2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath Every Christians care should be to have his prayer like Iobs Iob 16. 17. Also my prayer is pure The way to have our prayer pure is to lift up pure hands without wrath Love is that which makes heart and hands and so prayer pure from the defilement of wrath It is required in all that will heare the Word aright Iames 1. 19. They that will bee swift to heare must bee slow to wrath and verse 21. all superfluity of maliciousnesse must be layd apart to fit for the receiving of the Word So 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Wherfore laying aside all malice as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word And so likewise no lesse requisite in all such as will come to the Sacrament in due order Every sacrifice was to be salted with salt Levit. 2. 13. And every oblation of thy meate offring shalt thou season with salt Thou shall not suffer the salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking c. with all thine offrings thou shalt offer salt Vnseasoned services are unsavoury services Services without salt are services without savour And here is a salt with which all our duties are to be sprinkled Marke 9. 50. Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another And as at all times so especially is it required before we come to the Sacrament If without love we are neither fit to pray nor heare then not fit to receive the Sacrament for he is not fit to receive the Sacrament that is neither fit to pray nor heare the Word The necessity of it will appeare by these things 1 By that so well knowne a place Matth. 5. 23 24. If thou bring thy Nun quam mihi contingat turbatum ad pacis accedere sacrificium cū ita disceptatione contingere Sacramentum-Certe non recipitur munus quodcunque meum quod defero ad altare nisi ante placato fratre quē me forte laesisse meminero quanto minùs si meipsum non placavero priùs Bern. de precept dispens guift to the Altar and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thy guift before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy guift It may seeme to be somewhat an odde thing an incongruous carriage and to carry some shew of irreverence with it that a man being come into the Temple having brought his offering before the Altar should all on a sudden turne his backe upon the Altar and goe his waies out of the Temple Might not a man therefore in such a case better have stayed there still so that in his heart he were sorry for the wrong done to his neighbour and be fully resolved so soon as the sacrifice is ended to reconcile himselfe to him No it will not serve the turne but how od and undecent it may seem to be yet go thy way and first be reconciled and then come and offer thy guift Not offer thy guift and then go and be reconciled This must be done first it is a preparative duty and preparative duties must be done before the services themselves be done Now as in Sacrifices so is it in Sacraments Et tum veniens offeres munus tuum Vae mihi misero ne dicam tibi qui tanto tempore aut non obtuli munus aut ira permanente sine causa obtuli Hieronym Ep. ad Castorin Matert GOD will have love and reconciliation before men come to His Table Go first and be reconciled before thou goe to receive the Sacrament He that will goe to the Sacrament without charity can looke for no better then to returne without fruit Vncharitable receiving can bee no better then unprofitable receiving 2 That same 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit wee are all baptised into one body and by one spirit have beene all made to drinke into one spirit The Apostle had shown before v. 8 9 10. that though some men do receive personall peculiar gifts yet they are given by the spirit for the good of the whole Church The reason in briefe is because all the whole Church is but one body and one soube and every beleever being a member of that body whatsoever he hath he hath it not for himsefe but for the common good of the body But now the question might be whether all beleevers be one body and one spirit or soule Now therefore the Apostle shewes and proves this unity of the Church that all beleevers are one body and soule from the end and effect of the Sacrament which is to seale this unity That they be one body it appeares by the Sacrament of baptisme for by one Spirit wee are baptised into one body That they be one spirit or soule it appeares by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for by one spirit we are made to drink into one Spirit or soule Thus by both the Sacraments is this unity sealed Observe then that a mayne end and use of the Supper is that wee may be made to drinke into one spirit into the Sacrament in love and charity CHAP. 7 or else how shall the end and use of the Sacrament be made good How can they be made to drink into one spirit that are of two spirits of two different contrary spirits it is exceeding requisite that they be of one spirit that come to be made drinkers into one spirit It is love that makes men of one spirit and so fits them to bee made in the Sacrament to drinke into one spirit love makes men of one spirit the Sacrament seales this unity of spirit There cannot be an unity of spirit sealed till there be an unity of spirit made Now because it is love that makes this unity and this unity must be sealed at the Sacrament therfore necessarily must a man come with love that will come aright to the Sacrament or else hee frustrates a maine end of the Sacrament 3 Thirdly as the Sacrament of Baptisme is the Sacrament of our new birth so the Sacrament of the Supper is the Sacrament of our new life and spirituall nutrition and growth And unto it should a man come that in the right and religious use of it he may be spiritually nourished and may thrive and grow in grace and goodnesse Now no man can grow thrive or be nourished by the use of the Sacrament that comes to it without love The whole Church is a body every Christian is a member of that body now a member that will grow in the body and thrive must necessarily be united to and conjoyned with the body If a member be separated from the body it cannot be nourished nor grow an hand or an arme rent or cut off from the body cannot be nourished nor grow Nay though a part of the body bee not separated from the rest yet if there be but a dislocation of a part so
when as it is the beleeving soules solemn mariage day What espoused Bride longs not for the mariage day when shee shall enjoy her Bridegroome Faith unites Christ and the beleever and contracts them together Now when once the contract is past there followes a longing for the mariage-day And this longing after the mariage-day is a signe of a contract made by faith Doth thy soule then long for those blessed nuptials with the Lord Christ when thy soule shall have the fill of his Love Doth the Spirit in thee cry Come Lord Iesus make haste my beloved Oh happy signes of true faith But now enter into thy soule O thou covetous worldling and thou voluptuous epicure c. Deale seriously and honestly and tell the plaine truth Is there any one thing in the world thou thinkest lesse upon wishest lesse or dreadest more than the comming of Christ When S. Paul disputed of Righteousnesse and the judgement to come before Foelix he trembled How many boast of righteousnesse even of the righteousnesse of faith but how troublesome are the thoughts of the judgement and Christ to come unto them How heartily could they wish oh that that day might never come Let such as cannot rejoyce in the thoughts of that day in some measure and desire it as the day of their refreshing question if not the truth yet the strength of their faith 2 Secondly The effects of faith in regard of our selves And they are these 1 First the Operation and effectuall working of the Word upon our hearts faith is that which makes all Gods Ordinances effectuall and so the word 1 Thess 2. 13. The word of God which effectually workes in you that beleeve Indeed the word workes on those that beleeve not workes their hearts to rage and rebellion workes to their hardning and damnation But it workes no good thing when faith is not to set it on worke Heb. 4. 2. The word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith The Gospell is the power of God to every one that beleeves Rom. 1. 16. Faith is as the vitall and naturall heat of the soule If the body be dead and without naturall heat give a man the most stirring and working Physick that is and yet it workes not because there wants a principle of life and heate to set it on worke Iust so is it here The word dispensed in the most powerfull manner that can bee workes not upon an unbeleeving heart because the heart is dead without faith but if any faith in the heart it makes the Word worke effectually Try thy selfe by this workes the Word upon thy soule workes it thee to a conformity to it selfe so as thou art cast into the mould of it Such efficacy of the Word argues a presence of faith in thine heart But how many discovers this to be void of faith How many have lived all their dayes and are even growne gray under the Gospell and yet what grace or goodnesse have all the Sermons that ever they have heard wrought in them more than in such as scarce in all their dayes ever heard Sermon Nay what is wrought in many but scorne rebellion resolution of disobedience wrath swelling and hellish boiling of the heart both against Minister and doctrine Are these the workes of faith or is it rather a signe that he workes in their hearts that effectually workes in the children of disobedience This is a fearfull signe that a man is in the state of unbeleefe 2 Secondly Sanctification and holinesse of heart and life Acts 15. 9. their hearts were purified by faith Pharisisme may wash thy hands but faith washes hand and Heart Pharisisme washes cleane the outside of the cup and platter but Faith makes cleane the inward part also yea there faith begins the worke Faith is not onely an holy but an hallowing grace Acts 26. 18. Amongst them which are sanctified by faith We finde a woman in the Gospell that had beene troubled twelve yeeres with a bloudy issue who was healed but how came shee to be healed She touches the garment of Christ touches but the hem and yet straightway the Fountaine of her bloud was dried up Marke 5. 29. It is true that it was Christ that healed her It was vertue that went out of Christ that healed her Vers 30. and yet Vers 34. Thy faith hath made thee whole Faith then fetches healing vertue from Christ and heales diseases The faith that is true faith fetches healing vertue from Christ Every mans heart naturally hath such a spirituall disease as shee had a bodily That disease which the woman had did typifie under the Law the naturall filthinesse of our hearts Prov. 4. 24. Observe the heart from thence are the issues of life Every action issues from the heart the Fountaine of all our actions This Fountaine is a Fountaine of bloud and all the issues from this Fountaine in our thoughts words actions all these issues are bloudy issues and very filthy and loathsome before God Mat. 15. 18 19 20. Hence hands defiled with bloud Isay 59. 3. Bloudy filth Isay 4. 4. Their way was before me as the uncleannesse of a removed woman Ezek. 36. 17. and Hos 4. 2. Bloud toucheth bloud Many bloudy issues out of the heart one issue meets with another and so bloud touches bloud Now when faith is once wrought in the heart it workes strange cures both in heart and life There were wont to be filthy issues out of the heart in vile loathsome noisome thoughts of uncleannesse wantonnesse covetousnes worldlinesse There was wont to be a filthy issue at the mouth a deale of vaine filthy rotten communication bloudy oathes and curses There was wont to bee issues in all the severall actions and passages of the life But now when faith comes into the heart that presently carries a man unto Christ touches him fetches healing vertue from him that dries up this Fountaine of bloud in some good measure and so heales all those loathsome bloudy issues It is true that where faith is there may be stil some ouzings of this Fountaine but yet the flux of it is nothing so aboundant and so continuall as formerly A mans heart naturally is like the Sea Psal 104. 25 26. This great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts There goe the Ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein In the sea there be vast Whales huge Leviathans that sport themselves and play in the deepes thereof but besides those huge Whales what a world of creeping and crawling smal creatures are there to be found therein Such is the heart of a naturall man there be therein not only some Leviathans some speciall uncleane and foule lusts some speciall Sea-monsters but there are also creeping things innumerable a world of crawling bugs and baggage vermin That looke as is said of Gods Angels Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times
was mine heart grieved or thus was mine heart leavened that is his griefe was so great that his heart was leavened with it A little leaven leavens the whole lumpe therefore much leaven doth it much more his whole heart was sowred with the leaven of sorrow Such is the griefe and sorrow of repentance it is a leavening griefe that leavens the whole lumpe of the heart it seasons and affects all the whole heart Therefore the mourning of repentance is called a great mourning Zach. 12. 11. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Ierusalem How great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo As great as was the mourning for the untimely losse of Iosiah How great that was see 2 Chro. 35. 24 25. So deepe is the sorrow and so great is the sorrow for sin in repentance Yea it is a bitter mourning Zech. 12. 10. And they shall mourne for him as one mournes for his onely Sonne and shall bee in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-borne A man that looses his first-borne and his only sonne how bitterly mournes that man Repentance mournes so bitterly Peter went out and wept bitterly they be waters of Marah that flow from the eyes of repentance Nay though it be a bitter sorrow which is for the losse of an only son and the losse of deere friends yet in repentance God lookes for a geeater sorrow than that is which is for the death of dearest friends therefore Isay 22. 12. The Lord called to weeping mourning and baldnesse God in speciall manner prohibited baldnesse in their mournings for the dead Deut. 14. 1. Yee shall not cut your selves nor make any baldnesse betweene your eyes for the dead and yet God that forbad it in mourning for the dead cals for it in mourning for sinne To teach how great our sorrow for sin should be that there ought to be a greater sorrow in repentance for sin than of naturall affection for the losse of our dearest friends by death It was a great sorrow that of Davids for Amnons death 2 Sam. 13. 36 37. The King wept very sore or with a great weeping greatly and David mourned for his son every day He wept He wept with a great weeping and with a great weeping greatly And he mourned daily Such is the sorrow of repentance a deepe and a daily sorrow till God allay it with some answers of peace Hence it is that it manifests it selfe with such outward expressions The Publican smites upon his breast Luke 18. And Ephraim smites upon his thigh Ier. 31. 19. And Ezra rends his garment plucks the haire off his head and beard Ezra 9. 3. All but to testifie the deepe and hearty sorrow for sin By this may men take a triall of their repentance If thou hast had a leavened spirit an imbittered spirit hast lamented after the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 2. whom thou hadst lost by thy sin as thou wouldest have lamented after a deere lost friend if thou hast beene in the waters of Marah the greater thy griefe hath beene the greater cause of comfort hast thou in the truth of repentance But so formall so slight is the sorrow of many hearts for sin that it is a cleere case they are strangers to repentance 3 Thirdly A forsaking an utter Post luctum poenitentiae non redeas ad peccatum non iterum facias quod iterum plangas Non est paenitens sed irrisor qui adhuc agit unde paenitent Bern. de modo bene vivendi ejection and rejection of all our former sinfull lusts and wayes Prov. 28. He that confesseth and forsaketh Repentance not only confesses but forsakes the confessed sin Iob 34 32. If I have done iniquity I will doe no more That is the language and the resolution of true repentance Ephes 4 28. Let him that stole steale no more True repentance makes men doe as God did when he repented him Gen. 6. 6 7. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on earth and it grieved him at his heart but that was not all And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth both man and beast c. for it repents me that I have made them Nay repentance in man goes further one Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and hee was spared from the common destruction but here not one lust or sin finds grace in the eyes of a man that truly repents but all must be drowned in the floud of the teares of repentance It is with a man that hath the griefe of true repentance as it was with Nehemiah Neh. 13. 7 8. I came to Ierusalem and understood of the evill that Eliashib had done for Tobia in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God and it grieved mee sore but he rests not there but goes further therefore I cast forth all the houshold-stuffe of Tobiah out of the chamber What should Tobiah doe with a chamber there Therefore he not onely outs Tobiah but out goes all his stuffe too So doth repentance when it considers all the evill that Satan and corruption have done and how they have taken up chambers in the heart that should be the house of God it is grieved sore and thereupon it outs Satan and all his stuffe neither Satan nor his stuffe shall bee chamberd there any longer So doth repentance dispossesse Satan of the soule as Christ dispossessed his body of him Marke 9. 25. Thou dumbe and deafe spirit I charge thee to come out of him and enter no more into him so repentance casts Satan and filthy abominations out of a man that they enter no more they are cast out for ever Teares of repentance are not onely wetting but washing teares Isay 1. 16. Wash you make you cleane Davids teares washt his couch Psal 6. and so much more washt himselfe Baptisme is called the Baptisme of Repentance Luke 3. 3. In baptisme there is a washing away of sinne And how is baptisme the baptisme of repentance if in repentance there were not the doing away of sinne If a man could shed a sea of teares yet if he doe not drowne his sin in that sea what were he the better If a man should weepe his eyes out yet if he weepe not his sins out to what purpose were it Wheresoever repentance is there must necessarily follow this forsaking and casting off our sins because with true repentance these two things ever goe first an abomination and loathing of sin the man that repents horribly loathes his sins by which he hath offended Iob 42. 6. I abhorre my selfe and repent Ezek. 20. 43. Ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed Secondly an indignation against sin 2 Cor. 7. What indignation Hosea 14. 8. Ephraim shall say what have I to doe any more with Idols Now that which a man loathes and that
he had beene the Gardiner and accordingly inquires of him as of the Gardiner Where hee had laid Christ But yet before an answer could be returned her she turned her selfe from him for when Christ speakes to her Vers 16. She turnes her selfe to him Therefore she had turned away from him as thinking it a bootlesse businesse to stand talking with him and inquiring of him about finding of Christ And just when she as hopelesse of finding Christ by him turnes her selfe from him Christ calls her by her name Mary So that a man may often finde Christ when he least hopes for it Therefore though thou hast but little hope to finde Christ at the Sacrament yet turne not from it but come to Christ in his Ordinance even then when thou least hopest for it mayest then heare so gratious a compellation from CHRIST as may make thy soule joyfully eccho backe againe Rabboni Chap. 19. Meditation and exercise of Repentance at the Sacrament CHAP. 19 A Communicant being thus fitted and prepared and being now come to the Lords Table it followes to consider what behaviour is there required of him It is not enough for a man to dresse and trime up himselfe in his handsomer apparell before he comes to a great mans table but there is a great care also to be had of that carriage and behaviour that beseemes such a mans table and person Though a man come handsome and cleanely apparel'd to a great mans Table yet hee may there carry himselfe so rudely unmannerly and uncivilly that hee may give great offence As therefore wee must have a care to get our hearts into an holy and fitting frame before we come so no lesse must our care bee to have them in a convenient frame during the time of the whole action Though a man have bestowed much paines with his heart before his comming yet if there bee not a care of due behaviour in the action all his former paines may bee lost Though the Priests had been carefull to have washed themselves and to put on their Priestly garments yet might they be guilty of irregularities at the Altar in not placing the wood or the parts of the sacrifice in due order Leviticus 1. Therefore as the Apostle speakes in the generall so it may be said in this particular 2 Iohn 8. Looke to your selves that wee loose not those things which wee have wrought c. So looke to your selves when yee have bestowed a great deale of time and paines in preparation that by a loose and carelesse carriage in the duely doing you loose not the things you have done There must bee a care therefore of the duties to be done in the Action Duties convenient There bee some duties in which the whole congregation joyne together in which we must take heed of all loosenesse and evagation of spirit especially exprest in idle gazing about have a care to hold the heart close to all those duties in which all joyne together But I meane not to insist in these There are therefore some speciall and personall duties that every one is particularly by himselfe to performe and those have a speciall care of The duty in generall to be done at the Sacrament 16. The offering up of our selves to God in an holy and spirituall disposition in receiving of the Supper This generall branches it selfe into diverse particulars And they are these 1. First solemne serious and deepe meditation A leading duty to others that follow and that which onely furthers them There must bee an heart enlarged with godly sorrow for sinne there must be compunction and contrition of spirit It is meditation that must fit for it and bring that and lay that to the hâ—â—â—â— which must bruise it Meditation gives a man Meditatio siquidem pascit scientiam scientia compunctionem compunctio devotionem Inter opera August l. 3. de Spir. anima a sight and knowledge of himselfe of his sinnes of the riches of Gods mercies in Christ and such knowledge is it which workes compunction of spirit We are to be taken up in duties of Thankesgiving and to bee more than ordinarily enlarged therein There is no such way to enlarge the heart in that duty as by meditation to heate and warme our hearts So Psalme 104. 33. 34. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God whilest I have my being my meditation of him shall bee sweete I will be glad in the Lord. There is nothing so feeds spirituall joy and so maintaines and holds up that holy flame that should be in a mans heart in the duty of thankesgiving as doth meditation That is the Oyle and the Fuell that keepes such fire burning The sweeter our meditation is the more is the heart prepared and enlarged to prayses thankesgiving and joy in the Lord. Therefore a speciall duty to bee done at the Sacrament is to take up our hearts with serious meditation And for the better raising and feeding meditation it is good when we are come to the Lords Table to doe as Solomon wishes us to doe in that case Proverbs 23. 1. When thou sittest to eate with a Ruler consider diligently what is before thee He advises it for a mans better caution if hee be a man given to his appetite that hee may not be desirous of such dainties as are set before him But in this case it is good to consider what is set before us to provoke our appetite and to stirre up in us a longing after those dainties Consider therefore what is set before thee what is done before thee Consider the Sacramentall elements the sacramentall promises and sacramentall actions Here then wee see Bread and Wine set before us and not bare bread and wine but the sacramentall Body and Blood of Christ This is my Body This is my Blood Behold then what a Feast God hath prepared for us such a feast as that Isa 25. 6. A feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined Alas how leane are our soules What hunger-starved spirits have wee But here be fat things full of marrow to feed and fat our leane soules How dead and dull are our hearts but here is wine upon the lees here is wine that goes downe sweetly that will cause the lips of those that are asleepe to speake that will refresh sweetly quicken our spirits Here wee see this Bread broken this Wine powred out Here we see Christ crucified before our eyes now we see him hanging and bleeding upon the crosse wee now see him pressed and crushed under the heavie pressure of his Fathers infinite wrath Now we see him in the Garden in his bloody sweate Now may wee behold him under the bitter conflict with his Fathers Celebrantes coÌ„monemur quasi ungulam findens â—â—minanâ— pecus â—â—vocaâ—e ad fanceâ— minuâ—atim commolere Dominicae institutionis exemplum ut
heaven then see what followeth Luke 15. 22 23. bring hither the fatted Calfe let us eate and bee merry Now that he repents he is fed and feasted with fat things the fat Calfe must be killed and prepared But look upon him in his impenitency whilest he is in his sinnes and how fares hee then alas he then eats husks feeds with the Swine and his belly not filled neither whilest he was in a Swinish condition he was fitter to feed at a Swines trough than to feed at his Fathers Table and then he is fed with nothing but with empty huskes It is just so here If men come to God and to his Table with confession and contrition of spirit with true and sound repentance then God sayes Come bring the fatted Calfe make a Feast give this repenting sinner my Sons flesh and bloud his spirit let him eat marrow glut his heart with the comforts of my spirit with the sweetnesse and goodnesse of Christ But when men come in their swinish and brutish lusts come no better than Swine without repentance for their sins then GOD sends them to the trough What doe you a company of swinish adulterers and drunkards at my Table get you to the trough the trough is fitter for you than the Communion-Table And though such persons in their impenitency will thrust and crowd in to the Lords Table yet they shall be fed but with husks Impenitent persons find their food in the issue no better they receive but the huske of the Sacrament bare Bread and Wine the naked Elements they never taste a whit of the fatted Calfe they eate not a whit of CHRISTS flesh and bloud God feeds Swine onely with huskes huskes are good enough for Hogges And what are impenitent persons better than Hogs to whom Pearles must not bee given Observe how the Prodigals father speakes to him after his re-repentance Come bring the fatted Calfe let us eate and bee merry A man can never so eate at the Sacrament as to bee merry till hee eat of the fat Nehemiah 8. 10. Goe your way eat the fat and drinke the sweet neither bee yee sorry that is be you merry and joyfull eating the fat and drinking the sweet cheeres and makes the heart merry But when sayes his father let us eat and bee merry Now after hee saw his Sonne to bee sorry when hee saw his soule humbled and afflicted with sorrow for his sinnes he saw him truly penitent Now let us eate and bee merry It is to little purpose to eate at the LORDS Table unlesse wee may so eate that wee may bee merry that wee may bee cheered refreshed rejoyced Now hee that would eate and bee merry at the LORDS Table Lords Table must weepe and be sorry in his owne private Chamber and Closset And when we have made our selves sorry God will make us merry when we have sadded our soules by repentance God will glad them with the comforts of his Spirit dispersed to us in the Sacrament And the greater our sorrow is before we come the greater will our mirth be when we be come But contrarily when we come to the Lords Table and have not beene sorry have not beene humbled have not repented then may we come and eate but we cannot eate and be merry we can have no comfort no joy in our receiving because GOD feeds us in such a case with nothing but huskes Huskie food will never make the heart merry and where repentance is wanting it makes the Sacrament proove to a man no better then an husky banquet Where repentance is wanting a man in receiving receives nothing but bare bread and bare wine neither is it any more with God then if a man did eate common bread and drinke ordinary wine at his owne Table It is in Sacraments as it was with sacrifices When men came to the sacrifices and offerings without repentance see how God esteemed of them Hos 9. 4. For their bread for their soule shall not come into the house of the Lord. Zanch. in Locum The bread for their soule that is the bread for their life their daily bread for the sustinance of their bodily life He speakes of that meate offering Levit. 2. 5. That meate offering was appointed of God for a spirituall use and yet it is called the bread for their life or livelihood Because they using those Ordinances without Repentance though the meate offering were appointed for a spirituall use God esteemed no other then common meate as their ordinary bodily bread they fed upon to susteyne bodily life In the same sense it is that Iere. 7. 21. the Lord in a kinde of scorne calls their sacrifices flesh Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices and eate flesh There wanted repentance in the offerers and therefore God reckons them but as other ordinary flesh in the Shambles And being so what had they more at their meate offerings then at their owne Tables what at their sacrifices more then might have beene had at the Shambles And no wonder for God intends not his Ordinance to such God calls not invites not such and he will not welcome those whom he invites not Consider those Canons which were for eating the Passeover Exod. 12. 43 44 45. This is the Ordinance of the Passeover there shall no stranger eate thereof But every mans servant that is bought for money when thou hast circumcised him then shall he eate thereof A forreyner and an hired servant shall not eate therof Here be three Canons First no stranger must eate thereof Suppose he had yet surely should he have had no Communion with God God would have beene a stranger to him Secondly no hired servant must eate thereof suppose he had certainly God would not have accepted his service Thirdly no uncircumcised one must eate thereof If an uncircumcised person had eaten thereof could he have looked for a blessing Now all these three Canons make against an impenitent sinners comming to the Sacrament For an impenitent sinner is all these He is a stranger to God Psal 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the wombe And Psal 54. 3. David calls the Ziphims who were notwithstanding of Israel strangers for what so estranges a man from God as doth sinne He is an hyred servant a servant to Satan and his lusts Iohn 8. 34. Whosoever commiteth sinne is the servant of sinne 2 Pet. 2. 18. They themselves are servants to corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage And who will set his servant at his Table with him The servant abides not in the house for ever Iohn 8. 35. and therefore sits not down at Table at any time He is an uncircumcised person Iere. 4. 3 4 Breake up the fallow ground circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore skine of your heart What is the circumcision of the heart but the breaking up of the fallow ground verse 3. So that a repenting heart is a
not his services but his sins being remembred a man shall not onely misse of acceptance but meet with a breach and a curse see Hos 8. 13. They sacrifice flesh for the Sacrifices of mine offerings and eat it but the Lord accepteth them not But why did not God accept them the next words shew the reason now will he remember their iniquity no marvell he remembers not their Sacrifices when he remembers their iniquity And yet this is not all he will not onely not accept but he will visite their sins When iniquity comes up in remembrance God will visite their sin And when will he visit now will he remember their iniquity and visit their sin Now will he remember their iniquity now even just now as they be sacrificing and now will he visit their sins even then plague smite them spiritually when in their Sacrifices God remembers wicked mens sinnes at all times especially when they come to him in holy duties even then whē they come to the Sacrament he remembers them then freshly remembers them then When GOD sees a wicked man come with his sins to the Sacrament he doth as it were on this manner speake in heaven Behold here is a man come to the Sacrament without repentance he thinks to do me a goodly piece of service but by no meanes do I accept him nay I abhor him and am angry at his comming I remember that at such a time he was drunk I remember that hee is an adulterer a covetous worldling I remember at such a time how he griped pinched and defrauded his brother I remember hee is a common neglecter of the duties of my worship and now without repentance for these sins he is come to my Table therefore now all these his sins come up a fresh in my remembrance and he shall be so farre from being accepted that I wil now at this very time of his receiving smite him with my wrath my curse be upon him and his receiving instead of a blessing let Satan enter into him and carry him on stil to all ungodlines It is a heavie judgment to have God remember and avenge our sins in the Sacrament Thus God doth with impenitent persons because they bring their sinnes thither with them Sins brought along to the spirituall banquet of the Sacrament they will doe by men as Esther did by Haman at the banquet of wine Esther 7. 2 6. whilest he is at the banquet of Wine she petitions against him and she accuses him the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman and Vers 7. the Kings wrath is up at the banquet of wine and he presently gives sentence against him So all the sinnes that a man repents him not of when hee comes to the Sacrament to come with him and they being present doe pick out that very time to accuse him and to say This man is a drunkard and uncleane person a common swearer an adversary an enemy to religion even thus at the Banquet of Wine sin unrepented of puts in accusations against men And therefore no wonder that Gods wrath is kindled against such even at the banquet of Wine when they bring along those with them that accuse them and clamour against them at that very time So that these things considered let us be awakened and stirred up in the feare of God to looke to it that wee presume not to come to Gods Table in our sins and impenitency unlesse we have mourned for our sins the Sacramentall bread will be unto us as bread of mourners Hos 9. 4. uncleane bread that will defile us unlesse wee doe by repentance wash away our filthinesse we shall pollute Gods Ordinance and bring accusers with us that will put God in remembrance to curse us And were it not better for us before we come to remember our sins our selves and to be humbled for them and renounce them Christs body was laid in a new Sepulchre where never any had beene laid and he wil give his body to none but such as come with a new heart This new wine must not be put into old vessels but new Wine must be put into new vessels Be new vessels therefore by repentance that the new wine of the comforts of Gods spirit may be powred Rogo vos fratres num est aliquis qui in arca sordibus plena velit mittere vestem suam Et si in arca sordibus plena non mittitur vestis pretiosa qua fronte in anima quae peccatorum sordibus inquinatur Christi Eucharistia suscipitur Non puto esse aliquem hominem qui in arca sua ubi pretiosas vestes habet repositas acquiescat aut carbonem vivum aut qualem cunque scintillam includere Quare hoc fratres quia timet ne comburantur vestimenta quibus in festivitate induitur Rogo vos fratres qui in arca sua non vult scintillam ignis includere quare in anima sua flammam iracundiae non timet accendere Aug. ser de Temp. 252. into us at the Sacrament I will close this point with S. Augustines words If a man will not put a faire and precious garment into a foule Chest with what face can he take the Sacrament of the Eucharist into a filthy soule There is no man that will put live coales into the chest where he puts his best apparell Why so brethren because hee feares his garments may be burned with which he cloathes himselfe on Festivals I beseech you brethren he that will not put fire into his chest why is he not afraid to kindle the flame of wrath in his owne soule Chap. 7. Of the Necessity of Charity and Love in him that will bee an Orderly Communicant NOw followes the fourth thing required in habituall preparation to the Sacrament and that is charity and love towards our brethren This is a thing necessarily required This is a truth confessed on all hands that men should be in charity that come to the Sacrament And many that have no great care nor make any great conscience of comming with knowledge faith or repentance yet will seeme to make some scruple of comming without charity Yea though many will not abstaine for their drunkennesse oathes c. yet if there be a breach and a falling out betweene them and others they will by no meanes meddle though without breach of charity a man may judge of them that they are reasonably well contented that they have so faire an excuse to stop the mouthes of their consciences that are ready to checke them and quarrell with them for their neglect of GODS Ordinance For if out of conscience they scruple comming to the Sacrament without charity why then scruple they not living without it But yet this showes that men generally acknowledge that love is a necessary preparative to the Sacrament It is that which indeed is necessary in all our services of God and dutyes of his worship It is required in all that will pray aright 1 Tim.
that it be only out of joynt it cannot thrive and prosper till it be set in joynt againe So it is here in the body Mysticall it is a growing body every member thereof growes and increases Col. 2. 19. It increases with the increase of God But how comes it to increase All the body by joynts and bonds having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God So that unlesse the body bee knit together by joynts and bands it cannot increase by the ministration of nourishment But now what are these joynts and bands and what is it that knits the parts of the body so together as that it increases That the Apostle layes downe somewhat more fully Ephes 4. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplies makes increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love These words are taken and translated from the naturall body and the Apostle shewes that it is in the Church the mysticall body of Christ as in a naturall body Now in a naturall body first there be diverse and small members which goe to the making of it up secondly these members are fitly joyned and compacted together thirdly there is a conjunction of them after an excellent manner and that thus all the severall parts they have their bones the solid parts of those members Now these bones are coupled by the joynts so as the end and the round part of one bone goes into the hallow end of another This is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 16. Col. 2. 19. But this is not all but as the joynts are fitted and suited each to other so as the round part of one joynes to the hallow part of the other so also that there may be a sure coarticulation there be certaine ligaments and bonds that grow fast to the end of each bone in the joynt that fasten bone to bone this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 19. There is not only a fitnesse by which one bone suites with another in the joynt but there a fastnesse also by vertue of that bond that knits bone to bone This is a compaction by that which both the bones in the joynt mutually minister fourthly the parts of the body thus sweetly fitted and suited together and thus firmely fastened they all by their nourishment received thrive and grow and so the body increases which it could not doe if there were a dis-union or a dislocation or ◠luxation of those parts Now thus it is in the Church the body of Christ 2. There be many and sundry members to make up this body 2. They are all joyned and compact together 3. Their conjunction is after the same manner The mindes and spirits of beleevers are so coupled together as that one mans spirit doth as it were insinuate it selfe into anothers and that this conjunction joynt may be the surer there be certaine bonds and ligaments that knit these members together and these bonds are two first The Spirit of God they have all one and the same spirit Ephes 4. 4. One body one spirit and by this one spirit Christians are knit in this one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. Secondly The bond of love and peace and every joynt or member supplies and ministers this bond each to other whereby they are knit each to other Ephes 4. 3. Endeavouring to keepe the unity of the Spirit that is endeavouring to be of one spirit and minde as two bones meeting at a joynt are coupled in the unity of the joynt there is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that spoken of Rom. 12. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a fit joyning together and this is added in the bond of peace There is the compaction of both by that which each joynt supplies each Christian supplying and ministring the bond of peace and love doe thus knit and joyne together themselves members in the same body this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 2. 19. there is mention not only of joynts but of bonds And Col. 3. 14. love is called The bond of perfection that is a bond which doth perfectly binde together the members of the mysticall body each ministring and supplying love to another as the ligaments that knit bones together are mutually ministred from both the bones so that the compaction of the members is by the ligament of love as the Apostle expresses it Ephes 4. 16. Fourthly the body of the Church thus compacted increases it selfe and is edified and growes up Epes 4. 16. Maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love The body encreases and edifies when the severall parts doe and they doe increase and grow when joyned together and knit together in love So that all this serves to shew the necessity of love in such as come to the Sacrament we come to the Sacrament to be nourished to grow to increase none of these can be done without love A man comming to the Sacrament out of charity is a member out of joynt yea as a member disunited It is not possible such a member should bee nourished and thrive As therefore a man would finde nourishment and increase with the rest of the body so it concernes him to come prepared with love 4 God requires that men should eat their bodily food with love mutual charity There is little contentment in bodily Feasts when men sit down at one Table with divided hearts and affections we may see Acts 2. 46. how the Primitive Christians did eat their common bread at their common Tables Breaking bread from house to house did eat their bread with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart the which they could not have done if they had not met at their Houses and Tables as they did in the Temple in the same Verse with one accord or unanimously They could not have eaten with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart if they had not eaten together in love For there can be neither gladnesse nor singlenes of heart where love is wanting And if they came together with such love affection to their common tables to take their bodily repast how much more think we did they come with love and all good mutual affection one to another to the Lords Table Therefore it was that before the Sacrament they had their love-feasts to testifie with what affection they came to the Lords Supper The sweet and sauce of common repast is love Prov. 15. 17. Better is a dinner of greene herbes where love is than a stalled Oxe with hatred love makes a few green herbes farre better cheere than the greatest fare that is eaten with hatred and malice If love therefore be required at our own Tables that when wee eate together wee should eate in love how much more then will God require it in those that come to sit downe at his
man will hee adding more fuell he may have it burne and flame out as he please At the Sacrament a man would be willing to have all his graces up in a burning flame now that will not be done on a sudden but if before the Sacrament we lay these coales together and bee blowing them and kindling them with some fuell in private then when we come at the Sacrament they will the easier and sooner flame out Now the graces specially to be quickned and renewed are faith and repentance 1 First it is not enough for a man that he have faith but if a man will come in due order he must before his comming quicken awaken and stir up and renew his faith Though a man have faith yet if he come with his faith halfe asleepe he comes not in due Order A man that is sleepy and drowsie is a true man but yet he is an unfit man to be implyed in a businesse of weight wherein he had need to have his wits about him in a businesse that will require the activity of all his parts and faculties A faith that is drowsie and halfe asleepe is haply a true faith but yet is not a fit faith to come to the Sacrament it being a businesse that requires all the livelinesse and activity that possibly faith can have A man that would have a good stomack to his meat and have his meat doe him good will a little before his meat use some exercise which may awaken his spirits and stirre up his naturall heate he hath life in his body before and heat in his body before but yet if a little stirring and exercise be used before meat it raises a mans spirits prepares for and helpes digestion and a mans meat does him a great deale the more good So in this case some exercising of faith and setting it on worke before the Sacrament would bring warmth and heate into it and would sweetely prepare it to worke the more kindely at the Sacrament and so would the Sacrament doe a mans soule much the more good The Physicians say that a breakfast moderately and Seasonably taken gets a man the better stomacke to his dinner because thereby a mans naturall heat is awakened and the spirits raised and so the better way prepared for concoction Doe so here take a breakfast before this feast set Faith a feeding on some promise or other and so whet and provoke the appetite of thy faith A man that is to run a Race will not put off all to the very point of running then would he be so pursie and breathlesse that hee would run to little purpose but because he would be sure to have his wind and legs at command in his Race he will for many dayes together bee exercising himselfe before the day of his Race he will run so much one day so long another and so will be every day breathing himselfe that when he comes to run he may have wind at will and neither legs nor lungs may faile him So before the Sacrament it is good to be exercising our faith that it may be in breath and fit to performe its office when at the Sacrament A faith unexercised before will prove pursey and short winded when it should do the main busines at the Sacrament Quest But how should a man thus exercise and quicken his faith before he comes to the Sacrament Ans Take some of the promises and set thy faith on worke upon them Thou commest to the Sacrament to eat Christ Before thou commest to eat him at his Table first labour to taste him in chewing some promise and that taste gotten of him in the chewing of a promise would sweetly prepare faith to the eating of him in the Supper we shall conceive it the better by some instance God commands us to come to Christ Come for Luke 14. 17. al things are ready We have not only a commandement which yet might have sufficed but wee have a promise Ioh. 6. 37. Him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out that is I will with all hearty welcome imbrace and receive him that comes unto me that beleeves in me Why then I see that come and welcome He that bids me if I come at his bidding he will bid me welcome Doth my soule doubt of it Why then doe but consider what Christ is now by what he was when on earth I finde in the Gospell that the poorest and meanest that were might come unto him I see Matth. 21. 14. That the lame and the blinde came unto him they came and they were welcome They came unto him and he healed them I see then if I come to him I shall finde him an healing Christ And how much doth my soule need healing I see Mat. 8. 2 3. that a Leper comes a foule uncleane Leper and yet he is not loathed for his leaprosie neither doth Christ check him and bid him keepe off but he was welcome to and had his leprosie cleansed I never find Christ displeased with any for comming to him never finde him complaining of any for comming I see none refused or forbidden comming unto him I heare him complaining that men did not would not come unto him Iohn 5. 40. And ye will not come unto mee I finde him displeased with his Disciples for forbidding little ones to come unto him Mark 10. 13 14. and V. 16. Suffer little children to come yea and he imbraces and blesses them Then I see Christ barres none from comming My conscience discourages me and tels me If I were so holy as such a man c. then I might come But what wilt thou that hast beene such a sinner doe going Well but I see the lame the blinde yea the Lepers were admitted with welcome What then though I bee a Leper yet since he bids mee come and promises to bid me welcome I will go to him Lord Christ I will come to thee What ever I have beene I have beene but a prodigall and I see prodigals shall be welcome if they come The Prodigall leaves his Fathers house runs riot wastes all and being pincht with hunger bethinkes himselfe of his Fathers house I will sayes he goe unto my Father c. Go to his Father alas what should such an one that hath run his race do going to his Father with what heart or hope with what face and forehead could he come into his Fathers fight but yet he arose and came to his Father Luke 15. 20. And what followed But when hee was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Behold O my soule the unconceiveable readinesse and uncredible forwardnesse of the Lord to welcome and receive a comming a beleeving sinner 1 First I see that his Father sees him first yea before he sees his Father No sooner doth a man thinke upon looking towards God but God lookes towards him How great is the Fathers
semper passio sist in memoâ—ia c. Cypr. de caena Dom. Mâ—dâ—tâ—â—io â—uminat â—â—vores vulne 〈◊〉 fixuâ—as â—la vorum lanceam ut acetum persecutoâ—uÌ„ faeviâ—iam Apostoloâ—um fugam moâ—â—em â—urpissimam corporis sepulturum Bernard Hom de dâ—ob Discip eâ—nt ad Eâ—â— wrath upon the crosse Behold the man saies Pilate That is our duty to doe now by meditation to represent unto our selves the bitternesse of Christ's passion Exod. 24. 8. And Moses tooke the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant So here Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sins of the world Ioh. 1. and behold the blood of that innocent and spotlesse Lambe yea behold him now shedding his precious blood to take away the sinnes of the world and looke upon him as the Scape-goat bearing and carrying our sinnes upon him Represent we unto our selves in our meditations as lively as wee are able all the sorrowes of Christ's passion Ps 26. 6. How prodigious a darkenesse was there at Christ's passion for three houres together Surely a speciall end of this darknesse was to shew the dreadfull and horrible wrath of God against his owne Sonne now hanging on the crosse a sacrifice for the worlds sinnes was it nothing or was it but a small matter that God did manifest his wrath against him by letting loose the tongues and hands of all his carnall enemies against him but that the Lord himselfe from heaven would reveale his wrath against the unrighteousnesse of the world which now lay upon him Now stood Christ in our stead we should have suffered the horrour of darkenesse for ever even that blacknesse of darknesse as Iude calls it Now Christ undertaking for us he suffers darknesse And God by this as by a visible signe would testifie that the blacknesse of darkenesse caused by Gods wrath for sin was upon him Thereby conceive wee in some sort the sad plight and wofull agony in which Christ then was God causes the Sun to shine upon the Iust and the unjust Mat. 5. 45. But now that Christ is a sacrifice for our sinnes and to suffer his Fathers wrath for them he must not have so much as the common comfort of the light of the Sunne but as if hee were of all vnjust ones the most unjust the very light of the Sunne shall be taken from him and hee be left in horrid darknesse Do but looke upon Christ on the crosse under all our sins lying upon him and how heavie a presse how ponderous a waight was that But consider besides this how many were the paines of his body by their inhumane and barbarous usages what was the bitter exacerbation of his Spirit by so many base and ignominious reproches of all his malignant opposites what was it nothing to be scourged to give his cheekes to the smiters to be spitefully intreated to be spitted on and indure all those outragious insolencies of his enemies before and at his crucifying Oh! how bitter were these things But consider besides all this to have all the power of Hell against him and all those Lyons Bulls Vnicornes and Dogs to be taken up and imployed in assaulting and afflicting him Oh! how past all conception of the understanding of man was the smart of this misery Heere was Earth against him here was Hell against him And yet Earth and Hell not enough but Heaven it selfe against him After all this to have God his Father from Heaven by this prodigious dreadfull and long darkenesse to testifie his wrath against him here was that which added waight and perfection to all the rest To be three whole houres together under a visible signe of the darkenesse of Gods countenance under the darkenesse of the sense of his wrath witnessed from Heaven by the darkenesse of the Sun how bitter and sharp a conflict was this above all the rest Thus represent we to our selves Christ hanging on the crosse thus Behold the Lambe of God rosting in the fire of wrath yea further After that we have seene Christ thus for three houres space in deepe silence conflicting in this time of darknesse with all these sorrowes Now as not able any longer to hold his peace thinke wee that we heare him by that formidable cry manifesting the bitternesse and unutterable extremity of his passion My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me All these three darke houres was Christ drinking this bitter cup and now at the third houres end was he come to the dregs and lees of it This was the sharpest paroxisme and fit of his passion Now were the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty shot up to the heads in his soule And how can we see and heare Christ suffering all this for us and not withall in our meditations stand astonished at the heynousnesse and hideousnesse of our sinnes for which no other way of expiation could be made but by this bitter passion of Christ Behold in the passion of Christ as in a glasse the greatnesse of sinne Thinke we sadly with our selves Surely sinne against God must needs be more than men commonly esteeme it It could be no small matter for which the deare Sonne of God did suffer such horrible and dreadfull torments on the crosse Let we out our hearts therefore here in the meditation of the greatnesse of our sinnes And withall Ad victimam illam pendentem in cruce nos conferemus Ibi vere contemplabimur Deum ibi in ipsum cor Dei introspiciemus quod fit misericors quod nobis mortem peccatoris c. Luther in Gen. 19. let we out our hearts especially in the meditation and admiration of such unmatchable love and goodnesse as God hath shewen in the worke of our Redemption Labour to comprehend what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know and see the love of Christ which passeth knowledge What heart is able sufficiently to admire the depth of the riches the bottomelesse depth the unfadomable depth of the riches of Gods love and mercy in Christ How may wee with David cry out Lord what is man that thou art mindefull of him Psalm 8. 4. and upon a better ground with Iob Iob 7. 17. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him especially that thou shouldest so be mindefull of him that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him as to give the Sonne of thy love to suffer the cursed death of the crosse to make us cursed children firebrands of hell damned hell-hounds heires of blessings and eternall life Is not here matter of meditation and admiration to take up all the thoughts and hearts of men and Angels And how should such love fire and inflame our hearts with holy love to God and Christ How should our hearts grow warme and hot within Tribue ut concaleat cor meum intra me in meditatione mea exardescat ignis Aug. medit c. 17. us That as David