law giver that hath spared us these expences and is content we should remember him in this plain Gospel Simplicity 5. Think you are now remembring your best and dearest Friend in Heaven or Earth who loves you beâ—â— and hath done most for you Wherefore with what affections should he be remembred and how precious should every thouâ—hâ— of him be to your Souls Song 1. 4 Psal 139.17 6. Think how miserable you had been to eternity if he had not remembred us in our low estate And what you have deserved that needed such a surety and Sacrifice Q. How may we know if our remembring of Christ in this Ordinance hath been good and right A. 1. If we have here a remembrance of the right stamp we leave not off remembring of Christ when we are gone but the life of a Christian in hearing reading meditating and praying will be much more a remembring him in his ways than others attain to 2. We will cause others remember Christ with us as we can Psal 45. ult 3. It will leave a lasâ—ing desire of remembring him here again Psal 42.2 4. 〈◊〉 right its Virtue will run thro gâ—â—all our Diâ—â—ies and Actions till we come again 〈◊〉 thâ—ll find is more easy to perform every duty and â—bey every precept As we sind sin that Dagoâ— fall before this Ark of the Lord temptations resisted and services Spiritualized we may jâ—â—g of this case 5. A right remembrance of Christ will make a Sanctified Soul even forget the best and most needful things on Earth to remember him now in Heaven 6. It will humble thee for former forgetting of him and stir up a holy hatred against vain thoughts that kept Christ out a few moments of a Sanctified remembring thy sweet Saviour here will send thee away with a sad Heart for thy forgeting of him days without number 46. Q. What came we hither to learn at the Table of the Lord A. 1. Humility from a meek and lowly humbled suffering Saviour Phil. 2.57.2 Patience from this Lamb of God that opened not his Mouth Learn here to possess your Souls in Patience and suffer not every trifle to provoke you 3. And here may we learn to Love where it shines out so gloriously 4. Self-denial and a publick Spirit who not regarding his own ease and pleasure glorified his Father in Redeeming us 5. See here your strong rock and learn to live by Faith A sight of a Crucified Sanctified Saviour should give us confidence both in Duties and Dangers In Duties this sight should lift you up above all your doings when you see what your surety hath done and suffered for you And in Dangers your great help to believe he will not let your temporal evil sink you is his delivering your Souls from eternal Miseries and Hell and the second Death 6. We can no where at a better advantage learn with them that are Redeemed from the Earth the new Song of Promise than here at such a solemn sight of our Suffering Redeemer But that we may learn our Lessons the better let us be considering where and with whom we are sate Solomon says Prov. 23.1 When thou sittest with a Ruler consider what is before thee It 's a great Ruler we sit with and a great Feast ser before us Now let us consider we sit at the Table of the Lord and we eat the Supper of the Lord. If this be the Table of the Lord what wonderful condescention is this that