Sermons, Treatise · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. The fruit and benefit of Worthy Receiving.
§. 1.
1. THere is a great benefit of this Sacrament to them that communicate therein preparedly; though all be not agreed, what the benefit is, as may be ſeen by the Doctrine of the Papiſts, the Socinians, the Orthodox, yet that there is a benefit, few will deny; and if it be denied, the ſenſible experience of many godly Chriſtians doth atteſt it, to which experience the Apoſtle ſometimes appeals, ſaying, Gal. 3. …. This onelyonly would I learn of you; and for others that will not own their experiences, or have them not, reaſon may convince them, That as God made no uſeleſſe creature, ſo he ordains no fruitleſſe inſtitutions, that this Ordinance being inſtituted for the uſe of his ſelect people and confederates, and that at ſuch a time as our Lord Chriſt had the very powers of darkneſſe to encounter with, therefore it is an Ordinance of ſome moment, which began at the death, and ſtands in force until the ſecond coming of Chriſt, and if nothing el…e could be ſaid, this is enough. That the guilt and danger of receiving unworthily being ſo dreadfull, there muſt in reaſon be ſome proportion of benefit and fruit to the receiving worthily, which reaſon may convince any rational man, that there is not only a good, but that good is of very great proportion and degree, and that ye ſhall not come for fruit to a barren fig-tree.
I have reaſon to demonſtrate both theſe points:
1. That there is a benefit.
2. What that is.
Reaſon (I ſay) to ſhew that there is a benefit.
§. 2 §. 2. That there is much benefit by Worthy Receiving.
1. Leaſt this Sacrament of ſo great moment be vilified and brought to contempt, as a dry teat or empty veſſel, they muſt needs neglect both the uſe of this Sacrament, and all preparation thereunto that undervalue it, as fruitleſſe and not beneficial; Who will take any pains to go to a dry Well that hath no water in it? It's vain to urge preparations on them that are not perſwaded of any benefit in it; And though I will not diſpute, Whether the ſupream Lord may not oblige his creature, man, for probation and trial of his obedience, to a duty whence no other benefit ſhould redound, but the very duty of obedience, As if he oblige Abraham by a Law to ſacrifice his ſonne, yet I conceive that Gods ſtanding Ordinances and Laws, do not only oblige a duty, but intend a benefit, and thereby invite obedience, as it's ſaid, Deut. 10. 13. What doth the Lord require of thee, but to keep his Commandments for thy good? And that therefore there is a benefit of the right uſe of this Sacrament, by which we may lawfully be excited and impell'd to obſerve the Ordinance, as we climb the tree for the fruit that is upon it; It's true, an unworthy Communicant reaps no other benefit than ſomewhat that is like that which the Apoſtle cals, the advantage and profit of the Jew, Rom. 3. 1. Rom. 9. 4. viz. Tabulas & ſigilla foederis, the Tables and Seals of the Covenant, but the reaſon that he receives no inward and ſpiritual fruit, is not becauſe there is no water in this Well, but becauſe he hath no bucket to draw it forth; For God offers and holds forth Chriſt and the benefits of the Covenant, his hand is not empty, but our hand is full of ſinne and ſelf-righteouſneſſe, that we cannot receive it, for they that will receive muſt bring a capacity. It's a known truth, He that means to receive a benefit which is convey'd by way of Covenant, muſt bring the Condition of that Covenant in his hand, as he that comes to a table brings life and ſtomack.
I know there are ſome, and they godly, that fear, or haply will boldly affirm, that they were never ſenſible of the benefit of this Sacrament; They hear of good fruit, but they have not taſted it, and therefore their edge is dull and flat to the receiving of it. To which I anſwer this, That if there be an exerciſe of the graces required in the act of receiving, they may not deny the fruit of the Ordinance, becauſe they are not ſo clearly ſenſible at the preſent, for haply they limit God to the preſent time, or confine their expectations to ſome particular fruit, as elevation of heart, ſenſible comfort, clear aſſurance, or the like, which becauſe they finde not, they think they have nothing. I have ſhew'd you before, That God anſwers the expectations and ſatisfies the neceſſity of his people by giving ſome other grace than we would have, or have our eye upon, as Pauls prayers were anſwer'd in ſufficient grace, not the removing of the thorn; We cry for comfortable ſigns, and God gives obediential and ſerviceable graces; We look for ſpiritual gifts, he gives humbling grace; We would have conqueſt of ſinne, God gives power to encounter it; We look for lively grace, and God keeps grace alive; We expect at preſent, God afterward gives us it; in bodily nouriſhment it's not poſſible for a man to tell what degree of nouriſhment he received by ſuch a meal, yet he findes that he lives, and is ſtrengthned, and he may be nouriſht by that which he doth not reliſh with delight. As for thoſe that upon pretence of ſpirit and ſpirituality have caſt off Ordinances, as fruitleſſe unto them, I ſhould wiſh they would conſider, whether they be not rather beſides their wits, than above Ordinances, ſeeing Chriſt himſelf doth not onelyonly by his inſtitution but example, commend this Sacrament unto us, as a ſtanding Ordinance, for the whole Church untill he come, and ſo hath commended the Miniſtry alſo, till we all come to a full ſtature, Epheſ. 4. 11. I would know how that ſpirit which hath carried them to the pinacle of the Temple, and hath ſet them above Ordinances, or that witneſſes to them without graces, can be proved to be the Spirit of Chriſt, and if they would ſhew us how they can live without meat and drink too, there would be ſome hope that they might be ſtarved into their ſenſes and right minds.
§. 3.
So much for the firſt, That there is a fruit and benefit by this Ordinance: And now to the ſecond, What that benefit is, and I have reaſon to ſhew what it is.
1. Becauſe ſuperſtitious and carnal perſons do expect what they have no warrant to expect, perverting the uſe of this Sacrament to other intents and ends, than it hath by inſtitution of Chriſt; The ſick man too ſuperſtitiouſly conceives that the opus operatum is a viaticum, that will pay his fare for a preſent paſſage into heaven, or that it is like a Popiſh ſhrift that blots out all ſinne, and wipes off the old ſcore. If in ſtead of making the right uſe we idolize the brazen Serpent, and worſhip it, what is it but ſuperſtition? which to avoid, the only way is to minde the inſtitution, and the end thereof, or elſe we ſhall look for that which God never intended to convey by it, as Eve was deceived in the fruit of the Tree ſhe are of.
2. Becauſe commonly men have confuſed thoughts of a benefit, but they know not what; They think it's good for ſomething, but they know not what, and ſo do as it were take phyſick meerly upon truſt, not knowing what is in it; Hence is that awfulneſſe of this Ordinance with all men, they muſt be holy now at this time, they muſt not follow their wicked and looſe wayes; They are going to the Sacrament, and they go with an ignorant reverence, not knowing what is either the fruit or the danger of it. So much for the firſt.
§. 4 §. 4. What the Benefit is.
Now to that point, What the effect, as ſome call it, or the fruit and benefit of this Sacrament is?
I anſwer generally, and then more particularly.1. Generally.
1. The benefit of the Sacrament is of an higher nature than theſe creatures are able to convey, and therefore they are ſtampt and made inſtrumental by an inſtitution of God; It had been both vain and ſuperſtitious to have expected ſpiritual benefit by the uſe of theſe elements, had not the word of inſtitution given a new relation to them, which without it they have not. There might a ſimilitude or repreſentation have bin borrowed to ſignifie the ſufferings of Chriſt, but that would not have made a Sacrament, any more than marriage repreſenting the myſtical union of Chriſt and the Church is therefore a Sacrament; There muſt be a promiſe and a command of God added to the viſible creature, whereby the uſe of it to ſuch a purpoſe is warranted and authorized, therefore we muſt look higher than the outward elements, or their power; An Axe is more than iron; A Seal is more than wax; Gods inſtitution renders the creatures of bread and wine (which as Bellarmine notes, though two elements are but one inſtrument or ſeal) uſefull to ſpiritual effects, not by elevating their natures, as the iron or wax being inſtruments are not elevated to any efficacy, as phyſical inſtruments, but by appointing their uſe and working by them, therefore that Queſtion, How can bread and wine, How can water reach or touch the ſoul is impertinent? for it refers to a natural cauſation; but moral relation needs no contact, there is a benefit follows upon the right uſe of them, which comes not through them tanquam per canalem but from God by the uſe of ſuch means, as an eſtate is convey'd from the donor by a ſeal of wax.
2. The benefits and bleſſings promiſed in the Covenant of Grace are ſealed, and the graces of the Covenant are improved in a believer by this Ordinance, Chriſt, Chriſt crucified, or rather in crucifying, together with ſuch benefits as are immediately ſealed in his death, reconciliation, redemption, remiſſion of ſinnes, as on Gods part offered to a ſinner, are here obſignate and ſealed: And faith in Chriſt, repentance from dead works, &c. are here exerciſed, excited, confirmed, renewed, the main fundamental and eſſential benefits and graces which are in moſt neceſſary order to ſalvation, are here in act, not ſuch things as ſome Chriſtians have, and ſome have not, But the common neceſſaries of the Covenant, both on Gods part and ours, without which no Chriſtian can be ſaved; And therefore I cannot but wonder, that many well-meaning ſouls ſhould fix their eyes on ſuch benefits or gifts to be given in this Sacrament, as are not foreign to a Chriſtian, but eminencies of ſome, and not of all; they look for gifts of prayer, of memory, freedom from paſſions, ſome Parts or Endowments, which they ſee others excell in, and if they gain not theſe, they gain nothing, they are unworthy, &c. Alas that you ſhould ſo miſtake, I tell you, Covenant-benefits, Covenant graces, the radicals, the vitals, are they which receive improvement here; here is Chriſt offer'd, and faith is quickned; here Chriſt crucified is exhibited, and here repentance is renewed, the main benefits that God can give, the main graces that we can have, ſuch as are eſſential, without which ſalvation is not. This I would have obſerved for the honour of the Ordinance, and the quickning of addreſſe to it.
And another thing alſo, viz. That when you hear us uſe the words exhibit, convey, conferre, afford grace or ſpiritual benefits: You are to underſtand, that this is not per mod…m emplaſtri, ſeu medicae potionis, not as a natural agent, but per modum ſigilli, or Sacramenti, in a way proper to a Sacrament; As we ſay, an eſtate paſſes by the Seal, that is, is aſſured or confirmed, or as we ſay the promiſe or contract paſſes by a Ring, words which every one underſtands; and doubtleſſe the benefit and fruit of the Sacrament is afforded in a peculiar way; As the Word, beſides begetting grace, doth alſo increaſe and confirm, but not in the ſame way as the Sacrament doth; as it may be the ſame bargain that paſſes by promiſe, by oath, by earneſt, by ſeal, yet theſe are ſeveral wayes of certioration; ſo it's the ſame grace that's nouriſht by the Sacrament, as by the Word, but the way is divers; That of the Sacrament is by way of ſign and ſeal, that of the Word by way of Promiſe or Covenant-agreement; nay the two Sacraments themſelves do d…ff…r in their proprieties, Baptiſm ſeals the Covenant by way of initiation, and the Lords Supper by way of nutrition or augmentation. God did not make or multiply Ordinances at random without their diſtinct and peculiar uſe, for the exhibiting to us the ſame Chriſt, the ſame graces, the ſame benefits, as men have ſeveral wayes of aſſurance making, one to another.
§. 5 §. 5. What is done to a Worthy Receiver by Chriſt.
So much generally. For the particular, we ſhall conſider,
1. What is here done. 2. What is hence received.
For the firſt, There is here done by Chriſt two things, and anſwerably two things by a believer in Chriſt.
Two things principally are here done by God, or by Chriſt.
1. Chriſt crucified is really exhibited to the faith of a believer.
2. The gracious Covenant which God hath made in Chriſt is ſealed to a believer.
1. Chriſt crucified, together with all thoſe benefitsMore particularly. that enſue upon his death, is really exhibited to a believer; for there is not a meer repreſentation, or empty figure, but a real and true exhibition of Chriſt himſelf, as broken for our ſinnes. The word accipite, Take ye, Eat ye, does evidently confirm it to us; If there were only a reſemblance or figurative repreſentation, then See ye, were more properly ſaid, but Take, Eat, this is my body, plainly ſhews, that Chriſt himſelf is here given to a believer. I think we look ſo much on the repreſentation, that we forget the exhibition, and therefore ſhould labour to conclude, that Chriſt himſelf, as in the ſtate of a redeeming Saviour is truly and indeed holden forth and preſented to our faith, as verily as any benefit can be offer'd and holden forth by one man to another. This body and bloud was really offer'd up to God for us, which is in this Sacrament really offer'd and applied to us by our faith: Anſwerable to this exhibition of Chriſt himſelf, the believer performs an act of Communion, 1 Cor. 10. 16. partaking of the body and bloud of Chriſt in a ſpiritual ſenſe, for ſpiritual nouriſhment, increaſe and building up; for the new creature is fed and maintain'd by Chriſt, and by vertue of union with him, we have communion, as the Vinebranches by their union with the Vine, receive ſap and nouriſhment; So as we have not graces without Chriſt, nor benefits without Chriſt, but firſt in order of nature we have union as members of him, and then of his fulneſſe we receive; For a Chriſtian is like a branch that hath nothing of its own, but what it receives from the root, as it ſelf ſprings from the root, ſo the increaſe and growth of it is from the root alſo; He is as the Moon, which, as appears in the Eclypſe, hath no light of it ſelf, but increaſes and comes to full; as it receives from the Sunne; Let no man think that a believer hath no further uſe of Chriſt after his firſt believing and receiving of him, for then this Sacrament would not be uſefull, the effect whereof, as Durand ſaith, is not abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation, as if one could not be in a ſtate of ſalvation without it, becauſe it ſerves for confirmation of one that is already in a ſaving ſtate; and it's plain, that a great par… of Chriſts Office is exerciſed in preſerving and continuing of them in him, who are already members of him, and therefore is the finiſh…r as well as authour of our faith, for we live in him, and from him, and our grace is maintain'd by emanations from Chriſt, as the light by continual emanations from the Sunne, and therefore this Ordinance of Communion of Chriſt, and the exerciſe of ſuch acts of communion are of prime uſe and benefit, as the branch that ſhoots from the Tree, grows and lives from that root which gave to it the firſt being by a contrived influx of ſap into it. And this is the firſt combination of Gods act, and of ours.
2. The ſecond combination is, The gracious Covenant which God hath made in Chriſt, is ſealed to a believer; The common nature of a Sacrament is to be a ſeal of Juſtification or Righteouſneſſe with God by faith in Chriſt, Rom. 4. 11. As a ſeal refers to ſome Covenant, ſo the Sacrament refers to Gods Covenant with man, which is this, That God promiſes to accept into favour, and into his propriety all that do believe in, and receive Chriſt, and to beſtow upon them all the bleſſings and benefits thereof. God gives Chriſt in way of Covenant; He covenants with Chriſt our Lord, that he ſhould give his ſoul an offering and a Sacrifice for ſin, and in ſo doing ſhould ſee his ſeed, Iſa. 53. 10. So Arminius in this point is orthodox. Of this Covenant the death or bloud of Chriſt is the Condition which Chriſt accepted and performed.
The Covenant of God with us is, That all that believe in Chriſt that died, and receive him for their Lord and Saviour, ſhall have remiſſion of ſins, &c. and of this Covenant the bloud of Chriſt is the ratification, as the Teſtators death ratifies the Will or Teſtament, for it is bloud that doth foreign, dedicate the Teſtament, Heb. …. 18. and ſo in the words of this Chapter, This Cup is the New Teſtament (or Covenant) in my bloud, viz. foreign, dedicated thereby, and this bloud we receive in this Sacrament, as the Seal of the gracious Covenant made with us; So that if doubts ariſe concerning the reality of God, and ſureneſſe of this Covenant that ſpeaks ſo much grace and mercy, we look upon and take hold of this Seale of bloud, and are thereby ſetled, and therein acquieſce.
Anſwerable to this act of God, the believer accepts of, and ſubmits to this Covenant and the Conditions of it, viz. to believe, and to have God for our God, and thereof makes a ſolemn profeſſion in this Sacrament, giving up himſelf to Chriſt, as Lord and Saviour, reſtipulating and ſtriking hands with him, to be his, and ſo bindes himſelf, and doth as it were ſeal a counterpart to God again, and not onelyonly ſo, but comes into a claim of all the riches and legacies of the Will or Covenant, becauſe he hath accepted and here declares his acceptance of the Covenant. The Seal is indeed properly of that which is Gods part of the Covenant to perform and give, and is no more but offer'd, untill we ſubſcribe and ſet our hands to it, and then it's compleat, and the benefits may be claimed, as the benefit of any conditional promiſe may be, when the condition is performed; And leaſt you ſhould ſtumble at that word, I muſt let you know, That the Will accepting and ſubmitting to the conditions, is the performance of the conditions required, and ſo the gracious God that might pro imperio, require duty and allegiance of his creature, condeſcends to us to enter into a Covenant of Grace with us, and vouchſafes us the honour of coming into Covenant with him, that ſo he might ſettle and maintain a communion and correſpondence between himſelf and his people, and there might be a mutual bond of engagement each to other, which is ſolemnly profeſſed, as often as we meet with God in this Sacrament, becauſe we are ſo apt to disbelieve and waver about his promiſes, and to halt and decline from our obligations to him. And this is the ſecond combination of action, according to that which is to be remembred at every ſealing day, (the Sacrament is a ſealing day) Deut. 26. 17. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his wayes, &c. And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar people, as he hath promiſed thee. So much for the firſt, What is here done.
§. 6 §. 6. What is here Received by the Worthy Communicant.
2. I come to the ſecond, What is here received, and I do not mean to ſay, what every believer doth ſenſibly receive, but what God hath appointed by this Sacrament to convey, and what may be received by a believer in the right uſe of it, not alwayes to his own ſenſe, but according to the nature of this Ordinance.
I will not ſay that which ſome affirm (but it is Apocryphal) of the Manna which the Iſraelites did eat, that it had the taſte that every man deſired; But this I may ſay, that as Calvin of himſelf, When I have Inſtit. l. 4. c. 17. §. 7.ſaid all, I have ſaid but little, the tongue is overcome, yea the minde is overwhelmed; I ſay then in one word,
1. Chriſt is here received, the body and bloud of Chriſt into intimate Union, as the nouriſhment of our ſouls. What is more ours than the meat we eat? What is more nearly joyn'd to us, than that which becomes part of our ſelves? The Scripture by the language it uſeth hath even overcome our apprehenſions; A man may eat the fruit that hath no intereſt in the Tree, but here the believing eater grows into the Tree, he that drinks, drinks the fountain, he comes to a cloſer Union with the conduit-pipe of all grace, the fleſh of Jeſus Chriſt; You know the beſt meat and drink doth you no good, except it be made your own; nor is Chriſt of worth, except he be ours, he is, as if he were not. Tolle meum, tolle Deum, we muſt be happy by a Chriſt within us, Know you not that Chriſt is in you, except you be Reprobates, 2 Cor. 13. …. There was a croud toucht Chriſt, but vertue went out of him to none but one that toucht him by faith; So there is a throng about the Table, but none receive Chr…ſt, but thoſe that by faith take and eat his crucified body. If Chriſt him…elf be h…re received, what ſpiritual grace is there that is not in him.
It is ſomewhat a groſſe conceit to ask, How Chriſt in heaven, and a believer on earth can be united? For man and wife are one fleſh, though a thouſand miles aſunder; And we know, that as the Apoſtle ſaith, Col. 2. 19. there are bands and joynts whereby the Head and every Member, the root and every branch are united, and they in this myſtical union are Spirit and faith. He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17. And ſo according to that ſtrange expreſſion, We are members of his body, of his fleſh, and of his bones, Epheſ. 5. 30 A phraſe which ſignifies that the humane nature of Chriſt is the root of this Union, but not to be exagitated by too ſubtill curioſity, becauſe myſticall.
2. A believer in Chriſt may here receive remiſſion of ſinne, not veniall onelyonly, as Papiſts teach, but deadly and mortall: Oh, but we may not come with ſuch ſinnes! Yes, with repentance and remorſe for them; We may bring our ſinnes to the head of our Sacrifice, and put them thereupon byBellarm. de Euch l. 4 c 18. confeſſion. Bellarmine reſolves all the difference between Papiſts and Proteſtants about the effect of this Sacrament into this, That the Papiſts deny, the Proteſtants hold remiſſion of ſinne to be given here, and the Papiſts do it in favour of their Sacrament of Pennance, that one Sacrament may not rob another, but Scripture tels us, Matth. 26. 28. This is my bloud of the New Testament which is ſhed for many for remiſsion of ſinne; Shed for remiſſion, that's true, ſaith Bellarmine, not given in the Sacrament, a meer evaſion, for we drink the bloud that was ſhed, even that which confirmes the New Teſtament, which promiſes remiſſion of ſinne. The great Argument wherein he triumphs before the victory, is, That a believer hath remiſſion of ſinnes before he comes, viz by his faith in Chriſt, and that's true, Nemo cibum Chriſti accipit niſi actu ſanatus, but in this Sacrament the pardon paſſes obſignante ſigillo, before a believer is pardon'd by the Covenant; and here that pardon is ſeal'd, and ſealed it cannot be, except it be before, for the pardon of forgiven ſinnes is ſeal'd, as Abraham received the ſigne of circumciſion, the ſeale of the righteouſneſſe of faith, which he had before, Rom. 4. 11. And this is needfull for reliefe of our doubts, and fears, and waverings; For this is the great Queſtion of anxiety, which troubles the ſoul; Are my ſinnes pardon'd? Are my ſins blotted out? And God hath, ſaith Chemnitius, inſtituted this Sacrament for ſolution of this Queſtion, to the weak faith, Ecce ſignum, Behold the Seal, believe upon the Word, believe upon the Seal of God. Luther gathers it by a gradation, The Cup is put for the Wine, the Wine ſignifies the bloud, the bloud is the bloud of the New Teſtament, Matth. 26. 28. The New Teſtament containes the gracious pardon of ſinne to a believer; And if remiſſion of ſinne be an Article of the Covenant, the Seale muſt reach it; Therefore all that have wounded their ſouls with grievous ſinnes be wounded again with ſorrow, put off the purpoſe of ſinning, bring repentance and faith, touch the hemme of Chriſt, receive here the pardon of ſin, queſtion not the Seal or truth of it.
3. That I may not divide into further particulars, there is by this Sacrament a communication of a greater proportion of Goſpel-Spirit, For we have been all made to drinke into one Spirit, 2 Cor. 12. 13. which Spirit plentifully beſtows his ſeverall fruits and graces, for the growing up of a member into Chriſt the Head in all things, Epheſ. 4. 15. from whence we have not onelyonly thoſe Auxilia actualia, actual influences, and aids of delight, comfort, evidence, ſweet taſtes, powerfull motions and impreſſions, which Vaſquez cals, grace ſacramental, and ſaith, That Gra…ia Sacramentalis non eſt gratia habitualis, ſed auxilia quaedam actualia, which I conceive is an errour; For though a man have a ſweet taſte and tranſient delight in meat or wine, yet there is alſo a permanent and abiding nouriſhment proceeding from that he eats or drinks: So here the very habituall graces are nouriſht, ſtrengthened, excited: It may be a man at preſent doth not feele that ſtrength he doth receive, nor is ſenſible of the intention of his graces: For the ſame Vaſquez ſaith, Intentionem habituum infuſ…rum ſub experimento humano cadere non poſſe; And it's true at preſent time; But the growth of grace manifeſts it ſelfe in time; We doe not ſee our ſelves or others grow, but that we are growne is plaine enough; nor doe we ſee how much the light increaſes by every ſtep of the Sunne riſing higher; for our growth is graduall, and by imperceptible inſtances and degrees, when power of reſiſting temptations, mortifie luſts, which before were too hard for us, doth appear, we may ſee our growth, as we ſee our ſhadowes are ſhortened, but how much in a minute we ſee not, and may ſay, That the graces which this Ordinance requires and excites, are thereby ſtrengthened and enlarged, and therefore the Rule is good, What Grace thou wouldeſt have ſtrengthened by this Ordinance, that doe thou ſet on work, and exerciſe in it, for that is Sowing to the Spirit, as the Apoſtle cals it; And I make no queſtion but a believer ſhall finde the benefit of this Sacrament in his obedience alſo, for the fuller the Veſſell is, the faſter it will runne out at the tap: If the habits increaſe, the fruit of obedience will be proportionable; We mend a barren Tree at the root, ſweeten the ſap there, and the Tree is more fruitfull; When Jacob had ſeen the ſweet viſion in Bethel, then he lifted up his feet, Geneſ. 29. 1. it put mettle into him.
So much for this Point, the Benefit of this Sacrament, which being diſ-uſed, as at this time, is a great loſſe to the improvement of Chriſtians, though they ſee it not. The Chriſtians in perſecuting times, when a ſtorme was coming, then were they moſt diligent to frequent this Table, to lay in ſtore for a hard Winter, and fortifie their reſolutions. And let this Benefit be a Motive to the uſe of Preparation, which was the reaſon I have handled it in this place, for there is no Promiſe, no Benefit to one that comes to this Table unworthily.