Meditations on the Lords Supper, Pages 1-50

Meditations on the Lords Supper · Pages 1-50

p. 171. THAT we may not ſtumble on the Threſhold, and miſs the Mark, it wi l be needful to underſtand the proper Ends of this Ordinance of the Lord's Laſt Supper; which are,

1. To commemorate Chriſt's Death till he come again.

2. To be a ſolemn renewing of the holy Covenant firſt enter'd into by Baptiſm, conſenting to the Covenant, we are there to renew.

3. To be a living means to exerciſe and encreaſe Grace, by repreſenting the evil of ſin, and the infinite love of God in Chriſt.

4. For a ſolemn profeſſion of our Faith, love and Obedience.

p. 185. For a ſign and means of Ʋnity and Communion of Saints.

Chriſt hath appointed their conſecrated repreſentations to be in the eye of the Church, in their manner and meaſure to ſupply the room of his bodily preſence, while he is in heaven. The table in the tabernacle Exod. 25.23, 24. May repreſent this Table of the Lord, overlaid with pure gold, and a crown of Gold round about it becauſe of Holineſs becoming it, and a King ſitting at it. At this table ſhould we be asking our own Souls, what our thoughts are of Chriſt, and what we have for him, that it may be no idle viſit you make, or fruitleſs view you take of him; but let your requeſts and great askings be ready on the ſtring for more grace to your ſelves, or true grace to your Relations; what is upon your hearts for your Soul, child, yoke-fellow or ſon, the Church of God?

Make ſure you have grace before you come, if you can: I ſay if you can, for every worthy communicant cannot profeſs himſelf certain of his ſincerity: but ſo far as he can diſcern, by obſerving of his own heart, he is truely willing to have Chriſt and his benefits on the terms that p. 19they are offered: i. e. To take Chriſt in all his offices as King to rule him, as Prophet to teach him, and as Prieſt to pardon and ſave him.

And next we muſt be careful to exerciſe grace given. They who have no grace can act none, and therefore muſtly by and ſit idle here, gazing on an unknown Chriſt And if any be here who know themſelves to be ungodly ones; I think they had beſt riſe and run from their own damnation. Some feed without fear, or remorſe for ſin; yea perhaps reſolve to keep up ſome luſt they know of. To what end is this ordinance for you? It's a day of Darkneſs, and no Light.

2. The great voice of this Ordinance is, Behold me, Behold me. We are called here to look on a pierced Lord Jeſus. And what ſhall we ſee in him? See the maker of all things bowed down under the burden of our ſins, and weight of Gods wrath. Look on him whom you have pierced and mourn, Look on his wounds and weep. Look on his Love and wonder. Look on his ſatisfactions and Believe. Look on his Victory and rejoyce. Look on his purchaſe and contemn your earthly intereſts. Here is the beſt and brighteſt glaſs in all the world God gives us to behold his ſon in, and we p. 20may come as near him here as any ordinance can bring us.

When you look on the Elements, ſtay not there, till you aſcend, and ſee him who is inviſible. When by faith you come to ſee him whom your Soul loveth, proſtrate thy ſinfull Soul, with a holy wondering, that ſinfull duſt and aſhes may draw ſo near. Study to get the fixed eye on him, as loath to take it off, being ſo well pleaſed with his beauty and worth. Learn to think the leſs of other objects after you have ſeen the Lord. As Mahometans put out their eyes ſome of them, after they have beheld Mahomets tomb, that they may never defile their eyes with an other ſight after ſo goodly and glorious a one.

The name of the Lord being ſo eminently engraven on all we are about, ſhould ſtrike a dread and holy reverence on all our hearts the day, the table, the ſupper we are at, are all the Lords; but what if we be not the people of the Lord? truly, if we be not, he bids us not welcome: and what if we be here and the Lord not with us? Then we had far better be elſe where. But how may we know, if we have him preſent, even his ſweet ſociety and bleſſed company? It's p. 21his table we ſit at and that is no ſmall honour, for he is a …ing; and that is not all, he will ſit with us him…elf and give us his own company, and we may know it by this; when the King ſ…tteth at his table, my ſpikenard ſendeth forth the ſmell thereof, Song 1.12. Whence Obſ. 1. Believers w…ll obſerve what others doe not, viz. When Chriſt is at the table and when not, and it will be empty to them, when he is abſent. 2. That Chriſts own preſence muſt be depended upon both for ſenſible comfort to believers, and for reviving their graces and making them lively. It's the exalted K…ng o… glory's own preſence that makes his own grace in our hearts livel… and ſavoury. It's our keeping near him, and his condeſcending to keep near us makes all his gracious work in us to bud and bloſſom.

3. O the great condeſcention of God to ſinful mortals that when he was inviſible, by reaſon of that infinite diſtance between the divine nature and ours, he made himſelf to be ſeen in the fleſh; and now by his aſcention, having made his fleſh alſo inviſible, by reaſon of the vaſt diſtance between his place and ours, he hath made his fleſh in a myſtical ſence, even to be ſeen and taſted in the ſacrament. O if p. 22he hath humbled himſelf thus far unto our ſenſes, let us not by an odious ingratitude humble him lower, even under our feet and trample on this precious blood of the Covenant, by ruſhing on this ſo ſolemn and ſacred a thing with a careleſs and unprepared frame, taking no pains to get a broken and holy heart to intertain him with.

To take this ſacrament into an earthly dirty heart, is to take this heavenly bread, and throw it into the dirt. O do's any of you think to come hither, and take theſe holy myſteries into your covetous, proud, luſtful unrenewed hearts? It's plainly to reſolve upon laying up his richeſt treaſures in a noiſom Sink; and what an indignity is this? Chriſt is in heaven himſelf, and will not enter into any but an heavenly heart here. And he who expoſeth himſelf ſo much to the view of your ſenſes, calleth you to Spiritualiſe your earthly ſenſes: let that mouth that cateth at this table, never ſpeak vanity nor lies: that hand which is reached out to receive him, be no more a right hand of falſhood or injury to any: theſe eyes which look on your Lord here be no more gazing on Vanity or forbidden objects.

But to raiſe your hearts above beggarly p. 23Elements which you ſee this day with eyes of fleſh; conſider this ordinance ſignifies and ſeales Chriſt and his Covenant, with all his rich promiſes of grace and glory. The body of our bleſed Lord is really in heaven, for he is riſen and aſcended; but his body is as truely ſacramentally here, as really in heaven, making the moſt clear repreſentation of his death and ſolemn commemoration of it that the earth bears, or we are capable of in the fleſh. If there had been a more proper and better way, we are bound to believe, our Lord would have left it with us. And ſince this is a token left with us to remember us of his deareſt love in dying for us and waſhing us in his own blood, let us receive and celebrate it with the livelieſt affections and the heartieſt acceptation we are capable of. Still conſidering with our ſelves, that tho' it be good to be here, where much more of Chriſt is to be ſeen to day, than many places of the earth can afford; yet, that it's far better to be in heaven, where the vail of our mortality ſhall be rent, and the vail of this infirm fleſh of ours ſhall be made ſpiritual and glorious, the ſhadows of Sacraments fly away, and the glaſs of all Goſpel ordinances be removed as uſeleſs, p. 24even the pitcher be broken at the fountain and the great Riddle of our ſalvation fairly un…olded to us, all clouds and vapours of ſin and darkneſs diſpelled, and patience, and prayers, and o edience we l rewarded. And in a word where a more immediate and princely preſence of Chriſt ſhall be intimately and conſtantly enjoyed without any o…lowing fears of parting.

Now the hope and aſſurance of all this we come to ſeal. Trifle not with ſo ſacred a thing, but ſet your heart to the receiving of your Lord here with all his ſanctifying, quickning and comforting vertue, which our ſinful ſinking ſouls need ſo much. Now for this end he meets us here to day.

4. Here is the ſtaff of bread, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man. The Communion both of the body and blood of our Lord …hriſt. Lo, here is both a peace offering for you and an offer of peace to you under heavens broad Seal. How many burdened and weary ſouls have unloaded at this port?

O let not weakneſs ſo much deterr, as wants drive us hither: for ſenſe of wants and weakneſs, and unworthineſs and wrath, all fit for him, who hath all fulneſs, ſtrength, worth and merit; and who p. 25bare the wrath of God for them that flee to him for refuge. And think it not enough to make your appearance here without ſome fitneſs for ſo ſolemn an action. It is not ſo incongruous to ſport and laugh at your Father's Funeral, as to ſit here reſtleſs and unconcerned at the commemoration of our bleſſed Lords death, yea bloody death and bitter paſſion. Shall we ſee the head wounded here, and the members have no feeling? That we ſee the bread broken which repreſents the breaking of Chriſts precious body for us, and have no broken hearts? Yea, ſhall we be called to Contemplate the wrath of his provoked Father, pour'd into his Cup, and drinking the dregs thereof, and crying out under the weight of our Sins, which brake the very rock of our Salvation, and made the Stones of the Temple to rend in ſunder? Was his Body broken to let out his Blood? And ſhall not our Souls be broken to let in?

☞ Look well to three things, if you would be worthy Communicants, viz. To have Grace ere you come to exerciſe Grace here, and to increaſe it by coming. Now for you that have Grace, but it runs low, and is not lively, as you would have it, to entertain your Lord withal: Know there is ſmoaking p. 26Grace as well as flaming Grace; and Chriſt will not quench the ſmoaking flax: and what if he ſuffer thy Graces to keep low to day, that thy Heart may be lowly for it?

☞ But for them that are at high water, and Spring-tide, let him that ſtandeth take heed leſt he fall. Senſible Enjoyments are but ſlippery things here; Man in his beſt eſtate in this Life is altogether vanity: but while the Lord allows them on us, let us be careful to improve them well

☞ But what if all within lies ſtill, and an heavy heart ſtir not yet for all that is ſaid? Then look unto him that can remove Mountains, and raiſe the dead. The warm breathings of Heaven muſt be fetch'd in by believing Prayer, Song 4. ult. And when thou haſt called on thy Soul to awake and work, and yet nothing within thy rebellious Soul will obey, then call on him whom Seas and Winds obey. When we cannot fetch Life into our dead Souls, then remember the Prince of Life quickens whom he will.

☞ 5. A ſight of ſin, and a ſight of Chriſt who ſuffer'd for it, are our fitteſt Objects at ſuch a time; and in the ſufferings of Chriſt we ſee moſt of ſin's evil. The death of all the creatures under the Law for man's ſin, was nothing to the death of Chriſt for it. As p. 27God looks on Believers through a dying Chriſt, and loves them, ſo let us look on ſin through a dying Chriſt, and hate it.

Thy ſin is indeed the Object of God's hatred; but thy miſery that comes by it will God pity, and ſo pardon ſin, and ſhew thee mercy, if thou canſt hate thy ſin; and in token of thy hatred of it, flee far from it, and cry to God mightily for grace and ſtrength againſt it.

And if a poor ſoul hath been labouring laſt night and this morning for a more humbling ſight of ſin, than yet hath been granted him, he muſt never think to ſee ſin ſo exceeding ſinful, as in ſeeing Chriſt a ſacrifice for ſin; and if it had not been for our ſin, all the other enemies would never have ſlain the Lord of Glory. And when the worſt of ſin is in Chriſt's ſufferings for it, we muſt not only make uſe of Chriſt as a Glaſs to ſee ſin in, but as a Phyſician too to cure it. And when he hath ſhewed us our ſin, we muſt not go to King Jareb with our wounds; but the ſame hand which broke us muſt bind us up. And be your ſins what they will, if you can penitently and believingly plead pardon, in the mediation of a broken Redeemer, there will be found Balm enough to cure, and Blood enough to waſh, yea drown them all in the depths p. 28of divine mercy; tho we muſt not ſin that grace may abound, and go and ſin to make work for the Blood of Chriſt, and go about prophanely to poſe his mercy; for tho the Blood of Chriſt for fulneſs and efficacy be a Sea, yet for tenderneſs it's a Sea of Glaſs, and mingled with fire to burn up our Luſts. We come either to God as a Phyſician or a Judge: for either we bring Souls full of ſores to be cured, or full of ſins to be damned.

To meet with Chriſt and not to part with ſin is ſad and dreadful: as Chriſt came into the world to deſtroy ſin, ſo ſhould we come now to Chriſt for the ſame end. O the ſin of our natures, that old man, the ill habits, the ſtrong luſts, the ill haunts our hearts have got; venture to ſet Chriſt againſt them all to day. We cannot ſpeak good of Chriſt but ill of ſin too. How ſad to ſee the deſires of ſin obeyed, and the commands of Chriſt ſlighted? and yet theſe are the moſt common ſights we ſee on earth. O! what pride, ſelf conceit, paſſion, prejudice, revenge, wor…dlyneſ, ſpiritual ſloath and ſlumbering about ſalvations work is there among us? Theſe we oppoſe not as the enemies of our ſouls: who thinks that a ſweet luſt is the poiſon of p. 29his ſoul, the diſgrace of our nature, the cauſe of our unhappineſs, bereaves us of true delight, ſubjects us to Vanity and Satan tyranny, and Gods wrath? We hide and ſmother ſins deformity and damnableneſs under the mask of pleaſing and pitying our ſelves. O might Chriſt prevail this day with our hearts to perſwade us to be up and doing even acquitting our ſelves li…e men in this matter, to aſſault our corruptions, like them who are really allarmed from heaven againſt our mortal enemies. O that ye would reſolve to give your ſelves no reſt till you be rid of them Except not againſt this counſel, by ſaying that they ſtick too faſt and are too good friends, and the work too hard, and they too ſtrong I anſwer all hell can put in againſt mortifying of luſts, with this one word, viz. Where eternal ſalvation is concerned, there is no excuſe to be taken (Rom. 8.12) It were better to pluck out your ey s, yea bowels, than ſpare your ſins and periſh

Be not affraid of hurting your ſelf by parting with ſin no, no; could we fall upon our ſins and cutt them off, O what free lives might we live? what noble Lords and brave conquerours were we? And for their ſtrength fear it not. Go p. 30forth againſt them in the faith of this Lord you ſee crucified for them, and invites you to partake of the life purchaſed by the death this ordinance calls us to remember. It ill becomes us to complain of the ſtrength of this enemy that Chriſt hath overcome. All ſin's ſtrength conſiſts in our cowardice. Fight and ye ſhall overcome, conquer and ye ſhall be crowned.

6. If we eat of the ſacrifice, let us have faith that we may partake of the Altar and have Chriſt in it. We may ſay to you in this ſacrament as Philip to the Eunuch in the other, if thou believeſt with all thine heart, thou mayeſt, Act. 8.37. At all times we have need of faith, for we muſt live and walk by faith; but in no ſtep more need than in this: John. 6.56. We cannot eat his fleſh unleſs we dwell in him; now Chriſt dwelleth in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17. Faith is the eye to diſcern the Lords body here, the hand to receive him, the mouth to feed on him. We do neither ſee, receive, nor feed here without Faith.

Now it's an eaſier matter to look with a bodily eye on bread and wine, than to behold the ſlain lamb of God bruiſed for us. The world think it eaſy to believe, p. 31who never had a true ſight of their ſins, nor ſenſe of Gods wrath, nor were ever ſifted or ſhaken by Satans temptations, nor troubled with terrours of Conſcience, nor acquainted with natural weakneſs, and Chriſtian infirmities, and our own inſufficiency for ſo much as a right or good thought of God. Is it eaſy for a proud heart to deny it ſelf in the point of ſalvation? And wholly to take a Righteouſneſs from Chriſt, heartily ſubmitting to a Goſpel ſalvation in ſaith and patience? Is it eaſy to ſee Chriſts humiliation and look for exaltation out of it? and to look for pleaſure by his pain, Riches by his poverty, ſtrength by his weakneſs, and life by his death, and a bleſſing by his curſe.

There is a kind of baſtard faith is eaſy to come by, you'll find every where too much of it; but the Faith of Gods elect, peculiar to them, even the ſpirit of Faith, which purifieth the heart, and worketh by love, and maketh the ſoul live, is not ſo common.

Now 1. this faith is never without heart humiliation for ſin, even a looking on him whom we have pierced, with a tender ſenſe of the diſhonour and wounding of him by our Rebellions and Unbelief. p. 32O! here the ſoul ſees its baſeneſs, and weeps that ſo bleſſed a Redeemer ſhould bleed for the ſins of ſuch a wretch and be ſtill ſo inſenſible of this love.

2 And then it wonders at infinit mercy and mourns more miſery and mercy pierce the ſoul, and make it even exceed in tenderneſs and tears, to think of abuſeing ſuch ineſtimable treaſures of grace.

3. And it wonders at the glorious freedom of love that it ſhould chuſe ſuch objects; and this even confounds a ſinful ſoul, and makes it with a holy ſhame lye down in the duſt and open its mouth no more. Ezek 16.63.

4. It renounceth carnal reaſon and a rebellious will, and now gives up all to him, who hath won its heart, and payed its Ranſom and therefore it's called the obedience of faith.

5. It abandons a vain world and tramples on all its glory. Pſal. 119.96.

6. And now reſolves to truſt in Chriſt for all other things, ſince it ſees a ſufficiency in him for ſaving its ſoul. 1 Tim. 4.8 Rom. 8.32. Luk. 12.32.

7 I am affraid ſome come hither to ſeal a Covenant who never knew to make or keep a Covenant Iſa. 19.21. Even to enter into a perpetual Covenant with Chriſt, p. 33to be wholly and unreſervedly devoted and reſigned to him in love and obedience, and who have taken him to be all that the Father have given him to be to the ſouls of his E…ect i. e. Not only to be a high prieſt to ranſom their …ouls from ſin in hell, and to appear for them before God in heaven; but likewiſe for their great prophet to …each them the w…le will of God, and a King to conquer their luſts, even a leader and commander to the people, in all the ways of his revealed will. Now whoſoever comes hither ſhort of this, at beſt the ſeal is but ſet to a blanck, and ſo ſtands them in no ſtead; for they receive not Chriſt and carry none of his benefits with them: yea it's well if it ſeal not their damnation. And I'm likewiſe affraid of another ſort that may come hither, who formerly might have covenanted with Chriſt; but for want of a lively and well exerciſed faith grow blind and ſee not aſtar off, and have forgotten that they were purged from their old ſins; and ſo turn formal and cuſtomary. And readily ſuch Conſuetudinaries who follow the drove can give little other account of their coming, but that it's the way other good people go in, and it they ſhould not come, they might be miſſed by p. 34good neighbours; and how could they keep up a name to live, if they caſt themſelves out of good company? It's to be feared many ſuch things are with us. But if ſo, ſuch may eat and drink Judgment to themſelves, temporal Judgments in ſtead of ſpiritual enemies. For ſuch things many were weak, ſome ſick and others fallen aſleep in the Church of Corinth. 1. Cor. 11.30. And if ſuch belong to God he will find out the way to awaken them and not let them ſleep the ſleep of death, but will ſhew them wherein they have exceeded and a wake them to their work, out of this Lethargy, either by renewing ſome terrrors of Conſcience, or turning his hand upon them by ſome torturing tribulation. And there is a third ſort I fear may come who are almoſt well reſolved never to come up to the terms of having Chriſt, becauſe of ſome beloved luſt they are ſo loath to part with: and go away with the young man in the Goſpel, ſad, from every diſcovering ordinance, whereby he finds all muſt be left to follow Chriſt if he have treaſure in heaven; which his hypocritical heart could never yet comply with; and ſo finds no ſweetneſs in ſacraments nor Sermons, nor never can in this condition, for the p. 35conſolations of God are ſmall becauſe of ſome ſecret thing with him. Job 15.11. But as ever you think to be happy, be adviſed, whatever it be, hang up that Idol before the ſun this day, look but to Chriſt, and ſee whither thou durſt lay it in the ballance with him, who is yet wooing thee to win t…y ſoul by parting with thy ſin. Let it wither under Chriſts curſe for the many good days and far ſweeter imbraces of a better beloved it hath kept thee from.

8. Such a day will either be one of our beſt or worſt days. It will either further ſalvation and bring you nearer God, or harden your hearts and heighten your Judgment. A hot ſummers day ripens the corn, ſo do theſe ſeaſons of grace ripen faſter than any thing can for Judgment, when not improved but abuſed. Would it not be ſad that any of us ſhould be worſe at laſt, than if we had never been here, nor ſeen the Lord in theſe precious ordinances? Neglecters of the great ſalvation are in a worſe condition, than if the new Covenant had never been made; for they muſt anſwer not only for breach of Law but abuſe of mercy.

Now that this Fea…t hurt …ou not, you muſt be careful that you be not unworthy p. 36partakers. To eat and drink unworthily is to eat and drink unſuitably. So that the beſt way to examine this matter is by a due conſideration of the nature and uſe of this ordinance. Here is bread, that calls for hunger: and wine for thirſt, and both for ſtrength and refreſhing. Here is bread broken, and wine poured out, which calls for a broken heart and pouring out of our ſouls to him whom we pierced and put to pain. Here's conſecrated Bread and Wine, come as Conſecrated Perſons to Conſecrated Elements. Here is a Feaſt, then come as confederated Friends to take a fill. Here is a Seal of a Teſtament (call'd the Cup of the New Teſtament in his Blood) come and take a Legacy. And as it's full of Myſteries it calls us to come with a Piercing Eye to diſcern the Lord's …ody, and its worth, under the meanneſs of outward Signs.

Now you ſee, to come unſuitably, is to come unworthily. And may we not tremble to think on the doom of that Gueſt that came in without the Wedding Garment? and that it is not one or a few that come ſo, but very many, appears from Matt. 22.11. and 1. v. compared. In the application of that Parable they are ſaid to be many that are called, but ſew choſen ones. p. 37The King took no exceptions againſt his gueſts when he came to view them, becauſe of being poor, halt, or weak but offended with them that refuſed to come and with them who came without the wedding garment. Many refuſe to come, that are utterly careleſs to be in any condition to meet Chriſt in this ordinance, and make nothing of a life time of refuſing an offered Chriſt therein. For which ſo groſs a contempt of his grace how ſhall many anſwer? And others come without the wedding garment, and with theſe he is angry, intimating that many weakneſſes he could paſs by, provided we make conſcience of preparation and putting on the wedding garment, which I take to be a good ſtate in Chriſt through his righteouſneſs imputed; and a ſpiritual frame; lamps trimmed and in good faſhion for feaſting with Chriſt, minds ſpiritual and graces active, Repentance, faith, hope and love in exerciſe.

9. I am affraid our familiar and frequent converſing with ſuch ſacr…d things do's great hurt to carnal hearts, and hardens hypocrits in their ſins, and ſeares their conſciences more to obduration. Thus Judas received the ſop and Satan entered. Abuſeing theſe ſacred, ſpiritual things p. 38with careleſs and carnal frames, makes way for Satans entering and poſſeſſing men more ſtrongly, whereby they become twice more the children of wrath than before: For who eat and drink unworthily eat and drink damnation, i. e. Reprobates thereby bring eternal damnation to themſelves, and it brings to Gods own, temporal puniſhments as 1 Cor. 11. Now to prevent this danger beware of Hypoctiſy in ſacred things. Double dealing here will undo us. I mean a heart and a heart; or a ſacrifice without a heart. The work is the Lord's, have you a heart for him? I wiſh our caſe be not Jehu's, who had a great pretended zeal for God, but had no care of his heart in Gods ways. 2. Kings 10.16 31. What ſayeth God of this ſervice? did he accept and reward it? No, he avenged it upon his Houſe, Hos 1.4 Tho' he ſhed blood in Gods cauſe and quarrel yet he did it not with a right and ſound heart. O look to it that you reap not his reward for a rotten heart. We ſay by our coming hither, come and ſee my zeal: but if the heart be not right with him the blood of Chriſt will be required at our hand; it's a great guilt to be guilty of the body and blood of Chriſt. O take care that things be all p. 39right in our dealings with Chriſt and particulary in our ſealing Covenants with him, Iſa. 61.8. It's a precious promiſe that in making an everlaſting Covenant with them, he will direct their work aright or in truth, and that is, when their heart is directed into the love of God 2. Theſ. 3.5. Now may we ask for love in this action: If it have a root now is the ſeaſon of its putting forth. We may ſay as the Rulers of Iſrael, ſpring up O well. Let your love be carried out according to the vaſtneſs of his loving kindneſs; that we may love him in our meaſure, who hath loved us with a love that hath neither bounds nor bottom; let their be ſome riſings of love; ſome returns of love; an entertainment of love in this feaſt of love.

But when we have ſaid all, it's the Spirit that quickens and giveth life, and where its power is wanting, there the word is a dead letter, the Sacraments dead Elements, and we dead creatures: Now ſince the ſpirit worketh all in all, grieve not the ſpirit, reſiſt it not but walk in the ſpirit, and look to Chriſt for a heavenly mind, for as Chriſt is now bodily in heaven, ſo will he not be ſpiritually and ſacramentally in any, but a heavenly mind; the doors muſt be liſt up, before the King come in.

p. 4010. Look on Chriſt your Paſſover, Sacrificed for you, and be humbled 1. That you were worthy to dye. 2. That you live by the death …f another. 3. That your ſin ſhould Cruciſy the Lord of …ory. What a humbling ſight is it to …ee Chriſt thy Sacrifice fall before the Altar, and laid upon it, and burn, yea, conſumed by the Fire of God's wrath for thee? O ſigh and ſay, alas! Was not this for my ſake? ſhould not I have lyen there ſuffering and ſatisfying for ever, if he had not interpoſed and bore my Burden? Shall he ſweat and bleed for me, and I not grieve for him?

But t… make the remembrance of Chriſt's Death for me, the more affectionate, conſider firſt, it was the Death of the humbleſt and worthieſt perſon that ever appeared on the Earth, the Son of God, the Lord of Glory, the eternal God, the Heir of all things; on Earth was never his like. Secondly, He was no greater than Good, the innocent and ſpotleſs Lamb of God, that Holy thing who knew no ſin, and yet he ſuffered Death. In his Life was no ſpot, and in his Death was no complaint or murmuring. This Noble and Juſt One died for us, was our ranſom and attonement. He who knew no ſin, made ſin, i. e. a ſacrifice for ours, our ſin imputed to him who had none of p. 41his own; our ſorrows made his, and by his stripes we are healed. We live by his Death, Gal. 2.20 He is taken, and …e …ape If ye ſeek me, let theſe …o their way le…n …e…r he charged on mine Elect: My ſ…ep I lay down my life for, tho they b… under a …aw condemnation for breaking of it, yet let them be ac…d for my …eeping of i…, par…oned on my account, and all their ſcores reck…ned for with me.

Look on the bleſſed Surety of the Covenant, and be hold him obeying and dying for us. For albeit the Law be not now a Covenant Believers are under: yet the meaning is not, that perfect Obedience is not required even of believers; but not being ſound in them it's performed by our Surety the Second Adam; for the exchange is only of the perſon, not of the righteouſneſs. Thus was laid on him the Iniquities of us all; and if it had been laid on us it had ſunk us for ever. But that love that deliver'd him up was unparallell'd: Whatever Satan, Sin, Conſcience, or the Law charge upon you, ſhew you here the Lord's Death.

11. Every Sacrament is a Certificate of Chriſt's Death; and hereby we tell the world, we believe our Lord was cut off out of the Land of the Living. Now to ſhew forth this death are we come hither; he would not have his Death forgotten; but to remember it, as we often p. 42do, without lively affections, is next door to a total forgetting of it. Without an affectionate remembrance of the death of Chriſt, and a Soul inflamed with love to our Ranſomer, we partake not of his body: we may be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, when we put forth polluted hands to take it, and take all with unbroken is hearts. And indeed the ſweet of the Paſ…ver is loſt for want of the bitter herbs of godly ſorrow for ſin that ſlew the Lord of Glory.

Now let the remembrance of our Lord here, not only affect us, but change us into another temper and dispoſition, to be his, and for him, to conform to him, to carry a way better thoughts of him, to live a life of remembring of him, to give him alone the Glory of ſo wonderful a work as our Redemption by his death, to love him that hath ſo loved us, and to hate ſin that ſo offended his Father, and crucified him If we weep not over him we have no fellowſhip with his ſufferings; if we waſh not here we have no part in him; if we carry not away a better remembrance of him, we come here but to mock him; if we prefer the World to him, we ſhew our ſelves unworthy of him; and if we can go away and live in our ſin, we do but ſeal our own damnation by coming hither. What is it to undertake a Pilgrimage to Jeruſalem, and to weep a tear over the holy Grave? but to return with p. 43a new heart, and another life, is the buſineſs.

And to affect you further with this Repreſentation, by his accurſed, but bleſſed death to us, he ſeals the Teſtament and confirms a great Legacy to us, that he may not only keep the condemned from going to priſon, but ſettle a Revenue on the poor and needy, and make them rich for ever, and ſet them w…th Princes, even with the Princes of his people, that had nothing but rags and poverty; and now he lives for ever to ſee his Legacies beſtowed.

12. The Goſpel-Proclamation is Christ's Invitation, Whoſoever is a thirſt let him come. Deſires are the Soul's hunger after Chriſt; they are the beſt ſawce: they add a ſweetneſs to the bread of life. A man that …ath loſt his ſtomach, and can taſte no ſweetneſs in the choiceſt food, is not fit to ſit at this Feaſt, who hath no deſires after Ʋnion and Communion with Christ. He that is the deſire of all Nations will be ſought after, and found of all that do deſire him. Not to deſire him is to despiſe him (Iſ 53.2, 3.) and to hide our face from him. Will he diſcloſe his Secrets to them who hide their face from him? If we deſire him not we ſhall never enjoy him. The ſame thing that is the Saints deſire now, will be his ſatisfaction for ever. Let us not think a deſire of Chriſt a light thing: In the Goſpel a poor man's hunger is his bleſſing, Mat. 5.6. in the world it is his miſery. God accepts of our appetite p. 44as much as if we pay'd ready money for his Graces, and their hunger is inſtea… o… a price, Iſ. 55.1 There was never Soul miſcarried with longing after Grace. O bleſſed hunger that ends always in fuln…ſ…. The woo…e ife of Chriſtian is but a holy deſire, ſaith Auſtin And the ſoul deſires Chriſt abſent, but t…eſe deſires are raiſed in the Soul by Chriſt preſent We burn with a deſire to ſettle our ſelves, but miſtake the way, and build Caſtles in the air▪ but the Sum of …anctified deſires is unutterable groans for the …ull application of good things promiſed, and eager thir…ting for a larger communication. and before Chriſt hath per…ected his Grac… in the Deſires of the Soul, it will find it ſelf ſo inflamed with them, that if Hell ſhould ſtand between its Beloved and it, he would wi…lingly paſs through its very flames to embrace his dear Redeemer. And ſeeing it is to him we come to ſeal his Covenant, by Soul-reſignation, let the matter admit of no diſpute or de…ay, but be diſpatched with all haſte and ſpeed (Pſ. 119.60.) (as all ſpiritual purpoſes are to be manag'd) but yet le… it be done with greateſt ſeriouſneſs and fulneſs of conſent, it being a bargain never to be broken, a covenant never to be forgotten, and doing a thing never to be undone again.

If the deſires after Chriſt you make this p. 45Covenant with, be true, they will make worldly deſires, in a good meaſure, dye, and run low. Sometimes you deſire a thing ſo that all other things are ſo little, they ſcarce come into your thoughts for that ſame thing you love ſo …uch. Such a deſire had Chriſt to redeem us, that even Sufferings were deſirable in order to its accompliſhment▪ I have a baptiſm to be baptized with, and how am I ſtraitned till it be accompliſhed?

13▪ …o ſeal our covenant are we come, even that C…venant he ma…e with his Chriſt, the everlasting Covenant, the ſure and ord…red Covenant, wherein lies all our ſalvation hereafter and all our conſolation here. O let our hearts be carried out according to the loving kindneſs of the Lord ſhewed in it. Conſider all the mercies of this Covenant, and labour to taſte in every one of them that the Lord is gracious. This is the Salt of the Covenant, without which our Mor…el will be unſavoury. There is ſomething in the Covenant better than Salvation, better than Heaven, and that is the Lord our Righteouſneſs, and Jehovah our God. He is not aſhamed to be called our God, let not us be a ſhame, but a praiſe to him. To have him for your God is to have all in God for your good: and O then let all that is in you be for God.

Chriſt is here ſending us by the hands of p. 46his Commiſſionated Officers the Cluſter of Grapes, as the firſt fruits of the Land of promiſe, and commanding you to take and eat the Bread of Life. He is reaching unto the thirſty Soul the fruit of the Vine, turning it Sacramentally into his Blood bidding you drink it in remembrance of him till he come, and feaſting you with his fulleſt Love, and ſatisfying you with the pleaſure and preſence of his glory.

Great and glorious things are ſo…nd here under the plaineſt dreſs, that the eye of faith may be moſt exerciſed. The glory of their Ordinances under the Law was a stumbling block to them; for they reſted in the Cabbinet, and over-looked the Jewels: The meanneſs of our Ordinances are ſo to us; for we look not for the Treaſure in earthen Veſſels. The Types were rich, and our Memorials poor; they had finer Spectacles, we better Eyes. If their Tree had more ſhadow, ours hath more fruit. Chriſt in commanding us to do this in remembrance of him, builds a Monument of himſelf before he dies plain and ſimple to the eye, but firm and laſting, to continue till he come again; and all that is ſaid of him in the Goſpel, is here to be ſeen in this Sacrament. Here may we ſee him dying and paying our Ranſom, the Lamb of God lying bound on the Altar, heated with his Father's wrath. On the Table we have a p. 47fair proſpect of the Croſs with the ſacrifice of the Son of God ſet before us. And let us ſay, Lord if thou remember our ſins, we will remember thy Chriſt▪ For in remembring his death we muſt by all means mind that as our ſins ſlew him, ſo his death conquers ſin, and expiates guilt; and this is the food of the ſacrifice that our ſouls muſt live upon. And if this be rightly apprehended, you ſee the great benefit by Chriſt here repreſented, confirmed and participated. And it's eaſy to perceive how far they forſake their own mercies that for the ſake of ſin come not up to the terms of the covenant. I… ye think good, give me my price; it not forbear. Any that come hither thinking to …old …ast their ſins, receive not Chriſt in the …acrament, but Satan recei…es them, as he did Ju…as after he had received the Sop Such be all theſe who come not hither to repent of ſin, but to c…ver it.

14. When we look into our Bibles we f…nd the Death and ſufferings of Christ repreſented here, a far greater matter than many make of it, bearing ſo great a part in the …criptures, and making ſo great a figure there. …or we find the ſufferings, and ſatisfaction of Chriſt the chief thing manifeſted by the Spirit of God to the Prophets, together with the Glory that ſhould follow thereupon to him, and his redeemed ones, 1 Pet. 1.11. which ſhews us, their prime ſtudy was taken up in this. And this was likewiſe the end of all the diſcoveries p. 48of ſin, and threatnings of God's wrath in the Law, even to point out the neceſſi…y of his ſ… tisfaction, Rom. 10 4. And laſtly, the very ſubstance and ſign…m of all Type… a…d ſ…cr…fices was but to point out the ſuffering… of Chriſt, and the glorious effects thereof, He…. 20.1.

Now no hing we hear of his S…ff…rings in the World, or ſee thereof in Sacraments, makes any ſaving impreſſion up…n us, till thereby ſi… b…comes exceeding ſi…f…l, and Chriſt exceeding pr…cious; among the many things we have ſeen in the World, and works we have done, wh…n ſhall we begin to ſee ſin in its own colour… viz. To ſ…e it the only thing that bre…ks the Law▪ and ſo diſhonoureth the Law giver, Crucified Chriſt, Grieves the Spirit, gratifies S…an, debaſeth human nature, d…ſtracts the world and damos Souls. And yet for all this men cannot hat… ſ…n beca…ſ… it's o…r …o k Hel▪ 4.10. O monſtrou… ſinful ſ…lfiſh…eſs! that f…r all the inconceivabl… ev…l in ſin yet cannot hate it, becauſe it's ours, wh…n …o t…t we ſhould hate it more than all th… … the whole wo…ld.

Now this due ſenſe of S…n … ex…lt Chriſt, and make him …ous, who is the …ha and Omega …n the buſ…ſs of Rel…gi…n; without him you c…n do nothing, and lok for nothing. It'… by h…s …tre…g…h … mu…t w…k, and by his Righteouſ…eſs you mu…t be …cc…pted Iſa. 45.24. For indeed we cannot for ſin p. 49…hink of any mercy till God turn our eye on Chriſt, in whom he is g…acious.

And the end of all we ſee Chriſt to be for …s, is to oblige us to love and obedience. We have new repreſentations of the favour of God, and grace of Chriſt daily in theſe Ordinances, that our obedience may be new, our hearts and liv…s …larged, and conſecrated to the ſervice of ſuch a Saviour, who hath Redeemed us with the blood we come here to commemorate. I… Faith …ake theſe things real to our minds▪ we ſhall be affected now and reformed hereafter. If unbelief reign, and we abide under its Power▪ we ſhall be dead ſtill, and worldly as we were, But look to him for a ſhare of Heavenly Grace to …xc…te our minds a…d thoughts to a Holy Ze…l, and higher …ctings than we are uſually acquainted with in the lower regions of our converſe.

15. Having given up our names to Chriſt in Covenant, we are obliged often to renew it, to ſhew the …c…rit… of our heart, that tho we fa…l in many things, yet our heart ſtands to it, delighting in the Law according to our inward man; to ſhew that a man does not repent, but his engagement is ſtill pleaſant to him, as if it were to do again, a man would do the ſame thing, if it were every hour; to let the world ſee there is not a heart drawing back from God; and that the heart p. 50that is naturally unſtable, may become fixed for God.