How to Walk After the Lords Supper, General considerations
I.
The general anſwer to this is, more Holily; after this Supper of the Lord we are to walk more Holily. Now to this holy walking there muſt be a Principle of Grace wrought in the heart. I ſay, before there can be any holineſs in the life, we muſt firſt ſuppoſe that there be Grace in the heart. A perſon muſt be holy before his actions can be holy. For till a Man be Regenerated, and act from a Principle of Grace in his heart, all he doth is but the ſhadow and imperfect imiation of a good action, as an Ape would imitate a Man, or as an artificial motion doth reſemble that which is natural. Grace muſt firſt be infuſed to beget life, and then we are viſibly to expreſs it in a courſe of godly walking. And then there muſt not be only a Principle from which we muſt walk, but there muſt be a Rule by which we muſt walk, and that is the Law or Word of God, which meets and ſets out the bounds of Sin and Duty, which tells us what evil we are to decline, and ſhun, and what good we are to proſecute and perſue. Now there is a twofold Holineſs.
Internal and
External.
Internal,
which lies in the hatred of ſin, and a love of that which is good.
External,
and that is expreſſed in avoiding of the one, and perſuing after the other.
Now this Holy Walk doth conſiſt, in a careful avoiding that which is evil and ſinful, and in an eager perſuite after that which is good. It hath two parts.
The one Privative,
The other Poſſitive.
The Privative part
which is called Mortification or a dying to ſin.
The Poſſitive part
which is called Vivification or a living unto Righteousneſs.
The one is the purging out of Sin, the other is the ſpiritual refining of the Soul. The one is a ceaſing to do evil, the other is a learning to do well. The one is a ſtrenuous oppoſition of Sin, the other is a vigorous exerciſe of all Grace.
Now after this Supper Ordinance we are to walk more Holily. To hate ſin more than ever, and to love God and Chriſt, and the things that are ſpiritually good more than ever. To dye more unto Sin, and to live more unto Righteouſneſs. It is true we cannot be more Elected, we cannot be more juſtified, after Communicating than we were before. But we may and ought to be more ſanctified than before. Sanctification is a progreſſive thing; it is compared to ſeed that grows, firſt the blade ſprings up, then the ear, then the ripe Corn. We are not ſo much ſanctified but we may be more ſanctified. We do not walk ſo holily but we may walk more holily ſtill, there is none ſo good, but he may be better, 2 Cor. 7.1. Having therefore theſe promiſes, dearly beloved, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs both of Fleſh and Spirit, perfecting holineſs in the fear of the Lord. So I may ſay having theſe love Banquets, theſe Sacrament ſeaſons, and Supper Ordinances, dearly beloved, time after time returning upon us, let us cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs both of Fleſh and Spirit, perfecting. Holineſs in the fear of the Lord. Tho' Juſtification doth not admit of Degrees, yet Sanctification doth, that is ſtill encreaſing like the ſhining light, or Morning Sun, that ſhines more and more, and brighter and brighter unto the perfect Day, Prov. 4.18. and ſhould be daily growing more and more in Knowledge, in Faith in Patience, in Love, in all Grace and Conſolation, until all be perfected and ſwallowed up in Glory.