Gospel Worship, Sermons · Sermon 12
SERMON XII.
LEVITICUS. 10. 3.
I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me.
I Shall adde ſomething to one particular that I had the laſt day, concerning peoples withdrawing from ſuch a Congregation where they could not receive all the Ordinances of Jeſus Chriſt.
As now, if I were in a Church where I could have but a piece of the Sacrament, ſuppoſe they dealt with me as the Papiſts doe with the people, that is, they will give them the bread and not the wine, Certainly I were not bound to ſtay with them then, but I were bound to goe where I might have the whole Sacrament. So if a Church will give me ſome one Ordinance and not another, I confeſſe ſo long as there is hope that I may enjoy it, and that they are in a way for injoyment, I thinke there ſhould be a great forbearance to a Church as well as to a particular perſon; as I muſt not withdraw from a particular man, where there is hope ſtill of his reformation, and that there may come good of my forbearance, ſo towards a Church much more; but I ſay, if I cannot enjoy, neither doth there appeare any hope of the injoyment of all Ordinances, certainly it were but a cruelty to force men to ſtay there, when as otherwhere they may enjoy all Ordinances for the good of their ſouls. And this cannot be Schiſme thus to do; as now is this Schiſme? ſuppoſe a man were in a place and joyned in ſuch a Communion, for his outward benefit he may remove his dwelling from one place to another, if he can have better trading in another place; then certainly if he may have more Ordinances for the edification of his ſoule, he may as well remove from one to another, as he may remove if his trading bee betterin one place then another. Chriſt would have all his people look to the edification of their ſoules; and ſhould I account that Schiſme? when a man or woman meerly out of tenderneſſe and a deſire to enjoy Jeſus Chriſt in all his Ordinances for the benefit of their ſoules, they find ſuch want to their ſoules of all Ordinances, that though they may have ſome in one place, yet if they cannot have all, their ſoules doe not ſo thrive; now if this be all the end why they remove that they might have more edification to their ſoules injoying the Ordinances of Chriſt more fully, God forbid that this ſhould ever be accounted ſuch a ſin, that the Scripture is to brand; no thats Schiſme when there is a violent rending out of malice, for the want of love; for as Apoſtafie is a rending from the head, So Schiſme from the Body, that is, when it is out of an evill Spirit, from envie, or from malice, from want of love, or from any baſe ſiniſter ends, and upon no juſt Ground; but now when it is meerly out of love to Jeſus Chriſt, that I might have more edification to my ſoule, and ſtill I retain love to the Saints that are there as they are in a Communion, and ſo farre as they have any thing good among them, I hold Communion with them in that; onelyonly I deſire in humility, and in meekeneſſe that I may be in ſuch a place, where my ſoule may be moſt edified, where I may enjoy all thoſe Ordinances that Chriſt hath appointed for his Church, certainly, that ſoule that can give this account to Ieſus Chriſt for going from one place to another, will be freed by Ieſus Chriſt from ſuch a ſinne, as this that the world cals Schiſme; but the truth is, this word is in mens mouthes that underſtand not what it means, and the devill alwayes will have ſome word or other caſt upon them that are good; for hee hath heretofore gained much by it, ſo ſtill he makes account to gaine much by words, and Termes, and therefore men ſhould take heed of words and Termes that they do not underſtand, and examine ſeriouſly what the meaning of theſe words, and what is held forth in thoſe words; and thus much for that point, that it muſt be in a holy Communion; wherever there is the receiving of the Lords Supper, it muſt be received in a holy Communion.
Now wee are to proceed to that which is the maine thing, and that is, What are the holy qualifications or diſpoſitions of the ſoule, together with the actings fit in the receiving of the Lords Supper, what is required in the ſoule, for the ſanctifying of the name of God in this holy Sacrament; there are many things required.
As firſt, there is required knowledge; I muſt know what I doe when I come to receive this holy Sacrament; knowledge applyed to the worke that I am about; when ſome of you have come to receive this Sacrament, if God ſhould have ſpoken from heaven and have ſaid thus to you, what are you doing now, what do you go for, what account had you been able to have given unto him, you muſt underſtand what you doe when you come thither.
Firſt you muſt bee able to give this account to God, Lord, I am now going to have repreſented to me in a viſible and ſenſible way the greateſt myſteries of godlineſſe, thoſe great and deep Councels of thy will concerning my eternall eſtate, thoſe great things that the Angels deſire to pry into, that ſhall be the matter of eternall praiſes of Angels and Saints in the higheſt heavens, that they may be ſet before my view; Lord, when I have come to thy word, I have had in mine eares ſounding the great myſteries of godlineſſe, the great things of the Covenant of grace, and now I goe to ſee them repreſented before mine eyes in that Ordinance of thine that thou haſt appointed.
Yea Lord, I am now going to receive the Seales of the bleſſed Covenant of thine, the ſecond Covenant, the new Covenant, the Seales of the Teſtimony and will of thine; I am going to have confirmed to my ſoule thine everlaſting Love in Jeſus Chriſt.
Yea Lord, I am going to that Ordinance wherein I expect to have Communion with thy ſelfe, and the communication of thy cheife mercies to my ſoule in Jeſus Chriſt.
I am going to feaſt with thee, to feed upon the body and bloud of Jeſus Chriſt.
Yea I am now going to ſet to the Seale of the Covenant on my part, to renew my Covenant with thee, I am going to have Communion with thy Saints, to have the bond of Communion with all thy people to be confirmed to me, that there might be a ſtronger bond of union and love between me and thy Saints then ever; theſe are the ends that I go for, this is the work that I am now going about, thus you muſt come in underſtanding; you muſt come with underſtanding, you muſt know what you are going about; this is that which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, when he ſpeaks of the diſcerning the Lords Body; he rebukes the Corinthians for their ſin, and ſhews them that they were guilty of the body and bloud of Chriſt, becauſe they did not diſcerne the Lords body, they lookt only upon the outward elements, but did not diſcerne what there was of Chriſt there, they did not underſtand the inſtitution of Chriſt; they did not ſee how Chriſt was under thoſe elements, both repreſented, and exhibited unto them, thats the firſt thing, there muſt be knowledge and underſtanding.
And now for the knowledge and underſtanding of the nature of the Sacrament; there need be knowledge in other points of Religion, for we can never come to underſtand the nature of this Sacrament, without knowing God, and knowing our ſelves, knowing in what eſtate we were by nature, knowing our Fall, knowing the way of Redemption, knowing Jeſus Chriſt what he was, and what he hath done for the making of an Atonement, the neceſſity of Jeſus Chriſt, and what the way of the Covenant is that God hath appointed to bring mens ſoules to eternall life by. The maine points of Religion muſt be known, but eſpecially that that concernes the nature of a Sacrament.
Now this knowledge likewiſe muſt be actuall, not meerly habituall knowledge, but there muſt be a ſtirring up of this knowledge, that is, by meditation, I muſt be meditating, have actuall thoughts and meditations of what I doe know; that ought to be the work of a Chriſtian in comming to receive the Sacrament, to quicken up his knowledge, to have a renewed work of his knowledge by actuall thoughts and meditations of the maine points of Religion, and eſpecially of the nature and the end of this holy inſtitution, that is the firſt thing.
Secondly, As wee muſt come underſtandingly, without which wee cannot ſanctifie Gods name, ſo we muſt come with hearts ſutable to the work that wee are about, that is, becauſe the great thing that is here, is the breaking of Chriſts body, and the pouring forth his bloud. A ſutable diſpoſition to this is brokenneſſe of heart, ſence of our ſinne, of that dreadfull breach that ſin hath made between God and the ſoul; our ſin ſhould be upon our hearts ſo as to break them; But this brokenneſſe muſt be evangelicall; it muſt be through the applying of the blood of Chriſt unto my ſoule; I muſt come to be ſenſible of my ſin; but eſpecially be ſenſible of it by what I ſee in the holy Sacrament, that muſt make me ſenſible of my ſinne: There are a great many things to make me ſenſible of my ſin: The conſideration of the great God that thou haſt ſinned againſt, and the Curſe of the Law thats due to thee, the wrath of God that is incenſed againſt thee for thy ſin, and thoſe eternall flames that are prepared for ſinners, thoſe everlaſting burnings.
But now thoſe are not the things that will break the heart in an evangelicall way, in a gracious way; the maine thing by which the ſoule muſt come to break its heart, muſt be the beholding of the evil of ſin in the red glaſſe of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, the beholding him broken; and truely there is nothing in the world, that hath that power to break the heart for ſin, as the beholding of that which is to be beheld in the holy Sacrament; and that heart is a hard heart that can ſee what is there to be ſeen, and not break in the apprehenſion of ſin; when I here ſee what my ſinne coſt, what a price was made for my ſoule, when I ſee the hatred of God againſt ſinne, and the juſtice of God in not ſparing his Sonne, but in breaking his Sonne for my ſinne, and in ſhedding the blood of his Sonne for my ſinnes, I ſee here that the making of my peace which God did coſt more then ten thouſand worlds is worth; I ſee that by my ſin ſuch a breach was made between God and my ſoule, that all the Angels in heaven, and men in the world could never make up this breach; only the Sonne of God, hee that was God and man, that was thus broken by the burden of the wrath of his Father, for my ſins, could do this. The truth is, when wee come to this holy Communion, we are to look upon Chriſt as if we ſaw him hanging upon the Croſſe; ſuppoſe thou hadſt lived at the time when Chriſt was crucifyed, and hadſt underſtood as much concerning the death of Chriſt as now thou doeſt, and what Chriſt was, if ſo bee that thou ſhouldeſt have beheld him in the Garden, and there ſweating drops of water and blood, and lie groveling upon the ground, crying if it be poſſible let this cup paſſe from me: and ſhouldeſt have followed him to the croſſe, and their have ſeen his hands and feet nailed, and his ſide pierced, and the bloud trickling downe, and have heard him crying out my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee, would not ſuch a ſight as this is, have broken thy heart for thy ſinne; the truth is there is more, I won't ſay only ſo much, but I ſay there is more in this Sacrament to breake the heart for ſin then ſuch a ſight as that.
You will ſay if you ſhould have Chriſt to be crucified again before your eyes, if you ſhould ſee the body of Chriſt hanging upon the Croſſe, and there behold him crucified, and hearing of him cry out, my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me, you would think if your hearts did not break for ſin then, that they were deſperately hard; know every time that thou haſt come to receive the Sacrament, thou haſt come to ſee ſuch a fight, and it is as great an aggravation of the hardneſſe of thy heart if it hath not broken at this ſight, as it would be if it ſhould not break at that fight; We read in Gal. 3. 1. of Pauls ſpeaking of the preaching of the Goſpel, he ſaith that Chriſt was crucified before thoſe that did hear the word; and, fooliſh Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you ſhould not obey the truth, before whoſe eyes Jeſus Chriſt hath been evidently ſet forth, crucified among you? hee doth not meane that Chriſt was crucified in Galatia, but that where the word was preached he was evidently ſet forth, and crucified among them; but now my brethren, the crucifying of Chriſt in the word, is not ſuch a reall, evident, and ſenſible ſetting forth of Chriſt crucified, as when he is ſet forth in this Sacrament, and tis that which works with more efficacie to break the heart, then that other ſight; and the reaſon that I give is this.
Becauſe you doe never find that God did ſet that apart as an Ordinance, an inſtitution appointed to that end that they ſhould come to look upon that for the breaking of their hearts; there was indeed a naturalneſſe in it, that if they did behold Chriſt, it might break their hearts, but it was not ſuch an Ordinance, it was not a Sacrament as this is; now this being in a ſacramentall way in the uſe of an Ordinance appointed by Ieſus Chriſt to ſet forth his ſufferings, and all the riches of the Covenant of grace to the ſoule, there may be expected here a further bleſſing then in the other, though its true, the other might worke mightily upon the heart; but yet this being a great Ordinance of Chriſt in the church, a great inſtitution of Ieſus Chriſt, for the ſetting out of his ſufferings, it hath a more ſpecial bleſſing that goes along with it; every Ordinance hath a promiſe, and a more ſpeciall bleſſing then any other thing that is not an Ordinance. So when you come here to behold Chriſt crucified before you, you cannot ſee Chriſt naturally crucified as upon the Croſſe: but you have Chriſt crucified before you in the way of a Sacrament, in the way of a ſolemne inſtitution of Ieſus Chriſt, that hath a ſpeciall Bleſſing which goes along with it; therefore if the heart be not broken here, there is an aggravation of the hardneſſe of the heart as great as if we ſhould behold Ieſus Chriſt upon the Croſſe and our hearts not broken there; and indeed this is a ſpecial reaſon why thoſe are ſaid to be guilty of the body and bloud of Chriſt that receive unworthily; as if a man had been then alive, and had been before the Croſſe, and there have ſeen how the blood of Ieſus Chriſt was ſhed for ſinne, and ſhould not have been affected with it, but ſhould have acounted it as a common thing; this man in ſome regard might have been ſaid to be guilty of his death; that is, to have joyned and conſented with thoſe that did crucifie him; for if a man ſees another commit a ſin, if he bee not affected with that ſinne, and it does not ſtirre his heart, he may come to be partaker of his Sinne; ſo thoſe that ſhall come to ſee Jeſus Chriſt crucifyed, and have not their hearts at all ſtir'd with the crucifying of Chriſt, they are in ſome regard truly ſaid to be guilty of the body and blood of Ieſus Chriſt; and thats the ſecond thing, brokenneſſe of Spirit is ſuitable to the light of a broken Chriſt.
3. The third thing that is here to be done in the ſanctifying of Gods name, is the purging and cleanſing of the heart from ſinne; an actuall cleanſing and purging the heart from ſinne there ought to be. The Iews in their Paſſeover were to caſt out all leaven, and thoſe that write of the cuſtome of the Jews, ſay that they were wont to doe three things in the caſting out of their Leven.
1. They made diligent ſearch for Leaven; they lighted Candles to look into every Corner leaſt there ſhould be any bit of Leaven left in the houſe.
2. When they found it they caſt it out.
3. They uſed an execration, they did curſe themſelves if they ſhould willingly keepe any Leaven in the houſe.
So my brethren, when we come to partake of this holy Ordinance, there ſhould be a diligent inquiſition for ſin, for Sin in Scripture is compared to Leaven; thou ſhouldeſt make a diligent ſearch what ſin there is in thy heart, in any of the faculties of thy ſoule, what ſinne there is in thy thoughts, in thy Conſcience, in thy underſtanding, in thy will, in any of thy affections, what ſinne there hath been in thy life, what family ſins, what perſonall ſins. Thou ſhouldeſt make a diligent ſearch to ſee whither there be not ſome Leaven, ſome evill in thy heart; and what ever ſin thou ſhalt come to find out in thy heart, there muſt be a caſting of it out; that is, thy ſoule muſt be ſet againſt it to oppoſe it with all thy might; whatever beloved ſin, whatever gainefull ſin, whatſoever become of thee, thy ſoule muſt renounce that ſinne of thine; yea and in a kind of execration of thy ſelfe; thats thus, Lord, as ever I expect to receive any good by this body and blood of Chriſt, that I come now to receive, ſo Lord, here I profeſſe againſt every ſin that I have found out in my heart; I deſire to find out all, and profeſſe againſt all, and renounce all, and would doe to the uttermoſt that I am able for delivering of my ſoule fully, from every knowne or beloved ſin; oh that there might not be any remaining in my heart; this muſt be the diſpoſition of the ſoule comming hither, and it muſt needs be thus or elſe we cannot ſanctifie Gods name, becauſe there is nothing more ſutable then this diſpoſition unto the receiving of the Sacrament; for we come here to profeſſe that we doe acknowledge that ſinne did coſt ſo much as it did, that it coſt the blood of the Sonne of God; now this cannot chuſe but cauſe the heart to renounce ſinne; If indeed I doe beleeve that ſinne hath coſt the bloud of Chriſt, that it coſt him ſo deare as it did, that it did trouble Heaven and earth, that there muſt be ſuch a mighty wonderfull way of ſatisfaction to God for my ſinne committed againſt him, certainly ſinne hath a dreadfull evill in it; oh, let me never have to doe with ſuch ſin that was the cauſe of ſuch ſufferings to my Saviour, that did ſhed his blood. If ſo be that thou ſaweſt a knife that had cut the throat of thy deareſt child, would not thy heart riſe againſt that knife? ſuppoſe you come to a Table, and there is a knife laid at your Trencher, and it was told you, this is the knife that cut the throat of your childe, or Father, if you could uſe that knife as another knife, would not any one ſay, there was but little love to your Father or child? So when there is a temptation comes to any ſin, this is the knife that cut the throat of Chriſt, that pierct his ſides, that was the cauſe of all his ſufferings, that made Chriſt to be a curſe; now wilt not thou look upon that as a curſed thing, that made Chriſt to be a curſe; oh with what deteſtation would a man or woman fling away ſuch a knife! and with the like deteſtation it is required that thou ſhouldeſt renounce ſin, for that was the cauſe of the death of Chriſt; I remember it is reported of Anthony when Caeſar was ſlaine, he comes to ſtir up the people againſt thoſe that had ſlaine Caeſar, and he takes the cloathes that were bloudy and holds them forth to the people, and ſaith, here is the bloud of your Emperour, and upon that the people were inraged againſt thoſe that had ſlaine him, and went and pulld down their houſes upon them; ſo when thou comeſt to this Sacrament, thou ſeeſt the bloud of Chriſt guſhing out, and for thy ſin, if ever thy ſin be pardoned; either thy ſoule muſt be eternally damn'd for thy ſin, or elſe thy ſin coſt the guſhing out of the Blood of Chriſt; now when thou ſeeſt this; this ſhould cauſe a holy rage in thy ſoule againſt ſin that cauſed this, ſurely the putting away ſin, the riſings of the heart againſt ſin muſt needs be a diſpoſition ſutable to ſuch an Ordinance as this is. And thats the third thing required in the ſanctifying of Gods name in this Ordinance, the purging out of ſin, and riſing of the heart againſt it.
4. The fourth thing that is to be done for the ſanctifying of Gods name here, it is the hungering and thirſting of the ſoule after Jeſus Chriſt; whoſoever coms hither, he comes to a feaſt, and the Lord expects that all his gueſts ſhould come with ſtomacks unto this feaſt, come with hungring and longing for Jeſus Chriſt; this ſhould be the diſpoſition of the ſoule, oh that my ſoule might injoy Communion with Jeſus Chriſt; now, this is the end that I am come for; oh, the Lord: that knows the workings of my heart, knowes that this is the great deſire of my ſoule, that I might enjoy Communion with Jeſus Chriſt; oh that I might have more of Chriſt, that I might meet with Chriſt, that I might have ſome further manifeſtation with Jeſus Chriſt, that I might have my ſoule further united to the Lord Chriſt, and ſo have further influence of Chriſt to my ſoule; I come with thirſting after the Lord Chriſt knowing my infinite need of him, and the infinite excellency that there is in Jeſus Chriſt; my ſoule doth famiſh and periſh for ever without Chriſt; but in the injoyment of Chriſt there is a fulneſſe for the ſatisfying of my ſoule; that I have had of Chriſt ſometimes in the word, and ſometimes in prayer, that hath been ſweet unto me, but I expect a further Communion of Chriſt here, for this is the grand Ordinance for Communion with Jeſus Chriſt; in deed the word in this reſpect it is beyond this Ordinance, that is, it is not only for the increaſe of grace, but for the begetting; this is only for the increaſe of grace and not appointed for the begetting; now in that reſpect the Word is above the Sacrament; but now this Sacrament is a more full Ordinance for Communion with Jeſus Chriſt, this is the Communion of the body of Jeſus Chriſt, and of his bloud, and therefore there ought to be hungring and thirſting deſires of the ſoule after Jeſus Chriſt, therefore you muſt take heed you doe not come with your Stomacks full of traſh, as children when they can get Plums and Peares and fill their ſtomacks with them, when they come to your Tables, though there be never ſo much wholſome diet, they have no mind at all to it; ſo it is with men of the world, they fill their hearts with the traſh of this world, and with ſenſuall delights, and hence it is that when they come to ſuch a great Ordinance to enjoy Communion with Jeſus Chriſt, that then they feele no want at all of Chriſt, only they come and take a little peece of bread and a draught of wine, but for any ſtrong pauſing deſires to meet with Jeſus Chriſt there in the Ordinance, to come ſo as they know not how to live without Chriſt, even as a man that is an hungred cannot live without his meat and drinke, and ſo for the ſoule to have ſuch a diſpoſition after Chriſt, this is a rare thing; but know that Gods name is not ſanctifyed, unleſſe thou doeſt come in ſuch a way unto this holy Sacrament; thats the fourth thing, hungry and thirſty deſires after Chriſt, from a deepe ſence of the need of him, and the apprehenſion of the Excellencie in him.
5. In the fift place, there muſt be an exerciſe of Faith for the ſanctifying of Gods name here; Faith, that is both the hand and the mouth for the taking of this ſpirituall meat, and ſpirituall drink; when thou comeſt to the Feaſt of the Lord, Faith firſt is the eye, and then the hand and mouth; it is the eye of the ſoul to give a reall ſight of what there is here, you are not able to diſcerne the body of the Lord but by the eye of Faith; if thou comeſt only with bodily eyes to look upon what is here, thou ſeeſt nothing but a little bread and wine; But now where the eye of Faith is, there is a reall appearance of Jeſus Chriſt to the ſoule, as if Chriſt were bodily preſent, and we need not have the bread turned into his body; for Faith can ſee the body of Chriſt through the bread, and the body of Chriſt guſhing in the wine. And it is a mighty thing to have Chriſt and ſuch ſpirituall things made reall and not to be a fanſie. If one look upon the fire that is painted, one cannot heat ones ſelfe in cold weather with that, but fire that is really burning upon the hearth; ſo thoſe that come to receive the Sacrament, and not come with Faith, that have only the eye of their bodies, they only ſee as it were a painted Chriſt, they doe not ſee Chriſt really: his body and bloud and thoſe great Myſteries of the Goſpel are not preſented as reall things to their ſoules; and hence it is that they go away and get nothing; but now when the ſoule comes with the eye of Faith, the ſoule ſees the wonderfull things of God, it is the moſt glorious ſight in the world; all the glory of God in the heavens and earth is not like this ſight of Jeſus Chriſt and the myſteries of the Goſpell that do appeare to the eye of faith; therefore you may by this know whether you have come with faith or no to the Sacrament; whether you have ſeen the moſt glorious ſight that ever your eyes did behold, alas, with our naturall eyes, we behold a Miniſter comming with a peece of bread and a little wine: but when the eye of faith is opened, then wee behold the glorious things of the Goſpell; many times when you come to hear the word, your hearts burne within you, as they that went to Emaus; but when you are breaking bread, the eye of faith that muſt look upon Jeſus Chriſt; and in this ſence, thoſe that have pierced Chriſt muſt look upon him; that Scripture is fulfilled in Zach. 12. latter end, they ſhall look on him whom they have pierced by their ſins, and then mourne and lament; this eye of faith will cauſe mourning and lamenting for ſinne.
And then as faith is the eye to make what is here reall, ſo faith is the hand to take it; when you come to a feaſt, you muſt have ſomething to take the meat to you; ſo ſaith Chriſt he brake bread and gave it to his Diſciples; ſaying, take eat this, take it; how ſhall we take it? by reaching out of the hand; if you ſanctifie Gods name in this Ordinance, as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine, ſo there muſt be an actuall reaching out of the ſoule by faith, putting forth an act of faith to receive Jeſus Chriſt unto the ſoule, to apply the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to thy ſoule with all his merits and good things that he hath purchaſed; when the Miniſter doth give out that Ordinance, you ſhould look upon God the Father giving out his Sonne, as if this were your condition. I am now in the preſence of the eternall Father, who now doth actually give out his Sonne to my ſoule, and ſaith ſoule, here receive anew, this day my Sonne with all that he hath purchaſed for thy good; now then the ſoule acts upon this, and by ſtirring up an act of faith, comes and cloſes with this gift of the Father, and caſts its ſelfe upon Jeſus Chriſt, and ſaith as it were Amen to what the Father gives, oh Lord, here I come and imbrace thy Sonne as my life, as my Saviour as the fountaine of all my good, in whom I expect all the good I am like to have either here or to all eternity; ſo that there muſt be a ſtirring up of the act of faith in an actuall taking of Chriſt, if thou beeſt a beleever; canſt thou remember what thou didſt, when firſt thou didſt take Jeſus Chriſt? when the Lord in the preaching of his word did reveale Jeſus Chriſt to thy ſoule, what didſt thou then oh ſoule? how did thy ſoule work in cloſing with Chriſt; as thy ſoule did then in cloſing with Chriſt, ſo it muſt now renew the work, there muſt be a renewall of the worke at that time. So that when you come to the Sacrament, you muſt not thinke that it is then a time to liſten to doubts, feares, and ſcruples; no, but it is a time that God cals for the exerciſe of faith, the caſting of the ſoule upon Chriſt, and his merits for life and for ſalvation, or elſe the name of God is not ſanctified as it ought; thou doeſt not ſanctifie Gods name, when thou art buſying thy foule in doubts and ſcruples in thy receiving of the Sacrament.
And then faith is as the mouth; when thou commeſt to eat and drinke, how canſt thou if thou haſt not a mouth? thou haſt a bodily month to take in bread and wine; but know that without faith thy ſoule cannot take in Chriſt; faith is as it were the mouth; that is, by the act of faith the ſoule doth open it ſelfe for Jeſus Chriſt, and not only opens it ſelfe, but takes in Chriſt to the ſoule, and makes Chriſt and the ſoule as one, as our bread and wine is made one with our body, ſo faith takes in Chriſt, and makes him as one with thee, and turnes Chriſt into the nouriſhment of thy foule, and thou and Chriſt by faith are made as truly one, as the bread and wine that is put into thy body, is made one with thy body. This is the worke of faith, without which wee cannot ſanctifie the name of God.
Sixthly, there muſt be ſpirituall joy; that muſt be exerciſed here; for it is a feaſt; here we come to ſit with Chriſt at his Table, wee come as children to our Fathers Table, and to ſit there with Jeſus Chriſt our elder Brother; now as a Father doth not love to have his child ſet in a ſullen and dogged way at his Table, or to be crying, but he would have the child ſet in comfort, and with a holy cheerfulneſſe with a holy freedome of Spirit; not in a ſullen way, but as a child in the preſence of his Father, and not as a Servant with the Maſter.
Object. You told us before that there ſhould be brokenneſſe of Spirit and ſence of our ſin.
Anſw. That may be and joy; we rejoyce with trembling; therefore that brokenneſſe of Spirit that I meant, muſt not bee ſlaviſh horrour and feare, but a kindly melting of the ſoule from the aprehenſion of the love of God unto it in Jeſus Chriſt, that was willing to be at ſo great coſt to purchaſe the pardon of ſin: ſuch a gracious mourning as may ſtand with joy, and the truth is that that ſorrow for ſin in the Sacrament that is not mixt with joy, is a ſorrow that doth not ſanctifie Gods name; godly ſorrow and evangelicall joy may ſtand together very well. And therefore know that this is not the time; neither to give liberty to have your hearts ſinke; no, there muſt be no ſinking ſorrow of heart, but ſuch a ſorrow of heart as in the midſt of it, you may be able to look upon God as a reconciled Father to you, and have a cheerfulneſſe of Spirit as in the midſt of it, you muſt look upon your ſelves as Gods gueſt, to be merry at his Table; now this is a great myſtery of godlineſſe, that there ſhould be at the ſame time, the ſight of Chriſt crucified, and yet at the ſame time a ſpirituall cheerfulneſſe in the aſſurance of the love of God in Ieſus Chriſt. I ſay it is a Myſtery and only thoſe that are Beleevers are able to underſtand this myſtery, how to have their hearts break, and yet how to rejoyce at the ſame time in that unſpeakeable love of God that is here preſented unto them in this Sacrament.
Seventhly, In the next place there muſt be thankefulneſſe; therefore it is called the Euchariſt, and in one of the Evangeliſts where it is ſaid, Chriſt bleſt the bread, in another it is ſaid, Chriſt gave thanks; Chriſt when he inſtituted this Sacrament, hee gave thanks; he gave thanks; for what? he gave thanks to God the Father, that he was pleaſed to ſend him into the world to die for poor ſoules; now ſhall Ieſus Chriſt give thanks unto God the Father for that that did coſt him his life? yea ſaith Chriſt I ſee that here is a way to ſave ſoules; and let it coſt me my life if it will, yet I bleſſe thee O Father, if ſoules may come to be ſav'd though it coſt me my life. Chriſt rejoyced in his Spirit in thanking his Father for this; then how ſhould our hearts be inlarged with thankefulneſſe when we come to this that the Ancients were wont to call the Euchariſt, that is a thankſgiving? we are to give God thankes for every mercy, you will not eate your owne bread without giving of thankes; but when wee come to have this bread, this bread of life, here is matter of thankefulneſſe, here is matter of inlargement of ſoule; thou that haſt the deadeſt and dulleſt ſoule, and ſtraighteſt Spirit, yet when thou comeſt hither and underſtandeſt what thou doeſt, here thou canſt not but ſee matter for the inlargement of thy heart, and wiſh that thou hadſt ten thouſand thouſand times more ſtrength to expreſſe the praiſes of the Lord; here is a thing that muſt be the ſubject of the Hallelujahs and doxologies, that Angels and Saints muſt for ever ſound out in the higheſt heavens; doſt thou know what the Lord preſents to thee here? it is more then if the Lord ſhould ſay, I will make ten thouſand worlds for the ſake of this creature, and give all theſe worlds to him, thou wouldeſt thinke that thou wert bound to bleſſe him then; only when God in the Bread and wine, reaches out to thee the body & bloud of his Sonne, here is more matter of praiſe, then if ten thouſand thouſand worlds were given to thee, and therefore God expects that thou ſhouldeſt ſay to thy ſoule, my ſoul praiſe thou the Lord, and all that is within me praiſe his holy name; bleſſe the Lord O my ſoule, and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diſeaſes; O poor ſoule, here is the foundation of all mercies; doſt thou praiſe God for juſtification, for ſanctification? here is a glorious application of the mercy of God to the ſoules of ſinners, and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull, be thankefull here. The Sabbath my Brethren, that is appointed to be the ſet conſtant day of thankeſgiving for the great mercies of God in Chriſt, and there are other dayes for nationall mercies; now a ſpeciall work of the Lords day is the celebration of this holy Sacrament, and the Chriſtians in former times were wont to do it every Lords day, becauſe thats the day appointed by God for to be the day of thankeſgiving for that great mercy, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: and that's the reaſon why the Sabbath was changed; the laſt day of the week was the Iewiſh Sabbath, and that was to celebrate the memoriall of the Creation of the world; and the firſt day now, it is to be the day of thankſgiving for all the work of God in mans redemption.
Eightly, A further thing is this, if you would ſanctifie Gods name, you muſt be willing to renew your Covenant, that's the end of it; there muſt be an actuall renewing of your Covenant with God, that's thus, I come to receive this bread and this wine, and this is to be as the Seale of the Covenant on Gods part; now this will be emplyed in the nature of the thing, that if I take the Seales of Gods Covenant, that I muſt be willing to ſet to my Seale too, to renew the Covenant that God calls me to; now know, all men and women that are ſav'd, they are ſav'd by the vertue of the Covenant of grace; and there God on his part promiſes and makes a Covenant, that hee will beſtow his Son, life and ſalvation through him; and thou muſt likewiſe come in on thy part, and beleeve on his Son and repent, which is the Tenour of the Goſpel; now every time thou comeſt to receive this Sacrament, thou commeſt to renew this Covenant; As if thou ſhouldeſt ſay, Lord, thou haſt been pleaſed to make a Covenant of grace; as the firſt Covenant was broken, and all men were caſt by that Covenant, now thou haſt made a Covenant of grace, and calleſt thy ſervants whom thou intendeſt to ſave that they ſhould renew their Covenant with thee in this Sacrament of thine; Lord here I come; and Lord here I renew it and ſet to my ſeale, to promiſe and Covenant with thee, that as ever I expect to receive any good from Chriſt, ſo Lord here I will be thine, I will give up my ſelfe for ever to thee; as thou haſt given me the Body and bloud of Chriſt for my ſalvation, ſo Lord, here I conſecrate my body and bloud to thee, the laſt drop of my heart blood ſhall be given up to thee, and ſo my ſtrength and eſtate, and name, and whatever I am or have ſhall be thine. Have you done thus when you have come to receive the Sacrament? have you actually renewed your Covenant with God? you that have taken the body of Chriſt, have you given up your body to Chriſt? whats the reaſon then that you ſinne ſo much with your bodies? that you abuſe your body with uncleanneſſe? and drunkenneſſe? and other wickedneſſe afterwards? oh you prophane the name of God; and the very body and blood of Chriſt in this, except thou giveſt up thy body and ſoule to God in way of Covenant.
Ninthly, In the laſt place for the ſanctifying of Gods name, there is required a renewing of Love; the comming with lovely diſpoſitions and the renewing of the grace of love, not only towards God, but towards our Brethren; for it is the feaſt of the Lord and it is an act of Communion; Communion, not only with Chriſt, but with his Churches; with his Saints; and as I have told you that there is a profeſſion of our ſelves to be of the ſame body with Jeſus Chriſt, then the Lord requires that his children ſhould not fall out that come to his Table, but that there ſhould be love and peace; there's a mighty bond upon thee when thou commeſt to the Sacrament; and therefore, firſt, all heart burnings, and heart grudges, muſt bee laid aſide; and Secondly you muſt come with a willingneſſe to be reconciled one to another, willingneſſe to paſſe by all infirmities in thy Brethren; here I have the Seale of Gods willingneſſe to paſſe by all my ſins, and therefore I muſt bee willing to paſſe by all infirmities in my Brethren; I muſt now caſt out all ill wiſhes towards others; and come with a deſire of all good unto them; and with a heart ready to embrace any opportunity to do any good; thou doeſt lye unto God except thou commeſt with ſuch a heart as this is; Lord thou knoweſt that I am willing to take all opportunities to doe good to thoſe, that I now doe communicate with, for it is the neareſt Communion that poſſibly can be in this world, betweene one Creature and another, and this is the reaſon why there ſhould bee that Ordinance of Chriſt ſet up everywhere, to caſt out thoſe that are unworthy, becauſe it is the greateſt union and Communion that poſſibly can be, for it is the Sacrament and Communion of the ſame body; they are the ſame members of Chriſt now if thou doeſt not thinke ſuch a one to be a member of Chriſt, why doeſt not thou what thou canſt to have him caſt out? but ſo long as thou haſt done nothing in private to him, or in telling the Church, thou doeſt owne him to be a member of Ieſus Chriſt; if thou doeſt ſo, take heed how thy heart be eſtranged from him, take heed how thou behaveſt thy ſelfe to them; take heed how thou liveſt in a jarring way, and a contentious way with them, and holdeſt them off at ſtaves end, or walking at a diſtance from them, though they be never ſo poor and mean, know that thou doeſt prophane this holy Ordinance every time thou commeſt to it when thou commeſt with ſuch a heart as this is; if thou doſt not find this renewed love, Lord, there began to be a ſtrangeneſſe between me, and thoſe that have communicated with me, but Lord thou art pleaſed to vouchſafe us to come once more to this Ordinance, and Lord here we do profeſſe that this Ordinance ſhall unite our hearts together more then ever they were; I will ſtudy to doe what good poſſibly I can to my brother; that is we joyne here to the feaſt of the Lord with comfort, ſo we may live together in peace and love as it becomes the Saints of God, and the members of the Body of Ieſus Chriſt; oh how farre are people from any ſuch worke of God as this is; the Lord expects that this ſhould be in you every time you come to the holy Communion; here hath been nine particulars now mentioned, for the ſanctifying of the name of God when wee come to partake of the Sacrament; but oh Lord what cauſe have we to lay our hands upon our hearts … for if this be to ſanctifie thy name then it hath been a riddle, a myſtery to us; certainly my brethren theſe things are the truths of God that I have delivered, and ſo farre as you have been wanting, in any of theſe, know ſo farre you have taken Gods name in vaine, in this holy Ordinance, you have not been worthy receivers of this Sacrament, you have cauſe to look back to your former waies, and ſpend much humilation for your ſin herein, and not to be ſo greedy of it as ſome are; they muſt have the Communion, but I put it to your Conſciences, have you repented you for the profaning of Gods name, and thats that that we ſhould further have ſpoken of; that God will be ſanctified; thats thus, if we doe not ſanctifie Gods name, it will quite turne to the contrary; it is the proper end of the Sacrament, to ſeale up our ſalvation; but if wee ſanctifie not Gods name, it will ſeale up our condemnation; if it hath not been thy endeavour to ſanctifie the name of God, ſo many times as thou haſt received the Sacrament, ſo many ſeales haſt thou upon thee for the ſealing up of thy condemnation; many mens or womens condemnations are ſealed with three or foure hundred ſeales it may be.
But yet for thy comfort, while thou art alive, it is poſſible that thſe Seales may be broken open; as wee read in the Revelations that John ſaw the Book that had ſeven ſeals upon it, and none could be found that was able to open it; at length the Lamb that was ſlaine he was found worthy to open the Book; So I ſay, thy condemnation is ſealed up with many ſeales, and there is no Creature that is able to cancel theſe ſeales, only the Lamb, Ieſus Chriſt, yea that Chriſt whoſe blood thou haſt ſhed, and been guilty of, only he is worthy; and he is willing to open theſe ſeales; for as it was with thoſe that did crucifie Chriſt, yet they were ſav'd by the ſame blood that they had ſhed, as in Acts 2. ſo though thou haſt been guilty of ſhedding the blood of Chriſt againe and againe by thy prophane coming to the Sacrament, yet know, ſeeing there is life in thee, and the day of grace is continued, it is poſſible that thy ſoul may be ſav'd by that blood that thou haſt crucified; O how many are cut off, that have thus prophan'd the name of God in this Sacrament, and never came to underſtand this danger! they are cut of and now are undone for ever; why bleſſe God that thou art alive to heare more about this Sacrament, and how Gods name ſhould be ſanctifyed; that thou art alive, and haſt time to repent thee of this great evill, of profaning the name of God in this holy Sacrament.