cannot live without his meat and drinke and so for the soule to have such a disposition after Christ this is a rare thing but know that Gods name is not sanctifyed unlesse thou doest come in such a way unto this holy Sacrament that 's the fourth thing hungry and thirsty desires after Christ from a deepe sence of the need of him and the apprehension of the Excellencie in him 5. In the fift place there must be an exercise of Faith for the sanctifying of Gods name here Faith that is both the hand and the mouth for the taking of this spirituall meat and spirituall drink when thou comest to the Feast of the Lord Faith first is the eye and then the hand and mouth it is the eye of the soul to give a reall sight of what there is here you are not able to discerne the body of the Lord but by the eye of Faith if thou comest only with bodily eyes to look upon what is here thou seest nothing but a little bread and wine But now where the eye of Faith is there is a reall appearance of Jesus Christ to the soule as if Christ were bodily present and we need not have the bread turned into his body for Faith can see the body of Christ through the bread and the body of Christ gushing in the wine And it is a mighty thing to have Christ and such spirituall things made reall and not to be a fansie If one look upon the fire that is painted one cannot heat ones selfe in cold weather with that but fire that is really burning upon the hearth so those that come to receive the Sacrament and not come with Faith that have only the eye of their bodies they only see as it were a painted Christ they doe not see Christ really his body and bloud and those great Mysteries of the Gospel are not presented as reall things to their soules and hence it is that they go away and get nothing but now when the soule comes with the eye of Faith the soule sees the wonderfull things of God it is the most glorious sight in the world all the glory of God in the heavens and earth is not like this sight of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of the Gospell that do appeare to the eye of faith therefore you may by this know whether you have come with faith or no to the Sacrament whether you have seen the most glorious sight that ever your eyes did behold alas with our naturall eyes we behold a Minister comming with a peece of bread and a little wine but when the eye of faith is opened then wee behold the glorious things of the Gospell many times when you come to hear the word your hearts burne within you as they that went to Emaus but when you are breaking bread the eye of faith that must look upon Jesus Christ and in this sence those that have pierced Christ must look upon him that Scripture is fulfilled in Zach. 12. latter end they shall look on him whom they have pierced by their sins and then mourne and lament this eye of faith will cause mourning and lamenting for sinne And then as faith is the eye to make what is here reall so faith is the hand to take it when you come to a feast you must have something to take the meat to you so saith Christ he brake bread and gave it to his Disciples saying take eat this take it how shall we take it by reaching out of the hand if you sanctifie Gods name in this Ordinance as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine so there must be an actuall reaching out of the soule by faith putting forth an act of faith to receive Jesus Christ unto the soule to apply the Lord Jesus Christ to thy soule with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased when the Minister doth give out that Ordinance you should look upon God the Father giving out his Sonne as if this were your condition I am now in the presence of the eternall Father who now doth actually give out his Sonne to my soule and saith soule here receive anew this day my Sonne with all that he hath purchased for thy good now then the soule acts upon this and by stirring up an act of faith comes and closes with this gift of the Father and casts its selfe upon Jesus Christ and saith as it were Amen to what the Father gives oh Lord here I come and imbrace thy Sonne as my life as my Saviour as the fountaine of all my good in whom I expect all the good I am like to have either here or to all eternity so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actuall taking of Christ if thou beest a beleever canst thou remember what thou didst when first thou didst take Jesus Christ when the Lord in the preaching of his word did reveale Jesus Christ to thy soule what didst thou then oh soule how did thy soule work in closing with Christ as thy soule did then in closing with Christ so it must now renew the work there must be a renewall of the worke at that time So that when you come to the Sacrament you must not thinke that it is then a time to listen to doubts feares and scruples no but it is a time that God cals for the exercise of faith the casting of the soule upon Christ and his merits for life and for salvation or else the name of God is not sanctified as it ought thou doest not sanctifie Gods name when thou art busying thy foule in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the Sacrament And then faith is as the mouth when thou commest to eat and drinke how canst thou if thou hast not a mouth thou hast a bodily month to take in bread and wine but know that without faith thy soule cannot take in Christ faith is as it were the mouth that is by the act of faith the soule doth open it selfe for Jesus Christ and not only opens it selfe but takes in Christ to the soule and makes Christ and the soule as one as our bread and wine is made one with our body so faith takes in Christ and makes him as one with thee and turnes Christ into the nourishment of thy foule and thou and Christ by faith are made as truly one as the bread and wine that is put into thy body is made one with thy body This is the worke of faith without which wee cannot sanctifie the name of God Sixthly there must be spirituall joy that must be exercised here for it is a feast here we come to sit with Christ at his Table wee come as children to our Fathers Table and to sit there with Jesus Christ our elder Brother now as a Father doth not love to have his child set in a sullen and dogged way at his Table or to be crying but he would have the child set in comfort
now when it is meerly out of love to Jesus Christ that I might have more edification to my soule and still I retain love to the Saints that are there as they are in a Communion and so farre as they have any thing good among them I hold Communion with them in that onely I desire in humility and in meekenesse that I may be in such a place where my soule may be most edified where I may enjoy all those Ordinances that Christ hath appointed for his Church certainly that soule that can give this account to Iesus Christ for going from one place to another will be freed by Iesus Christ from such a sinne as this that the world cals Schisme but the truth is this word is in mens mouthes that understand not what it means and the devill alwayes will have some word or other cast upon them that are good for hee hath heretofore gained much by it so still he makes account to gaine much by words and Termes and therefore men should take heed of words and Termes that they do not understand and examine seriously what the meaning of these words and what is held forth in those words and thus much for that point that it must be in a holy Communion wherever there is the receiving of the Lords Supper it must be received in a holy Communion Now wee are to proceed to that which is the maine thing and that is What are the holy qualifications or dispositions of the soule together with the actings fit in the receiving of the Lords Supper what is required in the soule for the sanctifying of the name of God in this holy Sacrament there are many things required As first there is required knowledge I must know what I doe when I come to receive this holy Sacrament knowledge applyed to the worke that I am about when some of you have come to receive this Sacrament if God should have spoken from heaven and have said thus to you what are you doing now what do you go for what account had you been able to have given unto him you must understand what you doe when you come thither First you must bee able to give this account to God Lord I am now going to have represented to me in a visible and sensible way the greatest mysteries of godlinesse those great and deep Councels of thy will concerning my eternall estate those great things that the Angels desire to pry into that shall be the matter of eternall praises of Angels and Saints in the highest heavens that they may be set before my view Lord when I have come to thy word I have had in mine eares sounding the great mysteries of godlinesse the great things of the Covenant of grace and now I goe to see them represented before mine eyes in that Ordinance of thine that thou hast appointed Yea Lord I am now going to receive the Seales of the blessed Covenant of thine the second Covenant the new Covenant the Seales of the Testimony and will of thine I am going to have confirmed to my soule thine everlasting Love in Jesus Christ Yea Lord I am going to that Ordinance wherein I expect to have Communion with thy selfe and the communication of thy cheife mercies to my soule in Jesus Christ I am going to feast with thee to feed upon the body and bloud of Jesus Christ Yea I am now going to set to the Seale of the Covenant on my part to renew my Covenant with thee I am going to have Communion with thy Saints to have the bond of Communion with all thy people to be confirmed to me that there might be a stronger bond of union and love between me and thy Saints then ever these are the ends that I go for this is the work that I am now going about thus you must come in understanding you must come with understanding you must know what you are going about this is that which the Apostle speaks of when he speaks of the discerning the Lords Body he rebukes the Corinthians for their sin and shews them that they were guilty of the body and bloud of Christ because they did not discerne the Lords body they lookt only upon the outward elements but did not discerne what there was of Christ there they did not understand the institution of Christ they did not see how Christ was under those elements both represented and exhibited unto them that 's the first thing there must be knowledge and understanding And now for the knowledge and understanding of the nature of the Sacrament there need be knowledge in other points of Religion for we can never come to understand the nature of this Sacrament without knowing God and knowing our selves knowing in what estate we were by nature knowing our Fall knowing the way of Redemption knowing Jesus Christ what he was and what he hath done for the making of an Atonement the necessity of Jesus Christ and what the way of the Covenant is that God hath appointed to bring mens soules to eternall life by The maine points of Religion must be known but especially that that concernes the nature of a Sacrament Now this knowledge likewise must be actuall not meerly habituall knowledge but there must be a stirring up of this knowledge that is by meditation I must be meditating have actuall thoughts and meditations of what I doe know that ought to be the work of a Christian in comming to receive the Sacrament to quicken up his knowledge to have a renewed work of his knowledge by actuall thoughts and meditations of the maine points of Religion and especially of the nature and the end of this holy institution that is the first thing Secondly As wee must come understandingly without which wee cannot sanctifie Gods name so we must come with hearts sutable to the work that wee are about that is because the great thing that is here is the breaking of Christs body and the pouring forth his bloud A sutable disposition to this is brokennesse of heart sence of our sinne of that dreadfull breach that sin hath made between God and the soul our sin should be upon our hearts so as to break them But this brokennesse must be evangelicall it must be through the applying of the blood of Christ unto my soule I must come to be sensible of my sin but especially be sensible of it by what I see in the holy Sacrament that must make me sensible of my sinne There are a great many things to make me sensible of my sin The consideration of the great God that thou hast sinned against and the Curse of the Law that 's due to thee the wrath of God that is incensed against thee for thy sin and those eternall flames that are prepared for sinners those everlasting burnings But now those are not the things that will break the heart in an evangelicall way in a gracious way the maine thing by which the soule must come to break its heart must be the
beholding of the evil of sin in the red glasse of the blood of Jesus Christ the beholding him broken and truely there is nothing in the world that hath that power to break the heart for sin as the beholding of that which is to be beheld in the holy Sacrament and that heart is a hard heart that can see what is there to be seen and not break in the apprehension of sin when I here see what my sinne cost what a price was made for my soule when I see the hatred of God against sinne and the justice of God in not sparing his Sonne but in breaking his Sonne for my sinne and in shedding the blood of his Sonne for my sinnes I see here that the making of my peace which God did cost more then ten thousand worlds is worth I see that by my sin such a breach was made between God and my soule that all the Angels in heaven and men in the world could never make up this breach only the Sonne of God hee that was God and man that was thus broken by the burden of the wrath of his Father for my sins could do this The truth is when wee come to this holy Communion we are to look upon Christ as if we saw him hanging upon the Crosse suppose thou hadst lived at the time when Christ was crucifyed and hadst understood as much concerning the death of Christ as now thou doest and what Christ was if so bee that thou shouldest have beheld him in the Garden and there sweating drops of water and blood and lie groveling upon the ground crying if it be possible let this cup passe from me and shouldest have followed him to the crosse and their have seen his hands and feet nailed and his side pierced and the bloud trickling downe and have heard him crying out my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee would not such a sight as this is have broken thy heart for thy sinne the truth is there is more I won't say only so much but I say there is more in this Sacrament to breake the heart for sin then such a sight as that You will say if you should have Christ to be crucified again before your eyes if you should see the body of Christ hanging upon the Crosse and there behold him crucified and hearing of him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me you would think if your hearts did not break for sin then that they were desperately hard know every time that thou hast come to receive the Sacrament thou hast come to see such a fight and it is as great an aggravation of the hardnesse of thy heart if it hath not broken at this sight as it would be if it should not break at that fight We read in Gal. 3. 1. of Pauls speaking of the preaching of the Gospel he saith that Christ was crucified before those that did hear the word and foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you hee doth not meane that Christ was crucified in Galatia but that where the word was preached he was evidently set forth and crucified among them but now my brethren the crucifying of Christ in the word is not such a reall evident and sensible setting forth of Christ crucified as when he is set forth in this Sacrament and t is that which works with more efficacie to break the heart then that other sight and the reason that I give is this Because you doe never find that God did set that apart as an Ordinance an institution appointed to that end that they should come to look upon that for the breaking of their hearts there was indeed a naturalnesse in it that if they did behold Christ it might break their hearts but it was not such an Ordinance it was not a Sacrament as this is now this being in a sacramentall way in the use of an Ordinance appointed by Iesus Christ to set forth his sufferings and all the riches of the Covenant of grace to the soule there may be expected here a further blessing then in the other though its true the other might worke mightily upon the heart but yet this being a great Ordinance of Christ in the church a great institution of Iesus Christ for the setting out of his sufferings it hath a more special blessing that goes along with it every Ordinance hath a promise and a more speciall blessing then any other thing that is not an Ordinance So when you come here to behold Christ crucified before you you cannot see Christ naturally crucified as upon the Crosse but you have Christ crucified before you in the way of a Sacrament in the way of a solemne institution of Iesus Christ that hath a speciall Blessing which goes along with it therefore if the heart be not broken here there is an aggravation of the hardnesse of the heart as great as if we should behold Iesus Christ upon the Crosse and our hearts not broken there and indeed this is a special reason why those are said to be guilty of the body and bloud of Christ that receive unworthily as if a man had been then alive and had been before the Crosse and there have seen how the blood of Iesus Christ was shed for sinne and should not have been affected with it but should have acounted it as a common thing this man in some regard might have been said to be guilty of his death that is to have joyned and consented with those that did crucifie him for if a man sees another commit a sin if he bee not affected with that sinne and it does not stirre his heart he may come to be partaker of his Sinne so those that shall come to see Jesus Christ crucifyed and have not their hearts at all stir'd with the crucifying of Christ they are in some regard truly said to be guilty of the body and blood of Iesus Christ and that 's the second thing brokennesse of Spirit is suitable to the light of a broken Christ 3. The third thing that is here to be done in the sanctifying of Gods name is the purging and cleansing of the heart from sinne an actuall cleansing and purging the heart from sinne there ought to be The Iews in their Passeover were to cast out all leaven and those that write of the custome of the Jews say that they were wont to doe three things in the casting out of their Leven 1. They made diligent search for Leaven they lighted Candles to look into every Corner least there should be any bit of Leaven left in the house 2. When they found it they cast it out 3. They used an execration they did curse themselves if they should willingly keepe any Leaven in the house So my brethren when we come to partake of this holy Ordinance there should be a diligent inquisition for sin for Sin in Scripture is
compared to Leaven thou shouldest make a diligent search what sin there is in thy heart in any of the faculties of thy soule what sinne there is in thy thoughts in thy Conscience in thy understanding in thy will in any of thy affections what sinne there hath been in thy life what family sins what personall sins Thou shouldest make a diligent search to see whither there be not some Leaven some evill in thy heart and what ever sin thou shalt come to find out in thy heart there must be a casting of it out that is thy soule must be set against it to oppose it with all thy might whatever beloved sin whatever gainefull sin whatsoever become of thee thy soule must renounce that sinne of thine yea and in a kind of execration of thy selfe that 's thus Lord as ever I expect to receive any good by this body and blood of Christ that I come now to receive so Lord here I professe against every sin that I have found out in my heart I desire to find out all and professe against all and renounce all and would doe to the uttermost that I am able for delivering of my soule fully from every knowne or beloved sin oh that there might not be any remaining in my heart this must be the disposition of the soule comming hither and it must needs be thus or else we cannot sanctifie Gods name because there is nothing more sutable then this disposition unto the receiving of the Sacrament for we come here to professe that we doe acknowledge that sinne did cost so much as it did that it cost the blood of the Sonne of God now this cannot chuse but cause the heart to renounce sinne If indeed I doe beleeve that sinne hath cost the bloud of Christ that it cost him so deare as it did that it did trouble Heaven and earth that there must be such a mighty wonderfull way of satisfaction to God for my sinne committed against him certainly sinne hath a dreadfull evill in it oh let me never have to doe with such sin that was the cause of such sufferings to my Saviour that did shed his blood If so be that thou sawest a knife that had cut the throat of thy dearest child would not thy heart rise against that knife suppose you come to a Table and there is a knife laid at your Trencher and it was told you this is the knife that cut the throat of your childe or Father if you could use that knife as another knife would not any one say there was but little love to your Father or child So when there is a temptation comes to any sin this is the knife that cut the throat of Christ that pierct his sides that was the cause of all his sufferings that made Christ to be a curse now wilt not thou look upon that as a cursed thing that made Christ to be a curse oh with what detestation would a man or woman fling away such a knife and with the like detestation it is required that thou shouldest renounce sin for that was the cause of the death of Christ I remember it is reported of Anthony when Caesar was slaine he comes to stir up the people against those that had slaine Caesar and he takes the cloathes that were bloudy and holds them forth to the people and saith here is the bloud of your Emperour and upon that the people were inraged against those that had slaine him and went and pulld down their houses upon them so when thou comest to this Sacrament thou seest the bloud of Christ gushing out and for thy sin if ever thy sin be pardoned either thy soule must be eternally damn'd for thy sin or else thy sin cost the gushing out of the Blood of Christ now when thou seest this this should cause a holy rage in thy soule against sin that caused this surely the putting away sin the risings of the heart against sin must needs be a disposition sutable to such an Ordinance as this is And that 's the third thing required in the sanctifying of Gods name in this Ordinance the purging out of sin and rising of the heart against it 4. The fourth thing that is to be done for the sanctifying of Gods name here it is the hungering and thirsting of the soule after Jesus Christ whosoever coms hither he comes to a feast and the Lord expects that all his guests should come with stomacks unto this feast come with hungring and longing for Jesus Christ this should be the disposition of the soule oh that my soule might injoy Communion with Jesus Christ now this is the end that I am come for oh the Lord that knows the workings of my heart knowes that this is the great desire of my soule that I might enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ oh that I might have more of Christ that I might meet with Christ that I might have some further manifestation with Jesus Christ that I might have my soule further united to the Lord Christ and so have further influence of Christ to my soule I come with thirsting after the Lord Christ knowing my infinite need of him and the infinite excellency that there is in Jesus Christ my soule doth famish and perish for ever without Christ but in the injoyment of Christ there is a fulnesse for the satisfying of my soule that I have had of Christ sometimes in the word and sometimes in prayer that hath been sweet unto me but I expect a further Communion of Christ here for this is the grand Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ in deed the word in this respect it is beyond this Ordinance that is it is not only for the increase of grace but for the begetting this is only for the increase of grace and not appointed for the begetting now in that respect the Word is above the Sacrament but now this Sacrament is a more full Ordinance for Communion with Jesus Christ this is the Communion of the body of Jesus Christ and of his bloud and therefore there ought to be hungring and thirsting desires of the soule after Jesus Christ therefore you must take heed you doe not come with your Stomacks full of trash as children when they can get Plums and Peares and fill their stomacks with them when they come to your Tables though there be never so much wholsome diet they have no mind at all to it so it is with men of the world they fill their hearts with the trash of this world and with sensuall delights and hence it is that when they come to such a great Ordinance to enjoy Communion with Jesus Christ that then they feele no want at all of Christ only they come and take a little peece of bread and a draught of wine but for any strong pausing desires to meet with Jesus Christ there in the Ordinance to come so as they know not how to live without Christ even as a man that is an hungred
and with a holy cheerfulnesse with a holy freedome of Spirit not in a sullen way but as a child in the presence of his Father and not as a Servant with the Master Object You told us before that there should be brokennesse of Spirit and sence of our sin Answ That may be and joy we rejoyce with trembling therefore that brokennesse of Spirit that I meant must not bee slavish horrour and feare but a kindly melting of the soule from the aprehension of the love of God unto it in Jesus Christ that was willing to be at so great cost to purchase the pardon of sin such a gracious mourning as may stand with joy and the truth is that that sorrow for sin in the Sacrament that is not mixt with joy is a sorrow that doth not sanctifie Gods name godly sorrow and evangelicall joy may stand together very well And therefore know that this is not the time neither to give liberty to have your hearts sinke no there must be no sinking sorrow of heart but such a sorrow of heart as in the midst of it you may be able to look upon God as a reconciled Father to you and have a cheerfulnesse of Spirit as in the midst of it you must look upon your selves as Gods guest to be merry at his Table now this is a great mystery of godlinesse that there should be at the same time the sight of Christ crucified and yet at the same time a spirituall cheerfulnesse in the assurance of the love of God in Iesus Christ I say it is a Mystery and only those that are Beleevers are able to understand this mystery how to have their hearts break and yet how to rejoyce at the same time in that unspeakeable love of God that is here presented unto them in this Sacrament Seventhly In the next place there must be thankefulnesse therefore it is called the Eucharist and in one of the Evangelists where it is said Christ blest the bread in another it is said Christ gave thanks Christ when he instituted this Sacrament hee gave thanks he gave thanks for what he gave thanks to God the Father that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor soules now shall Iesus Christ give thanks unto God the Father for that that did cost him his life yea saith Christ I see that here is a way to save soules and let it cost me my life if it will yet I blesse thee O Father if soules may come to be sav'd though it cost me my life Christ rejoyced in his Spirit in thanking his Father for this then how should our hearts be inlarged with thankefulnesse when we come to this that the Ancients were wont to call the Eucharist that is a thanksgiving we are to give God thankes for every mercy you will not eate your owne bread without giving of thankes but when wee come to have this bread this bread of life here is matter of thankefulnesse here is matter of inlargement of soule thou that hast the deadest and dullest soule and straightest Spirit yet when thou comest hither and understandest what thou doest here thou canst not but see matter for the inlargement of thy heart and wish that thou hadst ten thousand thousand times more strength to expresse the praises of the Lord here is a thing that must be the subject of the Hallelujahs and doxologies that Angels and Saints must for ever sound out in the highest heavens dost thou know what the Lord presents to thee here it is more then if the Lord should say I will make ten thousand worlds for the sake of this creature and give all these worlds to him thou wouldest thinke that thou wert bound to blesse him then only when God in the Bread and wine reaches out to thee the body bloud of his Sonne here is more matter of praise then if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee and therefore God expects that thou shouldest say to thy soule my soul praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases O poor soule here is the foundation of all mercies dost thou praise God for justification for sanctification here is a glorious application of the mercy of God to the soules of sinners and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull be thankefull here The Sabbath my Brethren that is appointed to be the set constant day of thankesgiving for the great mercies of God in Christ and there are other dayes for nationall mercies now a speciall work of the Lords day is the celebration of this holy Sacrament and the Christians in former times were wont to do it every Lords day because that 's the day appointed by God for to be the day of thankesgiving for that great mercy the Lord Jesus Christ and that 's the reason why the Sabbath was changed the last day of the week was the Iewish Sabbath and that was to celebrate the memoriall of the Creation of the world and the first day now it is to be the day of thanksgiving for all the work of God in mans redemption Eightly A further thing is this if you would sanctifie Gods name you must be willing to renew your Covenant that 's the end of it there must be an actuall renewing of your Covenant with God that 's thus I come to receive this bread and this wine and this is to be as the Seale of the Covenant on Gods part now this will be emplyed in the nature of the thing that if I take the Seales of Gods Covenant that I must be willing to set to my Seale too to renew the Covenant that God calls me to now know all men and women that are sav'd they are sav'd by the vertue of the Covenant of grace and there God on his part promises and makes a Covenant that hee will bestow his Son life and salvation through him and thou must likewise come in on thy part and beleeve on his Son and repent which is the Tenour of the Gospel now every time thou comest to receive this Sacrament thou commest to renew this Covenant As if thou shouldest say Lord thou hast been pleased to make a Covenant of grace as the first Covenant was broken and all men were cast by that Covenant now thou hast made a Covenant of grace and callest thy servants whom thou intendest to save that they should renew their Covenant with thee in this Sacrament of thine Lord here I come and Lord here I renew it and set to my seale to promise and Covenant with thee that as ever I expect to receive any good from Christ so Lord here I will be thine I will give up my selfe for ever to thee as thou hast given me the Body and bloud of Christ for my salvation so Lord here I consecrate my body and bloud to thee the last drop of
my heart blood shall be given up to thee and so my strength and estate and name and whatever I am or have shall be thine Have you done thus when you have come to receive the Sacrament have you actually renewed your Covenant with God you that have taken the body of Christ have you given up your body to Christ what 's the reason then that you sinne so much with your bodies that you abuse your body with uncleannesse and drunkennesse and other wickednesse afterwards oh you prophane the name of God and the very body and blood of Christ in this except thou givest up thy body and soule to God in way of Covenant Ninthly In the last place for the sanctifying of Gods name there is required a renewing of Love the comming with lovely dispositions and the renewing of the grace of love not only towards God but towards our Brethren for it is the feast of the Lord and it is an act of Communion Communion not only with Christ but with his Churches with his Saints and as I have told you that there is a profession of our selves to be of the same body with Jesus Christ then the Lord requires that his children should not fall out that come to his Table but that there should be love and peace there 's a mighty bond upon thee when thou commest to the Sacrament and therefore first all heart burnings and heart grudges must bee laid aside and Secondly you must come with a willingnesse to be reconciled one to another willingnesse to passe by all infirmities in thy Brethren here I have the Seale of Gods willingnesse to passe by all my sins and therefore I must bee willing to passe by all infirmities in my Brethren I must now cast out all ill wishes towards others and come with a desire of all good unto them and with a heart ready to embrace any opportunity to do any good thou doest lye unto God except thou commest with such a heart as this is Lord thou knowest that I am willing to take all opportunities to doe good to those that I now doe communicate with for it is the nearest Communion that possibly can be in this world betweene one Creature and another and this is the reason why there should bee that Ordinance of Christ set up everywhere to cast out those that are unworthy because it is the greatest union and Communion that possibly can be for it is the Sacrament and Communion of the same body they are the same members of Christ now if thou doest not thinke such a one to be a member of Christ why doest not thou what thou canst to have him cast out but so long as thou hast done nothing in private to him or in telling the Church thou doest owne him to be a member of Iesus Christ if thou doest so take heed how thy heart be estranged from him take heed how thou behavest thy selfe to them take heed how thou livest in a jarring way and a contentious way with them and holdest them off at staves end or walking at a distance from them though they be never so poor and mean know that thou doest prophane this holy Ordinance every time thou commest to it when thou commest with such a heart as this is if thou dost not find this renewed love Lord there began to be a strangenesse between me and those that have communicated with me but Lord thou art pleased to vouchsafe us to come once more to this Ordinance and Lord here we do professe that this Ordinance shall unite our hearts together more then ever they were I will study to doe what good possibly I can to my brother that is we joyne here to the feast of the Lord with comfort so we may live together in peace and love as it becomes the Saints of God and the members of the Body of Iesus Christ oh how farre are people from any such worke of God as this is the Lord expects that this should be in you every time you come to the holy Communion here hath been nine particulars now mentioned for the sanctifying of the name of God when wee come to partake of the Sacrament but oh Lord what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts â— for if this be to sanctifie thy name then it hath been a riddle a mystery to us certainly my brethren these things are the truths of God that I have delivered and so farre as you have been wanting in any of these know so farre you have taken Gods name in vaine in this holy Ordinance you have not been worthy receivers of this Sacrament you have cause to look back to your former waies and spend much humilation for your sin herein and not to be so greedy of it as some are they must have the Communion but I put it to your Consciences have you repented you for the profaning of Gods name and that 's that that we should further have spoken of that God will be sanctified that 's thus if we doe not sanctifie Gods name it will quite turne to the contrary it is the proper end of the Sacrament to seale up our salvation but if wee sanctifie not Gods name it will seale up our condemnation if it hath not been thy endeavour to sanctifie the name of God so many times as thou hast received the Sacrament so many seales hast thou upon thee for the sealing up of thy condemnation many mens or womens condemnations are sealed with three or foure hundred seales it may be But yet for thy comfort while thou art alive it is possible that thse Seales may be broken open as wee read in the Revelations that John saw the Book that had seven seals upon it and none could be found that was able to open it at length the Lamb that was slaine he was found worthy to open the Book So I say thy condemnation is sealed up with many seales and there is no Creature that is able to cancel these seales only the Lamb Iesus Christ yea that Christ whose blood thou hast shed and been guilty of only he is worthy and he is willing to open these seales for as it was with those that did crucifie Christ yet they were sav'd by the same blood that they had shed as in Acts 2. so though thou hast been guilty of shedding the blood of Christ againe and againe by thy prophane coming to the Sacrament yet know seeing there is life in thee and the day of grace is continued it is possible that thy soul may be sav'd by that blood that thou hast crucified O how many are cut off that have thus prophan'd the name of God in this Sacrament and never came to understand this danger they are cut of and now are undone for ever why blesse God that thou art alive to heare more about this Sacrament and how Gods name should be sanctifyed that thou art alive and hast time to repent thee of this great evill of profaning the name
worship 96 5 God is a living God and what we should learn thence ibid 6 God is Almighty what that should teach us in our worship 97 7 God is Omniscient and what that should teach us 98 8 God is a God of Wisdom and what that should teach us 99 9 God is Holy and what that should teach us in our worship ibid 10 God is Mercifull and what that should teach us 100 11 God is just and what that should teach us 101 12 God is Faithfull and what we should learn thence 102 SERMON VII Reasons why God will be sanctified in all the duties of his Worship 1 God doth will himself the last End 104 2 The especiall glory God hath in the world is to be actively honoured 105 3 The duties of worship are the means to convey Gods choicest mercies ibid 4 We are not fitted to receive mercies but by sanctifying Gods Name ibid 5 Else we shall not hold out in duty 106 Application 1 We have no cause to rest on our duties 107 2 The work of Religion is hard to flesh and blood 109 3 We should be humbled that we have no more sanctified Gods Name 110 4 Exhortation to sanctifie Gods Name 113 1 To consider we have to deal with God in worship 114 2 Not to come in our owne strength 115 3 Not to be satisfied with the duty done ibid 5 God is displeased with the duties of wicked men 116 1 God blasts such men 117 2 God opens their eyes on their death bed to see what they have done 118 6 Those that sanctifie Gods name he will sanctifie it in a way of mercy 119 SERMON VIII Of sanctifying Gods name in hearing of the word 161 Hearing the word is a part of Gods worship 162 1 We professe our dependance upon God for the knowing of his mind 163 2 In hearing we wait on God in the way of an Ordinance ibid In hearing the word 1 There must be preparation 165 Which is 1 To hear the word as the word of God 166 2 To hear the word as Gods Ordinance for our good ibid 2 To plow up the fallow ground of the heart and what is meant by it 168 3 Resolution to yeild to all truths delivered 170 4 A desire after the word ibid 5 Prayer before we hear the word 171 The behaviour of the Soul in hearing the word 1 Carefull attention to it ibid Means to help attention ibid 2 An opening of the heart to receive it 175 3 Carefull applying of the word ibid 4 It must be mixed with Faith 177 How the word is to be mixed with Faith ibid SERMON IX 5 The word must be received with meeknesse 179 6 It must be heard with a trembling heart 181 7 With humble subjection to the word 182 8 It must be received with love and joy 184 9 It must be received into an honest heart 186 10 We must hide the word in our hearts 189 11 We must turne the word into practice 192 SERMON X Why God will be glorified in them that hear the word 195 1 Because there is so much of God in it ibid 2 God hath appointed it to convey speciall mercies ibid 3 It is quick and lively in working 169 Use 1 Reproof of severall sorts of men concerning the word neglected 197 The fearfull estate of those that do not sanctifie God in his word 200 1 They lose the choicest opportunity ibid 2 The word will be a great aggravation of sin ibid 3 They that reject the word reject Christ 201 4 It is an argument of hardnesse of heart 202 5 It is a sad sign of Reprobation ibid 6 To such there can be nothing sanctified 203 7 They are nigh to a curse ibid 8 It will turn to their damnation 205 9 It will not comfort them in afflictions 206 10 God will make his word good upon them 207 11 The word shall judge them ibid 12 God will blast them that sanctifie not his name in his word 208 Use 2 Exhortatio to glorifie the word of God 209 God will sanctifie his Name in mercy upon those that sanctifie it in hearing the word 210 1 All the good in the word is theirs ibid 2 It is a certain evidence of their election 213 3 God will sanctifie them by the word 214 4 They will be the glory of the Ministers at the day of Christ ibid 5 It will rejoyce them hereafter when God shall magnifie his word 215 SERMON XI Of Sanctifying the Name of God in receiving the Sacrament 225 1 Receiving the Sacrament is a part of Gods worship 226 2 Gods Name must be sanctified in our receiving the sacrament 228 1 Because there are presented the greatest Mysteries of salvation ibid 2 It is an Ordinance that Christ hath left out of his love ibid 3 It is the Sacrament of our Communion with Christ 229 4 The Covenant of Grace is sealed in it ibid 2 No duty is urged with more strength and severity ibid 3 Nothing striks more upon mens Consciences 230 How many are to Sanctifie Gods Name in the Sacrament 231 1 Those that receive it must be holy 232 1 Because it is the seal of the Covenant ibid 2 It is an Ordinance of spirituall nourishment 233 3 Because we are required to examine our selves ibid 4 It is a Sacrament of Communion with God and the Saints 234 2 It must be received in a holy Communion ibid Wicked men not to be admitted to this Communion 235 SERMON XII Addition to the former conerning holy Communion 242 The qualifications in the Soul to fit it for receiving the Lords Supper 244 1 Knowledge ibid 2 A broken heart 246 3 Actuall purging the heart from sin 249 4 Hungring and thirsting after Jesus Christ 251 5 Exercise of Faith 252 6 Exercise of Spirituall joy 255 7 Thankfulnesse ibid 8 Renewing of Covenant 257 9 Renewing of love towards God and our brethren 258 SERMON XIII We must keep to the institution in the Sacrament 261 1 For the gesture 262 2 Delivering it to all in generall and not into every particular mans hand 264 3 That the Communicants be all the while exercised in their thoughts about the death of Christ 265 Mediations in receiving the Sacrament 267 1 That the way of mans salvation it is through a Mediator ibid 2 This Mediator between God and man is true man ibid 3 That his body was broken and his blood shed for us 268 4 It was the body and blood of that person that is God that reconciles us ibid 5 To consider the dreadfulnesss of Gods justice ibid 6 The price of saving a Soul 269 7 The greatness of the evill of sin ibid 8 The infinite love of God to mankind ibid 9 That beleevers shall be nourished to eternall life ibid 10 To meditate upon the Covenant of grace to beleevers 270 Holy disposition to be actuated in receiving the Sacrament 271 Of Sanctifying the name of God in Prayer 272 What preparation we are to make to Prayer 274 1 Concerning the matter of Prayer 276 2 Concerning the manner of prayer 280 Concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 281 SERMON XIV A further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in Prayer 283 5 Rules to help against wandring thoughts 286 1 Set a high price upon the duties of Prayer ibid 2 To renew resolutions against wandring thoughts 287 3 To set the presence of God before us 288 4 To account all wandring thoughts evill ibid 5 To bless God if at any time he did help us against them 289 3 For sanctifying Gods name in Prayer there must be the breathings of the spirit 290 4 There must be pure hearts and hands 292 5 We must call upon God in truth ibid What it is to call upon God in truth ibid 6 We must pray in faith 293 7 In the spirit of adoption 294 8 We must pray with constancy 295 9 We must pray in humility ibid 10 We must tender up al our prayers in the name of Christ 296 Conclusion of all 297 FINIS 1 Observ 2 Observ Observ Observ 5 Observ 6 Observ 7 Observ 8 Observ 9 Observ 10 Obser 11 Obser 12 Obser 13 Obser Stepney Nov. 16. 1645. 14 Obser 15 Obser 16 Obser 17 Obser 18 Obser 19 Obser 20 Obser 21 Obser That we draw nigh to God in Holy Duties What it is to worship God The Second respect wherein the Soule is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties Applic. 1 Applic. 2 Applic. 3 Applic. 4 Applic. 5 By drawing nigh to God often we increâ—se 〈◊〉 grâ—â—ts We come to live holy lives A special signe of our adoption We come to be put in mind of the life of heaven Our drawing nigh to God delightfull to him By coming into Gods presence there is a blessed familiarity betweeÌ„ God and the soul Our familarity with God makes us to be potent with him By our communion with God the terror of death wil be taken away Safety in being neer to God Stepney Nov. 30. 1645. Applic. 6 Great honour God puts upon his servants Doct. 2. Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason 4 Reason 5 Reason 6 Stepney Decem. 7. 1645. Stepney Dec. 14 1645. Stepney Dec. 21 1645. Stepney Janu. 4. 1645. Stepney Janu. 11 1645. Stepney Janu. 25. 1645. Stepney Febr. 1. 1645.
God in regard of that essentiall presence of his yet there is a more peculiar and speciall drawing nigh to God in the duties of his Worship and that the Scripture seems to hold forth unto you First I le shew you how the Scripture holds it forth and then in what respects the Creature may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties of Worship for so it was here they were coming to offer Incense 1 That we do draw nigh to God in holy Duties see Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God so that you may be neerer God then you were that is by holy Services holy Duties hence it is in Ps 95. 2. Let us saith he come before his presence with thanksgiving so that there is a more peculiar coming before Gods presence when we come to Worship him then at other times And v. 6. O come let us Worship and how down let us kneel before the Lord our maker So in Psal 100. 2. Let us come before his presence with singing for that 's one part of the Worship of God But the Scripture is plain that there is a speciall coming before God when we are coming to Worship him and in this respect the Servants of God in Psal 148. 14. are said to be a people neer to God It is a very remarkable expression and le ts forth much the honour of the Saints of God There 's the commendation of the excellent estate of the Saints He al 's 〈◊〉 the hâ—rn of his people the praise of all his Saints even the children of Israel a people neer unto him The Saints of God the Children of Israel the Church of God are said to be a people neer to God Why neer him Because that they Worship God they are much exercised in the Worship of God This is one respect though there may be divers others mentioned yet in respect of their coming so much before God in his Worship therefore they are neer God Quest Neer him Why in what respects may a man be said to draw nigh to God when he Worships him Answ To that I Answer There are three respects in which a man when he is Worshipping of God may be said to draw nigh to God 1 First Because when we come to Worship God we come to tender up that homage and service unto him that is due from us as creatures to the infinite Creator that 's the very end of Worship If you would know what it is to Worship God it is this You come to tender up that homage and respect that is due from the creature to the Creator Now when a Subject comes to tender up his homage to his Prince he comes towards him when he doth it immediately So we have none to tender it up by but Jesus Christ and when we tender it up we must come our selves too for Christ doth not take our service and tender it up to God and we be absent but we must come with Christ and Christ takes us by the hand and so tenders it up to the Father while we are in presence so that we are said to come nigh to God in that respect because of the immediate tendering up of that Worship of ours to God I call it immediate in respect of any creature But in respect of Christ indeed he is a Mediator to do it but yet he doth it in a spirituall way and we have to do with none but God through Jesus Christ in the tendering up of our Worship to him We may make use of an institution that God hath appointed but we do not tender up our Worship to God through that creature but in the use of that creature we do come to God and our souls are to tender up that respect we owe to God immediately Therefore in Levit. 21. 21. it is said of the Priests in their Sacrifices when they were to come to Worship God No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire So that when any come to offer any offerings of the Lord made by fire it appeares he came nigh to God he came to bring a present to God therefore he comes nigh So when we come to offer our spirituall Sacrifices unto God we come nigh to God to offer it 's the offering of a Sacrifice to God And that 's the first thing because the creature comes to bring a present to God therefore he is said to draw nigh And Secondly the Soul is said to draw nigh to God in holy duties because it doth present it's self before God in those ways through which God doth use to communicate his choice precious most excelent and glorious mercies to his people I say when we come to Worship God we come to set our selves before God in those waies that God doth 〈◊〉 to communicate the choice most excelent and glorious rich mercies that he hath to communicate to his creature When we have to deal with creatures as meat and drink and our outward businesses we have to do with God in them but when we come to Worship God we come to present our selves before him in those things that he doth use to let out himselfe though in a more speciall and glorious manner to the souls of his people What 's the reason why heaven is said to be the presence of God and why those that are in heaven are said to live with God There they behold the face of God and are before him in a speciall manner therefore when Christ teacheth us to pray he teacheth us to look up to heaven and to say Our Father which â—rt in heaven c. Now certainly the essentiall presence of God is on earth as truly and really as in heaven and God is not so as to have one part in one place and another in another but All God is in every place but the reason why God is said to be in heaven it is because the Lord makes known himself there in a more glorious manner then in any other place and therefore heaven is the presence of God in a more speciall way Now then if the communication of God unto a creature be enough to make the presence of God more speciall if this be enough to make a creature to live with God and to be before his face because they are there where God doth most communicate himself then certainly when we come to Worship God we come to be neer God and be with God because the duties of his Worship are those means that the Lord hath appointed for the letting out of himself in the glory of his goodnesse and mercy to his people You may expect other manner of communication of Gods goodnesse through the duties of his Worship then in any other way And that 's the Second respect wherein you may be said to draw nigh to God in holy duties Thirdly You may be said to draw nigh to God
Sanctifying Gods Name in hearing it 1 The First is a distemper of Passion in those that have some trouble of conscience in them they are troubled for their fin and their Spirits are in a discontented froward humour because they have not that comfort that they do desire and therefore the Word of God when it comes to be preached to them if it doth not every way suit with their hearts and if they do not find present comfort by it their Spirits are in a distemper and frowardnesse and cast it off and if at any time there be never such comfortable things spoken in the word yet there is an anger in their spirits because they are not able to apply the Word to themselves and they think This doth not concern me now there should be meeknesse of Spirit in those that are in trouble of conscience above all they should quietly attend upon the Word and wait for the time that God will speak peace to their consciences And if I cannot find the Word suitable to me at this time yet I may at another time let me atend with meeknes let me receive everything with meeknesse the Word is above me and if ever I have good it must be by the word at last It doeth much concern those that are in trouble of Conscience to have meeke Spirits 2 There is another distemper in others and that is worse that is Such as when they find the word come neer unto them relating those sins that their consciences tels them they are guilty of their hearts rise against God and his Word and Ministers too Because it would pluck away some beloved corruption because it rebukes them for some haunt of evill some distemper of heart that they have been or are guilty of it puts a shame upon them and therefore their hearts do rise against it It is a dreadfull thing to have the heart rise against the Word As we read of that froward Prince Jehoiakim in the Prophesie of Jeremiah that when the Roll was read in his hearing sitting in the winter time by a great fire he tooke a penknife and cut it a pieces and threw it into the fire in anger and I have read that the Jewes kept a Fast every year to mourne for that great sin yet this Jehoiakim was the Son of Josiah whose heart did melt at the hearing of the Word he had an humble and a meek heart when the Law was read and yet see what a different Spirit Jehoiakim had either from his Father or grand-Father It is a great dishonour to the name of God for men to give liberty to their Passions to rise against the Word take heed of Passion either while you are hearing the Word or after the Word as many of you when you are discontented with what is said When you come in company what a fury are many men in upon the hearing of some things in the word that comes close to their hearts Remember when you are a hearing of the Word that it is that which is above you and it is not fit for one that is an inferiour to shew himself Passionate in the presence of a Superiour It is true the Ministers they may be in as low a condition as you and in a lower but the word they speak it is above all the Princes and Monarchs upon the face of the earth and it is fit therefore we having to deal with God that we should behave our selves in a meeke disposition 6 The next thing for the Sanctifying Gods name in the hearing of the word is this we must hear it with a trembling heart with fear as well as meeknesse and for that you have that famous Scripture in Isa 66. begining Thus saith the Lord the Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my footstool wher is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest For all those things hath my hand made and all those things have been saith the Lord but to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word this is a most admirable Scripture Marke how God lifts up himself in his glory so great a God as the Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my footstool where is that house that ye will build unto me but then may a poor Soul say how shall I be able to stand before this God that is so glorious Saith God be not discouraged Poor Soul who doest tremble at my word for I look to you And then this is a further thing observable that God hath a regard to that soul that trembles at his word rather then to any that should build the most sumptuous buildings in the world for him for saith God here the Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my footstool where is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest they have built a glorious Temple to God but what do I regard that saith God I regard one that trembls at my word more then that great house that you have built unto me it is a notable Scripture to shew what a high respect God hath to one that trembles at his word he regards them more then this glorious Temple that was built unto him If you were able to build such a place as this was for the service of God you would think it a great matter it is not so much regarded as if you could bring a trembling heart to Gods word that 's a special thing wherein the Sanctifying of the name of God consists when we come to see the dreadfull authority that there is in the word of God when we are able to see more glory of God in his word then in all the works of God besides for there is more of his glory in the word then there is in the whole Creation of Heaven and Earth take the Sun and Moon and Stars you that are Marriners you have seen much of the glory of God abroad that one would think might strik terrour into all your hearts but know that there is more of the dreadfulnesse of Gods name in his word then in all his works In Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name the word it is magnified above all the name of God whatsoever and it is a very good sign of a Spirituall inlightened Soul that can see the name of God more magnified in his word then in all his works besides I appeal unto your consciences in this thing have you ever seen the name of God to be more magnified in his word then in all his works I may with very good confidence affirm this that there is no godly Soul upon the face of the earth that hath the weakest degree of grace but hath seen more of the glory of God revealed in his word then he hath seen in all the works of God besides and his heart hath been more taken with it
be not Sanctified in it the end that God hath appointed it for will be turned quite contrary to thee The proper end that God hath appointed his word for it is to save souls but now where Gods name is not Sanctified it is turned quite contrary so the Apostle in 2 Cor. 2. 16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life It is a dreadful thing that the good word of God in which there is such treasures of Gods mercy wherein the counsels of God concerning mans eternal estates comes to be revealed that this should prove to be the favour of death unto death unto any soul that is to have such an efficacy in it as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were As some things have such a poyson in them as the very scent is enough to poyson one So saith the Apostle to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end some souls are sav'd and are and shal be blessing God to al eternity for the word and thy soul is dam'd by the word so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it That will be a dreadful thing that the same word that others shall be blessing of God eternally in heaven for that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for it will be turned to the quite contrary end If it works not in the right way it will work the other the truth is it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to God there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more then the Ministry of the word yet by accident not by its self there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the Ministry of the word It is not only an argument that their hearts are hard but they are hardened by it That in Isa 6. 9. 10. is remarkable for this and the rather because I find it so often quoted by Christ I think it is quoted three or four times in the Gospel And he said go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed This is a strange Scripture what must a Prophet go to them to make their hearts fat and to shut their eyes why the word is appointed to open mens eyes but here the Prophet is sent to shut their eyes that they might not be converted this is dreadful this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the word of God sent unto this people above all Judgements you should be afraid of this It is not so much that a fire should be upon your houses as that God should make his word to be a means to harden your hearts In Ezek. 14. we have a dreadful expression to this purpose by the Prophet there where the Lord saith that the people did come to inquire of him with setting up their Idols in their hearts but saith God I will answer them according to their Idoll If men come to the Ministry of the word with their beloved sins and resolve that they will not part with them the Lord many times in his just judgment suffers some things in the word to be accidentally a means to harden them in that sin of theirs I will answer them according to their Idoll those men are in a dreadful estate whose hearts come to be hardened by the word 9 Ninthly If thou doest not Sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of the word what comfort canst thou ever have by the word in the day of thy affliction certainly when the day of thy affliction comes then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word Vnlesse thy law had been my delight saith David I should then have perished in mine affliction but thou having been exercised in the word so much and Gods name not Sanctifed thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction No marvail then though the word hath been applied again and again to your hearts and nothing would stick I remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience many came to apply comfortable Scriptures to him and he himself for a while did take those Scriptures and lay them upon his heart to passifie his troubled conscience but a little before he dyed he cries out with a most fearful terror there is a fair plaister made but it will 〈◊〉 on it will not stick on so dyed despairing so there is in the word such a plaister as may help a wounded and troubled conscience but 〈◊〉 thou expect that hast not Sanctified Gods name in thy life time that it shall stick upon thy soul in the day of thy affliction never expect it for the Lord hath said otherwise Prov. 1. Because when I cryed and call'd ye would not hear you shall cry and call and I will not hear The Lord in his word cries to thee Oh thou sinful soul who art going on in the waies of sin and eternal destruction Return return that is the way that will bring thee to eternal miseries but here is the way that will bring thee to life and eternal salvation Thus the Lord cries and cals to day to day and thou stoppest thy eare Oh how just is it with God to stop his eare from thy crying and calling in the day of thy affliction 10 Further Know that thou that doest not Sanctifie the name of God in his word that all the word of God will be made good one day upon thee God hath his time to magnifie his Law and to make it honorable Isa 42. 21. You sight Gods Law you slight his word and despise it but God will magnifie it and make it honorable there is not any sentence that thou hast heard in the word but it shall be made good whatsoever becomes of thy soul Thou thinkest that God is a merciful God he will not damn thee but though God be merciful hath regard to his creatures yet the Lord hath ten thousand times more regard to his word then to all the souls of men and women in the world and God will stand to make that good he will not have such regard to that wretched vile sinful soul of thine as not to honour his word he will honour his word whatsoever becomes of thee and all that thou hast heard and rejected shall be made good upon thee one day 11 Again the word that thou doest reject and sin against it shall be the word that shall judge thee Joh. 12. 48. Look to it as well as you will this book of God out of which we preach and those truths that we delivered to you from this word
read and hear such things in the word that if I were but sure that these things were my portion how happy should I be Here 's one sign by which thou mayest be assured that they are all thy portion Is it thy unfained care to Sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of his word Oh peace be to thee all the good in the word is thine And here we might fall into a comendation of the word of the Gospel and if I should give way to that a great deal of time would quickly be gone I will only give you one Scripture for your encouragement to Sanctifie Gods name in the hearing of his word by way of comendation of it It is Rom. 10. 5. a place I am afraid you have not had the sweetnesse of it for the want of understanding it It is quoted out of Deut. For Moses describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them But the Righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach The text hath some difficulty and yet exceeding sweet to us to know it I confesse if the Apostle Paull had not quoted this place out of Deut. and thus interpreted it who could ever have thought in reading of Deut. that by the one had been ment the word of the Law and by the other the word of the Gospel therefore the meaning is this here is a comparison between the word of the Law and the word of the Gospel Concerning the word of the Law there is two things wherein that comes short of the word of the Gospel First It is not so nigh thee Secondly It is not so certain to assure thy Soul what shall become of thee to all eternity The word of the Law saith who shall ascend into heaven c. But the word of the Gospel is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart You will say Why is not the word of the Law as nigh one as the word of the Gospel I Answer The word of the Law you hear it in your eares but it is not written in the heart as the word of the Gospel is The Law cannot work savingly upon the heart of a man to bring salvation those that are meerly Legall they can hear the duties that are required but that word hath no power to write in their hearts what they do hear But now when you come to hear the word of the Gospel that is nigh you even in your very hearts as well as in your eares God speaks in it and it comes into your hearts and there it works efficaciously which the Law cannot The Law is but as a dead Letter in comparison of the word of the Gospel If you come meerly to hear the Law preached and not in an Evangellicall way you may hear it a hundred times and it will never be written in your hearts But when you come to hear the Gospel in an Evangellicall way that will come to be written in your hearts So that the word of the Gospel is nigh you But what is the meaning of the other Say not who shall ascend up into heaven c The meaning is this As if the Apostle should say The truth is while you have no other but the righteousnesse of the Law you are at an infinit uncertainty about your eternal estates The Law saith Do and live but you can never know when you have done enough so as to be certain that you are well for eternity That saith Who shall ascend into heaven to know the mind of God concerning me whether he will accept of me and of that obedience and worship that I tender up to him Who shall go down into the deep Who shall go down to Hell to know there whether that place be prepared for him or not It is a phrase that only expresseth an uncertainty that one cannot be satisfied about his eternall estate except he could go to heaven and there see and read Gods book and so discover Gods mind concerning him or go down to hell and so know whether that place be appointed for him or not except I can do one of these I can not certainly tell meerly by the Law whether I shall go to heaven or hell As you that are Merchants and dealers abroad you are at a great deal of uncertainty what shall become of your estates Indeed if I could send one over to the Indies to tell me how my Ship prospered then I could be at a certainty then I should hear whether I were a rich man yea or no but except I could do such a thing I am at an uncertainty Such is the expression here As if a poor soul should say I would fain be saved and loth to perish eternally But all the while the soul remains under the Law it remains in an uncertain condition but now saith he The Word of the Gospel is nigh thee even in thine heart And that is the Word that we preach that saith Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved As if he should say This word of the Gospel that is come into thine heart doth assure thy soul of thy eternall estate so that though thou canst not go up to heaven nor go down to hell yet thou hast that in thine heart that doth as it were assure thee that thou shalt be eternally saved as if thou wert able to go up to the highest heavens and fetch newes from thence Oh now the good word of the Gospel how should we prize it and keep it in our hearts for that 's in our hearts that wil assure us of our salvation to all eternity of Gods eternal purpose to do the good in heaven You would account it a great happines if there could be any art to send abroad to the Straits or to other place to know how things fare with you but now if thou hast the word of the Gospel within thee if that prevails in thy Soul thou hast alwaies got something in thy heart that will tel thee how things are with thee in heaven and what shall become of thee for all eternity Oh who would not sanctifie the Name of God in hearing of his word seeing it is such a blessed word wherein the Gospel is opened with more clearnesse then it hath been to many of our fore-fathers 2 It is a certain evidence of your election in Thess 1. 3 4 5. Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the
mixture among them thus wee should sanctifie the name of God in receiving this holy Sacrament you have had divers things propounded to you whereby you may come to know and easily to see that there hath been a great deale of dishonour done to this Sacrament and the beauty and glory of it hath been darkened and the sweet that the Saints might otherwise have received in plucking hath been exceedingly hindred There is but one thing more that I shall propound to you and that is the severall meditations that we should meditate on in receiving of the Sacrament the most concerning meditations are suggested in the holy Communion that are in any thing whatsoever more concerning more efficacious more various meditations wee have suggested here then in any thing and it is a great figne that men and women do not discerne the Lords body if so be their meditations be barren at that time I will therefore suggest some nine or ten meditations that that Ordinance of God may hold out very plainly and familiarly to every Communicant for the busying of their thoughts all the time that action is a doing Meditation 1. As first that the way of mans salvation it was by a Mediator it is not only by Gods mercy Gods saying that hee is offended by sin but he will be content to passe it by no but it is through a Mediator now this meditation is suggested thus when I see the bread and wine if I disceren what that signifyes it will hold forth this to me that the way of mans salvation it is not meerly from hence that God saith well I will pardon them and no more but there is required a great worke of God to make an aronement between sinners and himselfe this Sacrament doth hold forth thus much unto us wherefore else have we bread and wine but to signifie that the way of our rconciliation it must be through a Mediator Med. 2. The second Meditation is this that this Mediator that stands between God and us is verily and truely man hee hath taken our nature upon him the bread that puts us in mind of the body of Christ and the wine of his bloud and therefore we are to meditate of the humane nature of Iesus Christ and this is a meditation that hath abundance that might spring out of it what hath the Son of God taken our nature upon him hath hee body and bloud and humane nature upon him oh how hath God honoured humane nature then let me not abuse my body to lust to wickednesse seeing that Jesus Christ hath taken the body of man upon him humane nature upon him let me honour humane nature that is so neerly united to the divine nature that 's the second Meditation Meditation 3. Here 's presented unto us what this Mediator hath done for the reconciling of us unto God that his body was broken he hath subjected himself to the breaking of his body and to the pouring forth of his blood for the reconciling of us it is not meerly as before that God saith I le pardon them but Christ undertaking to make peace between his Father and us it cost him the breaking of his body and the pouring forth of his blood this is a usefull Meditation Oh what should we be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ in our bodies even to resist unto blood seeing Christ hath been content to have his precious body broken and his blood shed for us Meditation 4 Againe a fourth Meditation is this that here we come to see we have occasion of meditating of that the Scripture saith that we are by the blood of God saved it is the blood of God they crucified the Lord of glory that 's the Scripture phrase we should consider when we see the Wine poured out and so put in mind of blood whose blood and whose body is this It is no other but the body and blood of him that was truly God the second Person in Trinity This is the great Mystery of the Gospel and this is very needfull for us to be thinking of when we see the body broken and the blood poured out What will the breaking of the body and shedding of the blood of a meere creature be sufficient to make peace between God and Man surely no therefore you must meditate whose body this is and whose blood this is it is the body and blood of him that was God It s true God hath no body nor no blood but the same person that was God had a body and blood that body and blood was united unto the divine nature in a hypostaticall union and from thence it came to have an efficacie for to satisfie God for to reconcile God and us together this is the great mystery of godlinesse Med. 5. Another Meditation is this when you see Bread broken and Wine poured out oh the infinite dreadfulnesse of the justice of God! how dreadful is the justice of God that coming upon his own Son and requiring satisfaction from him that should thus break him and bruise him that should have his blood that should require such sufferings even from his Son dreadfull is Gods justice the justice of God it is to be feared and to be trembled at here we see what is required for the sinne of man and nothing would be bated to Jesus Christ himself Med. 6. Another Meditation is this here I see presented to me what every soul that shall be saved cost whoever shall have his soul sav'd he hath it sav'd by a ransom by a price paid that is more worth then ten thousand thousand worlds thou slightest thine owne soule but if it prove to be saved it cost more then if thousands of worlds had been given for thee even the shedding of the blood of Christ every drop of which was more precious then ten thousand worlds Meditation 7. Again from hence see what is the evill of sin how great it is that hath made such a breach between God and my soule that only such a way and such a means must take away my sinne I must either have laine under the burden of my sinne eternally or Jesus Christ that's God and man must suffer so much for it oh what Meditations are these to take up the hearts of men Meditation 8. Behold the infinite love of God to mankind and the love of Jesus Christ that rather then God would see the children of men to perish eternally he would send his Sonne to take our nature upon him and thus to suffer such dreadfull things herein God shows his love it is not the love of God so much in giving you a good voyage and prospering you outwardly in the world But so God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne And it pleased the Father to break his Sonne and to poure out his blood here is the love of God and of Jesus Christ oh what a powerfull mighty drawing efficacious Meditation should this be unto us Med. 9. Those that are