How to Walk After the Lords Supper, Title page – To the reader

How to Walk After the Lords Supper · Title page – To the reader

A Plain Diſcourſe Shewing how we are to WALK After the Lord's Supper: Neceſſary for every Communicant.

From 1 Col. 10.

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing.

Being the Subſtance of Several Sermons. Preached to a Congregation in Hatton-Garden.

By John Horſman, an unworthy Servant of Jeſus Chriſt.

Vivimus, non loquimur, magna.

London, Printed for E. Richardſon, at the Naked Boy in Blowbladder-Street, over a…gainſt St. Martins le Grand. 1698.

TO THE Serious Reader.

IT was not without great conflict and ſtrugling within my ſelf, that this comes forth into Publick View, being very ſenſible of my great unfitneſs for ſuch an appearance; for tho', as one ſays, the plain thread bare ſuit may do well enough at home, yet when perſons go abroad a better habit is required and expected. But ſuch as have not this change of Apparel muſt be content with what they have.

If it be the bravery and gaudery of Language that thou expectest in the following Diſcourſe, thy expectations will be fruſtrated; for however ſuch a garb might ſuit the airy humour of the Age, yet it would no ways be agreeable or ſuteable to the weightyneſs and gravity of the Subject treated on, which is not to ſhow how we may pleaſe Men, but how we may pleaſe God, how we may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing. I am not unſenſible that this Piece will fall into divers and different hands, and according to the hands it falls into, ſuch will be the Treatment it muſt expect. By the Prophane it is probable it will be Derided. For to ſuch as have no ſenſe, nor reliſh, nor ſavour of Spiritual Things and Serious Matters, ſuch things as theſe are will be the Object of their Scorn and Deriſion, with whom the deep things of God are counted no better than Myſterious Nonſenſe. And whatever hath but the Face and Shew of Seriouſneſs, with ſuch it is accounted Canting, and Affected Singularity. By the Curious, and Captious, it is moſt probable it will be deſpiſed; becauſe ſuch will not meet with that exactneſs and accuracy of Method and Stile, with thoſe flights and ſtrains of Rhetorick which is moſt pleaſing, and grateful to this ſort. By the Learned it alſo may be but little ſet by, becauſe they will not find a Margin filled with Quotations of Fathers and Schoolmen, nor with the Sayings of Poets and Philoſophers. It may poſſibly paſs for a Plain, Honest, Well-meaning-Diſcourſe. And indeed were it otherwiſe, it would not Anſwer its Title, nor would it be ſo ſuited to that ſort of Reader for which it was chiefly and principally deſigned, viz. The Serious Reader. For ſuch it was chiefly deſign'd, and to ſuch it is humbly Dedicated. Whatever reliſh it may have with others, yet I hope it may be as Manna, ſweet to the Taſt of all ſerious Chriſtians. How weak ſoever the manner of handling this Subject is, yet the Subject it ſelf is very weighty and ſeaſonable. The Duty preſs'd to is very neceſſary, but too much neglected. We are ready to take up with the Theory of Religion, and the Speculative part of Piety, but are too great Strangers to the Practical part thereof. We may know many things, and believe many things, but yet if we do not put into Practice the things that we know and believe, we only have a name to live, but yet are dead. We have only a form of Godlineſs, but are ſtrangers to the Life and Power of it. We are for Reading and Studying, and Hearing of Notions; but the Apostle James his Advice is, Not to be Hearers of the Word only, but Doers of the Word alſo, 1 Jam. 22. The Beauty and Power and Life of Religion lies in the Practice of it. It is not enough that we make a Profeſſion, that we are taken into Church-Fellowſhip, and Partake of the Ordinances of the Goſpel, unleſs we do adorn this Profeſſion with a ſuteable and agreeable Walk, and Converſation, according to that advice of the Apoſtle Paul, 1 Phil. 27. Only let your Converſation be as becometh the Goſpel of Chriſt. The neglect of this among the Profeſſars of this Age, is very much to be lamented and bewailed. Now to quicken and direct us herein is the main drift and tendency of the following Diſcourſe. And particularly, how we are to Walk after that Great Ordinance of the Lord's Supper. I hope it will not be judged to be altogether needleſs, nor prove altogether uſeleſs. And that it may not be altogether fruitleſs and ſucceſsleſs, I commend both thee and it to the Divine Benediction, which crowns all our Labours, and gives Succeſs to all our Lawful Endeavours. Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God that giveth the increaſe; for neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth any thing, but God that giveth the increaſe.

I am Thine in our Bleſſed Lord, J. Horſman.

p. 1A PLAIN DISCOURSE, SHEWING, How we are to WALK after the Lord's Supper.

From 1 Col. 10.

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing.

THESE words are the Matter of the Apoſtles Prayer for theſe Colloſſians. In two things, among others, the Apoſtle did expreſs and demonſtrate his great love to them. The firſt was, in giving Thanks for them. The Second was, in Praying for them. He gave Thanks for them, and he Prayed for p. 2them, v. 3. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, praying always for you. Now the matter of his Thankfulneſs for them he refers to Two Heads.

1. Their Graces.

2. The Means by which they are wrought.

Their Graces, which were chiefly Three, viz. Faith, Hope and Love. Their Faith by the Object. Their Love by the Extent. Their Hope by the Place, v. 4. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jeſus, there is the Object of their Faith; and of the love which ye have to all the Saints, there is the Extent of their Love; and for the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, there is the place of their Hope.

The Means by which theſe Graces were wrought, which was the Word, from verſ. 5. to verſ. 9. Thus much for the Matter of his Thankſgiving. The Matter of his Prayer p. 3for them was this, viz. That they might be filled with the knowledge of Gods will, in all wiſdom and ſpiritual underſtanding, that they might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleaſing, being fruitful in every good work, and increaſing in the knowledge of God.

From whence we may take notice of this by the way, that next to our own good and welfare, we ought to rejoyce at, and be concerned for, the good and welfare of others.

Thus it was with this bleſſed Apoſtle. He was not only thankful to God for his goodneſs to himſelf in particular, 1 Tim 1.12, 13. But he is thankful for Gods for goodneſs unto others. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jeſus Christ, for your faith in Christ, and for your love which ye have to all the Saints, and for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, &c.

And then, ſhews himſelf greatly concerned for their good and welfare, in praying always for them. p. 4For this cauſe we alſo ſince we heard of it, do not ceaſe to pray for you, v. 9.

See what concernedneſs he manifeſts and expreſſes for his Brethren his Kinſmen according to the fleſh, Rom. 9.1, 2, 3. I ſay the truth, I lie not, my conſcience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghoſt, that I have great heaviness and continual ſorrow in my heart, for I could wiſh my ſelf accurſed from Chriſt, for my Brethren my Kinſmen according to the fleſh. It is a very ſtrange expreſſion, but it notes his zeal, and affection, and concernedneſs for their good and welfare. Rom. 10.1. Brethren, my hearts deſire and prayer to God for Iſrael is, that they may be ſaved. It is a great ſign that Grace hath taken hold of our hearts, when we are really concerned for the good of others, that the ſame Grace that hath taken hold of us, may take hold of others too. By this, ſays the Apoſtle John, we know that we are paſsd from death to life becauſe we love the brethren, 1 Joh. 3.14. And truly our love p. 5to others cannot be more fully expreſſed, and truly demonſtrated, than by an affectionate concernment for their ſpiritual good and welfare. If they be wholly ignorant of God and Chriſt, that they may be brought to a ſaving knowledge of God and Chriſt: Or if they be ſuch as have been in any meaſure brought to a ſaving knowledge of God, then that there may be a dayly increaſe of it. And this was the Apoſtles Prayer for theſe Coloſſians, having heard of their Faith in Chriſt, and their Love to the Saints, and their Knowledge of God, he prays that they may be filled with it in a dayly encreaſe of it for a ſtronger Faith in Chriſt, and for a farther increaſe in the Knowledge of God. He is not, you ſee, of a little narrow, private ſpirit, ſwallowed up in his own private concernments, but of a brave noble generous ſpirit, imploying his deſires and endeavours, not only to his own good, but to the good of others too. And this is one character p. 6and property of a gracious Soul, of a ſanctifyed perſon, that he is full of conſtant and ardent deſires after the good and welfare of others. The manifeſtation of the Spirit is given to every Member to profit withall, 1 Cor. 12.7. Religious love ſeeketh not her own things. 1 Cor. 13.5. We ſhould not ſeek our own things as many do, but the things which are Jeſus Chriſt's, viz. that which tends to his Glory, and the Good of his Members. Chriſtians ſhould ſerve one another by Love. Certainly what a Man is in Religion, he is relatively ſo. If not fit to ſerve the Body, than not fit to be of the Body. He is no Saint that ſeeks not the Communion of Saints. Having taken notice of this by the way, I come now to the words themſelves.

In which words we have not only the Apoſtle's Deſire and Prayer for them, but we may alſo read our own Duty in them, and that is to walk p. 7worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing. This is the end of all our Knowledge of God and his will, which in the 9th verſe he deſired they might be filled with. Why filled with the Knowledge of God's Will? Why, That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing. To this end we ſhould be filled with the Knowledge of God's Will, that our Converſations may be rightly ordered to the Glory of God, that our Lives may anſwer the Profeſſion we make, and the Knowledge we have obtain'd, and the Mercies we receive, and the Means we enjoy.

The Papists would find Merit of Works in this Verſe. Both becauſe holineſs of Life is ſo much urged by it; And alſo becauſe here is the word Worthy uſed; as if the Apoſtle ſhould grant that they might be worthy of, or Merit the Bleſſings of God.

Now to this might be returned a Two-fold. Anſwer.

p. 81. That Merit cannot be founded upon Scripture.

2. That it cannot be founded upon this Scripture.

First. It cannot be founded upon Scripture. The Scripture doth abundantly and in many places declare againſt it. It cuts off and excludes all glorying and boaſting in our ſelves, as if by our worthineſs we could procure any thing of favour at the hands of God, or by our goodneſs any way recommend our ſelves to the favour and acceptance of God. You ſee your Calling, Brethren, how that not many wiſe men after the fleſh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, for God hath choſen the fooliſh things of the world to confound the wiſe, &c. And all this that no fleſh ſhould glory in his preſence. But he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord, 1 Cor. p. 91.26, 27, 28. Alas, we are ſo indebted to the Divine Bounty and Goodneſs that gave us our beings both in Nature and Grace, that when we have done all we can, we are forced to acknowledge, that we are unprofitable ſervants, Luk. 17.10. Whatever good we do it is from God, and therefore cannot Merit any thing at the hands of God. 2 Cor. 3.5. So ſays the Apoſtle, Not that we are ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves, but our ſufficiency it is of God. 1 Cor. 4.10. For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou haſt not received? Now if thou didſt receive it, Why doſt thou glory as if thou hadſt not received it? Were there no other Scriptures, theſe were ſufficient to overthrow the Notion ef Merit

2. Nor can it be founded upon this Scripture. This expreſſion of walking worthy of the Lord cannot p. 10be applied to Merit by any means, in as much as the Lord had beſtowed many of his Bleſſings and Favours and Benefits already. They cannot by any good Works afterward, be ſaid any ways to Merit what is paſt; now it is very abſurd to think, that we can by any after good Works Merit what was given us before. But we will paſs by this and come to the true meaning of this expreſſion.

To walk worthy of the Lord, is no more than to walk ſuitably and agreeably, and ſome way anſwerably and becomingly to the many-fold Favours of God vouchſafed to us; which will be better underſtood by comparing it with the parallel places, Eph. 4.1. I therefore the Priſoner of the Lord beſeech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. Walk worthy of your vocation, that is, anſwerably and ſuitably and becoming your Calling, as appears by the following words, which fully explain p. 11it, viz. With all lowlineſs, and meekneſs, with long-ſuffering, forbearing one another in love, &c. This is ſuch a kind of Walking as is becoming and agreeable to our High and Holy Calling, Phil. 1.27. only let your Converſation be as becometh the Goſpel of Chriſt. This is the true meaning and explication of this Expreſſion of walking worthy. He means no more by it than this, a becoming walk, or a ſuitable walk, but let your Converſation be worthy of the Goſpel of Christ. So in the 1 Theſ. 2.12. That you would walk worthy of God who ha h called you into his Kingdom and Glory. It is the ſame word in the original in all theſe places, foreign which is in the forquoted place rendered becoming, Let your Converſation be as becometh the Goſpel. Let your Converſation be worthy of the Goſpel, or becoming the Goſpel of Chriſt. So here, walking worthy of God is no more than walking ſuitably to the Nature of that God who is the true and living God. p. 12That ye may walk like a People that are taken into Covenant with God, and expreſs the Virtues and Praiſes of him who hath called you out of Darkneſs into his marvelous Light, in your Lives and Converſations; according to that which we have in the 1 Pet. 2.9. Ye are a choſen generation, a royal prieſthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that you ſhould ſhew forth the praiſes of him who hath called you out of darkneſs into his marvellous light. Or that ye ſhould walk ſuitably to this great Mercy and glorious Priviledges and Benefits ye have received from him. So that to walk worthy of the Lord, is to live and behave our ſelves as becometh thoſe to whom God hath vouchſafed ſo great a Mercy, that paſſing by many Thouſands of a nobler extraction, of a ſweeter diſpoſition, and in many outward reſpects better than we. That he ſhould out of his meer Grace and Love in Chriſt, chuſe and call us out of the World to be partakers p. 13of Eternal Life with him. That he ſhould take us and leave others, chuſe us and paſs by others, as it is wonderful and aſtoniſhing, ſo it ought to influence us into a walking ſome way ſuitable and becoming theſe great Mercies beſtowed upon us. And if we would know what this ſuitable walking is? why the next words explain it; It is a walking unto all pleaſing, ſo that the obſervation is this, viz.

Obſerv. That where a Perſon or a People receive great Mercys, Benefits, or Priviledges from God, there ought to be a ſuitable, anſwerable, and becoming walking thereunto; or thus, It ought to be our ſtudy and endeavour to live and act ſuitably and becoming the Mercies and Favours we receive from God.

God hath dealt Bountifully and Graciouſly with us, remembered us not only with Common and Temporal, but with Special and Spiritual Mercys too. Do we enjoy Peace p. 14and Quietneſs, when many other are involved in great Troubles and Perplexities? Is Plenty and Fulneſs our Inheritance, when Scarcity and Want is the lot of many others? Do we enjoy ſuch a competency of Health and Strength, when many others are Sick and weak, Languiſhing and Dying? Hath God ſet any of us at Liberty from our Confinements, wrought out a Recovery for any of us from any tedious and dangerous Diſtemper, which detained us from waiting and attending upon God in the Publick and Solemn Dutys of his Worſhip, when many others are ſtill confined to their Chambers, and many to their Beds? How doth it concern ſuch to walk anſwerably and ſuitably to the Mercies they have received. Let ſuch remember that advice of our Saviour to the man upon whom he had wrought a great cure, John. 5.14. And he ſaid unto him go thy way, behold thou art made whole, ſin no more leſt a worſe thing befal thee.

p. 15God hath done great things for us, and in ſome reſpects for all of us; In bearing ſo long with our renewed and repeated Provocations, inſomuch that we are under a neceſſity of acknowledging and confeſſing that it is of the Lords Mercys we were not conſumed, that our Bodies are not in the ſilent Grave, and our Souls roaring in Hell; That notwithſtanding all our Barrenneſs and Unfruitfulneſs under the means and Seaſons of Grace, that yet the day and ſeaſon of Grace ſhould be lengthned out to us; that after ſo many denyals and refuſals, Chriſt ſhould ſtill continue to knock at the door of our Hearts. That when we have ſo frequently turned a deaf Ear to the calls and invitations of Chriſt in the Goſpel, that he ſhould ſtill continue to call and invite, and promiſeth a kind Reception and hearty Welcome to all thoſe that will come unto him. That he ſhould ſtill continue wooing and beſeeching us by his Miniſters p. 16and Ambaſſadors to be reconciled unto God, after our ſo long continuance in ways of Enmity and Rebellion againſt him. O the Patience, Long-ſuffering and Forbearance of God! that ever he ſhould ſo long put up the affronts and indignitys that are every day offered to his Bleſſed Majeſty, by ſuch crawling Worms of the Earth, bear ſo long with the Rebellions and Ingratitudes of his Creatures! Lord how good art thou to the worſt of Men, and the vileſt of Sinners? in ſparing and forbearing them, in protecting and providing for them, in calling and inviting them, in waiting to be gracious to them, in offering Mercy and Pardon, and Grace and Chriſt to them, in affording them time and ſpace and opportunity for Repentance and turning unto God, in vouchſafeing to them many Temporal Bleſſings and Favours in the midſt and face of ſuch dayly Provocations, and abuſe of his Bounties. Thus I p. 17ſay in ſome reſpects God is good to us all, and hath done great things for us all, even for the worſt and vileſt Sinner now in his Preſence. And to ſome of us he hath been more peculiarly and ſpecially and diſtinguiſhingly good, In chuſing and calling us not only by the outward call of his Word, but by an inward and effectual call of his Spirit, out of darkneſs unto light, and from the power of Sin, and Self, and Satan, and the World, to Himſelf; out of a ſtate of Nature, unto his Kingdom and Glory; unto his Kingdom of Grace here, and in a little time longer will call us to his Kingdom of Glory. In Juſtifying us freely by his Grace, and Sanctifying us by his Holy Spirit throughout, and adopting us into his Family. In remembering us in our low and loſt eſtate and condition, when we were blind and naked, and wretched and miſerable, caſt out into the open field to the loathing of our Perſons, p. 18in the gall of bitterneſs and bond of Iniquity, held in the ſnare of the Devil and led captive by him at his pleaſure, under the power and dominion of many vile Luſts and Corruptions; in bondage and ſlavery to Sin and Satan; ſubjected and enthrawl'd to Death; under the Wrath and Curſe of God; liable to all the miſeries of this Life, and to the pains of Hell for ever; ignorant of God and Chriſt, and Spiritual things, nay enemies to God and Chriſt, nay enmity it ſelf. When we were in ſuch a forlorn, helpleſs and miſerable ſtate and condition as this, he pittyed us, and helped us; when none other eye pittyed us, nay, when we had no pitty for our ſelves he pittyed us, and helped us when none other could help us. Others paſſed by us and took no notice of us, but he looked upon us, and behold it was a time of Love with us. He threw his Skirt over us and covered our Nakedneſs, and poured Water upon us to waſh p. 19away our filthineſs. He Swear unto us, and entred into Covenant with us to be ours, and we to be his; he to be our God, and we to be his Peculiar People. He hath given Himſelf, his Son, his spirit to us. Himſelf to be our God and Portion, Jer. 31.31, 32, 33. But this ſhall be the Covenant that I will make with the Houſe of Iſrael, after thoſe days ſaith the Lord, I will put my Law into their hearts, and write it in their inward parts, and will be their God, and they ſhall be my People. And what Tongue can expreſs? What Pen can deſcribe the happineſs of that People who have God to be their God? David in the 144 Pſalm, v. 15. ſays, Happy are the People whoſe God is the Lord. He doth not ſay how happy, for it is beyond expreſs. But this we may truly ſay, that all our happineſs and felicity, and comfort, lies in this, in having God to be our God. If there be no want to them that fear God, I am ſure p. 20there can be none to them that enjoy God, who is a Soul-comforting, Soul-refreſhing, Soul-ſatisfying Object. It matters not what our Circumſtances and Conditions are here in this World, be they never ſo low, and inconſiderable, if we have but God for our God we are happy. Happy is that People whoſe God is the Lord. He hath given us not only himſelf, but his Son too, John 3.16. God ſo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life. Given him for us. To obey and ſuffer, to bleed and dye, and ſuffer and ſatisfy for us, to reſcue and redeem us from thoſe evils and miſeries under which we lay, viz. the Wrath of God, the Curſe of the Law, by laying down his life for us, a life more precious than the lives of all the Angels in Heaven, or Men upon Earth.

p. 21Not only given him for us, but given him to us, to be believed in, and reſted upon, for Life and Salvation, to dwell in us, and be united to us; to be made of God Wiſdom and Righteouſneſs, Sanctification and Redemption; to be to us, and do for us all that God hath appointed and deſigned him to be.

Again, he hath not only given us himſelf, and Son, but his Spirit alſo to us. To open our Eyes, to enlighten our Minds, to incline our Wills, to change our Hearts, to Turn and Convert us to himſelf, To convince of Sin, to lead to Chriſt, to be the guid of our ways, to be the death of our ſins, to quicken and enliven and ſtrengthen our Graces. To witneſs with our ſpirits that we are the Children of God. To comfort us in all our Troubles, to ſuccour us in all our Temptations, to reſolve us in all our Doubts, to help us againſt all our Infirmities. To conduct us ſafe through this evil p. 22World, and to ſeal us up to the day of Redemption.

But yet farther, he gives us liberty to wait upon him in the ſolemn Dutys of his Worſhip. He gives us Praying ſeaſons, and Hearing ſeaſons, and Communicating ſeaſons, for the carrying on begun Grace in our Souls. Thus richly doth he furniſh our Table in this howling Deſart, and bountifully provides for us in a ſtrange Land. We have not only Food for our Bodies, but Food for our Souls, not only the Bread that periſheth, but that which endures to Everlaſting Life. The Lamb is ſlain and behold all things are ready. The Marriage Supper is prepared, and a welcome ready for all that come to it. This is Chriſt's language to all his gueſts, O friends drink ye, eat …e, drink and eat abundantly O beloved. And what do you think is the matter of this Feaſt? Why it is Chriſt with all his ſaving Benefits, even Peace p. 23and Pardon and Comfort. This is the Goſpel Feaſt unto which poor Sinners are invited. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt is both the maſter and the matter of this Feaſt. This is that Bread which came down from Heaven, which is othergates Food than that Manna was which fell in the Wilderneſs, of which it is ſaid, Our Fathers did eat and they are dead, but whoſoever eateth of this Bread lives for ever, John 6.48, 49, 50. This is the Lamb that was ſlain from the Foundations of the World, whoſe Fleſh is Meat indeed and whoſe Blood is Drink indeed.

Thus bountifully hath God provided for our Souls, we have not only the ſincere Milk of the Word that we may grow thereby, but more ſubſtantial Food, even that ſealing, ſtrengthening, confirming Ordinance of the Lords Supper, where Chriſt and all his Benefits are repreſented ſealed and applied to Belivers, who was not only offered p. 24up upon the Croſs for the Satisfaction of Divine Juſtice and the expiation of our Sins, but offered upon the Table for the ſatisfying our guilty minds and for the Food and Nouriſhment of our Souls. Here it is that we may take a view of Chriſt's dying love. Here we ſee him Bruiſed and Broken and Bleeding for our ſakes and for our Sins. Here we may ſee him broken and bruiſed by his Father in the day of his great Wrath, when his Body was torn, his Soul in a dreadful Agony, his ſide pierced, his Blood ſhed; theſe are in a moſt lively manner repreſented by the breakof the Bread, and pouring out of the Wine. Here is a Wounded, Broken, Bleeding, Jeſus repreſented to us. The Elements in this Sacrament ſignifie, and ſet forth the unconceivable Sufferings of our bleſſed Lord, both in his …ody and in his Soul. The Bread ſignifies the Sufferings of his Body. And the Wine p. 25which is a repreſentation of his Blood, the Agonvs of his Soul, becauſe the Spirits whereby the Soul acts are in the Blood.

All the Sacraments that ever were inſtituted ſince Adams fall to this very day, both ordinary and extraordinary, both Old Teſtament and New Teſtament Sacraments, they all of them principally repreſent and point at Jeſus and him Crucified. Adams Sacrifices were Types of Chriſt the true Sacrifice. Circumciſion a pledge of our Hearts Circumciſion thro' Chriſts Blood, Col. 2.11. In whom alſo ye are Circumciſed with the Circumciſion made without hands, in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Fleſh by the Circumciſion of Chriſt. The Paſſover was a token and Type of Chriſt our Paſſover Sacrificed for us, 1 Cor. 5.7. Baptiſm, this doth point at the Death of Chriſt, we are ſaid by Baptiſm to be Baptiſed into Chriſt, and into his Death, Rom. 6.3, 4, 5. p. 26And the Lords Supper is a moſt lively repreſentation of the Death of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 11.26. As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye ſhew the Lords death till he come. This is a ſtanding memorial and a laſting monument of our bleſſed Lords love in bleeding and dying for us, and is to continue to the end of the World, even till the coming of our Lord to Judgment. So that Chriſt and his Death, Chriſt as Crucified, is that which is repreſented and pointed at in this Sacrament. Here it is that Chriſt Jeſus is as it were afreſh Crucified before our eyes, bruiſed by his Father, pierced by the Souldiers, bleeding for our ſins. Here is a ſweet love-token indeed betwixt Chriſt and his Church, betwixt Chriſt and Believers. What greater love can be imagined than to dye for us. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend. Ay but here was greater love than this, here was p. 27Blood ſhed and a Life laid down for very Enemies. This Ordinance may truly be ſtiled a Love Feaſt. Every thing in it ſpeaks love. The Myſteries in it ſpeak love. Here is Chriſt's Body not whole but broken, Chriſt's Blood not in his veins, but ſhed and freely poured out for poor ſinners. The benefits intended to us by it ſpeak great love. Here is compleat Proviſion and full Nouriſhment for our Souls, for our Faith and all the graces of the inward man intended by it. A freſh ſeal of the Pardon of our Sins in the Blood of Chriſt. Fuller and clearer diſcoverys of God's reconciled face in and thro the Attoning Blood of the Lord Jeſus, that Blood of the Everlaſting Covenant. A more full confirmation and a more cloſe application of the New Covenant and all the Promiſes, Comforts, Benefits and Priviledges thereof to our Souls, and a more full Communion with Chriſt in his Grace and fullneſs, in p. 28his Death and Sufferings, in his great Undertakings, and glorious Tranſactions, in his high Dignitys and Relations, in his great Victorys and Atchievements, and in thoſe neceſſary offices of Prophet, Prieſt, and King to his Church, theſe are ſome of the great benefits that are intended to us by this Ordinance.

Now we that have been ſo lately entertained at this Table of the Lord, that have or might have been feaſting and ſatiateing our Souls upon this Banquet of Chriſts love; it behooves and concerns every one of us to walk worthy of the Lord unto all-pleaſing, to walk worthy of this love of Chriſt in doing and ſuffering, in bleeding and dying for us. That is, to walk ſuitably and ſome way becoming thoſe expreſſions of love that have been exhibited and repreſented to us in this Ordinance. I ſay it highly concerns every one of us, who have been feaſting at this Banquet of Chriſts p. 29love, it concerns us to keep up and maintain a ſuitable and becoming walk after it. Remembring that it is not enough to Eat and Drink worthily at this Supper, but we muſt alſo walk worthily after this Supper: we have oftentimes bills put up for a prepared heart and a ſuitable frame, that perſons may come prepared to this Ordinance of the Lords Supper, that they may not eat and drink unworthily. But I do not remember that ever I ſaw a bill for a ſuitable walk and behaviour afterward. It is not enough that we duely prepare before, act worthily in, but we muſt alſo walk ſuitably after Communicating. And there is as much need to put up a Prayer, and to diſpatch a cry to Heaven, that we may walk worthily after, as well as come preparedly to this Supper. By walking worthily I mean no more than walking ſuitably and becomingly.

p. 30But here it may be asked what is this ſuitable walking? or wherein doth it conſiſt? or how is it that we are to walk after this Supper Ordinance? To this we ſhall anſwer.

I. More Generally.

II. More Particularly.