A WORTHY Communicant: OR, A TREATISE, Showing the Due Order of Receiving the Sacrament of the LORDS Supper. By IER. DYKE, Minister of Epping, in Essex. Levit. 10. 3. I will be sanctified in them, that come nigh me. Cypr. de Can. Dom. Nec se judicant, nec Sacramenta dijudicant. Petr. Bless. Epist. 40. Vide ne Dominus dicat de te. Ecce manus tradentis me mecum in mensa, &, Dederunt in escam meam fel. LONDON, Printed by R. B. for R. Dawlman, and L. Fawn, at the Brazen Serpent in S. Paul's Churchyard. 1636. TO the Right Honourable LORD, THOMAS, Earl of Winchilsea: And to the Right Honourable, the Lady CECIL, Countess of Winchilsea, his most Pious Consort. Right Honourable, IT was a salt and a smart speech which one Melancthon spoke unto an Italian; Vos Itali unltis Deum habere in pane, quem non creditis esse in coelis. Melch. Adam. in vit. Melanch. You Italians will have God to be in the bread, in the Sacrament, whom ye believe not to be in Heaven. It were to be wished that many amongst ourselves were not under the guilt of somewhat the like incongruity. It is an high opinion that men generally have of the Sacrament, and reason good, it should be had in precious esteem; but that which is sad to consider, they partake of that Ordinance with such irreverence, carelessness, and profaneness of spirit, as if they believed not there were a God, or as if in that Ordinance, they had not to do with the God of Heaven. That which was once enjoined the Dominican Priests, in memory Morn. mist. Iniq. prog. 56. and hatred of that heinous act of one of their fraternity, in poisoning the Emperor, Henry the seventh, in the Host, That they should communicate, only with the left hand, may be feared to be the case of too many thorough their own negligence, that they are no better than left-handed Communicants. It matters not before God with what hand the Sacrament be received, the right-hand or the left, so the heart be right, and the work done in a right order. But yet in a spiritual sense to be left-handed receivers, is a matter, not only of disgrace, but of danger. It is all one in Scripture phrase, to be left, and to be lame-handed. And to be sure, to be left-handed in this work, is to be lame-handed. The lame, and the blind, who knows not in what ill esteem they were with God? The lame and the blind had no acceptance with God. And wherein concerns it men to be more solicitous for acceptance, than in the solemn service of receiving the Sacrament? No acceptance is to be had, but when it is well done. If thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted, says the Lord to Cain? It was good which Cain did in offering Sacrifice; but if thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? It must be a good thing, and a good thing well done, which shall find acceptance. That speech of Aaron's in his case, would be a very seasonable thought for men before the Sacrament, Behold this day such Leu. 10. 19 things have befallen me, and if I had eaten the sin-offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord? Happy were it, that before the Sacrament men would thus say with themselves; Behold this day, week, this month, etc. such things have befallen me, and I have fallen into such sins as have made my person guilty, mine heart hard and dead; and if I should in such a case, before I have prepared myself by faith and repentance, eat the Supper, Lord, should I be accepted in the sight of the Lord? They were crosses and afflictions which (by God's providence) befell Aaron in the death of his Sons, and the sorrow and mourning that followed thereupon, that indisposed and unfit him for eating the flesh of the sin-offering. Sanctified things were not to be eaten in a man's mourning. Deut. 26. 14. They be sins that men thorough their own corruption fall into, that they live, and lie in, and the want of sorrow, and mourning for them, that unfit men for eating the Sacrament. With spiritual sorrow and mourning for sin, should these sanctified things be eaten. And for want of this and other due dispositions, it is, that this holy Ordinance that men seem to think so highly and reverently of, is so much abused and profaned. Conceiving it therefore a work of charity to direct people to a preparation, and a performance suitable to the holiness, and excellency of the Ordinance, I have published this small treatise. And such as it is, I present it to your Honours, as a public testimony of that thankfulness, service, and due regard I own unto you, and your Noble Family: the which deserves so much the more honour from men, by how much the more it is honoured by God. They were ill Si quis ex nobilibus ad Deum converti caeperitstatim honorem nobilitatis amittit— Religio ignobilem facit— Si honoratior quispiam religioni se applicue●it ●llico honoratus esse disistit. Salu. de Provide. lib. 4. times that Salvian lived, in and complained of; when religion and godliness were thought stains and blemishes of Honour, as if Religion, made Noble Persons vile, and ignobled Greatness. But that which GOD calls Glory and Honour, let no man account shame and baseness. It is most true which S. Bernard writes to Sophia a religious, Noble Woman, Thou art the more Insignior plane, atque illustrior, quod de paucis facta es, quam quod orta de magnis. Illud namque Dei munere tuum est. Hoc tuorum. Porro quod tuum est, tanto carius cst, etc. Bernard. Ep. 113. illustrious, that thou art made one of few, (alluding to that of Paul, Not many Noble) than that thou art borne of Great Ones. That by God's gift is thine own, this, namely, her Birth and Noble Parentage, thou art beholding to thy Parents for. That which is thine own, is so much the more dear, by how much the more rare. Who shall find a virtuous woman, much more a virtuous and Noble one? God indeed is no accepter of persons, yet I know not how it comes to pass, yet to pass it comes, that virtue in a Noble person is more pleasing, peradventure, because it is more shining. As light is more glorious in the Stars of greater, than of lesser magnitude. It is a most sure thing, what ever the world may judge, that nothing so ennobles, as Christ, grace, and being in the Covenant. I have blessed Ishmael, says the Lord, twelve Princes shall he beget, But my Covenant will I establish with Isaac. Account it your greater Honour, Gen. 17. 20. 21. to be in the Covenant, than to have Seed Royal issue out of your loins, or to have Blood Royal run in your veins. Then are persons truly Honourable indeed, when precious in God's sight, Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable. So may You, and Yours, be ever more and more Honble; and long may Your House flourish, in such and all other Honor. Experience lets us see, that not only Nobles, but Nobility itself is mortal; and that not only Great Men, but Great Houses dye. Yet there is a way to make Honours and Houses longer lived than many times they be. David's prayer was this, Let 1 Chro. 17. 24, 27 the House of thy Servant be established before thee; let it please thee to bless the House of thy Servant, that it may be before thee for ever, for thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever. But that is not all that David did; as he prayed God to bless his House, so he himself also blessed his House, And David returned to bless 1 Chron. 16. 43 his House. Needs must his house be established, when he not only desires God to bless it, but withal he blesses it himself, by doing what ever it might be that might bring a blessing upon his House. Then do Great Ones bless their Houses, when among other things they be like the Nobles of Israel. Those Nobles had their staves, which haply they bore in their hands as Ensigns of their Nobility. Now they made those staves which were the Ensigns of their Honour, the instruments also of common good: The Princes digged the well, the Nobles of the people digged it with Num 21. 18. their staves. With their staves of Honour they digged a Well for the common good, and public benefit of the people. That is one special way to keep the staff long in a Family; and long to continue the Honour, Nobility, Dignity, and wealth of great Families; when they improve their Honours and Power, to honour God, in being serviceable what they can to public good. It lies a black blot upon the Nobles of Tekoah, that they put not their necks to the work of Neh. 3. 5. the Lord, in not being forward to promote a common good; which though a civil work, yet because it conduced to common good, is called the work of the Lord. As that thing blurs their Names, so who knows, but it might gradually moulder, bring down, and lay their Houses in the dust. This is out of question, that Doing worthily makes a man's name famous, and his House glorious. Do thou worthily Ruth 4. 11, 12. in Ephratah, say those Elders blessing Boaz, And be famous in Bethlehem, and let thine House be like the House of Pharez. That which was their blessing upon him, is, and shall be my prayer for you; that the GOD of Heaven, and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, will be pleased to make good that blessing upon your Honour's Persons and hopeful posterity, that with Abraham he would make you blessed and blessings; that ye being heirs of blessing here, may be heirs of blessedness hereafter in the Kingdom of Glory. Your Honours to serve You, IER. DIKE. A Table of the Heads of this Treatise. The due Order of receiving the Sacrament of the Supper, and seeking God therein, stands in three kinds of Duties: 1 Duties Antecedent, in doing such Duties as must go before the Sacrament. All which come under the general Head of preparation. Preparation is twofold: 1 Habitual, having the soul furnished with such graces as may make a man a worthy Communicant: They are these, Knowledge. Faith. Repentance. Charity. Obedience. 2 Actual, which stands in these things: 1 Solemn sequestration of a man's self. 2 Examination 1. of the Truth of Faith. Repentance. Love. Obedience. 2. of the Growth of Grace. 3. of our Wants. 3 Renewing and quickening our Habitual Graces. 4 Excitation and stirring up in ourselves strong desires after Christ. 5 Stirring up in ourselves a strong expectation of the benefits to be had in the Sacrament. 6 Earnest seeking of GOD by Prayer. 2 Duties concomitant. In doing such Duties as accompany the action of Receiving, where the general Duty is; The offering up of ourselves to God, in an holy and spiritual disposition in receiving the Sacrament. This stands in five things: 1 Solemn and serious meditation. 2 An exercise of repentance, standing in Godly sorrow for sin. A solemn renewing of our covenants with God. 3 The actuating of faith, upon Sacramental offers. Sacramental promises. Sacramental representations. 4 The Duty of Thanksgiving. 5 An Exercise of Love and Mercy. 3 Duties subsequent. In doing such Duties as must follow after Receiving. And they are two: 1 Examining a man's self how he hath sped at the Supper. 1 If sped ill. Then 1. find out the cause of miscarriage, and be humbled for it. 2 Labour by after-paines to quicken, and make the Sacrament effectual. 2 If sped well. Then 1. bless God for it. 2. labour to keep and maintain the holy frame of heart gotten at the Sacrament. 2 A special care to keep our vows, and express the power of the Ordinance, in our holiness of life, and obedience. A Table of the several Chapters of this Treatise. Chapter 1. That God must be sought in a right Order, as well as in a right Ordinance. Chapter 2. The necessity of Preparation before the Sacrament. Chapt. 3. The danger of coming to the Sacrament without preparation. Chapt. 4. The necessity of knowledge in a Communicant. Chapt. 5. The necessity of Faith in a worthy Receiver. Chapt. 6. The necessity of Repentance in a prepared Communicant. Chapt. 7. The necessity of charity, and love in an orderly Cammunicant. Chapt. 8. The necessity of obedience in an orderly Communicant. Chapt. 9 The solemn sequestering, and setting a man's self apart before the Sacrament. Chapt. 10. Of examination. Chapt. 11. The examination of faith. Chapt. 12. The examination of Repentance. Chapt. 13. The examination of love. Chapt. 14. The examination of obedience. Chapt. 15. The growth of Grace, and our wants examined. Chapt. 16. Habitual Graces to be quickened, and renewed before the receiving of the Sacrament. Chapt. 17. Excitation of earnest desires after Christ, and a strong expectation to receive him, and his benefits. Chapt. 18. God to be sought in special manner by prayer, before the Sacrament. Chapt. 19 Meditation, and an exercise of Repentance at the Sacrament. Chapt. 20. Faith to be actuated and exercised in the Sacrament, and an exercise of thanksgiving, love and mercy. Chapt. 21. Subsequent duties, such as must follow the Sacrament Received. Errata. Pag. 30. li. ●. consent, read conceit .. 84. l. 10. disposing, r. despising. p. 100 l. 24. john, r. job. p. 222. l. 8. is, r. it. p. 167. l. 5. on, r. no. p. 174. l. 1. deal, Lord's Table. p. 231. l. 2. r. a duty. p. 265. l. 18. thus, r. this. p, 283. l. 9 faith. r. truth. p. 288. l. 1. care, r. ear. p. 328. l. 24. faith, r. truth. p. 371. l. 17. add, only. p. 427. l. 1. employed, r. employed. p. 433. l. 14. john, 1. Isaiah. p. 443. l. 20. deal the first it. p. 516. l. 1. for 16. r. is. p. 529. l. 26. duly, r. duty. p. 532. l. 23. will, r. with. p. 555. l. 18. at, r. of. p. 586. l. 13. exacted, r. excited. p. 578. l. 3. following, r. softening. Perlegi hunc Librum, cui titulus, A worthy Communicant: in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei, aut bonis moribus contrarium; quò minus cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur. Tho. Weeks R. P. Ep. Lond. Cap. Domest. THE INTRODUCTION TO THE FOLLOWING Treatise, grounded upon 1 CHRON 15. 13. For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. CHAP. I. That GOD must be sought in a right Order, as well as in a right Ordinance. WE read CHAP. 1 1 Sam. 4. 3, 4. That the Israelites being beaten by the Philistines, they send for the Ark of God from Shiloh to be brought into the Camp, that it might save them out of the hands of their enemies. Such be the silly and the poor confidences of carnal and superstitious hearts, to rest and rely more upon outward signs of God's presence, and to betrust their safety with them, than to take care for the presence of God Himself. As if God had been so chained to his Ark, that it coming, God himself must needs come into their Campe. A far wiser course it had been, to have taken a course to have fetched the Lord of Hosts himself, than the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Hosts. GOD could, and would have helped them without the Ark; but alas, What could the Ark do without God? They might have learned another thing from Moses, Num. 10. 36. And it came to pass when the Ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered. He knew, and taught, That though the Ark did rise, yet if God sat still, it would not make one enemy fly; but let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: it is Gods rising that is the enemies scattering. And suppose there had been somewhat in the outward presence of the Ark, yet what hope of help could they have by it, as it came attended? And the two Sons of Ely, says the Text, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. Little likelihood of Gods being there, when they were there. Their presence in the Camp was likelier to do them more mischief, than the Arkes presence was like to do them good. But they so dote upon the Ark, and put such confidence in it, have it they must, and have it they will, not taking care to bring God along with it, nor being in any fear of miscarriage, though it comes upon the profane shoulders of Hophni and Phinehas. Well, and when they have it, how speed they? That confidence of theirs was miserably checked, not only by their own ruin and overthrow, but by the captivity of the Ark. Even that which they hoped should have saved them out of the hand of their enemies, was delivered into the enemy's hands, He delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand, Psal. 78. 61. So righteous it is with God, to let men see the vanity of their fond confidences, That the wind shall carry them all away, that vanity shall take them, Isa. 57 13. That he rejects such confidences, and that men shall not prosper in them, jer. 2. 37. Well, but now though Israel's confidences be in the dust; yet have the Philistines little reason to vaunt of their victory: The Ark, though it saves not Israel, yet proves a plague to the Philistines: God soon makes them weary of their booty, and make them glad to return it home again, and that with flying colours, and in an honourable manner. And now the Ark returning, is not seated as before at Shiloh, where it had been till its captivity, ever since the days of joshua, but was placed in the City of Kiriath-Iearim, a City in judah. There it remained separated from the Tabernacle, unto the time of David's ferching it thence, which could not be less than about the space of forty seven years. Samuel and Saul governed the people forty years, and David reigned in Hebron seven years before he came to jerusalem. All this while were the Ark and Tabernacle separated: yea, the Ark was not inquired at, all the days of Saul, 1 Chro. 14. 3. Out of all which by the way we may note; That the want of some Ordinances of GOD doth not annul a Church of God. A Church may want some Ordinances, Ordinances of great weight, & yet be a true Church; or else for these forty seven years there had been no true Church, nor true worship in Israel; and so not in the world. The Ark, and enquiring at it, was a matter of great weight in God's Church, and worship. It was one of the most special types of Christ, a symball of God's gracious and special presence: it was the place of God's special residence; he dwelled between the Cherubims, and from thence he gave answers. It was the first and chiefest of all the holy things, for it principally, was the Tabernacle made, Exod. 40. 18. 21. It sanctified the whole Tabernacle, The places are holy whereinto the Ark of the Lord hath come, 2 Chro. 8. 11. And yet this Ark out of the Tabernacle, the place of worship and sacrifice, the space of forty seven years. Yea more, during all Davids time it continued separated from the Tabernacle, it being pitched in a Tent by itself at jerusalem, and the Tabernacle being at the High-place in Cibeon, 1 Chron. 1. 4, 5, 6, 13. The Ark and the Tabernacle never came together more, after it was once removed from Shiloh; but when Solomon built the Temple, and the Tabernacle was dissolved, then was the Ark placed in the Holy of Holies in the Temple. And yet all this while who will say they had not true worship, and a true Church? wants therefore, and defects in a Church, unchurch it not. The Ark now having continued forty seven years at Kiriath-Iearim, David being made King over all Israel, and come to jerusalem; the first thing we read he did, after his plenary possession of, and Inauguration into the Kingdom, is to bring home the Ark from Kiriath-Iearim unto jerusalem. In the bringing it home they meet with a shrewd check, and a sore miscarriage in the death of Vzzah; and that by reason of a miscarriage in the carriage of the Ark upon a Cart, which should have been born upon the Priest's shoulders. David finding their former error, and their fail in a prescribed formality, doth now a second time set upon the work, and in this Chapter and place, direct the Priests what course to take, and gives them to understand, that for want of this observance, God gave them that former blow in Vzzahs' death. Sanctify yourselves both ye and your brethren, that you may bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel, namely upon your own shoulders, according to the Canon, Exod. 25. 14. as the fifteenth Verse of this Chapter explains it. For because ye did it not at first, V 13. The Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. As if he had said, It was not only Vzzahs' error in touching the Ark contrary to that, Num. 4. 15. but it was all your errors to carry it in a Cart, when it should have been borne upon your shoulders. Indeed unto the Sons of Gershon, and to the Sons of Merari Moses gave Wagons and Oxen, according to their service, but unto the Sons of Kohatb (who were to bear the Ark, Num. 4. 5, 15.) he gave none, Because the service of the Sanctuary belonging to them, was, that they should be are upon their shoulders, Num. 7. 6, 7, 8, 9 A Gershonites or a Merarites burden might be carted, but not a Kohatbites, they must put their shoulders to the burden. And for this irregularity was the breach made. Indeed the Philistines sent home the Ark in a Cart, but God brooks not the carting of the Ark in Israel: God will bear with that in Heathens and Strangers, which he will not brook, nor wink at in his own people, who must live by rule. He will be sanctified in all those that draw near unto him. So precisely strict is God for the observation of his Ordinances; and so jealous, and so quick a judge in cases of the smallest prevarication. The thirteenth Verse than is a reason of that counsel given, V 12. You must sanctify yourselves, and you must bring home the Ark. We went another way to work before; and God's displeasure broke out against us, because we sought him not after the due order. The Point than we may learn, is this, That it is not enough to seek God, but we must seek him after the due order that he hath appointed, and prescribed: And, That where God is not sought after the due order, there men not only meet not with a blessing, but with a blow, and with a breach. To go and fetch the Ark, and to inquire of God at it, it was an Ordinance of God, but to neglect the sanctification of themselves, that they might bring up the Ark of the Lord, and to carry it in a Cart, this was not according to God's Order. His order was that they themselves should bear it, and that they should sanctify themselves beforehand for the service. David and his people made full account of it, when they went about that day's work, to have had a good and a comfortable day of it: but God's order being neglected, instead of a blessing, they meet with a blow, and a breach. It proved a sad day, they were sent home with sad and sorrowful hearts. It is true indeed, that the carrying of the Ark upon a Cart, was a fail but in point of outward order, the due outward order was not observed. And if God be so severe in making a breach upon them, for the breach of an outward order, How much more severe may it be thought will he be in denying a blessing, and in making a breach for the neglect and breach of that spiritual and inward order, with which he requires holy services to be performed. God hath prescribed not only holy Ordinances and ways, in which he will be sought and found; but he hath also prescribed an holy Order, and a spiritual manner, after which, and in which, he will be sought in the use of those his Ordinances. God's Ordinance, and God's Order must ever go together. Let us suppose that which cannot be. Suppose that a man could seek God in the right Order, in regard of inward disposition of spirit, in a wrong Ordinance; yet God being sought in a wrong Ordinance though in a right Order, no blessing, but a breach were to be expected. So contrarily, Though a man seek God in a right Ordinance, yet if he seek him in a wrong Order, for inward frame of heart, not a blessing, but a breach would follow. As no blessing to be expected from a right Order in a wrong Ordinance, so no blessing from a right Ordinance in a wrong Order. The blessing is derived from God, through a right Ordinance used after a due Order. We shall see both going therefore together. See Isa. 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoices, and works righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways. Here is first, God's blessing, communion, and fellowship with God, Thou meetest him. When God meets a man seeking him, there is a blessing: but mark in the next place how the blessing is met withal. And that by doing two things. First there is a seeking in God's Ordinance. That remember thee in thy ways. They that will meet GOD must seek him in his own ways. His Ordinances are his ways, and his walks. If we make walks, and ways of our own, there can be no meeting of GOD in them, because He will walk in no ways but His own. Secondly, there is a seeking in God's Order, that rejoices, that works righteousness. There must be a seeking Him in that Spiritual manner, with the heart set in due order, in all those gracious dispositions that GOD requires, and then GOD meets a man. But now as a man that seeks GOD out of His Ordinance meets not with Him, because he seeks Him not in His ways, so though a man do seek Him in His ways, yet if he rejoice not, and work not righteousness, but seeks God with an unholy, a dead, and a dull heart, though he be in God's ways, and seek God in a right Ordinance, yet he seeks not in a right order, and therefore neither GOD nor His blessing met withal. GOD meets with a man that seeks him in both jointly, Right Ordinance, and right order. The like we have, jer. 29. 12, 13. Then shall ye call upon me, & ye shall go, and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, and ye shall seek me, & find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. Here is a promise of a blessing to them that seek God. But first they must seek God in His Ordinance. Ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go, and pray unto me; not go to Saints, Angels, Images, Idols, that's none of God's Ordinance. Secondly, they must seek God after His Order, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Thus God's blessing attends seeking in His Ordinance, and Order jointly. If they prayed with all their heart, that were His Order, but if they prayed to an Image, that were not His ordinance, therefore in such a case would he not be found. So again, if they prayed to Him, that were His Ordinance, but if they prayed with dead, and dull hearts, that were not His Order, therefore neither in such a case would He be found. But this is not all. There is not only no blessing, but there is a breach where God is not sought after the Due Order. We shall see it true in the several Ordinances wherein God is sought. 1 In the Word. God is sought in the Ministry of the Word, 1 Sam. 9 9 Before time in Israel, when a man went to inquire of GOD, thus he spoke: Come let us go to the Seer. Therefore when they went to the Seer they went to inquire of God. That is one Ordinance wherein GOD is sought. But yet when GOD is not sought in the due order in this Ordinance, it brings no blessing but a breach, 1 Cor. 1. 23. To the jews a stumbling block, to the Gentiles foolishness, 2 Cor. 2. 16. A savour of death unto death, Is. 28. 13. And the Word of the Lord was unto them— that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and be snared and taken. And be broken. There is a breach in stead of a blessing. 2 In prayer. GOD is sought in prayer, Zach. 8. 21, 22. Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts, yea many people shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. That is another Ordinance wherein the Lord is sought. But when God is sought in prayer, and not sought in the due order, not a blessing but a breach follows. Psal. 109. 9 Let his prayer become sin. If our light become darkness, how great is that darkness! If our duties become sin how great is that sin? A prayer turned into sin is a curse, and brings a curse. 3 In sacrifices of the Old Testament. They were Ordinances in which God was sought. Hose. 5. 6. They shall go with their flocks, and with their herds to seek the Lord. But yet if God were not sought in them after the due order, there was a breach in stead of a blessing, Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, how much more when he brings it in wickedness. when he brings it with an heart out of order. Mal. 2. 3. I will spread your dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts, and sacrifices. 4 In fasting. God is sought in it. Ezr. 8. 21. I proclaimed a fast▪ to seek of him a right way for us. Isa. 58. 2, 3. Yet they seek mee-wherefore have we fasted? Yet if GOD not sought in fasting after the due order, there follows a breach, jer. 14. 12. When they fast I will not hear their cry. There is no blessing. But that's not all, there is a breach also, But I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. 5 In Sacraments. God is sought in the use of them, 2 Chron. 30. 19 That prepares his heart to seek GOD, namely in the use of the Sacrament of the Passeover. But yet if GOD be sought in the Sacrament, and not after the due order, it will prove a breach; we see it in Tudas, he received the Passeover, the Sop was the close of it, and see what followed, john 13. 27. And after the Sop Satan entered into him. The Devil made a breach into his soul. The Sop proved poison to him, and when he receives it he receives the Devil. Not because he received an evil thing, for the Name & nos hodie accipimus visibilem cibum. Sed aliud est Sacramentum, aliud virtus Sacramenti. Quam multi de Altari accipiunt & moriuntur, & accipiendo moriuntur? unde dicit apostolus, judicium sibi manducat & bibit. Nun buccella Dominica venenum fuit Indae? Et tamen Accepit. Et cum Accepit, Inimicus in cum intravit: non quia malum accepit sed quia bonum malè malus accepit. Aug. Tract. in joh. 26. Passeover was God's Ordinance, but because, as Augustine says, he being an evil man received a good thing in an evil manner, in an undue order. We see it in the Israelites. 1 Cor. 10. 2, 3, 4, 5. All baptised, did all eat the same Spiritual meat, did alldrinkt he same Spiritual drink, But with many of them God was not well pleased, there is the want of the blessing, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. There is the breach. We may see it in the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 11. 29, 30. He that eateth, and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, for this cause many are weak and sickly, and many sleep. He that eats, and drinks the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament he uses a right Ordinance, but he that cates and drinks unworthily, he uses it not in a right Order, and therefore not only no blessing but a breach follows both upon soul and body. The grounds of this Truth are these two. First, All God's Law is copulative, jam. 2. 10. And therefore mark Deu. 5. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. how those Commandments are laid down, Thou shalt not kill, And thou shalt not commit Adultery, And thou shalt not steal, And thou shalt not bear false witness, etc. He doth not say as Exo. 20. Thou shalt not Kill, Thou shalt not commit Adultery, Thou shalt not steal, etc. But we see one of these Commandments is knit to the other by the Copulative particle And. That same particle And is amongst these Commandments as the Taches, and Loops were amongst the Curtains of the Tabernacle. The taches put into the loops did couple the Curtains of the Tent, and sew the tent together that it might be one. Exod. 26. 10, 11. So doth this particle couple these Commandments together. Now as it is with those Commandments there specified, so it is with all the rest, the first, second, third, etc. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, And thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image, And thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. So that the breaking of one is the breach of the whole Law, as he that had uncoupled but one Curtain of the Tabernacle had uncoupled the whole Tent. Now then the same Law of God that commands Ordinances, the same Law of GOD commands Order. And he that breaks the Commandment enjoining order whether outward or inward, makes a breach upon the whole Law. And when we make a breach, what can we look for but a breach? God commands order, even outward order, and will have it precisely observed. Levit. 1. 7, 8. The Priests shall lay the wood in order upon the fire, and the Priests shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order upon the wood. Not only wood laid upon the fire, but laid in order, not only the parts, head and fat laid upon the wood, but laid in order. And Abraham, Gen. 22. 9 Laid the wood in order. Now GOD that commands outward order, and stands so punctually upon the outward order, how much more commands He, and stands He upon inward order, the right ordering, and disposing of the inward man? If God will have the wood in order, the parts of the Beast, the fat, and the head in order in the Sacrifice, how much more requires he to have the Heart and Soul of a man in order in any holy service, and in the use of any holy Ordinance of His? As to Hezekiah in that case, Is. 38. 1. Set thine house in order, for thou must dye. So set thy Soul in order, for thou must pray, hear the Word, receive the Sacrament. Let all things be done decently, and in order, 1 Cor. 14. 40. That is a Cannon, and a Commandment for outward order, and God that will have men so Canonical for His outward order, how much more requires He that men be as regular for inward order? Let all things be done holily, and in Spiritual order. Let not only the Word be heard, Gods Name be called upon, the Sacrament received, but let it be done after the due order, with an heart, and a spirit so spiritually ordered as God commands. So that God commanding inward order, as well as an outward Ordinance, and His Law being Copulative, such must our obedience be, or else we make a breach in His Law, in uncoupling what he hath coupled together. What God hath joined together let no man put asunder, what GOD hath coupled together, let no man uncouple. He hath coupled together the second Commandment enjoining His Ordinance, and the third enjoining the inward manner, and order of the use of His Ordinance. And therefore to use His Ordinance without that order is a breach of what He hath coupled. And if we make a breach in His Law, what wonder if He make a breach in our service, in our comfort! 2 That same, Levit. 22. 21. perfect shall it be to be accepted. God expects Non est Actio bona simpliciter nisi omnes bonitates concurrant: quia quilibet singularis defectus causat malum, bonum autem causatur ex Integra causa. Tho. Aquin. 1a. 2ae. qu. 18. Art. 4. Bonum causatur ex Integra causa, malum autem ex singularibus defectibus. Id. ibi. qu. 19 art. 6. perfection, perfection of parts where man expects acceptance. Now as unto that which is good so unto that which is perfect there must be an entire concurrence of all requisites. The defect or want of any one thing required may cause an imperfection, but to the constitution of perfection, there must be a meeting of all things required. It will appear in the case specified, Leu. 22. 21. The sacrifices of Beefs, or Sheep there mentioned must be perfect. Now if the beast had wanted but any one part, an eye, an ear, an horn, an hoof, any one of these defects had caused an imperfection, and the sacrifice had been imperfect, and so no acceptance of it. But now to have made it perfect to be accepted, it must have all, and every one of the parts, every member of the body in its number, and proportion. Now the equity holds in all duties of worship. To what end is our worship, if not accepted, if we will have it accepted we must have it perfect, there must be all these things in it that God requires. Now God requires in worship, not only that we use his Ordinance, but his order; as outward, so inward. Now when there is this perfection that God requires, then may a blessing, and acceptance be expected. But if that order, that Spiritual order which God calls for be wanting, if wanting in any one part of it, there the duty is imperfect, there no acceptance can be looked for, but rather a breach. We may see it exemplified in the Law of the peace offerings, Levit. 7. First see the Ordinance of God, vers. 11, 12, 13. There is the substance of the sacrifice prescribed. Then the order is prescribed. That they be eaten in due time, v. 16. It shall be eaten the same day that he offers his sacrifice. That the flesh be clean, v. 19 And the flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. That the persons that do eat it must be clean, verse 19 And as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof, that is, all that eat thereof must be clean, as appears by that which follows, verse 20. So Atque haec munera pure, à puris, pura percipi oportuit ex p●aescripto Dei, jun. Analis. in Levit. 7. then as here is the Ordinance prescribed, so the order of eating, that they be eaten purely, that pure things be eaten, that they be eaten of pure persons. Their peace offerings thus eaten were accepted, because here was perfection from the concurrence, and integrity of the causes constituting perfection: But now if any one of these things were missing in point of order it made them imperfect, and so unacceptable. If not purely in regard of time, though pure flesh, and eaten by pure persons, yet no blessing, no acceptance, but a breach, verse 18. It shall not be accepted, it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall be are his iniquity. If not pure flesh eaten, though in due time, and so purely, though by pure persons, yet not accepted. If not eaten by pure persons though in due time, and though pure things, yet not only no acceptance, and blessing but an uncomfortable breach, even that soul shall be cut off from his people, verse 20, 21. So then perfection being required unto acceptance, and an universal concurrence of all things commanded by God required unto perfection, and order being required of God as well as his Ordinance, therefore it is not enough to seek God in an Ordinance, but he must be sought after that due order which he hath prescribed, or else we may not only meet with no blessing, but with an heavy check, and such a breach as may send us away from God's Ordinances with a drooping, and a mourning heart. This serves first to let us see what the reason is that many times after our Use 1 seeking GOD in His Ordinances it fares so ill with us as it doth. God hath promised to make us joyful in, and so to send us joyful away from his house of prayer, Isa. 56. And he makes his people not only to feel joy, and gladness, but he makes them hear it, Psal. 51. 8. He infuses it by hearing the Word, and promises opened. He promises to make us rise from His Table full of quikning, comfort, joy, refreshment, and ravishment of spirit: Take eat this is my body, my body which shall feed you, quicken, refresh and comfort you. Now it may be thou hast come many a Lordsday to the house of God, to the Table of the Lord, and hast met with no such blessing, hast found no such cheering, no such comfortable refreshment: Nay thou hast rather met with a blow, and a breach, thou hast gone away with a dead, a sad, a drooping, an uncomfortable spirit. Thou hast seen it may be some such spiritual token of God's displeasure, as might make thee call the Church, the Table of the Lord, Perez-uzzah, or Perez-nephesh the breach of thy soul. And what thinkest thou may the reason be? Is God's hand shortened? Is His fidelity weakened? Are His Ordinances deforced or enfeebled? No, by no means. God is as powerful and as faithful as ever, His Ordinances as energetical, operative, and efficacious as ever: what then may the reason be? An hundred to one, but the Lord hath made this breach upon thy soul because thou soughtest him not after the due order. Call thyself to an account, was there that prayer, humiliation, renewing of thy repentance, and quickening of thy faith before hand as there should have been? If thou hast made a breach in God's order, it is not strange that God hath made a breach in thy conscience, and comfort. Certainly it seldom fares thus ill with any man in the use of GOD'S Ordinances, but upon due search it will be found that there hath been a neglect of due order. And let it teach us in the second place, not to rest contented in the Use 2 bare and formal use of any Ordinance; but let it be our great care, to seek God in it, after the due Order. Do not satisfy thyself, and set up thy rest in praying, hearing; but have a special care to do these duties after the due Order. But in more special manner be exhorted to think upon this, when thou art to receive the Sacrament. Men have generally an high conceit of the Sacrament, what ever esteem they have in the mean time of other Ordinances. And true it is, that it is a very precious Ordinance of God, and highly to be esteemed; but yet strange it is, to see what little regard men have to come in due Order thereunto. In any case men must come; and it were the greatest wrong that could be if they should not come: be they adulterers, drunkards, swearers, be their lives and ways what they will, yet because it is the custom to come at such a time, in any case they must come. No question but many have the same idle and vain conceits that some had in Saint Chrysostom's time, that if they came at such and such times, what Multos video qui Christi corporis sunt participes inconsiderate, & temere, & magis ex consuetudine, & lege quam ex cogitation, et consideratione. Si advenerit, inquit, tempus sanctae quadragesimae, qualiscunque fuerit quispiam, fit particeps mysteriorum, si advenerit dies Epiphaniorun. Atqui tempus ad ea accedendi, neque Epiphania, neque quadragesima, facit dignos qui accedunt, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Chrysost. ad Eph. hom. 3. ever their lives were, yet it skilled not, the coming at such times was disposition sufficient for the service. But hear how he cries down that vain consent. I see many, says he, that are partakers of the Body of Christ, inconsiderately, and rashly, more out of custom and law, than out of consideration. If the time (says one) of holy Lent be come, or the day of Epiphany be come, what kind of person soever the man be, he is made partaker of the mysteries. But it is not the time of coming unto them, neither Epiphany nor Lent, which makes them worthy that come, but the sincerity and purity of the soul. Always come with that, never come without it. So that they looked more at the time they came, than to come with sincerity and purity; as if the time should impart that holiness to them which the Sacrament requires, and they neglected to bring with them. And are not there too many in the world, that nourish such secret conceits in their hearts, who think, that so long as they come at such times as law and custom sets, all is well enough, there needs no more to look after. But let men know, that at what time soever they come, let it be ever so solemn a time, or how often soever they come, were it monthly, or daily, yet if they come not after the due Order, they shall be so fare from receiving a blessing, that they shall receive a breach, yea, a very curse upon their souls: let a man come as oft as he will to the Sacrament, yet if he come not after the due Order, God will deal with such a communicant as with the wicked man in that case, job 20. 23. When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him whilst he is eating. So here, when a man comes to the Sacrament, and not after the due Order, even whilst he is eating, GOD may rain down his wrath upon him; and when he thinks to eat Christ's flesh, and drink his blood, that which he eats, may be sauced, and that which he drinks, may be spiced with the bitter wrath of God. Such is the case oftentimes of many receivers, who will be coming to the Sacrament without any regard to God's due Order: as it was with the Israelites at their Quails, Psa. 78. 29, 30, 31. So they did eat and were filled, for he gave them their own desire: but whilst the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of GOD came upon them. Quails were dainty food, but wrath was ill sauce: flesh they must needs have, no remedy, and they murmur that they have it not; flesh they have, and wrath they have. And the wrath of God came upon them while their meat was yet in their mouths. Who would have their meat to have had their sauce? So, many will needs come to the Sacrament, by no means may they be persuaded to forbear till better fitted, come they must, there is no remedy: and they have their desire: but while the Sacramental meat is yet in their mouths, the wrath of God comes secretly and insensibly upon their souls, because they come, and do not seek God after the due Order. That same is an heavy curse, Psa. 69. 22. Let their Table become a snare before them, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. It is very heavy, when our ordinary Table becomes a snare unto us; but to have the Table of the Lord become a snare, and the Sacrament which is appointed for our welfare, to become a trap; what judgement can be imagined heavier? And yet this is the sad condition of such as come not to the Lords Table after the due Order, even that holy Table becomes a snare unto them. How wondrous jocund and jolly was Haman, that he must go with the King to esther's banquet? Esther 5. 9 Then went Haman forth, that day, joyful, and with a glad heart. And he brags of it, Vers. 12. Yea, Est. her the Queen did let no man come in with the King, unto the banquet she had prepared, but myself; And to morrow I am invited unto her also with the King. But little reason had the man to be so crank; for not only at the banquet; but at the banquet of wine, Esther 7. 7. which was the merriest banquet of all, he meets with the King's wrath, and thereupon with the sentence of death. How happy were it, it were not the case of many Communicants; full brag & jolly they be, that though they be most unfit, yet they may come, and none can keep them back; and to the Sacrament they will go, that they will: but alas, at the very banquet of wine they meet with the King of Heaven, his wrath upon their souls, which there arrests them, and sentences them to death. As if God should say, Lo, here is a company of people come to my Table, & amongst them, I spy a great many that are not come after the due Order: and shall such as these that thus unduly and disorderly seek me, meet with my blessing? Shall these have my Christ? such as these, shall they eat my son's flesh, and drink his blood? No, here is not for you. God will say to them, as Nabal to David's servants, 1 Sam. 15. 10, 11. Who is David? And who is the son of jesse? Shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flesh, that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? So will the Lord say to all such, Who are ye? and whence are ye? shall I take my Sacramental bread, and my Son's flesh and blood, which I have prepared for such as come after the due Order, & give it unto a company of persons, I know not whence they are? Be gone, and meddle not; or if you will needs be meddling, not only no blessing, but my curse be upon your communicating. Therefore in the fear of GOD look we to it, to come to this holy Ordinance in an holy Order. A great conscience is to be made of coming. It is a grievous sin to neglect God's Ordinance; and as great a conscience is to be made of coming after the due Order. Be no less solicitous to come in due Order, than to come to the Ordinance. Chap. 2. Of preparation before the Sacrament, and the necessity of it. CHAP. 2 SInce then our coming to the Sacrament, is not enough, unless we come in due Order: and since the danger of coming otherwise is so great, it will not be amiss to make enquiry, & to consider what is that due Order, and that holy and spiritual manner, after which God is to be sought in the Sacrament. This due Order therefore of seeking God in the Sacrament of the Supper, it stands especially in three things, or three kinds of Duties. In 1 Doing such Duties as must go before the Sacrament. Antecedaneous Duties. 2 Doing such Duties as accompany the Action of Receiving. Duties concomitant. 3 Doing such Duties as follow after the Action of Receiving. Duties Subsequent. 1 In doing such Duties as must go before the Sacrament. And they may all be reduced to this one duty of Preparation. The Duty then before the Sacrament, is Preparation. This is GOD'S Order, and this is to seek God after the due Order, to begin with Preparation: and the man that desires to seek God orderly, must first prepare himself. A man coming to the Sacrament without preparation, comes not after the due Order. Take heed to thy foot when thou interest into the House of the Lord, Eccl. 5. 1. Now when we come to the Sacrament, we come to the Table of the Lord: and if it concern a man to prepare himself, before he enter into the House of the Lord; then much more when he comes to approach to the Table of the Lord. See how David speaks here in this Text, Sanctify yourselves and your brethren, etc. for we sought him not after the due Order. Therefore they that will seek God in due Order in the use of his Ordinances, must first sanctify and prepare themselves. It holds good in the case of the Sacrament which Samuel spoke in the case of Sacrifice, 1 Samuel 16. 5. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the Sacrifice. So, Sanctify yourselves, and come to the Sacramt. Come, but first sanctify yourselves, Psal. 26. 6. I will wash my hands in innocency, and So, etc. 1 Cor. 11. Let a man examine himself, & So, etc. It was not enough then to compass God's Altar, but it was to be compassed So. It is not enough to eat of this bread, to drink of this cup, but it must be eaten So, drunken So. This same So, it notes unto us the due Order of seeking God in his Ordinance. We seek God in due Order when we seek him So: we eat and drink in the Sacrament in due Order when we eat and drink So. That is, when we do it So, as S. Paul enjoins, With due preparation going before. There aught to be no less care in us coming to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, than was required in the jews to the eating of the Passeover. And special care was required of them for preparation, see 2 Chron. 35. 6. So kill the Passeover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren. And if they were in their places to be careful to prepare others, how much more ought others to be careful to prepare themselves? And that is to be observed, Exod. 12. 3. Speak unto all the Congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a Lamb, a Lamb for an house. And Vers. 6. And ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. So that the Lamb was taken and set apart, four days before it was killed. What might the meaning of that ceremony be? what ever other meaning it had, this might be one thing aimed at therein; to teach them what care they were to have, of preparing themselves for eating the Passeover: if the Lamb must be prepared, and be set and kept apart from the rest of the flock, four whole days before; then how much more were they in a solemn and an holy manner, to prepare themselves for the eating of that Lamb? What was all that four days separation of the Lamb, but a continual standing-Sermon, preaching preparation to them? It was as if God had said unto them, Be ye also prepared. It questionless teaches that there should be a preparation; and that not a sudden, but a solemn serious preparation, some good space of time before men come to receive the Sacrament. Therefore we read, john 19 14. That the jews had a day of preparation, and it was the preparation of the Passeover. And Vers. 31. Because it was the preparation. And upon that ground was that Act of theirs, In abstaining from coming that day into the judgement Hall, john 18. 28. And they themselves went not into the judgement-hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passeover. It shows, that upon the day of their preparation, they were to take heed of doing any thing that might defile them, and unfit them for the eating of the Passeover: though it be true, that they were not in that case so careful to keep themselves from moral, as from ceremonial defilement. And if such preparation were required for the eating of the Passeover; why then should not there be as great a care at least, if not greater, to come with due preparation to the Lords Supper? Is our sacrament inferior to theirs, in institution, excellency, efficacy, benefit, and comfort? Nay, is it not in many regards above and beyond it? and shall our preparation be less than theirs? When we are invited to our neighbour's Tables to feast with them, how do we spruce up ourselves, in our comelier and cleanlier apparel, and how much rather will we choose to be absent, then to come in undecent and homely attire? When we come to the Sacrament, we come to the Lords Table, to a Feast of his preparing: and therefore should be no less careful to dress, trim, and spruce up our souls, than we are to trim our bodies when we go to the Tables of men. It is a sad thing to consider, what little care and conscience men generally have of this duty; and how rudely and rashly men thrust themselves into God's presence, and unto his Table. Many have the civility and the manners, not to offer to sit down at a Nobleman's Table, because they do not judge themselves persons of that rank and quality, who are fit to sit down at such a man's board. But who is it that doth not think himself as fit, and as worthy, to sit down at God's Table as the holiest, and the best prepared person that is? Our Saviour put a question to those Disciples, Mat. 20. 22. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? And we know how roundly, but yet withal how rashly they answer, We are able. So, put the like question to most men; Are ye able and ready fitted, and worthy to drink of the Cup of the Lords Table? and you shall have as round and as rash answer, We are able, we are fit and worthy; and yet the Lord he knows they never have bestowed one poor hour in preparation: they are so far from four days, they have not four hours' preparation; so fare from a preparation-day, that there is not so much as a● preparation-houre with them. The preparation, specially of the younger sort, is to put on their best dress, their finer apparel; and to be a little braver when they come to the Sacrament than at other times. But for a spiritual preparation of the heart, to fit it for so holy and solemn a service, it is a thing that is never once looked after nor thought upon. To quicken men then to this Duty, consider these things: 1 First, According to a man's preparation, such is his profit and benefit. God proportions every man's profit by the Sacrament, according to his preparation to the Sacrament. The more diligent and serious preparation before we come, the greater benefit and profit when we come. Preparation is the seed time, receiving is the harvest: every man reaps proportionably to what he sows. He that sows nothing, reaps nothing. No preparation, no profit. He that sows little, reaps not much, reaps but little, 2 Cor. 9 6. He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly. He that is sparing and slight in his preparation, shall reap but slightly and sparingly in matter of benefit: little preparation, little profit. But the more we prepare ourselves, and the more time, pains, and diligence, we spend therein, the greater benefit and comfort we shall meet with in receiving: for he which sows bountifully, shall reap bountifully. It is in the duty of receiving, as in the duty of praying. The more prepared the heart is to pray, the greater is a man's return from heaven, Psal. 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. To have our heart prepared is the due order of seeking God in prayer. And the more God gives a man an heart to prepare himself to pray, the more God prepares his own ear to hear. So in the case of receiving; thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine hand to give. God so enlarges his hand, as we enlarge our hearts; and nothing furthers the enlargement of the heart more, than solemn preparation. Then may a man expect a liberal and plentiful blessing in the use of the Ordinance, when he comes with a sufficient preparation and sanctification of himself. Hezekiah, his which he appointed to be kept, could not be kept at the appointed time, but was put off to the second month; and the reason is given of it, 2 Chron. 30. 3. For they could not keep it at that time, because the Priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently: which implies, that when the Passeover was to be celebrated, the Priests were not only to sanctify themselves, but to sanctify themselves sufficiently. And so it holds good for people also; that when they come to the Sacrament, they must have a care not only to sanctify themselves, but to sanctify themselves sufficiently. There may be an insufficient preparation; and where the preparation is insufficient, there cannot be expected such a sufficient measure of spiritual good, and blessings, as we desire. The more sufficient our preparation is, the more effectual the Sacrament shall be. The efficiency of the Sacrament, is ever suitable to the sufficiency of our preparation. Fill the men's sacks with food as much as they can carry, says joseph to his Steward, Gen. 44. 1. Look how they came prepared with sacks & Beasts, so they were sent back with corn: the greater and the more sacks they had prepared, the more Corn they carry away: if they had prepared but small sacks, and a few, they had carried away the less. A prepared heart is a vessel that shall be filled at the Sacrament, Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it, Psal. 81. 10. Now the more or less the heart is prepared, the greater or lesser is the Vessel. According to the size and capacity of the Vessel shall it be filled. Fill such men's hearts with spiritual blessings, with virtue from Christ, with the comforts of the Holy Ghost, says the Lord at the Sacrament, fill them with spiritual food as full as they can hold, as much as they can carry. What a sweet comfort is that? Who desires not to carry away from the Sacrament as much as may be? Then be careful to prepare our hearts, and prepare Sacramenta sunt fodinae gratiae. Dispositio est vasculum gratiae, pro majore dispositione, & affectu tuo majorem reportabis. Euseb. Ne●eml. then to the purpose. The larger is our preparation, the larger is our Vessel; the larger our Vessel, the larger is our largess and dole at the Sacrament. If we carry not away as much as we would, it is our own fault, that by preparation we did not furnish ourselves with a more capacious vessel. The poor pittances that many go from the Sacrament withal, make them droop when they are gone. They may thank themselves: for if josephs' brethren had brought small sacks, they could not have carried away much corn out of Egypt. Let men come with hearts so prepared as they should, and they shall be laden and filled with as much as they can carry. 2 Secondly, when we come to the Sacrament, We come to meet God, and to serve God. We come to meet God. Now it must be in cases of meeting God in mercy; as it must be in cases of meeting him when he is displeased. Amos 4. 12. Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. In cases of justice and displeasure, God will meet with men though they prepare not; yea, and because they prepare not; but in a case of blessing in the use of an Ordinance, no preparation, no meeting. They Note 1 that will meet God in an Ordinance must draw near to him, jam. 4. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. There must be a mutual drawing near between God and us, if ever we will meet. If God draw near to us, yet if we draw not near to him, we cannot meet him. Now unless we first prepare ourselves to an Ordinance, we cannot come near unto him: but when prepared, than we are in a disposition and qualification to come near unto him. Mark how Hezekiah speaks to the Levites, 2 Chron. 29. 31. Now ye have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, Come near, and bring Sacrifices, and Thank-offerings into the house of the Lord. The preparation of a man's self is the consecration of a man's self; and when by preparation a man is consecrated and sanctified, then may a man come near and draw near, and so meet with God. But if no preparation, no consecration; if no consecration, no drawing near; if no drawing near, no meeting with God. To the same purpose is that, Exod. 12. 48. When a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passeover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it. So that first there must be circumcision, before he must come near. An unprepared person is uncircumcised, and such an one may not come near; and how can he meet with God that may not come near? So when we come to the Sacrament, we come to serve God: it is a special service of his Name. Now no service can be done to God without preparation, 1 Sam. 7. 3. Prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him. So that if no preparation, no service. Unprepared persons in coming to the Sacrament do God no service at all. The very Heathens saw that by the light of Nature, that God was not to be served at an adventure, or by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Plut. way; but that men should come on purpose to worship him, and come prepared from their houses. If therefore we intent God a service in the receiving of the Sacrament, Come we prepared. All Gods services require a precedent preparation. Thirdly, it is a comfortable sign of uprightness and sincerity of heart, to prepare ourselves religiously for the receiving of the Sacrament: and the more forwardness and readiness in preparation, the greater sign of uprightness of heart. When the Sacrifices, and the rest of that service of God was to be performed, 2 Chron. 29. we find that Vers. 34. The Priests were too few, and the Levites were fain to help until the other Priests had sanctified, had prepared themselves: but what was the reason the Levites were forwarder to sanctify themselves than the Priests were? The reason is laid down in the end of the Verse, Because they were more upright in heart: therefore by proportion it follows, that they that are most forward and most careful to sanctify and prepare themselves for the Sacrament, are the most sincere and upright in heart. And as in all Ordinances, so especially in the Sacrament, it is good to come with an upright heart. We come thither that it may do us good, and that we may receive good from God in it: with the more sincerity we come, the more may we look for good, Psal. 125. 4. Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. God will do good in the Sacrament to all such as come to it with an upright heart. And they that come duly prepared, come with upright hearts. Fourthly, no man can come so worthily as he ought, nor so fit as he ought; when we have prepared ourselves the best that we can, yet alas, what a deal of deadness and dulness of spirit, what a deal of hardness of heart will come along with us? But here now is one singular encouragement to seek God in this Order of preparation. Though a man may have many wants, may come much short of that he should have, and be; yet if the Lord see that a man sets himself seriously to prepare himself, and that he takes pains in the duty, that he may seek God sincerely in the use of the Sacrament, he will wink at, bear with, and pass by many failings, and they shall prove no hindrance at all to his profitable and comfortable receiving. Consider that passage 2 Chron. 30. 18, 19, 20, 21. There were divers of them that had eaten the Passeover otherwise than it was written; that is indeed a fault, for that was not to eat the Passeover after the due Order; and their fail was, That they had not cleansed themselves: they failed in some legal and ceremonial purification: but yet, though they failed in outward preparation, yet they were careful of the inward and spiritual preparation of their hearts. That being done, though the other were overslipped, Hezekiah prays for them on this manner, The good Lord pardon every one that prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his Fathers, the he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary. As if he had said, Lord though these men have not purified themselves with outward purification, yet in as much as they have prepared and purified their hearts, so long as the main and material thing is done, be pleased to pardon this fail: impute not this want unto them, neither let it be any bar to thy blessing, but that fail notwithstanding, let thine Ordinance be powerful & effectual unto them. And see what the success was, V 20. And the Lord harkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. And Vers. 21. There followed great gladness of heart in the people, they kept the Feast of unleavened bread with great gladness. See then how gracious God is to pass by all wants and weaknesses, to heal them and hide them, when people are careful of the main, to prepare their hearts to seek God in an Ordinance. There follows gladness and joy of spirit upon it, that was a sign of Gods being well pleased with them. And that is ever the fruit of preparation; a prepared heart shall be a joyful heart. See 2 Chron. 29. 35, 36. So the service of the house of the Lord was set in Order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people. Here was God's service set in Order, and Gods servants set in Order, their hearts prepared and set in Order; and Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced. Chap. 3. Of the great danger of coming to the Sacrament without preparation. CHAP. 3 SVfficient might these things already mentioned be to make us careful to come to the Sacrament after the due Order with preparation. But because our careless hearts are not so easily wrought upon; try we yet a little further what we may be brought unto by shame or fear of danger: for to come to the Sacrament without due preparation, is both a shameful and a dangerous thing. Rogo vos, fratres, diligenter attendite, si ad mensam cujusque pot●ntis hominis n●mo presumit cum vestibu● conscissis & inquinatis accedere, ●u●nto m●●is, etc. Aug. De temp. Ser. 251. 1 First, it is a matter of shame. It were a matter of soul shame, for a man to come and sit down at a great man's Table in rags and tatters, in his nastiness and filthiness: and in such a case how would we take and tuck up such an one, Art thou not ashamed to come to such a man's Table in so base a fashion? What an uncivil fellow art thou, in such a garb to come into such a presence? And is it not then a matter of fouler shame, to come rudely, unpreparedly, and unbeseemingly, Quid vero annon vides vasa abluta adeo nitida & splendida? His long mundiores oportet esse animas, his sanctiores, & splendidiores. Quare? Quoniam illa propter nos fiunt talia. Illa eum qui inest non participant, non sentiunt. Nos autem participamus, & sentimus. Nunc autem vase quidem sordido uti nolueris, sordida autem & immunda accedis anima? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Chrys. in Ephes. 1. hom. 3 unto the Lord's Table? Consider that 2 Chron. 30. 15. The Priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves. And why were they ashamed? because they had so long deferred their sanctification and preparation, and therefore at length for very shame did sanctify themselves. It was a matter of shame then that they had so long put off their sanctification. They have cause of shame that sanctify not themselves in due time for holy duties. And if it be a matter of shame to defer it, though done at the last; then how much more is it a shame to neglect it altogether, and not to do it at all? If a foul cloth should be laid on the Communion Table, if the Napkin wherein the bread is laid were not clean; if the Cup & Vessels in which the Wine is put, were not made handsome and decent, men would cry shame of it, and would say that it is an arrant shame that the linen and vessels be in such a case; that it is an arrant shame that these things are not provided and prepared to be in more decent and cleanly order. And a shame it were indeed: there ought to be an outward decency in these things. Our Saviour made no choice of any room at adventure to eat the Passeover in, but of a decent handsome furnished room, Luke 22. 12. He shall show you a large upper room, furnished, there make ready. Now then were it a shame that the vessels and linen should not in their kind be fitted, and decently prepared: what a foul shame than not to have our souls and hearts prepared? what is a foul cloth or a sullied vessel, to a foul and an unprepared soul? Oh shame, that men will offer to come to God's Table with sluttish and unprepared spirits! should not we much more be prepared than the vessels? They contain but the outward elements for our use; but we come to receive the body and blood of Christ. Will we have the vessels prepared, and can we for shame come with unprepared hearts? 2 Secondly, it is a matter of great danger to come unprepared to the Table of the Lord: that eating of the Passeover of theirs otherwise then it was written, 2 Chron. 30. 18. it was a dangerous thing: and Hezekiah was fain to make special suit for mercy for them. And yet that want of theirs was but an omission of some Legal Ceremony. How much more dangerous had it been if for the inward substance of preparation they had done it otherwise than it was written? To come to the Sacrament without such preparation is dangerous indeed. The dangers are these. 1 First, that which the Apostle speaks of 1 Cor. 11. 27. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. The end of the Sacrament and our coming to it, is to show forth the Lords death. But now if we come unpreparedly to it, we make ourselves guilty of the Lords death. We come to the Sacrament to drink the Lords blood, but if we come unpreparedly to it, we come to shed the Lords blood, and so instead of drinkers prove shedders of Qua ratione reus fit indigne assumen? perinde nimitum ac si ipse sanguinem Domini effundat. n. qui tum pupugerunt Christum non ut biberent effuderunt, verum ut effunderent, sic indigne bibens nihilque inde commodi referens frustra ac temere profudie sangumem. Theophil. in 1 Cor. 10. & Chrys. 1 Cor. 11. hom. 27. Christ's blood. An unworthy receiver is guilty of Christ's blood: how so? because he doth so as if he shed his blood: he doth so as the shedders of Christ's blood did. For look as they that crucified & pierced Christ, poured not forth his blood that they might drink it, but only that they might pour it forth and shed it. So he that doth unworthily and unpreparedly drink his blood, receiving thereby no profit nor benefit, he hath rashly and in vain, shed his blood. Now do but sit down and consider how fearful a thing it is to be guilty of Christ's blood. It is a fearful thing to be guilty of any man's blood, yea, to be guilty of a wicked man's blood, how much more than to be guilty of the blood of the Son of God, of the blood of God? Deliver me, O Lord, from blood-guiltiness, cries David, Psal. 51. It is a very heavy thing, to have an hand in man's blood. That same is a sad Text, 2 Sam. 3. 28, 29. I and my kingdom, says David, are guiltless before the Lord for ever from the blood of Abner the Son of Ne'er, let it rest on the head of joab, and on all his Father's house, and let there not fail from the House of joab, one that hath an issue, or that is a Leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falls on the sword, or that lacks bread. What an heavy Imprecation was this upon joab, and that for the blood of Abner, who was none of the best neither? And if so heavy a curse upon joab for being guilty of Abner's blood, how much more heavy will the curse be upon him that shall be guilty of the blood of Christ? God will require the blood of a man at the hands of a beast, Gen. 9 5. The Ox that killed a man must be stoned to death, and his flesh must not be eaten. Exod. 21. 28. Doth God take care for Oxen (says Saint Paul) in another case, and doth God do justice, and require justice to be done upon Oxen? doth he require man's blood at a beasts hand? Then how much more will he do justice upon men that are guilty of Christ's blood? and how much more will he require his Son's blood at the hands of reasonable creatures, that by unprepared receiving the Sacrament, make themselves guilty of it? judas his great sin, for which, his soul and his memory is everlastingly accursed, was the betraying of innocent blood, the betraying of Christ's blood; his sin was, That he was guilty of the blood of the Lord. The horrible sin of the jews which we profess with so much indignation to abhor and detest, it was the shedding of Christ's blood: and how remarkable and dreadful a curse and vengeance, hath lain upon their heads for the space of above fifteen hundred years for that very blood, according to their own wish, His blood be upon us, and upon our children? And doth it not then deeply concern men to take heed how they make themselves guilty of that blood? Why then in the fear of GOD take heed of coming to the Sacrament unpreparedly. If thou comest unpreparedly, thou comest unworthily; and if thou comest unworthily, instead of being a drinker, thou wilt be a shedder of Christ's blood. Blood is a crying sin, take heed above all things of having blood cry against thee; but especially take heed of having Christ's blood cry out against thee. Christ's blood indeed applied by faith speaks better things than the blood of Abel: but if we make ourselves guilty of it, as we do, if we come unpreparedly and unworthily to the Sacrament, it speaks no better things than the blood of Abel: it than speaks Quod si ipse pellere non audes, mihi dicas. Non permittam ista fi●eri. Animam prius tradam meam, quam dominicum corpus alicui indigno: sanguinemque meum potius effundi patiar, quam sacratissimum illum sanguinem praeterquam digno concedam. Chrys. in Mat. hom. 64. and cries as Abel's blood for justice and vengeance. Woe be to him for whom Christ's blood speaks not; but woe a thousand times more to him against whom Christ's blood cries. All which considered, were enough to make unworthy and unprepared ones to resolve with themselves in the case of receiving the Sacrament, as S. chrysostom did in the case of giving it to unworthy ones. I will rather, says he, give my life, than I will give the body of Christ to any unworthy one, And I will rather suffer mine own blood to be shed, than I will give that most holy blood to any but him that is worthy. So should this consideration work men to those thoughts. Is it so dangerous to receive the Sacrament unpreparedly? Shall I thereby make myself guilty of Christ's blood? Then surely I will rather lose my blood, then by unprepared and unworthy receiving make myself guilty of such blood. 2 The second danger is, That a man coming unpreparedly to the Sacrament, he not only receives no good, but a great deal of hurt to his soul. Good he receives none. God blasts his Ordinance to such a soul, so that it shall not yield its fruit and its efficacy unto such an one, Isay 1. 13. Bring no more vain oblations. Were not those oblations of Gods own appointment, and by his own precept? Why then are they called vain oblations? because they were to them in the use of them but vain. Then a thing may be said to be vain, when there is no profit in it. Things are vain things which are unprofitable things, 1 Sam. 12. 21. Vain things which cannot profit. That is a vain thing, that yields not a man fruit answerable to his pains and endeavours. Levit. 26. 20. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your Land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the Trees of the Land yield their fruits: They should use their strength in tilling and planting the Land; and yet all their labour should be vain, because the land should not yield her increase, nor the trees their fruits. So here, when a man shall use Ordinances, come to the Sacrament, and they do not nor can profit him: when a man comes to the Sacrament, and it doth not yield its increase and its fruit, then is the Sacrament vain to such a man: and then the Sacrament yields not fruit, when men come unprepared unto it; for want of preparation was the thing that made their oblations vain, as appears Isay 1. 16, 17, 18. For those whom he forbids coming before, he bids them come upon their preparation. Come now, namely, when you prepared yourselves as is required, Verse 16. 17. To come to the Sacrament, and not to partake of the benefit and fruit of it is an heavy thing. And it is the case of every unworthy and unprepared communicant. The same curse is upon him that was upon the Prince of Samaria, 2 Kings 7. 2. Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof. They see the plenty that God provides, but yet they eat not of that spiritual provision with which God so richly furnishes his Table. They are spiritually in this case under those curses, Hos. 4. 10. They shall eat, and not be satisfied. Hag. 1. 6. Ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled. There is a Law. Deut. 16. 16. That three times in a year they must appear before God, in the three solemn Feasts: And they shall not, (says the Text) appear before the Lord empty. So must it be with us when we appear before God in this solemn feast at the Sacrament, we must not appear empty before the Lord. He that is void of that disposition of spirit which God requires, he that comes unprepared, he appears empty. And what will the danger be of appearing empty? Surely as we come, so shall we go; God will send us away empty. As in another sense, God sends away the rich and the full empty, Luke 1. 53. so in this sense he sends the empty away empty. Yea, the Ordinance of the Sacrament which in God's instituon comes to us as Paul to the Romans, Rom. 15. 29. And I am sure that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, shall come empty handed to us, and shall prove an empty Sacrament unto us. So that upon our receiving, it shall be no better with us, than with those in that case, Isa. 29. 8. It shall even be as when an hungry man dreams, and behold he eats, but he awakes and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold he drinks, but he awakes and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite. So shall it be with every unprepared Communicant, he may eat and drink the outward elements, and may think to eat Christ's flesh, and to drink Christ's blood, but he is but in a dream, he is never the fatter nor the fuller for his dream, he came empty without preparation, and he goes away empty without profit; his soul is empty. It was a sad threat against those that refused to come to the Supper when they were invited, Luke 14. 24. I say unto you that none of those that were bidden shall taste of my Supper. They should not so much as taste of it. There be many that come to the Supper in the Sacrament, and yet though they come, meet with that judgement that was threatened against them which refused to come to that Supper. They come and taste not of this Supper; taste not the sweetness, fatness, and goodness of this Ordinance. And all because they come unprepared thereunto. * Sacramenta quidem, quantum in se est, sine propria virtute esse non possunt: nec ullo modo se absentat divina majestas mysteriis, sed quamvis ab indignis se sumi vel contingi Sacramenta permittant, non tamen possunt spiritus esse participes quorum infidelitas vel indignitas tantae sanctitudini contradicit. Cypr. de coen. Dom. Not that God's Ordinance in itself is forceless, & ineffectual, or that God's hand is shortened, that he cannot convey a blessing thereby, but therefore the Sacrament proves a dry and an empty breast unto them, because they come so unworthily, and unpreparedly to it. But yet this is not all. It is bad enough to receive no spiritual good by receiving the Sacrament, but there is a further danger in it, there is a great deal of spiritual hurt received by it, when received unpreparedly. For that is a sure thing, that when men receive not good by Ordinances, they always withal receive a great deal of hurt, and when they are not the better, they are the worse for them. So much that of the Apostle implies, 1 Cor. 11. 17. That you come together, not for the better but for the worse. And he speaketh it of their coming together to the Sacrament, as appears V 20. So then when men come to the Sacrament & are not the better, they are the worse. Men should come together to the Word and to the Sacrament for the better; to be the better for it, to be quickened in their inner man; to have communion with Christ, to receive efficacy and virtue from him, but when they do not come together for the better; and be not the better by these holy duties, they are undoubtedly the worse. They are the worse, for the Sacrament disorderly received without preparation, spiritually the worse, and that in respect of a double spiritual danger. 1 First, instead of receiving Christ, we receive Satan. We come indeed to receive Christ, more quickening and grace from him; but coming unpreparedly, we not only receive not Christ, but we receive Satan, and hardening from him in sin, and more strength and greediness unto sin, joh. 13. 26. 27. And when he had dipped the sop he gave it to judas Iscariot the son of Simon, and after the Sop Satan entered into him. Indeed it is said, Luke 22. 3. That Satan entered into judas before his going to the high Priests, and compacting with them, and before his receiving this Sop. He entered then, that is, he began to enter, but now at the receiving of the Sop he fully and wholly entered. His head was in before, but now after the Sop he got in his whole body. john 13. 2. The devil had put it into his heart to betray him, but now as it is said of Ananias, Nunquid Satana● tamen ante cor ejus intraverat? Omnino fratre, ante buccellam cor judae intraverat, sed affectu, & voluntate tantum: sed post bucc●llā intravit Satanas effectu, & opere, tamen bona fuit buccella. Aug. ad frat. in erem. Ser. 28. Acts 5. He had filled his heart. So that Satan now was more powerful and efficacious in him, than before, hurries and headlongs him more violently than before, brings him to a full & settled resolution to practise that perfidious villainy in betraying his master. Satan's entry implies a most stiff and obdurate resolution, without any further delay or deliberation, to go thorow-stitch with this mischievous purpose, and therefore, V 30. He went out immediately. But now mark the time of Satan's entry, and the time when the devil brought him to this thorough resolution of executing his treason, After the Sop Satan entered into him. This Sop was the close of the Sacrament of the Passeover, which Sacrament judas had received, & the substance of that Sacrament the same with our Sacrament of the Supper now. Now one would have thought that judas not despising the ordinance but having been present at so holy and religious an exercise, it should have Name in judam post communicationem mensae diabolus intravit, non quia contemp●erat dominicum corpus, sed quia impudentia judae & malignitas mentis, ut adversarius in eo habitaret effecit: ut discas quod indigna &, fucata ment mysteriorum secreta celebrantibus a diabolo praeparantur insidiae, & magis ac magis assimilantur eis qui non aequo animo Communicate festinant: & haec dico, non ut vos terream, sed ut cautiores efficiam. Nemo sit judas in mensa. Chrys. de proditione juda. hom. 30. been a means to have weakened Satan's power, and to have helped him with power and strength against Satan. But judas coming unprepared, he is so fare from getting strength against Satan, that Satan gets strength against him, and that at the very time of the Sacrament, 1 Cor. 10. 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord & the cup of Devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table, and of the table of Devils. But yet wicked men that are unworthy, and unprepared, because they drink the cup of the Devil, therefore when they drink the cup of the Lord, are so fare from receiving the Lord that they rather receive him whose cup they love. Because such delight in the table of Devils, therefore when they come to the Lords Table, Christ enters not after the bread, but he enters that entered into judas, he in whose table they do delight. And so an unworthy receiver makes the Table of the Lord to be to him a Table of devils, and his cup the cup of devils, because that after the unworthy and unprepared receiving of the Sacrament, Satan enters. Sacraments unpreparedly received, are so far from making a way for CHRIST to enter, that they do but prepare and make a way for Satan's entrance. Satan enters when the Sacrament is unworthily received; and brings men from the Sacrament with more hardness of heart, with more power and strength in them to carry them to their old and former sins. Now it is a very fearful thing to have Satan enter into us at the Sacrament: it is fearful to have him enter into us at any time, in any place; but to have him enter at the Sacrament, at the Lords Table, this is far more fearful. To rise up from the Lords Table with greater greediness, and more eagerness after our lusts; to rise from the Lords Table with more strength and mind than before, to do the devil service, is wondrous fearful. And doth thine heart tremble at the thoughts of such going from the Sacrament? then let thine heart tremble no less at the thoughts of such coming to the Sacrament, of coming unpreparedly unto it. Loath thou wouldst be to have Satan enter but into thine house, be as loath to have him enter into thine heart; especially in the use of the Sacrament: and as thou wouldst be careful to prevent N●m & Sacramentum sicut accip●t ad vit●m ●ignus, sic ad judicium, & mo●●em prop●●●m indignu● Sacramentum ●● sine re Sacramenti, mors est ●umen●●. Res vero Sacramenti praeter Sacramentum vita ae●●rna est accip●en●●. Bern. in caen. Dom. Ser. 2. so great a danger, so dismal a case; so look to it to come in due order, duly prepared for the Sacrament. 2 Instead of receiving that which might further our salvation, we shall receive judgement, and damnation. We come to the Sacrament to further our salvation, but coming unpreparedly further our damnation. 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks his own damnation. The Paschall Lamb might not be eaten raw, Exod. 12. 9 Eat not of it raw. To teach that the Sacrament must not be eaten unpreparedly. He that receives unpreparedly eats the Sacrament raw, because he comes rawly and eats it rawly and unpreparedly. Now to have eaten the paschal Lamb raw had been both unwholesome, and dangerous. He that eats raw flesh never digests it kindly. The eating of flesh that hath not been so well prepared as it should, that hath been somewhat too raw, hath cost many a man his life. As dangerous as eating of raw flesh is to the body, so dangerous to the soul is the eating of the Sacrament rawly, and unpreparedly. It appears by 2 Sam. 6. 6. That Vzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God upon a good intention, to save the Ark from a fall when the Oxen stumbled, or shaken it. But his good intention notwithstanding, there was an error, or a rashness in it. And for that error, and rashness the anger of God was kindled against Vzzah, and for that error and rashness God smote him there, and there he died by the Ark. What is the Ark of God to the body, and blood of the Son of God? And if God punished him so severely for his error, that he rashly laid hold on the Ark, which yet he did out of a sudden fear of the Arkes coming to some hurt and miscarriage, and without diliberation, there being no place for deliberation in so sudden a chop; if yet God was so severe against him, how much more are they in danger to be smitten for their error that will rashly put forth their hand to lay hold on the body and blood of CHRIST? Especially not doing it rashly upon any sudden occasion that puts them upon it, but having time, and liberty for deliberation, yea and doing it against so many fair warnings as they continually have? Every one that meddles with the Sacrament unpreparedly, meddles with it rashly, and he that meddles rashly is in danger of God's stroke, of a worse stroke than Vzzahs was, of a stroke upon the soul, for he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks his own damnation. So strangely doth our unpreparedness pervert God's Ordinance, Ideoque alijs sunt haec munera odor vitae in vitam, alijs odor mortis in mortem: quia omnino justum est, ut tanto p●●ventur beneficio gratiae con emptores, nec in ●●dignis 〈◊〉 g●atiae pu●●●● faci●● ma●●●●nem. 〈◊〉. de ●oen. dom. and of an Ordinance of life makes it an Ordinance unto death. That as they spoke in that case, 1 Reg. 4 40. Oh thou man of God, death is in the pot: So it may be said unto an unprepared Communicant, ôh thou unworthy receiver, Death is in the cup. If thou drink unpreparedly thou drinkest thine own death. And as God speaks of jerusalem to the enemies of it. Zech. 12. 2. Behold I will make jerusalem a cup of poison or a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, so may it be said of the cup in the Sacrament to an unprepared receiver. Inte●●j● nefarie necatus veneno per infectum panem sacrum, Beneconventi, a Bernhardino Monacho●e familia fratrun● pradicatorum qui ad hoca Florentio●● e●at conductus Carion. Chronic. lib 5. Behold I will make the cup in the Sacrament a cup of poison, or a cup of trembling to all unprepared Communicants. The Emperor Henry the seventh was poisoned in the bread by a Monk, and Pope Victor the second was poisoned by his Subdeacon in his chalice, and one of our Bishops of York was poisoned at the Sacrament, by poison put in the wine. Now if poison were mingled with the Sacramental bread, or if poison were put into the cup, would not men tremble to eat that bread? would not that cup be a cup of trembling? would not the very fear and suspicion of poison make men tremble to drink of it? Assuredly if thou be an unprepared receiver there is poison in thy bread, in thy cup, and it will poison thy soul to death. And therefore it should make men as much tremble to come unprepared, as Medicus enim non daret venenum, salutem medicus dedit, sed indigne accipiendo, ad perniciem accepit. August. they would tremble to go away with their souls poisoned. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a Father, will he give him a stone, says our Saviour? Luk. 11. 11. We profess when we come to the Sacrament that we come to seek bread, and food for our souls. And bread, the true living bread that came down from heaven is there to be had, but when we come unprepared, it so falls out with us, that in stead of bread we have a stone given us, a stone that will choke us. The Devil would have had our Saviour to have turned stones into bread, but contrarily men coming unpreparedly turn the bread in the Sacrament into a stone, so that not only no more nourishment by it then by a stone, but so much danger by it, as by feeding on a stone, which is no less than death. I will, says David, Psal. 116. 13. Take the cup of salvation. How many in taking the cup in the Sacrament take the cup of damnation? Either take it a cup of salvation, or take it not at all. 3 The third danger is bodily danger. Unprepared receiving brings bodily judgements upon men, as sickness, weakness, yea and death itself. 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak, and sickly amongst you, and many sleep. For what cause? For receiving the Sacrament unworthly, and coming unpreparedly to it: yea and some think that it might be the Pestilence that was amongst them for that sin, at least some mortality was at that time amongst them. As for the neglect of his worship, and Ordinances, God falls upon men with the Pestilence, Ex. 5. 3. So no less is he provoked for the undue order of using his Ordinances to fall upon men either with pestilence, or other sicknesses. There be many when they be sick will confess themselves to be sinners, and that it is for their sins that GOD brings sickness upon them. Custom, and fashion teaches men at the least to say so much. But if a man should ask them wherein they be sinners, or for what sin God's hand is upon them, that they know not. I have dreamt a dream, says Nabuchadnezzar, Dan. 2. 3. but he knew not what his dream was. So, I have sinned, says many an one in his sickness, but yet can scarce tell wherein, if he were put to it. I will tell you therefore wherein you are sinners, and for what one sin amongst many others God lays sicknesses, and that unto death upon you. For this cause, for your unprepared and unworthy receiving the Sacrament. For this cause God takes away your health, visits you with sore, sharp, long, mortal sicknesses. If we would judge ourselves we should not be judged, 1 Cor. 11, 31. Because men do not by judging themselves prepare themselves before they come, therefore God doth judge them by punishing with sickness and untimely death after they come. It may be there be some that greatly regard not the danger of their souls that yet love their healths, and lives well enough. If Spiritual dangers will not, yet let temporal dangers make men look about them. When God cast Adam out of Paradise, he set an Angel with a flaming sword to keep him from offering to make a reentry. If Adam would have adventured, he had certainly gone upon his own death. And so hath God set all his threatenings against unworthy receivers, as so many Angels with flaming swords, to keep off all unprepared persons from the Sacrament. And because all this notwithstanding they will adventure to come in their unpreparedness, therefore they smart for it, God kills them with death for it. GOD'S judgements have been very remarkable upon such as have profaned, despised, and abused either the Table, or Vessels belonging to the Sacrament, or the Elements themselves. For the profaning of the Table, memorable is that divine vengeance Centuriat. Magdeb. cent. 4. ca 3. Theod. lib. 3. ca 11, 12. which was upon julian uncle to julian the Apostata. He coming into a Church at Antiochia profaned the Lord's Table by pissing upon it in contempt, and smote Euzoias' the Bishop who chode him, and sought to hinder him from such horrible villainy. But not long after divine justice found him out, for he died miserably, being taken with a disease that rotten his bowels, so that his excrements came from him not by the accustomed passages of nature, but came thorough his wicked mouth, which had said to Euzoias' endeavouring to hinder him from that vile act, that the divine providence took no care at all of Christians affairs. For disposing the Communion vessels, Centuriat. Magdeb. ibid. & Theod. or scorning at it that such precious vessels should be used at the Sacrament, that justice of God is remarkable upon Felix treasurer to julian the Apostata, and himself also an Apostata, for he beholding in the same Church those vessels which Constantine, and Constance had given for that use, behold saith he in scorn, En qualibus vasis ministratur Mariae filio. what vessels the Son of Mary is ministered unto withal. But suddenly the stroke of God was upon him, and he perished miserably, bleeding day and night at the mouth. For abuse of the Elements: The Donatists that cast the holy Sacrament to the Dogs were themselves after devoured of Dogs. The Reverend and learned Bishop that now is of Durham, In his learned book of the Institution of the Sacrament, li. 5. ca 3. sect. 5 reports a story upon his own knowledge of one Sr Booth a bachelor of Arts in S. john's College in Cambridge, who being Popishly affectted at the time of the Commuion took the consecrated bread, and forbearing to eat it, conveyed, and kept it closely for a time; and afterwards threw it over the College wall: but a short time after not enduring the torment of his guilty conscience, he threw himself headlong over the battlements of the Chapel, and some few hours after ended his life. Now howsoever all these were sinners in another kind then unprepared receivers be, yet thus far these examples may be of use to our present purpose, to let us see that God is a jealous God in the case of his Sacrament abused and despised, that he will be a swift witness, and a severe judge against such. And though unpreparedness, and unworthy receiving be not a sin so foul as those gross profanations, yet therein there is a profanation of GOD'S Name, and Ordinance, and therefore very dangerous, because God will not bear nor brook profanations of his Ordinance. 4 In the fourth and last place, consider this one thing. It is a very dangerous thing not to come to the Sacrament, to neglect God's Ordinance in an infrequent use thereof, or utter disrespect of it. Gen. 17. 14. He that neglected circumcision was to be cut off. And we see that God would have killed Moses for neglecting his Child's circumcision. Exod. 4. 24. And see that place. Numb. 9 13. But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbears to keep the Passeover, even the same soul shall be cut off from his people, because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin. And we know the severity of their punishment that neglected to come to that Supper of the King Matth. 22. 5, 7. They made light of it, and went their ways, etc. But when the King heard thereof, he was wroth, and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their City. Not to use the Sacrament, and to be without it, is all one. And to be without the Sacrament, and without CHRIST, and without God in the world, are joined together, Ephes. 2. 11, 12. whilst they were called uncircumcision, at that time they were without CHRIST, and without God in the world. And the necessity of the use of the Sacraments appears by this, that before the Israelites must enter into Canaan, they must be circumcised, and eat the Passeover, john 5. 7, 10. To teach that all that will enter into the heavenly Canaan must of necessity in obedience to GOD'S Commandment be partakers of his Sacraments. It is therefore very dangerous to be without the Sacrament, not to come to it when God invites to it. And yet as dangerous as it is not to come to Etenim sic vivendum est ut panem illum semper accipere valeamus, quia vae ei qui se alienum fecerit ab eo: Et multum vae illi qui spurcus et immundus accesserit. Vtrobique grande periculum. Ideo magna necessitas instat ne indigni Inveni●mur. Bern. de ordi. vitae. Non dixit, Cur accubuisti? sed ante accubi●um & ingressum eum dicit esse indignum. Non enim dixit, Cur accubuisti? sed cur intrasti? Chrys. ad Ephes. ho. 3. the Sacrament, yet it is no less dangerous to come, if we come unpreparedly. Unprepared coming is as dangerous as not coming. It is with this Supper in the Sacrament, as it was with that supper of the Kings, Mat. 22. They that neglected to come, and absented themselves, they smarted. But v. 13. there was one that came to the Supper, and yet he seems to be more severely punished then those that came not. What shall men be punished for not coming, and be punished for coming too? Yes surely, if they come not as they should, coming will not serve the turn. Mark that question, v. 12. Friend how camest thou in hither? He doth not say, Friend how sattest thou down, but how camest thou in? Thereby implying that his sin was not, that some indisposition had overtaken him in sitting down, but that he did not look to himself, and prepare himself before he came in. So it is in the Supper of the LORD. A man may transgress as well in an unprepared presence, as in a profane absence. And he may incur a danger by coming, as well as by not coming. There is not a man comes to the Sacrament but GOD hath an eye upon him to take notice how he comes in, and if he come not in prepared he is like to hear of it to his sorrow. We come to the Sacrament to inquire of God, to seek his face, and to receive a gracious answer from him. But if we come unprepared, in stead of an answer we shall meet with a question, Friend how camest thou in hither? Such a question as will trouble us to answer; Such a question as will gag us, that we shall not have a word to say for ourselves. A great many cannot endure their Ministers should question it with them to prepare them the better for that holy duty, but let such know that God himself will question them, and put them such a question as will smite them dumb, and speechless: such a question, to which because they can make no answer, they must answer it in another kind, Take him, bind him hand and foot, and cast him into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Chap. 4. Of the necessity of knowledge in a Communicant. CHAP. 4 THus we have seen how needful preparation is to the receiving of the Sacrament after the due order. It follows now to consider what this preparation is, or wherein it stands. The preparation required before the Sacrament, is twofold. Habitual and Actual: Habitual preparation stands in the having of all such dispositions and graces, as qualify a man for the work of receiving. Actual preparation stands in the exciting and awakening of those graces and dispositions, and renewing of them when a man is to receive. Both these must be done by him that will receive in due order. It is here as in preaching. A man that will preach the Word, must first be habitually prepared for the work, by having such gifts, graces, abilities, and ministerial qualifications of learning and knowledge in the Scriptures, as are required to accomplish and furnish a man for that work. He must be a man well read, well studied. Now though a man be a furnished man, and have competent abilities, yet he will not on a sudden without any study step up into the Pulpit, take a Text at adventure and fall a preaching; but besides his habitual preparation in the course of his studies, he will study afresh upon a particular Text, and for a particular Sermon, and bestow special pains for that particular work; and that is Actual preparation. Mat. 13. 52. Every Scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven— bringeth out of his treasure things new and old. He is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven, he hath a treasure of things new and old. There is his habitual preparation for preaching; he brings them out, namely by study and meditation, he gathers together things apt and fit for the present work; there is his actual preparation. And there is first an habitual preparation before an actual. He first studies Arts, Tongues, Divinity, and then after studies his Sermons: his first study is habitual, his second is actual preparation. Though a man should study a Sermon & have an actual preparation, yet if he had not studied Divinity and other things needful, but wanted habitual preparation, it would prove poor, lank, empty stuff: and though a man had studied Divinity, and had habitual preparation, yet if without study and premeditation, without actual preparation he should offer to do the work, he might be guilty of tempting God, might make but wild and confused work of it, and might come off with a check. Neither of these thus preaching should preach after the due Order: and both these might be as those Prophets, Zech. 13. 4. It shall come to pass in that day, that the Prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied. The first might well be ashamed, because he wanted habitual, the second, because he wanted actual preparation. He is not fit to preach that wants habitual preparation: he may say (if called to preach) as Zech. 13. 5. I am no Prophet, I am an Husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattles from my youth. I am not habitually prepared; I have not been trained up in the Schools, & amongst the Sons of the Prophets, but I am a Tradesman, I have been brought up in the shop in a Trade from my youth: and though he be fit to preach that hath habitual preparation, yet if he want actual preparation he is not ready to preach, not provided for it at such a time. And therefore mark how the Rulers of the Synagogue speak to S. Paul and his companions, Acts 13. 15. Ye men and brethren, if ye have any words of exhortation for the people, say on: as if he had said, If ye be provided for a Sermon, if you have any meditations ready, bestow them upon the people. He did not desire they should adventure into the Pulpit with their extemporary effusions, to pour out what Ad nu●●itionem spiritualem requiritur non tantum habitus & dispositio fidei, sed actus etiam ejus exercitus, & exercit●tus, ita ut non omnes fideles semper digni sint convivae in hac coena, nisi fidem quam habent, excitent & exerceant pro ratione hujus instituti. Ames. Cat. p. 152. ever came next hand, 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed. Timothy was a studied man, a man of rare and singular gifts and endowments; and yet for all that, if he would be an approved workman, S. Paul would have him study to do it: he would not have him rest on his habitual preparations, but would have him actually fit himself for his work, when he was to work. Now thus is the case in the Sacrament, there must be an habitual and an actual preparation to it. A man that will receive the Sacrament, must first be furnished with such graces and dispositions, as a Communicant aught to have: and though he have such graces as are requisite to habitual preparation, yet may he not therefore all on a sudden rush to the Lords Table, and without any more ado receive the Sacrament: but first there must be an actual preparing and fitting of himself for the work. Both must be had, or else no due order in the work, or else no fruit from the duty. There be, that in their fashion do actually prepare themselves that yet are void of those graces that are required to habitual preparation. And there be that are habitually prepared, and yet fail in an actual fitting of themselves. To both these the Sacrament proves as jobs brooks to the Travellers, job 6. 19 20. The troops of Tema looked, and the companies of Sheba waited for them, as hoping by the waters of those brooks to have been refreshed, but they were confounded because they had hoped, they came thither and were ashamed; because they came with an hope to have found water in those brooks: but they being dried up with the heat of Summer, their hope was disappointed, and so they went away ashamed of their lost labour. So both those sorts of people come to the Sacrament, there they look and wait for some spiritual refreshment by it; but they may go away ashamed, because they hoped, and their hope is frustrate; they meet with no such thing as they hoped for. And the reason of their disappointment is that which is spoken in another case, Matth. 22. 8. The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. The wedding was ready, but the guests were not ready. So the Sacrament is ready, and God ready in the Sacrament to do his part, but these kind of Communicants are not ready, either not ready by an habitual, or not ready by an actual preparation, and because not ready, not worthy; and because not worthy, therefore their hopes disappointed. Now though both these be required, yet habitual preparation must be in the first place; for no man can indeed actually fit himself, till he be habitually prepared; and in vain is all actual preparation where habitual goes not before it. This habitual preparation therefore, stands in having the soul furnished with all such graces and dispositions as may make a man worthy, that is, fit for the Sacrament. And those graces and dispositions are these, 1 Knowledge. 2 Faith. 3 Repentance. 4 Charity. 5 Obedience. All these must a Communicant be qualified with, that in the Sacrament seeks God in due Order, and the want of any of these makes him guilty of not seeking God after the due Order. 1 The first thing then that is required, is knowledge. The Apostle makes this a great fault in receiving the Sacrament, so to receive it, as not to discern the Lords body, 1 Cor. 11. 29. Not discerning the Lord's body. Therefore that should be a man's care, so to come, as to discern the Lords body. This Discerning stands in knowledge, understanding and judgement, of the nature, use, and necessity of the Sacrament; the which, because they cannot be known without the knowledge of the fundamental principles of religion, therefore under this discerning the Lords body, is included and comprehended a convenient and competent measure of knowledge of all the grounds of Religion: and that such knowledge is necessary for every one that desires to come after the due Order, will appear by these following reasons. 1 First, God prizes knowledge more than the outward acts and performances of his service. Yea, so highly prizes knowledge above outward performances, that if it should needs be that one must be wanting, the knowledge of God (without public performances) is more acceptable than public performances, Hos. 6. 6. I desired the knowledge of God more than offerings. Possibly the case might be so that a man could not offer sacrifice, as it was with David in his exile, yet having the knowledge of God he might be saved. But if a man did Sacrifice and offer Burnt-Offerings, yet if he had not the knowledge of God he could not be saved. There may be cases in which a man cannot come to receive the Sacrament, but yet a man having the knowledge of God he may be saved. john 17. 3. This is life eternal to know Thee, etc. But let a man receive the Sacrament ever so often, yet if he be void of the knowledge of God, he cannot be saved; For God will have all men to be saved, and come, he says not to the Sacrament, but to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim. 2. 4. So that as in that case, so in this I desired knowledge of God more than receiving of the Sacramt. Men commonly desire the receiving of the Sacrament more than the knowledge of God. But our desires should be suitable to God's desires. As he desires so should we desire, and he desires the knowledge of God more than offerings, and so by proportion more than Sacraments. 2 Secondly, a man should so prepare himself for the Sacrament, as he would prepare himself for his death, look how he would be loath to go to his grave, so should he be loath to go to the Lords Table. A man that would die comfortaby, would die with the knowledge of God; and a man that would receive comfortably, would receive with knowledge. It is a dreadful thing to die without knowledge. If a man die without knowledge, I know but one way with him. It is threatened as an heavy judgement, joh. 36. 12. They shall die without knowledge. And that is an heavy saying. joh. 8. 21 Ye shall die in your sins, that is, ye shall die in a damned condition. Now to die without knowledge, is all one as to die in our sins, for questionless he that dies in ignorance dies in his sins, and so dying without knowledge, dies in a state of damnation. And if so fearful to die without knowledge, how fearful to come to the Sacrament without knowledge? For what makes a man unfit to die, makes him unfit to receive; and what condition is dangerous to die in, that condition is dangerous to receive in. A man is not fit to receive, that is not in a state of salvation, as no man is fit to dye that is not in such a state: we are not in a state of salvation, but so far forth as we have the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. 2. 4. Who would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore no salvation but where there is the knowledge of the truth. No knowledge then, and not yet in the state of salvation; and what have we to do with the Sacrament that not in the state of salvation? That man that is fit for the Sacrament, and duly prepared for it, is fit and prepared for Heaven; and that man that is unfit for Heaven, is unfit for the Sacrament, and that man is unfit for Heaven that is without the knowledge of God. 3 Thirdly consider what is the end of our coming to the Sacrament. The end of our coming is to have Communion with God in his Ordinance. And therefore there is a necessity of coming with knowledge. He only comes comfortably and profitably to the Sacrament, who therein hath communion with God: and one special way to have communion with him, is to have the knowledge of him, I●● ●4 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord, And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: when we are his people, and he our God, than we have communion with him; and this cannot be that he should be our God and we his people till we know him. We have nothing to do with the Sacrament, nor with fellowship with God therein, till we be his people, and his people we cannot be, till we have an heart to know him. A man will not have communion with any with whom he hath not acquaintance, with such as are strangers to him. We do decline familiarity with strangers: where the knowledge of God is not, there men are strangers to God. Ephes. 4. 18. being alienated estranged through the ignorance that is in them. And so, no knowledge of God, no fellowship with God: no knowledge, no communion. And to what end is it to come to the Communion without communion with God? A Communion without Communion with God, is but a comfortless Communion. As therefore we desire to have Communion with God when we come to the Communion, so come with knowledge. Knowledge it is true that a man may have, and yet have no communion with God, but Communion with God can no man have unless he have knowledge. A man is not fit to partake of the Sacrament till he be fit to partake of the Covenant; and that which is required to make a man fit for the participation of the covenant, is no less required to make a man fit for the participation of the Sacrament. Now knowledge is necessarily required for the participation of the covenant, Heb. 8. 10, 11. For this is the covenant I will make— for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. That which is required to make us partakers of the covenant, is required to make us fit for communion with God; and that which is required to make us partakers of the covenant, must needs be as much required to make us partakers of the seal of the Covenant. Such a necessity of knowledge there is in him that receives the Sacrament. 4 Fourthly, consider, how utterly unfit a man is, whilst he is in ignorance. That appears in these particulars. 1 First, No man is fit to be a partaker of the seal of the covenant, who is not in the covenant of grace, neither can say that he is so. Ignorant persons cannot say that they are in the covenant of grace; for such as are in the covenant of grace have received an anointing, which teaches them of all things. 1 john 2. 27. And they that be effectually called are taught of God, john 6. 45. And they that are in covenant with God they all know him from the least of them to the greatest of them, jer. 31. 33, 34. Therefore they that know not God, that are not taught of God, they that are not anointed, are not in covenant with God. Such are all ignorant persons; they be persons unanointed, they be persons untaught of God, they know not God, therefore are they not in covenant with God, and being not in covenant have nothing to do with the Sacrament: for in the use of the Sacrament there is a sealing of the covenant unto us. Now a man can have no right to have the covenant sealed unto him, till he be in the covenant; and ignorant persons are not in covenant with God: so that the ignorant man's receiving, is but the having of a seal to a blank. And what is a man the better for that? What is a man the better for having the King's broad-Seale to a Parchment that hath nothing written in it? He hath nothing but a piece of Parchment and wax, he hath neither land nor living, sealed and conveyed to him thereby. Just so it is in this case. 2 Secondly, none have any benefit by the Sacrament, but such as are real and actual members of Christ's body. The Sacrament is spiritual food, and all the members of Christ's body receive nourishment, and growth by the use of this food, but yet they must be members of the body, or else no nourishment, growth, or life. Ignorant persons are not actual members of Christ's body. They are captives of Satan, fast in the Devil's clutches and possession. 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26. They that know not the truth are in the snare of the devil, and are taken captive by him at his will. Ignorance is the very power of the devil. Acts 26. 18. To turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God. That which is called darkness in the first, is called the power of Satan in the latter clause; so that the devil having, and holding a man in ignorance, hath, and holds him in his power. And are such the members of Christ's body that are wholly in the power and possession of the devil? Have they any thing to do to participate of Christ's body in the Sacrament, that are no members of his mystical body? Are such as are Satan's slaves, vassals, and captives, fit to come to the Lords Table, and have fellowship with the God of heaven? 3 Thirdly, an ignorant person is utterly unfit for the Lords Table. God forbade to offer the blind; the blind was an abomination to him. And what difference between a blind offering, and the offering of the blind. A blind offerer that hath the eyes of his mind out is worse, and more abominable than a blind offering. The Law denied a Leper the benefit of civil Society, therefore much more of holy Communion in public services and sacrifices. Now an ignorant person is a kind of leper, he hath one perilous symptom of leprosy, namely that same, Levit. 13. 44. The Priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean, his plague is in his head. Therefore when a man hath a plague in his head he is utterly unclean, and therefore to be shut out of the camp. verse 46. Much more therefore from holy society. An unclean man is not fit to come to the Lords Table, and every ignorant person having a plague in his head is unclean, and therefore unfit for the Lords Table. There be two things that show an ignorant person unfit for the Sacrament. 1 We judge fools and children unfit for the Sacrament, and that upon that ground, 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himself. Because they cannot examine themselves; for by the Apostles rules whosoever cannot examine, and try himself ought not to come to the Sacrament. Now therefore an ignorant person ought not to come because it is impossible that an ignorant person, should examine himself. Yea if fools and children ought not to come, than neither may ignorant persons, for they are children and fools both. They be children, Heb. 5. 13. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe, 1 Cor. 14. 20. Be not children in understanding, but in understanding be men. And fools they be also, jere. 4. 22 For my people is foolish. And why so? They have not known me, they are sottish children, they have no understanding, Prov. 14. 7. Go from the presence of a foolish man. But how shall I know him 〈…〉 foolish man? When thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. Are babes, children, fools and sots fit for the Sacrament? 2 We all confess that he is not fit to come to the Sacrament that comes with an ill mind, Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? At the best it is loathsome, but when brought with a wicked mind it is worse by fare. Ignorant persons use to plead for themselves that they have not the knowledge, and understanding which others have, and cannot answer as others do, yet they hope they have as good meanings, and come with as good minds as the best. Thus silly creatures delude they themselves, and their own souls. Alas what talk you of your good meanings, and your good minds? Are not your minds ignorant? Have ye not ignorant minds? Why then be it known unto you that your minds are naught, stark naught. Will ye believe God? Hear what he says, Prov. 19 2. Without knowledge the mind is not good. That man's mind then is not good that wants knowledge. And so he comes with an evil mind to the Sacrament that comes with an ignorant mind thereunto. Though I be ignorant, says one, yet I thank God I have a good mind. How sillily is this spoken? as if one should say, though I have a blind eye, yet I have as good an eye as he that can see farthest. Wherein lies the goodness of the eye but in the sight, and the goodness, of the mind but in the knowledge of God? He cannot have a good mind that wants goodness. An ignorant person wants goodness. See Rom. 15. 14. Ye are full of goodness. How came they so to be? filled with all knowledge. They must be first full of knowledge, that will be full of goodness. Full of knowledge, full of goodness, void of knowledge, void of goodness. And what then dost thou talk of thy good mind that hast as little goodness as thou hast knowledge in thee? Therefore let all ignorant people be advised to take heed what they do. It is woeful to consider the gross ignorance of many Communicants, it would pity a man's heart, and make his spirit bleed to see how many come to the Sacrament, and yet are utterly to seek in the very grounds of Religion. They hear of Christ, and they see a Sacrament, but what, or who CHRIST is, what is the end and use of a Sacrament, they know no more than such as have scarce heard of CHRIST'S Name. In the fear of God look to your souls, and get some competent measure of the knowledge of God, and CHRIST, before you offer to meddle with so holy an Ordinance. Especially let such look to themseles as may be taught, and instructed, and yet in a wilfulness, and rebellion of spirit will not be taught, nor instructed that they may be fitted for the Sacrament, but will continue in their ignorance, and wilfully come to the Sacrament therein. As the LORD speaks to such persons concerning the taking of the Covenant in their mouth, so it may be said of taking the seal of the Covenant into their mouths, Psal. 50. 16, 17. What hast thou to do that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, so in this case, what hast thou to do that thou shouldest take the seal of my covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and refusest, and scornest to be taught, and be helped out of thine ignorance. The worst I wish to such rebellious spirits is, that the time may never come, in which with weeping and howling, and wring of hands they do not curse the time wherein they scorned to be taught, and instructed before they came to the Sacrament. Chap. 5. Of the necessity of faith in him that will be a worthy Receiver. CHAP. 5 THe second thing requisite in Habitual preparation is the grace of faith. He that will come and receive after the due order must come with faith. It is in the case of the Sacrament as it was in the case of the sacrifices. The jews were very careful, and precise to perform the outward rites of God's worship, to bring their oblations, sacrifices and the like. And yet God was offended at them, and solemnly contests with them. Isa. 1. 11▪ 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices? Who hath required this at your hand to tread in my courts? Bring no more oblations. I cannot away with your new Moons, Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies, etc. Now these may seem strange speeches. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices? Why? did not God Himself command them, and enjoin them? And doth God use to enjoin things to no purpose? Who hath required this at your hand, & c? Who but God Himself? Did not he require it, and charge them to do it? Is God weary of his own worship? Doth he hate his own Ordinances, and are his own services burdens to himself? It cannot be denied but all these services were of his own appointment, he himself required them of them, he commanded sacrifices, incense, oblations, but he withal commanded them to be performed after the due order. He never required these things to be done in that order and manner they did them. It was to no purpose to offer multitudes of sacrifices in that order they offered them, he hated their services done in that order they did them. Why after what order did they perform them? Not after the due order, for they did these things without faith, and came to God in their unbelief, and therefore it is that God thus contests with them. But now consider vers. 16, 18. wash you, make you clean, come now, and then we see that he that before forbade them, now commands them to come, but yet withal how he commands their coming, come now, that is, now that ye have washed yourselves by faith in Christ's blood, now come, come after this order, and welcome. So that all that came to these sacrifices, and services without faith washing themselves in CHRIST'S blood came not in due order. So it is in the case of the Sacrament. Come without faith and God will say unto you, To what purpose is your frequent receiving of the Sacrament? To what purpose is the multitude of your Communions? Who hath required this at your hands to sit down at my Table? Come no more at the Sacrament, ye trouble me, I am weary of your Communions, and your receiving, it is iniquity. But let us get faith, and wash and sprinkle ourselves with Christ's blood, and then will God say, come now. This is to come after the due order: Now that you come after the due order, come, and welcome. No man ought to come till he come in due order, and no man can come in due order till he come washed in CHRIST'S blood, and there is no being washed in CHRIST'S blood but by faith. Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. We saw before that God's Ordinance, and order must go together. We must come to the Sacrament, that is, God's Ordinance, but we must come with faith, that is God's order. As it is an heinous sin to neglect God's Ordinance, so it is no less heinous and dangerous to neglect, and contemn God's order, and Gods due order is, that every Communicant come prepared with faith. So that it is no less sin nor danger to come without faith then not to come at all. He sins dangerously that comes not at all. He sins as dangerously that comes, and yet comes without faith. Consider again that same passage, Matth. 22. 4, 5. There were some invited to that feast that came not. They made light of it, what tell you them of CHRIST, of the excellencies to be had in CHRIST, to be had in the Word, or ministry of the Gospel, or in the Sacrament? They made light of it, but was this a light sin? They found it an heavy sin to them in the end, verse 7. Well after this there is a second and a fresh invitation, and the wedding was furnished with guests, ver. 9, 10. The feast being furnished the King comes in to see and view his guests, and one he spies that had not a wedding garment. The man was come, he was not guilty of the contempt of the Ordinance, but yet was guilty of the neglect of God's order. In he was come, but not after the due order. Well, but what is his entertainment? Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment, verse 12. that is, how haps it that thou art come in, and not after the due order? That was a question that silenced him, smote him stark dumb. But yet that is not all. See v. 13. Take him, bind him, etc. and do but compare that with the seventh v. and do but consider which of the two verses sound sadliest. And see that it is no less dangerous to neglect God's order then his Ordinance. But wherein was his neglect of the due order? Not having a wedding garment, that is, not having faith, or the righteousness of faith. He that comes to the Sacrament without his wedding garment, comes not after the due order, and he that comes to the Sacrament without faith comes without his wedding garment. Do but consider four specialties in that parable, that will serve to our purpose. 1 When the guests were come in, the King comes in to see them. So doth the Lord with all that come to the Sacrament. Take notice of that, all ye that come to the Sacrament; When you are come together unto the Table of the Lord you have one that comes in to overlook you, and to view you, that comes with an examining searching eye, Let a man, says the Apostle, examine himself, and so let him eat, etc. And there is great reason why a man should so do, for when we come to the Lords Table, the Lord will come in to see, to search, to examine his guests. God is not satisfied that men come to his Ordinance, but God will examine, and see whether they be come after the due order. If indeed God should not come in to see his guests, than might they be the more remiss, and careless, but believe it he will come in and see them and look narrowly on them too, and therefore I think it nearly concerns men to look to themselves, and to see to it before they come, that they come after the due order. 2 The whole house was full of guests, and there was amongst them all but only one man that wanted a wedding garment. In such a crowd, and company one would think that happily one might have skulked, and have lain hid, and not have been spied out, and yet that one man was not hid, but was found out. So if but one man come to the Sacrament, and come not after the due order, God will find him out. The crowd and multitude cannot hide him from God's eye. And if one could not be hid in a multitude, how much less shall twenty, forty, or more be hidden from him? 3 That his fault was the want of due order in coming, and his want of due order was his want of faith. So not a man comes to the Sacrament without faith but God spies him, and singles him out with this question, friend how camest thou in hither, not having the grace of faith? 4 That this man not coming after the due order with faith to that feast meets with a breach, and a blow, verse 13. Such will the case be of all such as come to the Sacrament without faith. Is is nothing to be examined by God? To be smitten dumb? Is it nothing to be bound hand and foot, and be cast into utter darkness? If this be any thing than it is some thing to come to God's supper without a wedding garment. He that comes in without a wedding garment on his back shall not go out without chains and fetters on his feet. So that all this considered, we see how necessary it is that he that will come to the Sacrament in due order must come with faith. And that we may yet be further convinced of the necessity of bringing faith with us, consider these things following. 1 First, a man's greatest care should be so to come to the Sacrament, that his coming and his performance of the duty should be acceptable. As good absent as present without acceptance: who cares to come to his neighbour's table, unless he may be welcome? Who had not rather be absent than be lowered upon, and to be entertained with sour and dark cloudy looks? now it is not possible to find acceptance without faith. No man's performance of any service is acceptable till his person be accepted, Mal. 1. 10. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand: Why would he not accept their offering? because he had no pleasure in them. He was not pleased with their persons, & therefore not pleased with their offerings; he had no pleasure in their persons, therefore no pleasure in their performances. It is the acceptance of the person, that makes the performance acceptable, Gen. 4. 4. God had respect to Abel and his offering: first to Abel, and then to the offering for Abel's sake. If God had not had respect to Abel, he would not have had respect to his offering; as in cain's case, Vers. 5. But unto Cain and his offering he had no respect. But because God likes Abel, therefore he likes his offering. But what is it now that will bring our persons into acceptance, that God may take pleasure in us? That very thing that brought Abel's person into acceptance, Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain: so that the way to bring our persons into acceptance, is to bring faith: faith is it which makes the person acceptable; leave that behind, and our case will be theirs, 1 Cor. 10. 3, 4, 5. They did all eat the same spiritual meat, and they did all drink the same spiritual drink, but with many of them God was not well pleased. So we may eat and drink the outward elements in the Sacrament, but if we do it not with faith, God is not well pleased with us; and being not well pleased with us, neither will he be well pleased with our service. It was speedy acceptance that Daniel had in his prayers, Dan. 9 23. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, etc. And what was the ground of his acceptance, and that so speedy? for thou art greatly beloved. When a man's person is in favour and beloved of God, then follows acceptance. The way to get acceptance, is to get our persons beloved: the way to get our persons beloved is to get them into Christ, the way to get them into Christ, is by faith. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. God is well pleased with no man till he be in Christ; no man is beloved but in his beloved Son. And when once we are in Christ, purged, and purified by his blood, than our services are performed in righteousness, and when so performed, then accepted, Mal. 3. 3, 4. He shall purify the Sons of Levi; namely Christ by his blood, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, Then shall the offerings of judah and jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord. And what is it that will bring us into Christ, but the grace of faith? As therefore we would have acceptance at the Sacrament, so come in due Order, Come with faith. 2 Secondly, for what end come we to the Sacrament? Is it not that we may be partakers of Christ's body and blood? The Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 10. 17. Of being partakers of one bread, and Vers. 21. Of being partakers of the Lords Table. Now, will this serve our turn, and satisfy us to be partakers of the Bread, of the Wine, of the Table; or do we not aim at an higher matter, namely to be partakers of Christ himself? Heb. 3. 14. We may partake of the bread and the wine, we may be partakers of the Table, though not a dram of faith in us. But that which privileges us to be partakers of Christ, of his body and blood, is faith. We come to the Sacrament to be made partakers of Christ's body and blood, but this we cannot do, nor may do till we have faith. First, we cannot do it; for he that will receive Christ's body and blood, must have an eye to see Christ and his worth, must have a foot to come to Christ, must have an hand to receive, and lay hold upon him, must have a mouth to feed on him; without all these there is no partaking of Christ. Now faith is all these. It is the eye of the soul, Isay 17. 7. At that day shall a man look to his maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy one of Israel. Isay 45. 22. Look unto me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth. It is the foot by which we come to Christ, john 6. 35. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Coming and believing are the same, faith being that by which we come to Christ. It is the hand by which we receive him, john 1. 12. To as many as received him, that is, to as many as believed in him. Believing and receiving the same, because by faith we receive Christ. It is the mouth by which we feed on him, john 6. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, that is, except ye believe in Christ. Now, can a man see without an eye? come without a foot? receive without a hand? feed without a mouth? GOD he looks that when he offers CHRIST, men should receive him, and takes it ill when it is not done. Take, eat, this is my Body: Christ therefore would have us eat him in the Sacrament. God is never better pleased, than when he sees men fall hungerly and heartily upon Christ: nothing displeases Him more, than when the Bread of Life, the flesh of Christ shall be set before us, and we sit and look another way, and feed not and fall not to. When a man makes a feast, if he sees his guests fall too, and feed hard, how highly well it contents him; but if he sees them sit looking about them, and not to feed upon those dishes he hath been Quomodo igitur corpus Christi edent, & ejus sanguinem bibent, cum & illud non habeant quo solo haec edi & bibi possunt? Gualib. in 1 Cor. 11. 27. at so much cost and care to provide, it troubles and frets him. Therefore if a man would please God in the Sacrament, he must feed and partake of Christ. Now therefore a man must bring faith: he cannot feed that hath no mouth, he hath no mouth that hath no faith. Christ is a treasury of rich commodities, there is any thing to be had in him we want, Apoc. 3. 18. There is gold to be had tried in the fire, there is white raiment, there is eyesalve to be had. But now, how may these be had, what is the way to get them? There Christ tells us, I counsel thee to buy of me gold, white raiment, eyesalve. The way to get them then, is to buy them. But what is that which will buy them? Not money, not silver, Isay 55. 1. Buy Wine and Milk without money, and without price: no money of the worldlings, no price of the merit-monger will purchase these commodities. And yet there is a money we must trade withal if we will buy them, and without which they cannot be had; and that coin is faith: faith is that alone which buys those riches of gold, white raiment, etc. faith is it that makes us partakers of Christ's benefits. He that goes to market and carries no money in his purse, cannot buy commodities that he wants. To come to the Sacrament, or Christ in the Sacrament, and bring no faith with us; is to come without a penny in our purses; and if we come without money, we shall be sent back without commodity. So that without faith we cannot be partakers of Christ in the Sacrament. Secondly, we may not do it. We may not do it till we have right to eat of Christ's flesh, and drink his blood; and right we have none till we have faith. None had right to eat of the flesh of the sin-Offering, but the Priests; only they might eat it, Levit. 2. 26. The Priests only had right to eat the shewbread, Leu. 24. 9 It shall be Aaron's and his sons, and they shall eat it in the holy place, Mark 2. 26. Which is not lawful to eat but for the Priests. It is so here. None may eat the flesh of Christ who is our true sin-offering but they that be Priests; till we be Priests we have no right to it, we must be Priests before we can have this privilege. But what is the way to be made Priests? To be washed in Christ's blood, as the Priests were consecrated by being washed in water, Levit. 8. 6. By washing also are we made Priests, Rev. 1, 5, 6. He hath loved us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us Priests. But how come we to be washed in Christ's blood? That is done by faith, faith takes Christ's blood, and sprinkles and washes the conscience therewith, Heb. 10. 22. and being washed by faith in Christ's blood we are made Priests. And therefore we are said to be made Priests by faith, 1 Pet. 2, 4, 5. To whom ye coming ye are also an holy Priesthood, that is, you believing are made Priests, for to believe is to come, and to come is to believe. And so faith making us Priests doth give us right to eat of these holy things, and privileges us to be partakers of Christ. Since therefore we cannot eat and partake of Christ till we have a right, and we have no right till Priests, and no Priests but by faith; therefore no right to partake of Christ till we have faith. And therefore if we would come to the Sacrament after the due Order, so as to eat of Christ, and be partakers of him, we must come with faith. It is not after the due Order for any but a Priest to eat the flesh of the sin-offering, or the shewbread. It was a case extraordinary that the shewbread was given to David, and the men with him to eat. We may not eat Christ's flesh, and drink his blood till we have a right to it; we have no right to it, till we be of God's family and household. The Sacrament and Christ's flesh and blood therein, is the bread and food which God provides for those of his own household, and not for strangers and foreiners: for we find mention, Ephes. 2. 19 of the household of God, and they there stand in opposition unto foreiners and strangers. And Gal. 6. 10. there is mention of the household of faith. When we are of the household of faith, we are of the household of God; and when we are of God's household, we may eat his household provisions; when we are of God's family, we may eat his bread. But till we be of his family we have no right to his provisions. We had need therefore have faith, to make us of the family of faith, that so we may be of God's family, and may have right to his provisions. They that will have right to Christ in the Sacrament, they must be first God's children; It is not meet to take the children's bread, and give it unto dogs, Mat. 15. It is not a good Order in a family that dogs should eat the the bread that is provided for his children; offal and scraps are good enough to feed dogs withal; if they get upon the Table, and meddle with children's bread, they shall be set down again with a whip or a cudgel. So here, the flesh of Christ is children's bread, and we have no right to it till we be children, and children we are made by faith, john 1. 12. To as many as believed he gave them this privilege to become the Sons of God. Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ jesus: And so by faith being children, have a right given us to partake of this bread of life. So that to come without faith is not to come after the due Order: which is, that none eat Christ, and be made partakers of him, but such as by faith are made the children of God▪ Give not holy things to dogs, that is not the due Order, that is a disorder. Therefore till we have faith God forbids to meddle with the Sacrament; and if in this undue Order we will be meddling, look for a check. God will say to such in this case, as he did to Adam after he had eaten the forbidden fruit, Gen. 3. 17. Because thou hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it, etc. So because thou eatest the Sacrament of which God hath commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it till thou bring faith, therefore in sorrow shalt thou eat, it is small comfort thou shalt have in thine eating. 3 Thirdly, consider the evils that follow upon coming without faith, and in our unbelief. And they are these. 1 First, such as come without faith, are not welcome to God: for such as come to the Lords Table with their persons, and consciences defiled cannot be welcome. We see Num. 9 6. that there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man that they could not keep the Passeover. What if they had in that defilement come to the Passeover? They had to themselves defiled the Passeover. For holy Ordinances do not sanctify defiled persons, but defiled persons defile holy Ordinances, as appears by the resolution of that case, Hag. 2. 11, 12, 13. An unclean person by a dead body, touching the bread or wine, makes them unclean. It is not safe to defile God's Ordinances. We know what was the voice from heaven to Peter in his vision, Acts 10. 15. What God hath cleansed, call thou not, and so make thou not common. A defiled person coming to the Sacrament, makes a cleansed thing common. Now an unbelieving person is a person defiled, Tit. 1. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled nothing is pure; no, not the pure Ordinances of God. Every word of God is pure, Prov. 30. 6. And so his Sacraments are pure. But to a defiled person, neither of these pure. Well then, who are they now that are defiled ones? See the words of the Text, to them that are defiled and unbelieving. Therefore an unbelieving person is a desiled, and an unclean person. Faith purifies the heart, Acts 15. 9 and so fits for pure Ordinances, but unbelief defiles the heart, and a defiled heart defiles God's Ordinance to itself. And how can that man be welcome to an Ordinance, welcome to a Sacrament, that defiles it? 2 To come without faith makes our coming an abomination. To come without faith is to come out of Christ, and to perform the service which a man doth, out of CHRIST. Now all service performed out of Christ, is abominable to GOD. See Leu. 17. 3, 4. What man soever there be of the house of Israel that killeth an Ox and a Lamb, etc. And brings it not to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation to offer an offering to the LORD, etc. blood shall be imputed to that man: he hath shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. And again vers. 6, 7. And the Priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the Altar of the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle, etc. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils. Sacrifices then not brought to God to the door of the Tabernacle were as murder and bloodshed, were as the service of the Devil. And what more abominable before God? The door of the Tabernacle was a Type of Christ. john 10. I am the door. And the drift of that Law is to teach that they should perform all their services to GOD in CHRIST, and to show how loathsome to GOD all services are that are not done in him. Now he that is in his unbelief, that wants the grace of faith is not in Christ neither can he do any thing in Christ. And therefore such a man's coming cannot but be an abomination. God abhors, and abominates that man, and his coming that wants faith. The end of coming to the Sacrament is to seek, and see God's face, and to have fellowship and communion with him. Now if we come without faith God will not let us see his face, GOD will turn away and hide his face from us, Deu. 32. 19 20. And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them, because of the provoking, etc. And he said, I will hide my face from them. But why will God do so? He gives his reason for it, for they are children in whom is no faith. So that when a man hath not faith he shall not see GOD'S face in the use of his Ordinance, for how can a man see an hidden face? But that is not all, GOD not only hides his face, but he abhorred them. He abhorred them because of their provoking him. How did they provoke him? Not only by that spoken of in the verses going before, but by that also in the verse following, because they were children in whom was no faith. Such then as have no faith have no communion with GOD, and do provoke God so as he abhors them. There can be no communion with GOD where a man is cut off from God, and fellowship with him. And where a man is cut off from covenant he is cut off from communion. Now where there is no faith there is an excision, a cutting a man off from God, and covenant with him, Rom. 11. 20. Through unbelief they are cut off. And besides it is a provoking sin. An unbeliever lives in a sin that continually provokes God. Numb. 14. 11. How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be yet they believe me? And Psal. 78. 21, 22. The Lord was wroth, so a fire was kindled against jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, because they believed not in God. And what wonder then that a man coming to the Sacrament without faith is abomination to GOD, when his unbelief angers and provokes the Lord. 3 The state of unbelief is a state of spiritual death. I live by the faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2. 20. A believer is a living man, an unbeliever a dead one, spiritually dead. The want of faith in the soul is the death of the Vnde mors in anima? quia non est fides; undemors in corpore? quia non est ibi anima▪ ergo animae tuae anima fides est. August. in joh tract. Placuit ut corporibus defunctorum Eucharistia non detur. Dictum n. est ● Domino, Accipite, & edite. Cadavera aut● nec accipere posiunt, nec edere. Council Carthag. 3. can. 6. soul, as the absence of the soul from the body, is the death of the body. It was an ancient abuse of the Sacrament to give it to dead bodies, an abuse condemned and cast out by a Council upon this reason: Because CHRIST; says Take, Eat: But carcases, and dead bodies can neither eat, nor drink. It was a good reason to deny it to dead bodies. The very same reason excluds unbelievers. unbelievers are dead, unbelievers can neither eat nor drink, for believing is eating & drinking, joh. 6. 53. What should a man do at the Sacrament that can neither eat nor drink CHRIST'S flesh and blood? An unbeliever can do neither, because he is a dead man, because he wants faith, the life and teeth by which Christ is to be eaten. 4 Unbelief evacuates, enervates, and de-sorces the Sacrament of its efficacy, and virtue, or powerful operation. The Sacrament in God's Institution, is an Ordinance that hath a fullness of spiritual blessing in it, full of efficacy, and spiritual power, and offers to empty itself with a rich, and plentiful blessing upon the soul of the receiver. But yet provided, that he come to receive it after the due order, that he come prepared with a believing heart. And Christ says to every receiver, as he said to the Centurion, Matth. 8. 13. As thou hast believed so be it done unto thee, and as to the blind man, Matth. 9 29. According to your faith be it unto you. So in this case, as you believe, and according to your faith when you come to the Sacrament, so be it done unto you. According to your preparation with faith so shall mine Ordinance work, and be effectual, and empty out itself unto you. And as every man brings faith, so he carries away an answerable portion of blessing, and spiritual good from the Sacrament. But now when a man comes to the Sacrament in unbelief, void of the grace of faith, the Sacrament proves but a dead Ordinance, utterly ineffectual, utterly empty of any spiritual good. That look as the Apostle speaks of CHRIST to them in case of circumcision, and justification by the works of the Law, Gal. 5. 2. Behold, I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing, and verse 4, Christ is become of no effect unto you who ever of you are justified by the Law. So it may be said of the Sacrament, and CHRIST in the Sacrament, behold, the Lord himself says it unto you that if you come to the Sacrament, and to CHRIST in the Sacrament and come in your unbelief: Without faith that Christ and the Sacrament shall profit you nothing, CHRIST and the Sacrament becomes of no effect unto you who ever of you come in the state of unbelief. Unbelief freezes up, binds, and locks up the virtue of the Sacrament, and CHRIST therein. It is still with Christ in the Sacrament, as it was with him in that case, Mark 6. 5, 6. He could there do no mighty work, and the reason is rendered in the next verse, He marvelled because of their unbelief. So that their unbelief did in a manner bind CHRIST'S hands. It is said verse 2. that the astonished people said, What wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands. And yet it is said that he could there do no mighty work. CHRIST was a CHRIST that could do mighty works, and yet there could do no mighty work, because of their unbelief. He could not do any mighty thing; why? can any thing limit the mighty power of CHRIST? Not so; but he could not, because this is the order according to which alone he hath tied himself to work, and be efficacious by, namely that he will exert, and put forth his mighty power in, and unto those that believe, 1. Pet. 2. 7. Unto you that believe he is precious. Christ is precious in himself, but not precious, and efficacious to us, but so fare forth as we believe, Ephes. 1. 19 The exceeding greatness of his power, and the working of the might of his power is towards them that believe. So that if no faith on our part, no exerting nor putting forth of his power on Christ's part. So it is here. The Sacrament, and CHRIST in the Sacrament doth mighty works. There is a mighty efficacy in the Sacrament. And yet it can do no mighty work in many, it can do no work at all in many for their good, because of men's unbelief which enervates the Sacrament, and deads' the force and operation of it to unbelieving hearts. The Sacrament is precious, powerful, and efficacious to them that believe, but the Sacrament received without faith is received without force, and without fruit. A faithless is a fruitless receiver. Look how it is with the Word, so is it with the Sacrament. Great things are spoken in the Scriptures of the power, and efficacy of the Word. No where more than Heb. 4. 12, 13. The Word of God is quick and powerful, etc. And yet in the second verse of the same Chapter the Apostle tells us that it was powerlesse to some, and wrought not with them. But what was the matter? For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Though the Word in its own nature were powerful, yet their unbelief made it powerlesse. Just so in the Sacrament, though it be a powerful Ordinance to do great things in the soul, yet the Sacrament administered doth not profit many because it is not received with faith, and men's own unbelief makes it powerlesse unto them. It is said, Luke 5. 17. That as Christ was teaching, there were Pharisees, and Doctors of the Law sitting by: And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. It is ever so, that when any of God's Ordinances are on foot, that then there is a power of God present to heal. As in the Word, so also in the Sacrament. Now if men come to the Sacrament with faith, that faith of theirs draws forth that power, and sets that power on work, and so makes the Sacrament powerful. But if men come in their unbelief, than they dead that power to themselves, and so make the Sacrament powerlesse. Moses hath a speech, Deut. 32. 13. He made him to suck honey out of the Rock, and oil out of the flinty Rock. Give me leave to allude to this speech. The Sacrament is a Rock, and it is a Rock in which is much sweetness, and fatness, honey, and oil. But how may a man get this honey, and this oil, out of this Rock. He made him suck honey out of the Rock. There is neither honey, nor oil, to be had without sucking, he that hath faith can suck, and so fetch out this honey and oil. But now though this Rock have honey and oil, if a man suck not, he hath neither. Now he that comes in his unbelief, he sucks not, nor cannot suck, and so he hath but a dry Sacrament of it, because he hath neither honey, nor oil. unbelievers they only lick the Rock, do not suck it, Ve●ùm hi qui verbo tenus co●de 〈◊〉, & ment a●●di sacris intersunt, vel etiam participant ●onis lamb●nt quidem 〈◊〉, sed ●●de nec mel ●ugunt, nec oleum. Cyprian. de Caen. Dom. and so fetch not the honey, and oil out of the Rock, for it is sucking and not licking that must do that. A child may lick the mother's breast and yet if it suck it not, gets no milk. A thirsty man may lick the outside of the cup, but that will never his thirst. He that comes to the Sacrament without faith, and rests upon the use of the outward sign, is like a man, as Mr Tyndall speaks in the like case, that thinks to quench his thirst by sucking the Alepoole. By all this than we may see of what necessity it is that every one that will come after the due order to the Sacrament come prepared with faith. Like enough there be too many in the world that think there is no such necessity of faith. So long as they be in charity with their brethren, and own no man any ill will, they hope all will be well enough. And this men ought to do indeed, but must take heed how they neglect the other. Some Papists indeed have affirmed that faith is not necessary Cajetan at the conference at Augusta with Luther said, Fides non est necessaria accessaro ad Eucharistiam. jewel. def. Apol. 283. for a man that is to come to the Sacrament, but upon what hath been in this Chapter premised, let us be advised in this case above all things, Ephes. 6. to have a care to come with faith, if we have any care to come after the due order. Chap. 6. Of the necessity of Repentance in him that will be a prepared Communicant. CHAP. 6 WE are come now to the third thing required in Habitual preparation to the Sacrament, and that is Repentance. He that will come to the Sacrament after the due Order, must come with repentance, must be a man that hath repent of his sins. It is with the Sacrament of the Supper as with the Sacrament of Baptism, when administered to men of years: the Sacrament of Baptism may not be received of men of years without solemn repentance, Mat. 3. john did baptise the people that came unto him, but he first preaches repentance to them, Vers. 2. and they profess repentance unto him before they be baptised, Vers. 6. They were baptised of him confessing their sins. And so Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptised: first repent, and then come to the Sacrament of Baptism. It is so also with the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, repent and receive the Lords Supper: first repent, and then come to the Lords Supper. And therefore 1 Cor. 11. 31. he wishes us to judge ourselves before we come to the Sacrament, which is a special work of repentance. In the Sacrament we draw nigh to God, and we desire to have the Lord draw nigh to us. If therefore we would draw near to God, or have him draw near to us, we must come after the due Order. If we draw near to God, and do it disorderly, he will not draw near to us, nor have any fellowship with us. Now what is God's Order, and the due Order wherein he would have us draw near unto him, we find james 4. 8, 9 10. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. But after what Order must we draw nigh to him? Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify CHAP. 5 your hearts you double minded, be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, etc. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord. This is the Order after which we must draw near to God, namely, prepared and fitted for fellowship with him by unfeigned repentance. Hezekiah proclaimed a solemn Passeover to be kept at jerusalem; and the Order after which they kept it, is worth the observing, and is for our imitation before we come to the Sacrament. First the Priests they cleanse the Temple, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the Temple of the Lord, into the court of the House of the Lord: and the Levites took it to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron, 2 Chron. 29. 16. And as the Priests and Levites do their parts in purging uncleanness out of the Temple, so the people do theirs in purging the City, They arise, and take away the Altars that were in jerusalem, and all the Altars for incense took they away and cast them into the brook Kidron 2 Chron. 30. 14. And mark what follows, Vers. 15. Then they killed the Passeover, namely, when all uncleanness was fetched out of the Temple, and all the Altars knocked down in the City, and were thrown into the brook Kidron, as it were into the Towne-ditch, Then they killed the Passeover. First, there was a purging, a cleansing out of filthiness: first, all the baggage and unclean stuff thrown into Kidron, and then a kill of the Passeover. This must be our Order in coming to the Sacrament: first, purge our hearts and lives of all manner of uncleanness that may be found in them, by repentance, and by repentance throw it all into the brook Kidron, and then come to the Sacrament, then receive the Lords Supper. So must men come to the Lords Table, as the Priests came to the services of the Tabernacle. When the Priests came to perform holy services in the Tabernacle, see in what Order they must come, Exod. 30. 18, 21. They must wash their hands CHAP. 6 and their feet at the brazen laver when they went into the Tabernacle, or when to the Altar to minister there. The equity of it reached farther than to the Priests. David was no Priest, yet Psal. 26. I will wash mine hands in innocency, so will I compass thine Altar. He alludes to the ceremony of the Priests washing at the brazen Laver, before they ministered at the Altar; to let us see, that though this ceremony belonged only to the Priests, yet the morality belongs to all, and that there is a washing that concerns all before they meddle with holy services, and so with the Sacrament. As the Priests were to wash themselves, so some parts of the Sacrifices also were to be washed, Levit. 1. 9 But the inwards and his legs he shall wash in water. The same Order must be observed in coming to the Sacrament: every sinner is an unclean person, and unclean ones must be washed before they offer to have fellowship with the GOD of Purity. There is a double washing with which we must be washed before we can come in due Order. First the washing of ourselves in Christ's blood by faith. And secondly the washing of ourselves by repentance. He that will come in due Order, must wash by repentance as well as by faith: yea, he must wash both his inwards and his feet. His inwards must be washed, jer. 14. 4. Wash thine heart, O jerusalem, how long shall thy wicked thoughts lodge within thee? All inward and secret lusts must be washed out by repentance. And the feet must be washed also. john 13. 10. As we walk in our daily ways; we gather a great deal of soil, and this same soil of our outward actions, must also be washed away by repentance. Why must the inwards and the feet or legs of the Sacrifices be washed, above all the rest? The reason is given, because the inwards or entrails, are the vessels that contain the filth and excrements of the Beast; and therefore were they to be washed. And the legs CHAP. 5 or feet to be washed, because they tread in the dirt, and mire, and so are more defiled than any other part of the body. And all this was to teach, that when we draw near to God, we should specially wash there where most filth is readiest to be contracted. Our inwards, our hearts and consciences, what abundance of excrements and filth have they? what dunghills of filthy lusts lie in our hearts? our legs, our feet, how do we defile them by walking and treading in foul ways? Even he that is washed already, still and daily needs to have his feet washed, john 13. 10. Now then for us to come to the Lords Table, with such inwards, with such feet, is not to take heed to our feet, nor to come in due Order. It were disorderly to sit down at a man's Table in so slovenly a fashion, as with unwashen hands; therefore more disorderly to sit down at the Lords Table with unwashen hearts. The Pharisees quarrelled with our Saviour's Disciples, Matth. 15. 2. Why (say they) do thy Disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But to such Communicants as come to the Lords Table without repentance, it may be said upon better ground, Why do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? For ye wash not your hands, nor your hearts, when ye eat bread at the Lords Table. Quest. But what is that repentance wherewith a man must come? How must a man repent before he comes? Ans. This is indeed a thing worth the enquiring after, because many that come to the Sacrament that yield to it that there must be a preparation before they come, yet foully deceive themselves in their repentance. Repentance it stands in a sorrow for sin, and an actual renouncing and forsaking of sin, so as to have no further communion with it. And here is that wherewith many gull themselves, do mock God and their own souls. CHAP. 6 Their consciences tell them that their lives are so vile, that there must be somewhat done before they come, and therefore there must be at least some sorrow, or show of sorrow, at least, before their receiving, and therefore haply they will hang down their heads, not for a day or two, that is somewhat too long to, but for an hour or two like a bulrush, will confess their sins to God, and make a shift to be sad and demure for a while: and all this is but to stop the mouth of conscience. But yet all this repentance is not worth a bulrush, because there is no abdication, no forsaking and putting away those sins, but the duty once over and past, and the Sacrament a little forgotten, upon the next occasion offered, they are as ready for their sins as ever before. They do with their sins when they come to the Sacrament, as Abraham with his servants when he went to Sacrifice Isaac, Gen. 22. 5. And Abraham said to his young men, abide you here with the Ass, and I and the Lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. So say many in effect in this case to their sins and their lusts: Stand you awhile aside, I must go to the Sacrament, and receive the communion, do but stand by a while, and when the Sacrament is over, or at furthest as soon as the Sacrament-day Soror in Christo amabilis, rogo ut audias prudentiam Serpentis. Serpens enim cum coeperit ire ad bibendum, antequam veniat ad fontem, evomit omne venenum. Imitare & tu charissima hunc serpentem in hac parte, ut antequam venias ad fontem, id est, communionem corporis & sanguinis Domini, evomas omne venenum, scilicet, odium, iram, malitiam, invidiam, malam voluntatem, & noxias cogitationes ex corde tuo. Bern. de modo benevivendi. c. 28. is over, I will come again to you. But this is mere mockery; in that repentance which must duly prepare a man for the Sacrament, there must be an utter departure from, and a forsaking of our evil ways. Before we come to the Sacrament to eat, and drink there, we should do as the Serpent is said to do, and in this case should be wise as Serpents. The Serpent before he goes to drink at the Fountain, first vomits up all his poison: so should we before we come to eat and drink at the Lords Table, vomit up and cast out all the poison of our lusts, and so vomit them up, as never with the dog to return to our CHAP. 5 vomit again; cast up, and cast away all our poison, before we come to meddle with these holy Mysteries. We saw in that case before, how they did before the Passeover, 2 Chron. 30. 14, 15. Then they killed the Passeover; Then? when? When that was first done, in the 14. Verse. They arose and took away the Altars, etc. and cast them into the brook Kidron. It had been but a folly to have killed and have eaten the Passeover, those abominations standing and remaining; therefore they do not only profess a sorrow for those abominations, as it is like enough they did profess a sorrow, but before they come to the Passeover, they take them away first, and make sure work with them, they cast them into the brook Kidron. So must our repentance be before we come to the Sacrament; not only a repentance that sorrows for sin, and yet keeps sin in the bosom still; but such a repentance that casts them quite out, even into the brook Kidron. CHAP. 6 That is the right course which they took, Ezra. 6. 21, 22. Mark there who did eat the Passeover: not all, not every man that would, but only such as had repent, and so had prepared themselves for it. How did their repentance appear? by their actual separation of their sins from them, All such as had separated themselves from the filthiness of the Heathen of the Land. It had been an heinous and horrible thing for them to have come to the Passeover in the filthiness of the Heathen. But they only that did separate themselves from that filthiness of the heathen did eat. Thus must it be also with a man that will eat at the Sacrament; it is not enough for him to confess his sins, to shed some tears and blubber for them, but he must separate himself from the filthiness of the heathen. What is swearing, whoring, drunkenness, profanation of the Lordsday and other Holidays but the filthiness of Heathens? What are these but heathenish filthinesses? Therefore whosoever is polluted with any such filthiness, or the filthiness of any other sin, must first separate himself from that filthiness before he come to the Lords Table. Let a man separate himself from his filthiness, and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. And the way to separate ourselves from our filthiness and sins, it is by repentance. Sin separates us from God, but repentance separates sin from us, and so fits us for fellowship with GOD in his Ordinance. And this is that thing which was typified in purging out of leaven before the Passeover, Exodus 12. 15. They are forbid to cat leavened bread: nay, that would not serve the turn, but Exod. 12. 19 There must be no leaven found in their Houses. They must not only have no leaven in their mouths, but there must be no leaven in their houses, seven days shall there no leaven be found in your houses: not only no leaven to be eaten, but no leaven to be seen, Exo. 3. 7. And there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. No leaven in the mouth, in the house, in all their quarters. And the jews were exceeding precise in purging out leaven. We read john 19 14. of the preparation of the Passeover, which was the day before the Passeover. Now on that day the father of the family, with other men lighted wax-candles, searched all corners to purge out all remnants and crumbs of leaven. And their Scribes taught, that a man was to search after leaven in secret places and in corners, and to search it out by the light of a candle out of all holes and corners. So that a jew before the Passeover would not have left a crumb of leaven in a cranny, or blind corner of his house. Leaven typified sin and wickedness, 1 Cor. 5. 8. And all this teaches us that exact care we should have to purge out, and cast out all our sins before we come to the Sacrament. There was no jews house had so many dark holes, blind corners, and crannies, as have our hearts, and therefore we should take the light, and candle of the Word, Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a light, a Lamp; And by the light of this candle search and ranscke the blind corners and secret crannies of our hearts, and out with all the very crumbs of leaven. So that as the Apostle speaks in that case, 1 Cor. 5. 7, 8. Purge out therefore the old leaven. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, etc. So let us do in this case of coming to the Sacrament. This is to keep our Passeover after the due Order. If we will eat of the Lamb, we must have no leaven: if Lamb no leaven, if leaven no Lamb: if Christ in the Sacrament, no sins and lusts favoured; if sins and lusts favoured, no Christ. There be that expound that Text, Cant. 7. 2. of the two Sacraments, Thy navel is like a round goblet which wants not liquor, thy belly is like an heap of wheat, set about with Lilies. By the navel they understand the Sacrament of Baptism: the navel serves for the nourishment of the babe in the womb, and baptism nourishes infants and new borne babes in the Church's womb. By the belly like an heap of wheat, they understand the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, for the abundance and store of excellent spiritual nourishment therein: and mark with what this heap of wheat is set about, set about with Lilies, signifying Christians of holy and godly life. To be sure, such they should be by repentance that come to this Sacrament, they should be Lilies pure and white; Lilie-white, that are set about this heap of wheat. It is not after the due Order when stinking weeds, hemlock, nettles, and such trash are set about this heap of wheat, when scandalous and profane persons, common swearers, customary drunkards, etc. thrust in, and set themselves down at the Lords Table. It is a case much to be lamented to see the desperate boldness of many in coming to the Sacrament; swearers, habitual drunkards, unclean persons, make no more bones of coming to the Table of the Lord, than of sitting down at their own ordinary Tables: swear this day, receive the next, be drunk on the eve, and receive the Sacrament on the morrow. Herein dealing as the Harlot in that case, Prov. 30. 20. She eats and wipes her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness, I am as honest a woman as the best of my neighbours. So these eat and drink at the Sacrament, and wipe their mouths, and who hath any thing to say to them, they hope they are as orderly fair Communicants as the best. That therefore men may be awakened to be more considerate, and may be provoked to come prepared with repentance, let them a little think seriously on these following particulars. First, he that comes to the Sacrament, and not after this order, prepared with Repentance, shall be sure to meet with no blessing, benefit, or comfort. There is a great deal of comfort and joy to be had in the use of the Sacrament, provided a man so come to it as he ought, provided that a man come prepared with repentance. Mark that passage, Ezra. 6, 22. They kept the Feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy. What are civil Feasts without joy? and what are holy Feasts without joy? A Feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry, Eccl. 10. 19 Little comfort in this Feast, and Wine in the Sacrament, unless it make a man's heart merry and joyful. joy is that which GOD promises to the right users of his Ordinances, Isay 56. 7. I will make them joyful in mine house of prayer. So God makes men joyful in the house of preaching, and joyful at the Table of his house. They kept the Feast with joy. How so? For, (says the Text) the Lord had made them joyful. But observe who they were whom God made joyful at that Feast, and Passeover: namely, those who had separated themselves from the filthiness of the heathen of the land. Such as come with true Repentance, God makes joyful in the use of his Ordinance. A man may be bold to challenge impenitent persons that come in their sins, and to charge them with it, that they have no joy in their receiving: God joys them not, makes them not welcome. As in the Gospel, so at the Sacrament God makes a Feast, such a Feast as the Feast of the Gospel is, Isay 25. 6. A Feast of fat and sweet things, a Feast of Wine, a Feast of things full of marrow. But who must eat of that Feast, who must be feasted with that wine and marrow? How must they be prepared that eat of this Feast? They must come in due Order that come to that Feast; and that due Order is to come with repentance: for mark what God subjoins there, Vers. 7. And I will destroy the face of the covering, & the veil that is spread, etc. So that they that will be partakers of that Feast, must first have the veil & the covering taken away; they that come veiled and covered come not after the due Order, and therefore shall not taste of the sweets of this Feast. But what is that veil then that must be taken away, before they shall eat of that Feast? We may see what it is by that of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 3. 14, 15, 16. The veil is the hardness of men's hearts, and that veil is taken away when men turn to the Lord. Repentance takes away that veil: when men are humbled for their sins, and do truly repent, then is the veil taken away. And when the veil is taken away, then are men prepared to come to that Feast of fat things. The Sacrament is a Feast of fat things also, and they that will come to this Feast in the Sacrament, must come with their hearts unveiled. It is a Feast of fat things, but they that will eat of this Feast of fat things, must not come with fat hearts. They that come with fat hearts will find it a Feast of lean things; will find neither sweet nor comfort in the use of the Sacrament; Go make the heart of this people fat, Isay 6. that is, Go make their hearts hard, and impenitent; Psal. 119. 70. Their heart is fat as greasse; fat hearts shall not be feasted with these sweet things. A lean heart that mourns, that pines, that grieves for sin, that heart shall eat of these fat things. Psal. 22. 26. The poor shall eat, and shall be satisfied. The man that is humbled and abased, he shall eat unto satisfaction: so that they only have benefit (taste the sweet and the marrow in this Feast, that come prepared with repentance. But let a man come without repentance and humiliation, and he receives no benefit at all at the Sacrament, but finds a lean and a dry Feast of it. It is in this case with a man, as it was with the Prodigal, when once he came to himself, and was sound humbled for his folly, and falls to confession, Father I have sinned against thee, and against heaven, then see what followeth, Luke 15. 22, 23. bring hither the fatted Calf, let us eat and be merry. Now that he reputes, he is fed, and feasted with fat things; the fat Calf must be killed and prepared. But look upon him in his impenitency, whilst he is in his sins, and how fares he then? alas, he than eats husks, feeds with the Swine, and his belly not filled neither: whilst he was in a Swinish condition, he was fit to feed at a Swine's trough, than to feed at his Father's Table; and then he is fed with nothing but with empty husks. It is just so here. If men come to God and to his Table with confession and contrition of spirit, with true and sound repentance; then God says, Come bring the fatted Calf, make a Feast, give this repenting sinner my Son's flesh and blood, his spirit; let him eat marrow, glut his heart with the comforts of my spirit, with the sweetness and goodness of Christ. But when men come in their swinish and brutish lusts, come no better than Swine without repentance for their sins, than GOD sends them to the trough: What do you a company of swinish adulterers, and drunkards, at my Table? get you to the trough; the trough is fit for you than the Communion-Table. And though such persons in their impenitency will thrust and crowd in to the Lords Table, yet they shall be fed but with husks. Impenitent persons find their food in the issue no better: they receive but the husk of the Sacrament, bare Bread and Wine, the naked Elements, they never taste a whit of the fatted Calf, they eat not a whit of CHRIST'S flesh and blood. God feeds Swine only with husks, husks are good enough for Hogs. And what are impenitent persons better than Hogs to whom Pearls must not be given. Observe how the Prodigals father speaks to him after his repentance, Come bring the fatted Calf, let us eat and be merry. A man can never so eat at the Sacrament as to be merry, till he eat of the fat, Nehemiah 8. 10. Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, neither be ye sorry, that is, be you merry and joyful; eating the fat, and drinking the sweet, cheers and makes the heart merry. But when says his father, let us eat and be merry? Now after he saw his Son to be sorry, when he saw his soul humbled and afflicted with sorrow for his sins, he saw him truly penitent; Now let us eat and be merry. It is to little purpose, to eat at the LORDS Table, unless we may so eat that we may be merry, that we may be cheered, refreshed, rejoiced. Now he that would eat and be merry at the LORDS Table, Lords Table must weep and be sorry in his own private Chamber, and Closet. And when we have made ourselves sorry God will make us merry, when we have sadded our souls by repentance, God will glad them with the comforts of his Spirit dispersed to us in the Sacrament. And the greater our sorrow is before we come, the greater will our mirth be when we be come. But contrarily when we come to the Lords Table, and have not been sorry, have not been humbled, have not repent, then may we come and eat, but we cannot eat, and be merry; we can have no comfort, no joy in our receiving, because GOD feeds us in such a case with nothing but husks. Husky food will never make the heart merry, and where repentance is wanting it makes the Sacrament prove to a man no better than an husky banquet. Where repentance is wanting a man in receiving receives nothing but bare bread, and bare wine, neither is it any more with God then if a man did eat common bread, and drink ordinary wine at his own Table. It is in Sacraments as it was with sacrifices. When men came to the sacrifices, and offerings without repentance see how God esteemed of them; Hos. 9 4. For their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. Zanch. in Locum. The bread for their soul, that is, the bread for their life, their daily bread for the sustenance of their bodily life. He speaks of that meat offering, Levit. 2. 5. That meat offering was appointed of God for a spiritual use, and yet it is called the bread for their life, or livelihood. Because they using those Ordinances without Repentance, though the meat offering were appointed for a spiritual use, God esteemed no other than common meat, as their ordinary bodily bread they fed upon to sustain bodily life. In the same sense it is that jere. 7. 21. the Lord in a kind of scorn calls their sacrifices flesh; Put your offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. There wanted repentance in the offerers, and therefore God reckons them but as other ordinary flesh in the Shambles. And being so, what had they more at their meat offerings then at their own Tables? what at their sacrifices more than might have been had at the Shambles? And no wonder, for God intends not his Ordinance to such; God calls not, invites not such, and he will not welcome those whom he invites not. Consider those Canons which were for eating the Passeover. Exod. 12. 43, 44, 45. This is the Ordinance of the Passeover, there shall no stranger eat thereof. But every man's servant that is bought for money when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A forreyner, and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. Here be three Canons. First no stranger must eat thereof. Suppose he had, yet surely should he have had no Communion with God, God would have been a stranger to him. Secondly no hired servant must eat thereof, suppose he had, certainly God would not have accepted his service. Thirdly no uncircumcised one must eat thereof. If an uncircumcised person had eaten thereof could he have looked for a blessing? Now all these three Canons make against an impenitent sinners coming to the Sacrament. For an impenitent sinner is all these. He is a stranger to God, Psal. 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb. And Psal. 54. 3. David calls the Ziphims who were notwithstanding of Israel, strangers, for what so estranges a man from God as doth sin? He is an hired servant, a servant to Satan, and his lusts, john 8. 34. Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin, 2 Pet. 2. 18. They themselves are servants to corruption, for of whom a man is overcome, of the same he is brought in bondage. And who will set his servant at his Table with him? The servant abides not in the house for ever, john 8. 35. and therefore sits not down at Table at any time. He is an uncircumcised person, jere. 4. 3, 4, Break up the fallow ground, circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the fore skin of your heart. What is the circumcision of the heart, but the breaking up of the fallow ground, verse 3. So that a repenting heart is a circumcised heart, and contrarily an impenitent is an uncircumcised heart, Acts 7. 51. Ye stiffnecked, and uncircumcised in heart. So that an impenitent person is an uncircumcised person. And what wonder then that an impenitent person meets with no blessing at the Sacrament, when he comes to eat against the Canon, being a stranger, a servant, an uncircumcised person? The Israelites Manna was Sacramental, and there is Manna in the Lord's Supper, and in the use of the Sacrament the Lord gives that hidden Manna, Apoc. 2. 17. But it is to be observed that the Israelites did not eat Manna presently so soon as they were out of Egypt, but first of all Sicut populus Israel ante transitum maris nonpotuit manna comedere, sic nemo valet ante baptismum corpus redemtoris accipere. Anselm. in 1 Cor. 10. Nondum baptizati, vel eriam adhuc excommunicati, etc. arcebantur a communione. Centuriat. Magdeb. Cent. 10. cap. 6. they passed through the red Sea, and that passage was a Baptism. See therefore Saint Paul's order, 1 Cor. 10. 1, 2, 3. Our fathers all passed thorough the Sea, And were all baptised in the Sea, And did all eat the same spiritual meat. So that before they did eat that spiritual meat, they were first baptised in the red Sea. There must be a baptism before the Manna may be eaten. None ought to receive the Lords Supper till he be first baptised. It were utterly against Gods own order to have a man receive the Communion before he be baptised. That very order teaches that there must be repentance before we come to the Lords Table. For baptism is the baptism of repentance, Luke 3. 3. john came preaching the baptism of repentance. So that where no repentnace, there the Sacrament belongs not to men, and they can have no benefit by it, to whom it belongs not. As in that case Bethsheba speaks, Pro. 31. 6, 7. Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts, or bitter of soul, let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. So it holds good here, God would not have this wine to be given to every man, it is not for profane, and impenitent sinners to drink this wine, but when men are by repentance in poverty of spirit, bitterness of soul, heavy in heart, than the Lord would have this wine given them; and such as come to drink it with such hearts, they shall have their hearts cheered, refreshed and sweetly comforted against the sense of their poverty, and misery. Repenting sinners go away with the sweetness, and comfort of the Sacrament. The Prophet speaks of a cup of consolation that was wont to be given to some, jere. 16. 7. That cup of consolation was not given to every one. But when any had buried some dear friend, and was in heaviness and sorrow, mourning and in bitterness as Zechariah speaks, Zech. 12. Then their friends did invite them to their houses, and give them a cup of consolation. So that that cup of consolation was for sad, and sorrowful persons only, only for mourners. The cup in the Sacrament is a cup of consolation, but this cup is prepared for mourners for sin, and when men receive it prepared with repentance, than it is indeed unto them a cup of consolation. But no cup of consolation at all to such as in impenitency of spirit come to the Sacrament. 2 He that comes to the Sacrament, and not after this order prepared with repentance, he not only meets with no blessing, but with a blow and a breach. And that in a double respect. First, Such an one shall not only not be the better, but fare the worse for his receiving in his sins, and impenitency. Some have a conceit that though they be such sinners as they are, yet the coming to the Sacrament will mend and heal them, and may do them good. But such are deceived, they shall be so fare from being the better, that they shall be worse. That as our Saviour speaks of a Pharisees Proselyte, Mat. 23. 15. that when he was made, he was made twofold more the child of hell than themselves, so is it with impenitent receivers, by their receiving they make themselves twofold more the children of hell, and the Devil than they were before, as having added both to the guilt of their impenitency the fresh guilt of the profanation of God's Ordinance, and having doubled their hardness, and increased their strength to follow sin with the more greediness. Such an one meets with an heavy curse, a spiritual curse upon his soul, so as the receiving of the Sacrament shall do his soul mischief. Sacraments work according to that disposition wherein they find such as receive them. Such as are the Receivers, so prove the Sacraments unto them. It is in this case as it was with the woman under jealousy, and suspicion of uncleanness, drinking the cursed waters, Numb. 5. 27, 28. And when he hath made her to drink the water, than it shall come to pass that if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot, and the woman shall be a curse amongst her people. And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean, than she shall be free, and shall conceive seed. Look then as the woman was, such was the work of the water. If she were clean the water did her no hurt, nay it did her good, she conceived seed, she became fruitful: but if she were defiled, and unclean it wrought with a mischief, her belly did swell, her thigh did rot, & she became a curse. It is so in receiving the Sacrament. As men Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis. are that receive it, so is the work and efficacy of it, either for good or hurt, either for bane, or blessing. If a man be prepared with repentance, and so be clean, than the Sacrament brings a blessing, it makes a man fruitful. But if a man be defiled, and unclean, Ideo nemo malo prodest, quia quicquid ad illum pervenit id pravo usu corrumpitur. Quemadmodum stomachus morbo vi●iatus quoscunque accepit cibos mutat, & omne alimentum in causam dolo●is trahit, ita animus caecus quicquid illi commiss●ris id onus suum et perniciem, et occasionem miseriae facit. Senec. de benef. lib. 5. c. 12. as every impenitent sinner is, than it banes, and mischiefs him, it proves as cursed water, it rots his soul, he proves a more rotten, and wretched sinner then before. An unwholesome, and diseased stomach what ever food it receives it altars, and rather nourishes the disease then the body, and turns wholesome nourishment to matter of grief, and vexation. So an impenitent soul coming to God's Ordinance in its sins and defilement doth but turn the wholesome nutriment of the Sacrament to the feeding of its diseases, and the increasing of its own sorrow and mischief, as the water that made the clean woman fruitful made the unclean woman swell and rot. God curses the Sacrament to an impenitent defiled person, and so makes a sad breach upon him in stead of a blessing. Secondly, such an one as comes in his impenitency shall meet with a breach in another kind, with God's heavy wrath falling upon him at the Sacrament. That same is a terrible Text, and worthy to be well thought upon by every man before he comes to the Sacrament, Leu. 7. 20, 21. But the soul that eats of the flesh of the peace offerings that pertain to the Lord having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people: Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. Their peace offerings were eucharistical offerings. Now suppose a man had defiled himself, and should have come, and with that uncleanness upon him have eaten of the flesh of those offerings, what had the issue been? surely it had been better for that man to have been a bed, and asleep, for that soul shall be cut off from his people, that man shall be destroyed, destroyed by GOD'S hand, and from before his face, as Leu. 22. 3 That soul shall be cut off from my presence. Nay mark yet further, ver. 21. That if a man did but touch any unclean thing; uncleanness of man, or beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and then in that case after such a touch, before he be cleansed shall offer to eat of the flesh of the peace offering, he should be cut off from his people. What? If no more uncleanness upon him than came by a touch must he yet be cut off? Must he be cut off that eats but with a touch of uncleanness? What then will become of him that not touches but wallows and tumbles in uncleanness? In the uncleanness of whoredom, drunkenness? If he must be cut off that touches the uncleanness of a man, what will become of him that wallows in the uncleanness of the Devil? If he must be cut off that touches but the uncleanness of a beast, then what will become of him that is an unclean beast, an unclean adulterer, an unclean drunkard, or any other unclean sinner? See how our Saviour speaks, Matth. 10. 12, 13. When you come into a house, salute it, And if the house be worthy; let your peace come upon it, but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. If the Apostles came to an house that was worthy, then upon their salutation the blessing they prayed for came upon that house, but if an unworthy house, the blessing fell not upon it, but returned to them again. So is it in the receipt of the Sacrament. When it is received, if he be worthy that receives it, then comes a blessing from GOD upon a man, but if the person be unworthy then comes neither blessing, nor peace. Now who is worthy? judge in your own consciences, are impenitent sinners that live, and lie in their sins? Are customary profaners of God's Name? Are habitual drunkards? Are loathsome Adulterers, covetous earthworms, are these worthy? If these be worthy who then is unworthy? Either these, or none are unworthy. Therefore no peace, nor blessing can come upon them. Nay that is not all, not only no blessing, but a curse shall come upon them. If he will show himself a worthy man says Solomon of Adonijah, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth, 1 King. 1. 52. but when after he carried himself unworthily, it cost him his life. If men come worthily to the Sacrament, so prepared by repentance as they ought, they meet with no hurt, but with a great deal of good. But if wickedness be found Mutet ergo vitam qui vult accipere vitam. Nam si non mutet vitam, ad judicium accipiet vitam, & magis ex ipsa corrumpitur quàm san●tur, magis occiditur, quàm vivificatur. Aug. Ser. de Temp. 1. in men, as Solomon there speaks, and so men come unworthily, God will curse them for so coming. He that eats, and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks his own damnation. And who doth it unworthily, but he that doth it impenitently? And what can such unworthy impenitent persons expect but a breach with a witness? The Israelites had a wondrous strange mind to flesh, Numb. 11. 4. They wept and said, who shall give us flesh to eat? And as great a mind have many to come to the Sacrament, but yet it fares no better with them at the Sacrament, than it did with Israel at their Quails, Psal. 78. 30, 31. Whilst the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. And so whilst many have the bread and wine in their mouths, the wrath of God comes upon them. But why so? Because it is with them at eating the Sacrament, as it was with Israel in another case, Verse 30. They were not estranged from their lusts, but whilst the meat was in their mouths, the wrath of God, etc. So many come to the Sacrament, but are not estranged from their lusts, their whoring, drunkenness, worldliness, etc. but come in impenitency, without sorrow, and reformation, and therefore whilst the Sacramental elements are in their mouths, the wrath of God comes upon them; and so instead of eating Christ they eat wrath. And all because they coming in their impenitency, provoke GOD to wrath. It may be thou feelest no wrath for the present, but yet wrath may be inflicted insensibly on thy soul. And though thou feel it not, yet thou mayest heap and treasure up wrath against the day of wrath. A man that brings every day but a faggot or two to the stack, may in time make a great heap: every day a stick to the pile, may make such a pile, as being fired at once, will make a dreadful fire. Thou feelest no wrath for the present, but every Sacrament thou receivest, thou bringest a faggot to the heap, and makest such an heap, as at last will make the fire so much the greater, & so much the hotter at the day of wrath. And then shalt thou feel that wrath which now thou heapest up. Thou greatenst thine heap now, and the greater the heap, the greater the fire. Now the reasons why God thus sadly makes a breach upon impenitent sinners are specially two. 1 Because every impenitent sinner defiles the Lord's Table, and the Sacrament. Holiness becomes thine house, O Lord, and so no less, holiness becomes thy Table, O Lord. As God himself is holy, so his word Sicut sanctum Canes non sanctificat, nec margaritae porcos nutriunt, sed contra Canes coinquinant sanctum, & porci margaritas, confringunt. Sic si hom inibus caninos, vel porcinos mores habentibus sanctum dederis, nec sanctum illos sanctificat, sed contra, ipsi sanctum coinquinant. Chrys. hom. 17. oper. imper. and Sacraments are holy, and therefore an horrible thing to pollute and defile the Sacrament. Now every impenitent sinner doth so. An impenitent sinner is a filthy person, and he befilths every thing he meddles withal. He is an unclean person. Now to the unclean all things are unclean, holy things sanctify not them, but they pollute holy things: under the Law, an unclean person defiled the Camp, Num. 5. 2, 3. Put out of the Camp whosoever is defiled, that they defile not their Camps. He defiled every bed he lay on, and every thing he sat on, Levit. 15. 4. He defiled every man he touched, Leu. 15. 7. His very Saddle he road upon was unclean, Leu. 15. 9 He defiled the Tabernacle of the Lord. Num. 19 13. He defiled bread, pottage, wine, oil, etc. Hag. 2. 13. Thus an unclean sinner's pitch touches nothing which it defiles not. He defiles Word and Sacraments, the Lords Tabernacle and his Table. Is it any wonder than that coming to the Sacrament, he meets with a breach and a curse? If any man defile the Temple of the Lord, him shall God destroy, 1 Cor. 3. 17. Put Table in stead of Temple, and it is as true; if any man defile the Table of the Lord, him shall God destroy, He that defiles the Tabernacle of the Lord, shall be cut off from Israel, Num. 19 13. And whosoever defiles the Table of the Lord as well as the Tabernacle of the Lord, shall God cut off from his people. Their sin was foul and heinous, Mal. 2. 12. that said, the Table of the Lord was polluted; what is their sin then that do not say the Table of the Lord is polluted, but do pollute and defile it? GOD sorely complains of it, that their common Tables in their houses at which they did eat and drink, and take their common repast, that they were defiled with drunkenness and gluttony, Isa. 28. 8. All Tables are full of vomit, and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. An horrible thing to defile a man's own Table with the vomit & filthiness of drunkenness? what an horrible thing then to pollute God's Table with such filth? And what doth that man better, that when he hath defiled himself with drunkenness, and with the vomit and filth of it, yet before he hath humbled himself with sorrow for it, and before he hath utterly forsaken and renounced it, doth presume in that filthy case to come to God's Table? How horrible a thing were it to defile the Lords Table with the vomit of drunkenness, now let all that defile themselves with drunkenness bethink themselves, how they can before God free themselves from it. And so all that live in other foul sins, let them consider how they can wash their hands from the guilt of this sin. Therefore when God sees his Ordinance defiled by them, his wrath is kindled, and he smites them with a curse. Incense from foul hands is an abomination, Isa. 1. 13, 15. not only no sweetness in it, but a filthy Incensi odor de immundorum manibus reputatus est profaetore, & i●am non gratiam praesumptio meruit. Cyp. de caen. Dom. stench in it, yea, such an offensive savour from it, as provokes God to wrath. If a beast touch the Mountain, it must be stoned or thrust through with a dart, Heb. 12. 20. If such severity against a Beast, how much more shall it be against a Man, that by his base and brutish lusts makes himself a Beast, and yet will dare, not only to touch the Mountain, but to go up into the Mountain? Any beast that had touched the mountain, must have died for it, though it had been a clean beast, how much more if it had been an unclean beast? That man that by his base and brutish courses becomes a beast, he is not only a beast, but an unclean beast. If a sheep had touched the mountain, it must have been stoned or thrust through with a dart, much more than should a Dog or an Hog, if they had touched the Mountain. O that they would seriously consider this who in the guilt of their sins, smoking and reeking, thrust in themselves unto the Table of the Lord, and that their hearts would tremble to think how dreadful a thing it is to pollute God's Ordinance. Is it a small thing in your eyes to defile God's Table? Is it nothing with you to pollute holy things? It was a smart and piercing speech of Ambrose to Theodosius, offering to come in the guilt of that slaughter at Thessalonica, Istasne adhue stillantes injustae caedis cruore manus extends, & iis sanctissimum Domini corpus prehendes? Vel tu pretiosum sanguinem Domini admovebis ori tuo? Magdeb. Cent. 4 cap. 6. What? wilt thou reach forth those hands of thine yet dropping with the blood of unjust slaughter, and with them lay hold upon the most holy body of the Lord? or wilt thou offer to put that precious blood to thy mouth? So may it be said to many coming to the Sacrament: What? will you reach forth those hands of yours defiled with blood, with the blood of oppression? These fingers of yours defiled with iniquity, Isay, 59 3. and with these hands and fingers touch these holy mysteries? with these lips of yours that have spoken lies, that daily drivel forth such a deal of obscene filth; that with so many foul oaths and bloody blasphemies have dishonoured God; with these mouths with which you have so often swinelike swilled unto drunkenness, & with which you have drunk of the cup of devils; with these lips and mouths will ye offer to drink the precious blood of Christ? Is it not sin and guilt enough, that with your sins you have already defiled your hands, fingers, lips, mouths, but that now also you will needs come, and defile the Lords Table? it is more than you can answer that you have thus defiled yourselves, why will you double your sin and your damnation in defiling also these sacred Mysteries? Consider this with trembling-hearts all impenitent persons, and you especially that dare impudently crowd into the Sacrament, when you come piping hot out of your sins and provocations. 2 Secondly, because a man coming in his impenitency he brings his sins along with him, and they put God in mind to do justice upon him. There is a prayer for their King, Psal. 20. 3. The Lord remember all thine offerings, and accept thy sacrifice. That is a special thing we should aim at in all our services, that God would remember them, that they may come up in remembrance before God. Now when a man lies in his sins, and brings them with him to any holy service they will rise up in remembrance against him at that very instant, and so not his services but his sins being remembered, a man shall not only miss of acceptance, but meet with a breach and a curse: see Hos. 8. 13. They sacrifice flesh for the Sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it, but the Lord accepteth them not. But why did not God accept them? the next words show the reason, now will he remember their iniquity: no marvel he remembers not their Sacrifices, when he remembers their iniquity. And yet this is not all: he will not only not accept, but he will visit their sins. When iniquity comes up in remembrance, God will visit their sin. And when will he visit? now will he remember their iniquity and visit their sin. Now will he remember their iniquity, now, even just now, as they be sacrificing, and now will he visit their sins, even then plague & smite them spiritually, when in their Sacrifices. God remembers wicked men's sins at all times, especially when they come to him in holy duties; even then when they come to the Sacrament he remembers them then; freshly remembers them then. When GOD sees a wicked man come with his sins to the Sacrament, he doth (as it were) on this manner speak in heaven: Behold here is a man come to the Sacrament without repentance, & he thinks to do me a goodly piece of service, but by no means do I accept him, nay, I abhor him, and am angry at his coming. I remember that at such a time he was drunk, I remember that he is an adulterer, a covetous worldling; I remember at such a time how he gripped, pinched, and defrauded his brother; I remember he is a common neglecter of the duties of my worship; and now without repentance for these sins, he is come to my Table, therefore now, all these his sins come up a fresh in my remembrance, and he shall be so fare from being accepted, that I will now at this very time of his receiving smite him with my wrath, my curse be upon him and his receiving, instead of a blessing; let Satan enter into him, and carry him on still to all ungodliness. It is a heavy judgement to have God remember and avenge our sins in the Sacrament. Thus God doth with impenitent persons, because they bring their sins thither with them. Sins brought along to the spiritual banquet of the Sacrament, they will do by men as Esther did by Haman at the banquet of wine, Esther 7. 2, 6. whilst he is at the banquet of Wine, she petitions against him, and she accuses him; the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman: and Vers. 7. the King's wrath is up at the banquet of wine, and he presently gives sentence against him. So all the sins that a man reputes him not of, when he comes to the Sacrament to come with him, and they being present, do pick out that very time to accuse him, and to say, This man is a drunkard, and unclean person, a common swearer, an adversary, an enemy to religion; even thus at the Banquet of Wine, sin unrepented of puts in accusations against men. And therefore no wonder that God's wrath is kindled against such even at the banquet of Wine, when they bring along those with them that accuse them, and clamour against them at that very time. So that these things considered, let us be awakened and stirred up in the fear of God to look to it that we presume not to come to God's Table in our sins and impenitency; unless we have mourned for our sins, the Sacramental bread will be unto us as bread of mourners, Hos. 9 4. unclean bread that will defile us; unless we do by repentance wash away our filthiness, we shall pollute God's Ordinance, and bring accusers with us, that will put God in remembrance to curse us. And were it not better for us before we come, to remember our sins ourselves, and to be humbled for them and renounce them? Christ's body was laid in a new Sepulchre, where never any had been laid, and he will give his body to none but such as come with a new heart. This new wine must not be put into old vessels, but new Wine must be put into new vessels. Be new vessels therefore by repentance, that the new wine of the comforts of God's spirit may be poured Rogo vos fratres, num est aliquis qui in arca sordibus plena velit mittere vestem suam? Et si in arca sordibus plena non mittitur vestis pretiosa, qua fronte in anima quae peccatorum sordibus inquinatur Christi Eucharistia suscipitur. Non puto esse aliquem hominem qui in arca sua ubi pretiosas vestes habet repositas, acquiescat aut carbonem vivum aut qualem cunque scintillam includere. Quare hoc fratres? quia timet ne comburantur vestimenta quibus in festivitate induitur. Rogo vos fratres, qui in arca sua non vult scintillam ignis includere, quare in anima sua flammam iracundiae non timet accendere. Aug. ser. de Temp. 252. into us at the Sacrament. I will close this point with S. Augustine's words, If a man will not put a fair and precious garment into a foul Chest, with what face can he take the Sacrament of the Eucharist into a filthy soul? There is no man that will put live coals into the chest where he puts his best apparel. Why so brethren? because he fears his garments may be burned with which he himself on Festivals. I beseech you brethren, he that will not put fire into his chest, why is he not afraid to kindle the flame of wrath in his own soul? Chap. 7. Of the Necessity of Charity and Love in him that will be an Orderly Communicant. NOw follows the fourth thing required in habitual preparation to the Sacrament, and that is charity and love towards our brethren. This is a thing necessarily required. This is a truth confessed on all hands, that men should be in charity that come to the Sacrament. And many that have no great care, nor make any great conscience of coming with knowledge, faith or repentance, yet will seem to make some scruple of coming without charity. Yea though many will not abstain for their drunkenness, oaths, etc. yet if there be a breach, and a falling out between them, and others they will by no means meddle; though without breach of charity a man may judge of them that they are reasonably well contented that they have so fair an excuse to stop the mouths of their consciences that are ready to check them, and quarrel with them for their neglect of GOD'S Ordinance. For if out of conscience they scruple coming to the Sacrament without charity, why then scruple they not living without it? But yet this shows that men generally acknowledge that love is a necessary preparative to the Sacrament. It is that which indeed is necessary in all our services of God, and duties of his worship. It is required in all that will pray aright, 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath. Every Christians care should be to have his prayer like jobs, job 16. 17. Also my prayer is pure. The way to have our prayer pure, is to lift up pure hands without wrath. Love is that which makes heart, and hands, and so prayer pure from the defilement of wrath. It is required in all that will hear the Word aright, james 1. 19 They that will be swift to hear, must be slow to wrath, and verse 21. all superfluity of maliciousness must be laid apart to fit for the receiving of the Word. So 1 Pet. 2. 1, 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice, as new borne babes desire the sincere milk of the Word. And so likewise no less requisite in all such as will come to the Sacrament in due order. Every sacrifice was to be salted with salt, Levit. 2. 13. And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt. Thou shall not suffer the salt of the Covenant of thy God to be lacking, etc. with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. Unseasoned services are unsavoury services. Services without salt are services without savour. And here is a salt with which all our duties are to be sprinkled, Mark 9 50. Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. And as at all times, so especially is it required before we come to the Sacrament. If without love, we are neither fit to pray nor hear, than not fit to receive the Sacrament; for he is not fit to receive the Sacrament, that is neither fit to pray, nor hear the Word. The necessity of it will appear by these things. 1 By that so well known a place, Matth. 5. 23, 24. If thou bring thy Nun quam mihi contingat turbatum ad pacis accedere sacrificium, cum ita & disceptatione contingere Sacramentum-Certe non recipitur munus quodcunque meum quod defero ad altar, nisi ante placato fratre, quem me forte laesisse meminero, quanto minùs si meipsum non placavero priùs. Bern. de precept. & dispens. gift to the Altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the Altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. It may seem to be somewhat an odd thing, an incongruous carriage, and to carry some show of irreverence with it, that a man being come into the Temple, having brought his offering before the Altar, should all on a sudden turn his back upon the Altar, and go his ways out of the Temple. Might not a man therefore in such a case better have stayed there still, so that in his heart he were sorry for the wrong done to his neighbour, and be fully resolved so soon as the sacrifice is ended, to reconcile himself to him? No, it will not serve the turn, but how odd, and undecent it may seem to be, yet go thy way; and first be reconciled, and then come and offer thy gift. Not offer thy gift, and then go and be reconciled. This must be done first; it is a preparative duty, and preparative duties must be done before the services themselves be done. Now as in Sacrifices so is it in Sacraments, Et tum veniens offeres munus tuum. Vae mihi misero, ne dicam & tibi, qui tanto tempore aut non obtuli munus, aut ira permanente, sine causa obtuli. Hieronym. Ep. ad Castorin. Matert. GOD will have love, and reconciliation before men come to His Table. Go first and be reconciled before thou go to receive the Sacrament. He that will go to the Sacrament without charity, can look for no better than to return without fruit. Uncharitable receiving can be no better then unprofitable receiving. 2 That same, 1 Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit we are all baptised into one body, and [by one spirit] have been all made to drink into one spirit. The Apostle had shown before, v. 8, 9, 10. that though some men do receive personal peculiar gifts, yet they are given by the spirit for the good of the whole Church. The reason in brief is because all the whole Church is but one body, and one soube: and every believer being a member of that body, whatsoever he hath, he hath it not for himself, but for the common good of the body. But now the question might be whether all believers be one body, and one spirit or soul. Now therefore the Apostle shows, and proves this unity of the Church, that all believers are one body and soul, from the end, and effect of the Sacrament, which is to seal this unity. That they be one body it appears by the Sacrament of baptism, for by one Spirit we are baptised into one body. That they be one spirit, or soul it appears by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, for by one spirit we are made to drink into one Spirit, or soul. Thus by both the Sacraments is this unity sealed. Observe then that a main end, and use of the Supper is, that we may be made to drink into one spirit, into the Sacrament in love and charity, CHAP. 7 or else how shall the end and use of the Sacrament be made good? How can they be made to drink into one spirit, that are of two spirits, of two different, contrary spirits? it is exceeding requisite that they be of one spirit, that come to be made drinkers into one spirit. It is love that makes men of one spirit, and so fits them to be made in the Sacrament to drink into one spirit: love makes men of one spirit, the Sacrament seals this unity of spirit. There cannot be an unity of spirit sealed, till there be an unity of spirit made. Now because it is love that makes this unity, and this unity must be sealed at the Sacrament, therefore necessarily must a man come with love that will come aright to the Sacrament, or else he frustrates a main end of the Sacrament. 3 Thirdly, as the Sacrament of Baptism is the Sacrament of our new birth, so the Sacrament of the Supper is the Sacrament of our new life, and spiritual nutrition and growth. And unto it should a man come, that in the right and religious use of it he may be spiritually nourished, and may thrive and grow in grace and goodness. Now no man can grow, thrive, or be nourished by the use of the Sacrament, that comes to it without love. The whole Church is a body, every Christian is a member of that body; now a member that will grow in the body, and thrive, must necessarily be united to and conjoined with the body. If a member be separated from the body it cannot be nourished, nor grow: an hand or an arm rend or cut off from the body, cannot be nourished, nor grow. Nay, though a part of the body be not separated from the rest, yet if there be but a dislocation of a part, so that it be only out of joint, it cannot thrive and prosper till it be set in joint again. So it is here in the body Mystical; it is a growing body, every member thereof grows and increases, Col. 2. 19 It increases with the increase of God. But how comes it to increase? All the body by joints and bonds having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. So that unless the body be knit together by joints and bands, it cannot increase by the ministration of nourishment. But now what are these joints and bands, and what is it that knits the parts of the body so together as that it increases? That the Apostle lays down somewhat more fully, Ephes. 4. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplies, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. These words are taken and translated from the natural body, and the Apostle shows that it is in the Church, the mystical body of Christ, as in a natural body. Now in a natural body; first, there be divers and small members which go to the making of it up: secondly, these members are fitly joined and compacted together: thirdly, there is a conjunction of them after an excellent manner, and that thus: all the several parts they have their bones, the solid parts of those members. Now these bones are coupled by the joints, so as the end and the round part of one bone goes into the hallow end of another; This is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Eph. 4. 16. Col. 2. 19 But this is not all, but as the joints are fitted and suited each to other, so as the round part of one joins to the hallow part of the other; so also that there may be a sure coarticulation, there be certain ligaments and bonds that grow fast to the end of each bone in the joint, that fasten bone to bone, this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Col. 2. 19 There is not only a fitness by which one bone suits with another in the joint, but there a fastness also by virtue of that bond that knits bone to bone. This is a compaction by that which both the bones in the joint mutually minister: fourthly, the parts of the body thus sweetly fitted and suited together, and thus firmly fastened, they all by their nourishment received, thrive, and grow, and so the body increases, which it could not do if there were a dis-union, or a dislocation, or ● luxation of those parts. Now thus it is in the Church the body of Christ: 2. There be many and sundry members to make up this body. 2. They are all joined and compact together. 3. Their conjunction is after the same manner. The minds and spirits of believers are so coupled together, as that one man's spirit doth as it were insinuate itself into another's: and that this conjunction & joint may be the surer, there be certain bonds and ligaments that knit these members together: and these bonds are two: first, The Spirit of God, they have all one and the same spirit, Ephes. 4. 4. One body, one spirit: and by this one spirit Christians are knit in this one body, 1 Cor. 12. 13. Secondly, The bond of love, and peace; and every joint or member supplies and ministers this bond each to other whereby they are knit each to other, Ephes. 4. 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit; that is, endeavouring to be of one spirit and mind, as two bones meeting at a joint are coupled in the unity of the joint: there is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that spoken of, Rom. 12. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. There is a fit joining together, and this is added in the bond of peace. There is the compaction of both, by that which each joint supplies, each Christian supplying and ministering the bond of peace and love, do thus knit and join together themselves members in the same body: this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Col. 2. 19 there is mention not only of joints, but of bonds. And Col. 3. 14. love is called The bond of perfection; that is, a bond which doth perfectly bind together the members of the mystical body, each ministering and supplying love to another; as the ligaments that knit bones together are mutually ministered from both the bones: so that the compaction of the members is by the ligament of love, as the Apostle expresses it, Ephes. 4. 16. Fourthly, the body of the Church thus compacted increases itself, and is edified and grows up, Epes. 4. 16. Maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. The body increases and edifies when the several parts do, and they do increase and grow when joined together and knit together in love. So that all this serves to show the necessity of love in such as come to the Sacrament; we come to the Sacrament to be nourished, to grow, to increase: none of these can be done without love. A man coming to the Sacrament out of charity, is a member out of joint, yea, as a member disunited. It is not possible such a member should be nourished and thrive. As therefore a man would find nourishment and increase with the rest of the body, so it concerns him to come prepared with love. 4 God requires that men should eat their bodily food with love & mutual charity. There is little contentment in bodily Feasts, when men sit down at one Table with divided hearts and affections: we may see Acts 2. 46. how the Primitive Christians did eat their common bread at their common Tables, Breaking bread from house to house, did eat their bread with gladness and singleness of heart: the which they could not have done if they had not met at their Houses and Tables, as they did in the Temple, in the same Verse, with one accord, or unanimously. They could not have eaten with gladness and singleness of heart, if they had not eaten together in love. For there can be neither gladness nor singleness of heart where love is wanting. And if they came together with such love & affection to their common tables to take their bodily repast, how much more think we did they come with love, and all good mutual affection one to another to the Lords Table. Therefore it was that before the Sacrament they had their love-feasts to testify with what affection they came to the Lords Supper. The sweet and sauce of common repast, is love; Prov. 15. 17. Better is a dinner of green herbs where love is, than a stalled Ox with hatred: love makes a few green herbs fare better cheer, than the greatest fare that is eaten with hatred and malice. If love therefore be required at our own Tables, that when we eat together we should eat in love, how much more than will God require it in those that come to sit down at his Table? Saint Augustine would not endure any at his Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere fam●m, Hanc mensam indignam noverit esse sibi. Posid. de vita. Aug. cap. 22. Table that should show any malice against others in backbitings or detractions, and had two Verses written on his Table, to be Monitors to such as sat thereat, that in such cases that Table was not for them. And how much less will the Lord endure any at his Table that come thither with malice and hatred against their brethren. Such must know that they are utterly unworthy to come to the Lords Table. To come to the Sacrament in malice, and to eat it in distemper of spirit is not to eat the Lords Supper: that is, such as so come do not so receive it in regard of the benefit and blessing, as if they received so holy an Ordinance as the Lords Supper: see 1 Cor. 11. 20. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lords Supper. The particle, Therefore, carries the words to some thing before, to that Vers. 18. When you come together in the Church, I here there be divisions amongst you; when ye come together therefore in one place, this is not to eat the Lords Supper. Therefore when men come together, and there be divisions amongst them, this is not to eat the Lords Supper; for such persons eat not the Lords Supper in regard of the benefits and blessings that are received at the Lords Supper because they eat not after the due order. This is not to eat the Lords Supper says the Apostle, for verse 21. in eating every one takes before other his own Supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken. So it may be said in this case, to come in malice to the Lords Table, this is not to eat the Lords Supper, which is a Supper of love, for how do they eat the Lords Supper, when in eating, one man's heart swells against another, one man is sick with envy, another is filled with malice and hatred. They eat my people as they eat bread, Psal. 14. 4. Ye bite and devour one another, Gal. 5. 15. Think we when men eat up one another and devour one another that they be fit to eat at the LORDS Table, or to eat the LORDS Body? or if they do eat the Sacrament think we that they do eat the LORDS Supper? That they sup with CHRIST and have any fellowship with him? It is a good disposition in one sense to eat the Supper of the LORD in bitterness, with bitterness of sorrow for sin, but to come in bitterness of spirit in regard of hatred and malice, this is that which will so embitter the Ordinance unto us, that we shall have little comfort in the action. The Sacrament is a seal, and in the right use of it the spirit seals up a man's redemption to him. Now he that would at any time be sealed by the Spirit of God, especially in the use of the seal of the Sacrament must take heed that he grieve not the Spirit of GOD; And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption, Ephes. 4. 30. If we grieve him how shall we look to have him seal us? Specially when we come to the Sacrament? I but what is it that grieves him so that he will not seal? judge by that which immediately follows, verse 31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. Therefore bitterness, wrath, and malice, they grieve the sealing Spirit of God. We lose our errand when we come to the Sacrament, and go away unsealed; we go away unsealed when we grieve the Spirit; we grieve the Spirit when we come to the Sacrament with a malicious, and an embittered Spirit. Therefore as at all times it is good counsel to put away bitterness, and malice, so it is especially when men come to the Sacrament. There is a leaven of malice, and the feast must not be kept with that leaven, 1 Cor. 5. 8. This must be purged out as old leaven. That same of the Apostle 1 Co. 14. 20. may serve for a rule for coming to the Sacrament; Brethren be not children in understanding, how be it in malice be ye children. How many come to the Sacrament as children in one sense, and not as children in another? As children in an ill sense, and not as children in a good sense; for knowledge as very children, to come thus like children is a dangerous thing. But to come as children in regard of malice, as free, as void of it as children, thus to come like children is an happy thing. And as our Saviour speaks in another case of receiving the Kingdom of GOD, so in this sense it is true of receiving the Sacrament, Luke 18. 17. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of GOD as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. So whosoever shall not receive the Sacrament as a little child, in regard of freedom from malice, he shall reap no fruit by his receiving. Therefore as Saint Paul speaks of charity in the general, so I close this point concerning charity in this particular to fit a man for the Sacrament, 1 Cor. 13. 2, 3. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, etc. and have no charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, etc. and have not charity it profits me nothing. So in this case, though thou often, and frequently receive these holy mysteries, and yet have not charity thou art nothing, and thy receiving is nothing. Though thou receivest the Sacrament every day in the week, and givest liberally at the Sacrament to the poor, and yet hast not charity, it profits thee nothing. So much wrong they do themselves that come not in due Order to the Sacrament, with that Love and Charity which GOD requires. Chap. 8. The Necessity of obedience in an Orderly Communicant. CHAP. 8 THe last thing remains requisite in Habitual preparation to the Sacrament, and that is obedience to GOD, and his Commandments. He that will come after the due order must be such an one as Psal. 50. 23. That orders his conversation aright. That he doth, that walks orderly according to the rule of God's Word, and in obedience thereto. Such an orderly man must he be that will be an orderly Communicant. It is impossible for him to be an orderly Communicant who is a disorderly man. He walks disorderly that walks disobediently, 2 Thes. 3. 7. That walks disorderly. Who is he that doth so? verse 14. If any man obey not our word. And if it were possible to have all the former things without this, yet the want of this would mar all. For CHAP. 7 what though a man had all knowledge, and all understanding that can fall within a mortal capacity, yet what is it all if obedience were wanting. All such knowledge is as ignorance, 1 john 2. 3, 4. Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments, He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. There be that see many things, and yet are blind, Isa. 42. 19, 20. and that because obedience is wanting. And how welcome ignorant, and blind persons be to the Sacrament we saw before. And what evidence is there of the truth of faith where obedience is wanting? Thou sayest thou hast faith when thou comest to the Sacrament, show me thy faith by thy works, by thine obedience. As faith is the principal of all true obedience, so obedience is the evidence of true faith. He that is wanting in obedience must needs be wanting in faith, and he that comes to the Sacrament without faith CHAP. 8 comes to no purpose. And how will it appear that that man hath repent, and truly turned from his sin, who is not yet in the ways of obedience. There is no man reputes but he brings forth fruits worthy of repentance. The fruits of obedience are the fruits beseeming repentance. And how is there love without obedience, when love is the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13. 8. How can the Law be fulfilled without obedience. So needful is obedience to qualify a man for the Sacrament. A man's care must be to eat, and drink worthily. He that will do so, must have a care to do that, Col. 1. 10. To walk worthy of the Lord. He that is an unworthy walker can never be a worthy receiver. But how may a man walk worthily, or what is it to walk worthy of GOD? The Apostle teaches us what it is in the same place, That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work. So that to walk obediently is to walk worthily. And such a worthy walking fits for a worthy receiving. It is that which GOD regards more than all outward performances, than the services of his worship. It is a common error in many men to think that if they perform the outward duties of worship they do enough, and that these alone are highly well pleasing to God though no more be done. They think, so long as they pray, hear the Word, receive the Sacrament all is wondrous well, though they make no conscience of obedience to Gods will otherwise; Though they obey not yet because they do duties of worship that they do God very acceptable service, whereas the truth is that when we give not God obedience, all services have poor acceptance. Profession of Religion, and godliness a good thing it is, but yet a vain thing without obedience. Excellent speech becomes not a fool, Pro. 17. 7. And what though Israel cry, my God we know thee, what is this to the purpose so long as Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, Hos. 8. 2, 3. Disobedient profession is abominable and a kind of Atheism denying GOD, Tit. 1. 16. And as profession, so performances vain. Their sacrifices without obedience as acceptable as a Dog's head, or as Swine's blood, Isa. 66. 3. Hearing without obedience as good as nothing, Ezek. 33. 31, 32. no more then hearing a song, or a Musician. GOD is highly well pleased with prayer, and yet he that prays to God and yields him not obedience will find poor speed, Prov. 28. 9 He that turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be abomination. Yea the receiving of Sacraments is to as little purpose as all the rest, Rom. 2. 25, 26. Circumcision profits with obedience. Circumcision is made uncircumcision without obedience, and uncircumcision with obedience preferred before circumcision without. Circumcision profits if thou keep the Law, so receiving the Communion profits, and thou shalt find benefit and good by it, if thou be one that walkest in obedience to GOD. But if thou be a breaker of the Law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. So if thou be not obedient to GOD and his Law thy receiving is no better than not receiving. It is a good thing to come to the Sacrament, but it is a better thing to give God obedience, and it is the best of all, when first giving GOD obedience we then come to receive the Sacrament. That which Samuel speaks to Saul is true in this case, 1 Sam. 15. 22. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. Sacrifice was a solemn service. Saul thought sacrifice was a goodly thing, and so it was when performed with obedience, but he thought if God had sacrifice, it was no matter for obedience. Therefore Samuel teaches him another lesson, that his obedience without a sacrifice had been better than a sacrifice without obedience. And so behold, to obey is better than to receive Sacraments. There were divers reasons why obedience was better than sacrifice. 1. Because obedience was more spiritual than sacrifice. 2. Sacrifice was only at set, and solemn times, obedience was to be daily, hourly. 3. Sacrifice wicked men might and did offer, Cain sacrificed as well as Abel; obedience only could a good man perform, a wicked man obeyed not God. 4. Sacrifice was nothing if separated from obedience, obedience separated from, and performed without sacrifice might be acceptable. 5. Obedience qualified, and fitted a man for sacrifice, and prepared him to be an acceptable sacrificer. But sacrifice fitted not a disobedient person unto obedience. Therefore to obey was better than to sacrifice. Upon the same grounds to obey is also better then to receive Sacraments. It is a more spiritual service then bare receiving, it is a continual and a more daily duty; it is duty which many do not, cannot do, that yet receive the Sacraments: it may be accepted when the Sacrament is not received, not the receiving of the Sacrament accepted without it; and it is that which qualifies and prepares a receiver for the Sacrament. And how needful it is for a Communicant to be prepared thus, will appear by these things: 1 First, when we come to the Sacrament, we come to eat the flesh and blood of Christ, we come to eat Christ. It is but a folly to hope to eat Christ, when we yield not God obedience, My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed, john 6. But for whom is it meat and drink? For such as when they come to the Sacrament are found such as our Saviour was, john 4. 34. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me; Take, eat, this is my body: he therefore offers his body to be eaten. But may any one eat it? Is it meat for all sorts to eat? No, see who they are that eat and drink, Cant. 5. 1. Eat, O friends, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved: He calls upon his friends, and his beloved, and cheers them up to eat and drink; we must then be his friends and his beloved if we will eat and drink. And who then are his friends? who are his beloved? Such as yield him obedience, such are his friends; john 15. 14. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. Such are his beloved, john 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him; he shall be my beloved. Such are his best beloved friends, his brother, sister, and mother, Mat. 12. 49, 50. Such friends shall be sure to eat and drink, and to drink abundantly; & obedience making us such friends, makes us fit to eat and drink at his Table. Look how the Prophet speaks of eating the good things of the Land; so it is in eating the good things of the Sacrament, Isay 1. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good things of the Land. There were good things in the Land of Canaan, it was a Land flowing with milk and honey; they were good things. There were precious fruits brought forth by the Sun, and precious things thrust forth by the Moon, Deut. 33. 14. Now God promises them to make them partakers of these good things, that they should eat of these precious fruits of the Land; but mark upon what condition, If ye be obedient ye shall eat the good things of the Land. The case is the same here. In the Sacrament there be good things, there be precious things put forth by the Son of Righteousness, thrust forth by the Spirit of God. Now these things are there to be eaten; take, eat, this is my body, but yet they are to be eaten with the same condition, If ye be obedient, ye shall eat the good things of the Sacrament. If then we come without obedience we miss eating the good things of the Sacrament; and as good not eat the Sacrament, as not eat the good things of it. Any man may eat the Sacrament, but only such as be obedient, eat the good things of it: judge then how much it concerns to come to the Sacrament prepared with obedience. 2 Secondly, when we come to the Sacrament, we come thither to have communion with Christ. They must first be obedient to Christ that will have communion with Christ, Revel. 3. 20. There is a promise of communion that Christ will have with us, and that we shall have with him, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me; we will have mutual communion together. But yet mark upon what terms that communion is promised, Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man will open unto me, I will come in, etc. Christ He knocks at the door of men's hearts, by the gracious motions of his Spirit; by the ministry of his word he calls for this and for that duty: now when we yield obedience to his voice and calls, than we open the door, and when the door is opened he enters, and there follows mutual fellowship between him and us: if the door be kept barred and bolted, than neither entrance, nor supper; but when the door is unlocked and set open, than he enters, and the mutual Supper follows. To teach us, that then Christ will have communion with us when we are obedient to his voice; but no obedience to him, no communion with him; even from the Lords Supper will he send them away supperless, that have not opened to him and yielded obedience before their coming to the Table. There is a promise joh. 14. 21, 23. that Christ will come unto us, that he will manifest himself unto us: now Christ never makes good this promise more than in the use of the Sacrament; there he comes to a man, and there he manifests and makes known himself to a man, that look as it is said in that case, Luke 24. 30, 31. That as he sat at meat with them, and took bread and blessed it, and broke, and gave them, their eyes were opened and they knew him, and Vers. 35. He was known of them in breaking of bread; so it is in this case in the breaking and giving the Sacramental bread, the faithful have their eyes opened, and they know him, he is made known to them in breaking of Sacramental bread; in the use of the Supper he specially manifests himself to them. But now observe the condition on which Christ makes this promise, Verse 21. He that hath my Commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him: and so Vers. 23. If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him: so that both these promises run with the condition of obedience; upon a man's obedience will Christ come, upon a man's obedience will he manifest himself to him. As good not come to the Sacrament, unless Christ also come in it to a man: as good never come, unless Christ manifest himself to him. If then we would have Christ come and manifest himself to us in the Sacrament, so must it be our care to come with, and to manifest our obedience. A man may ask that question that judas doth, john 14. 22. Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? So, how is it that Christ's manifests himself to some in the Sacrament, and not to other some? To which the same answer in effect may be given that there Christ gives; because some are obedient to God, they love him and keep his Commandments; therefore he shows himself to them in the Sacrament, and they therein have communion with him, but others live not, walk not in obedience: therefore he neither comes to them when they come to the Sacrament, nor shows or manifests himself to them, they go as they come. The Apostle, 2 Cor. 13, 14. speaks of the communion of the Holy Ghost, The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. That which he wishes them should be the thing we should especially aim at in coming to the Communion, namely, that the communion of the Holy Ghost should be with us. And it is a clear case that the Holy Ghost is to be received in the Sacraments, Act● 2. 38. Be baptised and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and he is no less to be received in the Supper, than in Baptism. And when we receive him his communion will be with us. Now how may he be received? Do all that receive the Sacrament, receive him? No, The world cannot receive him, john 14. 17. But who are they then to whom God gives the Holy Ghost? See Acts 5. 32. The Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him. So that upon obedience we have the Holy Ghost, and upon it his communion is with us, as otherwise, so also in the Sacrament. What is it that a man should desire in coming to the Sacrament, but that; Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss we with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine. Communion with Christ, and the expressions of his favour and love, these are the things should be desired and looked after. What is the receiving of bread and wine, if a man meet not with expressions of Christ's love; if Christ kiss him not with the kisses of his mouth? What may be the means to get Christ to kiss a man in the Sacrament? That same Psal. 2. Kiss the Son, namely, with a kiss of obedience and subjection, for so kissing sometime betokned, Gen. 41. 40. let us give him the kiss of obedience and subjection, and he will give us the kiss of his love, 〈…〉 other times, so especially in the use of the Sacrament. By both these things than we see, how needful it is for a Communicant to be prepared with obedience. And by this also we see how many deceive themselves in their coming to the Sacrament, who mind nothing less than an obedient walking in a godly course to fit them for the Sacrament. How many that give no regard at all to God's word, that indeed slight it, and obedience to it, and yet would seem to make an high account of the Sacrament? Make men what account they will of the Sacrament, yet if they slight the Word and obedience to it, they shall find as little comfort or benefit in the Sacrament, as they give respect and obedience to the Word. See how the Lord speaks, Psal. 50. 16, 17. What hast thou to do, that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou castest my words behind thee. So God will also say, what hast thou to do to take the Seal of the covenant into thy mouth, the Sacrament into thy mouth, seeing thou castest my words behind thee, and refusest to CHAP. 9 yield obedience thereunto. What Quid est autem dementius quàm Sacramentis Domini communicare, & verbis Domini non communicare? Aug. de Bapt. cont. Donat. lib. 2. cap. 55. likelihood that God will vouchsafe communion with that man in the Sacrament, that regards not to have any communion with him in his word? It is a madness to pretend a desire of communion with God in the Sacrament, and to refuse communion with him in his Word: for so they do that yield not obedience to God's Word. There is communion with God in obedience, jer. 7. 23. Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And therefore a refusal of communion with God, in refusing obedience and respect to his Word. And certainly he can have no communion with God in one Ordinance, that refuses to have communion with him in another. Chap. 9 Of the solemn sequestering and setting a man's self apart before the Sacrament. THus we see how a Communicant is habitually prepared, and wherein his habitual preparation stands. It follows now to speak of that actual preparation, which is required in every one that would be a worthy and a welcome guest at the Lords Table, and would come after that due Order that is required: for though a man have all these forenamed qualifications, yet he must not here set up his rest: but there is yet a further work to be done, as we partly before saw in the fourth Chapter. This actual preparation stands in the fitting of himself in special manner for that work, and service of receiving, by doing those things, and performing such duties, which are requisite not only for a good Christian, but for a good and profitable Communicant. Knowledge, Faith, Repentance, Charity, and Obedience, are required in every one that will be a good Christian. A good Christian a man must be before he can be a good Communicant: but yet a good Christian is not enough in the general, there must be something in special done in reference to this duty. Indeed some Papists think that actual devotion is not necessary to the receiving of the Sacrament; because as the Sacrament was of ancient given to children, so now it may be given to madmen, and frantic persons who have no actual devotion at all. But it suffices that this conceit is disallowed of their own men: for to give persons without actual devotion no more right to the Sacrament then to children and madmen, is to give them no right at all. There is no question but they may come as orderly to the Sacrament, as children and madmen may do. But whosoever it is that will come orderly, must have actual devotion, and actual preparation, yea, though he be already habitually prepared. The five wise Virgins took oil in their Vessels with their lamps, Mat. 25. 4. and their lamps were burning, but yet when they hear the Bridegroom was coming they presently arise and trim their lamps, and so prepare to go and meet him. They prepared to meet him when they took their lamps, and when they lighted them, and when they took oil in their vessels: all this was preparation to meet the Bridegroom; but when they hear the Bridegroom was coming, than they fall to a fresh preparation, in trimming their lamps to make them burn brighter and clearer. So it is in this case; habitual preparation is like the taking and lighting the lamps, and carrying oil in the vessels: actual preparation is like the fresh trimming of them when they burned dimly. The getting of knowledge, faith, repentance, love, and obedience, this is the taking and the lighting of the lamps, and taking oil in the Vessels, but the renewing, exciting of these, and the doing of other things in actual preparation, is the trimming of the lamps. A Musician hath skill and cunning on his instrument, but yet if his Instrument be out of tune, and his hands cold, and his fingers numb; he will first tune his Instrument, and warm and rub his hands and fingers to make them active and nimble, to play on his Instrument. An Artificer hath the skill of his trade, and knows the mystery of it thoroughly well; but yet when he goes to build a house, or do some such work, he first grinds, whets, and sharpens his tools. If a Musician shall play upon an untuned Instrument, or with his benumbed fingers, he will make but harsh and unpleasing music. If the Carpenter though ever so expert in his faculty, shall work with blunt and gaped tools, he will make but bungling and clouterly work of it. And though a man may have knowledge, faith, etc. yet if he rest contented with that habitual preparation, and do not beside actually prepare and fit himself, he is like to meet with little comfort and content in the duty, in regard of the cold and dead manner of performance: he will but fumble and bungle in the work. So that besides this habitual there is an actual preparation necessary. Now this actual preparation stands in these things: 1 In a solemn sequestration of a man's self. 2 In examination. 3 In renewing & quickening these former graces in us. 4 In raising and stirring up in ourselves strong desires after Christ. 5 In stirring up in ourselves a strong expectation of the benefits of the Sacrament. 6 In seeking God in special and more than ordinary manner by prayer. 1 For the first. In this actual preparation there must be an abstraction and a solemn sequestration of the soul from all other avocations whatsoever. There may be, and must be some fitting of a man's self for the duty, from the time that a man hath notice of the Sacrament to be admiinstred; but now on the day before, when the time of receiving approaches, a man should at least towards the end of the foregoing day separate himself from all other thoughts and occasions, & mind wholly the work of preparation to the Sacrament. And this sequestration of a man's self stands in two things. 1 In setting aside all lawful thoughts, occasions, and businesses of our callings. Set by all such cares and thoughts, and wholly suspend them. Do as Abraham did when he went to sacrifice Isaac at Mount Moriah, Gen. 22. 4, 5. When he saw the place afar off, he said unto them abide you here with the Ass, and I and the Lad will go worship. It was wisely and well done of Abraham. He saw and knew that if they had gone with him they would have distracted him, they would have been troublesome to him, and have hindered him in the Sacrifice, they would have cried out, and have made such clamours, that with no quietness and freedom of spirit he could have done the service. Therefore when he saw the place a fare off, he bids them stay behind, it was a preparation afar off, when he saw the place afar off. The like should our care be when we see the time afar off, but specially when we see the time near and at hand, the Even before, we should then set aside all our thoughts and businesses, and bid them wholly stand aside, and not suffer them, not only not to go to the Mount with us, but not to go into our closerts, and secret chamber with us. It may be such a business will be calling upon thee to attend, and think upon it, It is a matter of some consequence and concernment, it is not good to slight it. It may be there is such an occasion of weight that calls upon thee to be remembered; but in such a case say to all secular occasions, and avocations as Nehemiah did to Sanballat and Geshem when they sent to him, Nehemiah 6. 2. Come (say they) let us meet together in some of the Villages, etc. But mark how he answers them, Vers. 3. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down; why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you? And though these fellows had so round and resolute an answer, yet they were importuning him still, Verse 4. Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort, and as often as they sent, so often he gave them that answer, And I answered them after the same manner. So when a man gins to sequester himself, and to set himself apart for his actual preparation, this and the other business will be calling upon a man, come let us think upon this thing, and let us consider that; but then should a man answer, I am doing a great work, I am preparing myself for the Sacrament, I cannot attend upon you, why should the work of preparation cease whilst I leave it and attend upon you? And though they haunt and importune thee, even unto four times after this sort, yet still answer them after the same manner. We find in their fasts, Zech. 7. 3. the phrase of separating themselves, should I weep separating myself. Now as in fasting, so in our preparation to this holy Feast, there should be a separating of a man's self. And this is a main part of this separation, when a man separates himself from all his secular thoughts and businesses, and sets them wholly aside to fit himself the better for this work. It must be here as in the case of prayer, Matthew 6. 6. When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray, etc. I know our Saviour means it in another sense, that in regard of privacy and secrecy, a man should shut his door when he prays; but yet also in another sense should a man first shut his door, and then pray, that is, shut his door against all such thoughts, as may distract him in the duty, he should shut out of doors all distracting thoughts, and cause them to stand without doors that he may do the duty with the more freedom. And so in this duty of preparation, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door prepare thyself; when thou hast shut out of doors all secular cares and thoughts of other business, set upon the work of preparation. In receiving the Sacrament there is a service to be done to God. Now we must serve God in that order that a servant doth his master. See how our Saviour speaks of a servant to do his master service, Luke 17. 8. Gird thyself, and serve me. It was the fashion in those Eastern parts, for men to go in long garments down to their feet. And therefore when men were to go about any work, they used to gird, and tuck up their garments that they might not trouble them in their work, by hanging lose about their heels. So it must be with us when we go about any service to GOD; we must first gird up ourselves, and then serve him. A lose, discinct, and a diffluent mind is not fit to do God any service. Therefore we are called upon to gird up our loins, Luke 12. 35. Let your loins be girded about, 1 Pet. 1. 13. Wherefore gird up the loins of your minds. Two things are required in a good servant. 1. Readiness, and preparedness to do his master's commands so soon as he calls. 2. Nimbleness, handiness, and handsomeness in doing what he is enjoined. Now this girding implies both. 1. A prepared readiness before hand to do his masters will. A servant that is girded and hath his garments trust up about him, let his master bid him do such a service, he is ready, and prepared to do it so soon as he speaks, Luk. 12. 35. 36. Let your loins be girded, and ye yourselves like men that wait for their Lord, that when he comes and knocks they may open unto him immediately. Let a servant be ungirt, and he is not so ready to do what his master commands, because first he must have a time to gird himself, and his master's work must stay till he be girded, and he must be girding, when he should be working. 2. It implies dexterity, and handsomeness in his work. An ungirt servant if he served his master and did his work enjoined, yet he could not do it cleaverly, because his garment hanging lose about him would so puzzle, and cumber him: an ungirt servant would be but a fumbling puzzle in his work. And therefore the master bids his servant first gird himself, and then serve him. It is just so in all God's services, and so in this service of receiving the Sacrament. God requires a preparedness to, and an handiness in the work. And therefore this girding up of our loins is exceeding necessary before our coming to the Sacrament. First, because God looks that when we come to the Sacrament we should be ready to do the work he there requires. If the loins of our minds be ungirt, and we come to the Sacrament with lose spirits, distracted with a company of earthly cares, we shall be unready to do the work of receiving CHRIST which he there commands. He will command us there to take, and receive CHRIST. Now if we come with lose hearts, and minds, we must make God stay our leisure before we can do it; we must first have some time to gird up our loins, and to tuck up this tatter, and that rag, and the other danglement that hangs about our heels, before we can take, and receive CHRIST. And so we must be girding, and tucking when we should be receiving. Secondly, because if we come with ungirt loins, with lose spirits, and do Gods work so, we shall do it puzlingly, and fumblingly. Our long garments hanging lose about our sides and heels, we shall make but poor work of it. If a master had commanded a jewish servant with his loins ungirt to have gone to blow, or to have digged in his vineyard, how awkely would he have done these works? He could not have followed his Plough but he would ever, and anon have been treading upon his lose garment, and have been ready to have fallen upon his face, he could not have set his foot upon his spade, but he would have been treading upon the lose skirt of his garment which would have exceedingly hindered, and troubled him in his work, he could not have been expedite in his business, so long as his garments hang about his feet. It will be no better with us coming to the Sacrament with ungirt hearts, and minds, our lose thoughts will be so troublesome that it will be impossible for us ever to make good work of it. And therefore look how God would have that first Passeover eaten, so must it be in eating the Sacrament, Exod. 12. 11. And thus shall ye eat it, that is, after this order, with your loins girded. And thus shall you eat the Lords Supper, with your loins girded. And this is one main part of girding our loins, the setting aside, & putting by all our secular thoughts, and employments. We shall find two cases that made a man unfit for eating the Passeover. Numb. 9 10, 13. Uncleanness by a dead body, and being in journey a far off. If a man had touched a dead body it made him unclean, and so unfit for the Passeover. It was not fit an unclean person should meddle with so holy an Ordinance. But observe, that not only a man unclean by a dead body was unfit for the Passover, but a man that was in a journey a fare off. Why was such a man unfit? Like enough being in a journey his mind, and thoughts would be so taken up with the business of his journey, or being in a journey a fare off, his mind would be so upon home, and he would be so taken up with such cares, and fears as usually men are filled withal when they are fare from home, that he by reason of those thoughts, and distractions would be utterly unfit for the Passeover. Many are in the mind that if they be free from a dead body, that if they have not defiled themselves with some gross sin, of drunkenness, uncleanness and the like, that they are very fit for the Sacrament, but in the mean time come to the Sacrament whilst they are in their journeys, with hearts undischarged of earthly business, and cares, and having their hearts in journeys, travelling up and down after one worldly business or other, even when they are at the LORDS Table. Therefore let men take notice, that a journey may unfit for the Lords Table, as well as a dead body. That he is unfit to come to the Sacrament, that hath a company of earthly cares, and thoughts pestering his mind, as well as he that hath defiled himself with some gross sin. It is lamentable to consider how many men bring their servants, and the Ass, even to the very mount, how many are called away from the Lords work to meet with their Sanballats, and Geshems, how many are in their journeys when they are coming, and when they are come to the Sacrament. When our Saviour CHRIST overtook the two Disciples going to Emmaus, he asked them this question, Luke 24. 17. What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk? So let one but ask men, What manner of thoughts are they that you have in your hearts over night before the Sacrament? What manner of conferences, and communications be they that they have one with another, the night before, nay the very morning as they walk together to the public assemblies to receive the Sacrament? How happy were it that they could answer as the two Disciples did there, verse 19 Concerning jesus of Nazareth, concerning the benefits and the ends of the Sacrament, and the preparation required to it. But it is nothing so. If their communications, and conferences be not vain, foolish and frothy, yet at the best they are but market communications, conferences about Sheep, Oxen, about the prices of grain, etc. and with these conferences come they to the very Church doors when they come to receive the Sacrament. Is not this worse than to have received the Sacrament of the Passeover a man being in a journey? Is not this a pitiful preparation to this holy service? When men come to the Sacrament piping hot out of the world, out of their worldly conferences, and from their worldly thoughts, and have not some convenient time before discharged, and disburdened their hearts of them, must not that frame of heart, and bend of spirit needs come along with them to the Lords Table? And must they not needs be tumultuous and troublesome? Must they not needs make such a noise and such a din as must cause distraction in this holy service? And how can such a frame of spirit agree with the Apostles rule, 1 Cor. 7. 35. That you may attend upon the Lord without distraction? Which is a rule as well for receiving the Sacrament, as for all other services of God. What do such men bring upon themselves, but the Egyptian plague of the flies? The flies came into Pharaohs house, and the houses of his servants, so as the Land was corrupted by reason of the flies. Exod. 8. 24. But in the Land of Goshen where Gods people were, there were no swarms of flies, verse 22. It should be with the Lords people at the Sacrament, as in Goshen; there should be no flies there to trouble them with their buzzing importunity. It must be with a godly man at the Sacrament as it is said to have been in the Temple. There was abundance of flesh sacrificed in the Temple, and yet they say there was never any fly seen in the Temple. So should it be with us at the Sacrament, not a fly to be seen, or heard buzzing there. The way to have it so is, beforehand, to drive away these flies, these buzzing thoughts, by setting them aside the day before, and then labour so to remove them as at last the Egyptian flies were removed, Exod. 8. 31. He removed the swarms of flies, there remained not one. And when they are thus removed before, then shall not a man be troubled with them at the Sacrament. It should be a man's wisdom to deal with his lawful and honest cares, and the thoughts of his calling before he comes to the Sacrament, as Nehemiah did with those Merchants before the Sabbath. Nehe. 13. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. When the gates of jerusalem began to be dark, before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should ●e shut, and charged, they should not be opened till after the Sabbath, and some of my servants I set at the gate, etc. So the merchants lodged without jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, why lodge ye about the wall? If you do so again I will lay hold on you. From that time forth they came no more on the Sabbath. Do so with the honest, and lawful cares of thy calling before the Sacrament. Shut up the gate of thine hart against them, and let it not be opened till all the duties of the Sacrament-day be ended. It may be they will be hankering, and hanging about for entrance, but set a watch at the gate of thine heart, testify against them, rebuke them, threaten them, let thy spirit rise against them in an holy indignation, and this will be a good means to help to a gracious liberty from Cessa ab inquietudine tua, non si● tumultus quidam in cord tuo per corruptionem volitantibus phantasmatibus, & compungentibus te— Cimphe, natae sunt in terra Aegypti de ●●mo, mascae quaedam, sunt min●tissimae, inquietissimae, inordinate volitantes, in oculos i●●uentes, non permitte●●es hominem quiesc●●e, dum a●●g●●tur iterum i●ruunt, dum abactae fuerint ru●su redeunt, s●c●● omnia vana ●hanta●mata co●d●●, Aug. in fragm. serm. de De. alog. their annoyance. But for want of this preparation duty how many, even when they are at the Sacrament, are no less pestered with their cares, and earthly thoughts, than the Egyptians with the bitings, and burrings of their flies? Those flies miserably pestered the Egyptians, and plagued them exceedingly; what ever they were a doing they were about them, very unquiet, flying in the eyes of them, not suffering them to be quiet. If they drove them away they came upon them again, if they chased them away they still returned. This was a vile vexation. And this is the case of many coming to the Sacrament, just so are they pestered with their cares, and thoughts that these flies even corrupt the duty, as the Egyptian flies did the Land And all is from the neglect of its duty. What acceptance a man is like to find in such a service, judge by that Law, Exodus 22. 31. Ye shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field, ye shall cast it to the Dogs. Torn flesh it was neither fit for service of men, nor of GOD. Not for service of man, for they must not eat it. Ye shall cast it to the Dogs. Torn flesh must not be man's meat, but Dog's meat. It was not fit for the service of GOD. For if torn flesh must be cast to the Dogs, it had been an heinous thing to have offered that to GOD, which was to be given to Dogs. And if a man had brought a torn, rend beast for Sacrifice, GOD by no means would have accepted it, Mal. 1. 13. Ye brought that which was torn, should I accept this at your hands? GOD then will accept no torn Sacrifices. Distracted communicating, it is torn flesh. A man that receives the Sacrament with his head and his heart full of worldly thoughts, doth as highly offend, as a jew should have done that had eaten of a torn beast which should have been cast to the Dogs. He offends as highly as he, that should have sacrificed torn flesh (dogs meat) to GOD. When thou comest to the Sacrament, and hast not first separated thyself from these worldly thoughts, and so likewise much more from all vain, idle, lustful thoughts, and hast not first discharged thyself beforehand of all disturbing, distracting, distempering thoughts, this is a torn sacrifice, and should God accept it at thine hands? God loathes rather such torn services. And thus is the first thing to be done in this sequestration of ourselves, this setting aside, and putting away all, even our honest and lawful thoughts of our callings, and therefore much more all other sinful and foolish thoughts. Abstraction of the mind from whatsoever may cause Distraction. 2 The second thing to be done in this sequestering, and setting ourselves Sicut enim Domina volens aliquod unguentum conficere pre●iolum suscitat famulas suas, atque ad semetipsam congregat, imperat aliae tenere libram, aliae ●e●e●e injungit, aliam jube: miscere, etc. Ita & anima quae pretiosissimum ●stud unguentum componere, ac serv●●e d●siderat▪ omnes corporis su●sensus ad seipsam congreget, segnitiemque ipsorum, ac negligentiam deturbans, tota solicitudine vigilare & in hoc tantum quod proposu● cogat intendere. Chrys. de compunct. ●●rd. l. ●. apart, is to summon and call in, and to collect together all the powers and faculties of the soul, to attend upon the business now in hand. As David, when he was to praise God, he calls upon all that is within him to set upon the service, Psal. 103. 1. My soul praise thou the Lord, and all that is within me bless his holy name. So when we now go about to prepare ourselves for the Sacrament, call upon all that is within us, all the powers of our soul to be ready to attend this business; that now all other businesses being hushed and ceased, they bend all their strength to do the present work in hand. So fit we ourselves for receiving, as David fits himself for singing & giving praise, Psal. 57 7, 8. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise. Awake up my glory, awake Psaltery and Harp, I myself will awake early. When he would sing and give praise to God, first he hath his heart fixed, or firmly prepared; he doubles it, my heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. The first may imply the fi●●● duty, a setting apart of all other thoughts. An heart taken up with worldly thoughts, when a man goes about God's service; is not a fixed heart, but a wand'ring, straggling heart, a kind of planetary spirit. As there be fixed stars and planets, wand'ring stars, so there be wand'ring spirits, and fixed hearts in God's service. Now David's heart was a fixed heart, an heart firmly prepared, not taken up, nor wand'ring after any by-businesse, when he prepared himself to that service. The second may imply this second duty; my heart is fixed and bend with all its power to do the duty, and therefore he awakens his glory, his tongue, his Psaltery, his Harp, himself to the work. So should a man's heart be doubly fixed when he fits himself for receiving the Sacrament: fixed as not drawn away, and drawn about other business, and fixed, as bend wholly with all the powers of it to do the work of preparation. So fixed upon the business, as he should summon, and awaken, all the powers of the soul to attend it. Awake my understanding, and mine affections, awake my affections, and all that is within me, awake and stir up yourselves, to attend this great work in hand. Chap. 10. Of Examination. CHAP. 10 THe heart thus withdrawn from all avocations, and bend upon the work of preparation, let a man in the next place come to the second duty of examination, to that duty which the Apostle prescribes, 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. Unto orderly receiving, is required, a precedent examination of a man's self. A duty, though to be done at other times, yet never more seasonable then before our coming to the Sacrament; and yet a duty to which above all others we are naturally extremely backward. Might some slight formalities serve the turn, we could be contented withal, but if men be pinched and pressed to a solemn examination of, & a strict inquiry into themselves, they are ready to snuff at it, and to say of this duty as they speak in that case, Mal. 1. 13. Behold what a weariness is it? It is a duty so CHAP. 9 wearisome and toilsome, that they have neither list to, nor leisure for it. That therefore men may be the more cheerful and willing to it, consider these two things: 1 This is an undoubted and a sure truth, that a man's comfort depends as well upon his knowledge of his fitness, as upon his fitness itself. It is not enough to be fit and worthy, but a man must know it. So long as the conscience questions a man's fitness, and is in doubt whether a man be fit or no, though he be fit and well prepared, yet the doubts of the conscience, and the fears it is in, will not only allay, but quite forestall all the comforts that would arise from his fitness. To a man's comfortable receiving, it is as needful to know his fitness, as to have it. There is no grace or good thing that a Christian hath, but it may be known to him that he hath it. What is a rich man better than a poor man, if he be not privy to his wealth, if he have treasure and know it not? Wherein are his wants, fears, cares, distractions, and disquiets of spirit less than a poor man's? It was Laodiceas ill condition, Apoc. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich, and knowest not that thou art poor. And it is many a man's condition, He saith I am poor, and knows not that he is rich. This is the safer condition indeed of the two, but yet for the present, it is but a drooping and uncheerefull estate. Therefore as our safety lies in having Christ and his graces, so our comfort lies in knowing that we have them. And know our wealth we may. A Christian not only knows God, but he knows that he knows him, 1 john 2. 3. And hereby we know that we know him. A Christian not only is in God, but he may know that he is in God, 1 john 2. 5. Hereby know we that we are in him. And 1 john. 4. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him. A Christian may know that he believes, 1 john CHAP. 10 5. 10. He that believes on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself. A Christian may know that God loves him, 1 john 4. 16. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. A Christian may know that he loves God's children, 1 john 5. 1. By this we know that we love the children of God. A Christian may know that he is of the truth, 1 john 4. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth. A Christian may know that God abides in him, 1 john 3. 24. And hereby we know that he abides in us. A Christian may know that he hath eternal life, 1 john. 5. 13. That ye may know that ye have eternal life. But now how comes a Christian to know all these things? The way by which a man gets the knowledge of all these things, is the examination of himself. A man first tries and examines himself in all these, and by examination comes to the knowledge of them, and from the knowledge of them arises his comfort in them. So it is in the case of fitness for the Sacrament. It is abundance of comfort the heart hath in the knowledge of its own fitness; and this knowledge arises from the examination of a man's self. A man that examines not himself, for aught he knows, may come an unworthy guest, he knows not whether he be worthy or no; but this he knows, that he that is unworthy is unwelcome, and so cannot come but with a tremulous and an hesitant heart, fearing lest instead of a blessing he may meet with a breach. It is impossible in such a case that a man should receive comfortably. I dare not say of eating the Sacrament, as S. Paul speaks in the case of eating some meats, Rom. 14. 23. And he that doubts is damned if he eat; a man may come with doubts and fears to the Sacrament, and come acceptably: but this I may say, That he that doubts of the lawfulness of his coming, he exceedingly hinders his own comfort if he eat doubtingly, doubting whether he be fit to eat, doubting whether he may come, yea, or no; eating with such doubtings must needs be prejudicial to a man's comfortable eating. Now the way to prevent such doubtings, is to live by that rule the Apostle gives in that case of eating, Rom. 14. 5. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Be careful beforehand to take such a course, as may assoil and clear up such doubts: take such a course as may assure, and persuade your hearts, that you are fit in an acceptable measure to come to the Sacrament. But what course may be taken to this purpose? Let a man examine himself. The way to put all out of doubt, and to prevent such troublesome doubtings when we are come, is self examination. For when a man hath seriously examined himself, he shall thereby be enabled to give a true judgement of his own fitness; and an examined heart, that upon examination hath found itself fit, is able to charm all troublesome doubts, and can say to them, Be still, & trouble me not, for I have throughly examined myself, and upon serious and sincere examination, I know that I am a fit and a worthy Communicant. Doubts, they trouble the heart, examination prevents doubts, and settles the heart, and puts things out of doubt. When Christ after his resurrection appeared to his Disciples; they were terrified and affrighted, Luke 24. 37. but see how Christ answers them, Vers. 38. Why are ye troubled, and why do doubts, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, arise in your hearts. They should with all gladness have received and embraced Christ, but contrarily, they were troubled. And whence came the trouble of their spirits? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? Mark then, that doubts trouble the heart, and unfit it for the receiving of Christ. They doubted whether he were Christ or not, and were so troubled with these doubts, that as yet they received him not. But afterwards their doubts are turned into joy, V 41. They rejoice at the sight and presence of Christ, but how came these doubts to be removed, and to be changed into joy? Christ puts them to the examination and trial of himself, Vers. 39 to put them out of doubt, Behold my hands, and my feet, that it is I myself; and when he had thus spoken, he shown them his hands and his feet. As if he had said, I see you are much troubled with doubtings, whether I be Christ, or not; examine and try me, view me, feel me, handle me, and you shall find by examination, that I am not as you think, a spirit. And so in probability they examining him with their eyes, and with their hands found him to be no spirit; found him to be Christ, and had their doubts removed, and joyfully received him for Christ indeed. Thus, as this examination removed & cleared their doubts that troubled them; so examination of ourselves would prevent the doubtings that are ready to trouble us in receiving the Sacrament. If we would behold and see, if we would look into our hearts, and feel and handle our own hearts, yea, search and dive into them by examination, how should we prevent our troublesome doubtings, and how should we meet with joy & comfort instead of doubtings? We come to Christ in the Sacrament; In one sense, in regard of that awful respect we should have unto his blessed Majesty, we should come to Christ as that woman did, Mark 5. 33. The woman fearing and trembling, came and fell down before him: but in another sense, namely when it rises from an ignorance of our own estate, whether we be fit to come to his ordinance, or not, and from the doubtings of conscience, that we are not prepared as we should be; thus to come with fear and trembling is not good: examination would prevent fear. By examination we should find out the truth of our condition, we should find out whether we be fit or not. And upon examination finding ourselves fit, we should come with an holy boldness and confidence of spirit, to Christ in his Ordinance. As therefore we desire to have our hearts discharged of troubles, and doubts, when we are drawing near to the Lords Table; as we would not have conscience pester us with disquieting scruples, and unseasonable disputes, & reasonings whether we may come or no; so beforehand bestow some time and pains in a private scrutiny, and search of ourselves: examination will prevent all these, and we shall be able to hush and still them all, if we can say, I have examined mine heart, I have sincerely tried myself, and I find upon good examination, that I have good leave to come to the Lords Ordinance. 2 Secondly, it is better a great deal to examine ourselves before we come, then to be examined by God. God will examine such to the purpose, that will not be at the pains & trouble to examine themselves. It was a sharp kind of examination by which Saint Paul should have been examined, Acts 22. 24. The chief Captain commanded that he should be examined by scourging. Certainly, when men neglect selfe-examination, God will himself examine them, but it will be an examination with scourging. Every interrogatory and question that God puts to us, shall be as a smarting lash with a scourge, yea, as a stinging lash with a Scorpion. The man that came to the Feast without his wedding garment, never examined himself before he came, whether he had a nuptial garment to go in or not; God therefore examines him, but it is with a scourging question that made his heart smart, Friend, how earnest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? It was a scourging question, that drew blood on his conscience. When a man comes to the Sacrament, and hath not examined himself, and God comes to him, and says, as to Eliah, 1 Kings. 19 13. What dost thou here Eliah? So, what dost thou here at my Table? How will such a question pinch the conscience, what a girding lash will it be to a man's heart? Those are lashing interrogatories, Isa. 1. 12. Who required these things at your hands, to tread in my Courts? Isay 58. 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? Psal. 50. 16. What hast thou to do, that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? jer. 7. 9, 10. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, etc. and come and stand before me in this house? These be scourging examinations, that fetch blood at every stroke: with such kind of questions and such kind of interrogatories, will God examine men that come unself-examined to the Sacrament. Now when God shall come to such examinations, who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? as Malachi speaks in another case, Mal. 3. 2. How terrible a thing will it be to be thus examined: were it not good for every one to take a course to prevent so sharp an examination? There is a way to do it, and that is, before we come to the Sacrament, let a man examine himself; for as the Apostle says, 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, namely, of the Lord: so if we would examine ourselves, we should not be examined of the Lord. But if we examine not ourselves, then shall we be both examined and judged of the Lord. When a man hath examined himself, he needs not fear God's examination; nay, a man may then be willing to come under God's examination. David puts himself upon God's examination, Psa. 139. 23, 24. Search me, O God, and know mine heart, try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me. Certainly, David never durst have been so bold, as to have put himself upon God's examination, if he had not first examined himself. But having first examined himself, and thereupon knowing his own conscience throughly well, now he dares be tried by God himself. Oh, with what sweet confidence might we put ourselves upon Gods own trial when we come to the Sacrament, if we ourselves had had ourselves upon trial first? But how dreadful will God's examination be to such, who neither use, nor list, nor care, before they come to the Sacrament, to examine themselves? Chap. 11. Of the examination of Faith. THat this duty of examination must be done, we have seen. Let us now consider what it is on which we must examine ourselves. And the things upon which we must examine ourselves, are these three. 1 The ●●●th of our graces. 2 The growth of them. 3 Our wants. The graces that must be tried and examined, must be specially those before named, required to be habitually in a Communicant, Faith, Repentance, Love, and Obedience. The truth, growth, and wants of them, all must be examined. A man should examine grace as he doth gold. Gold may be counterfeit, may show fair, and yet be base mettle; in such a case, a man examines it by the Touchstone, and bringeth it to the Test: gold may CHAP. 11 be true and good, but may fail in the weight; it may be good gold, but too light: in such a case, a man brings it to the scales, and to the weight, and so either weight or want is discovered. So must grace be examined. There is a great deal of counterfeit grace in the world. All is not gold that glisters; and all is not grace that makes a show. There is a great deal of copper grace, copper faith, repentance, etc. in the world▪ What did Moses for a time, but the Egyptian Sorcerers did the same? Moses turns the waters into blood, so do they, Exod. 7. 22. Moses brings Frogs upon the Land, so do they, Exod. 8. 6. 7. And their blood and Frogs seemed as true blood and Frogs, as those brought by Moses. Those things they did, seemed as great miracles as what Moses did; yet Moses wrought realities, all theirs were but juggle and sorceries. There is nothing that a true Christian can have, or do, but an hypocrite may have and do, for the outward semblance as much as he. Therefore since a man's graces may be counterfeit, they must be brought to the touchstone, and be examined there for their truth. Again, there is much true grace, that is grace indeed, faith, and repentance indeed, which yet have not that growth, that their time and means they have been under requires, and so want of their weight. How often doth CHRIST rebuke his Disciples with this, O ye of little faith. Therefore in such a case, a man must bring his graces to be examined by the balance of the Sanctuary, which may make known to every man, what is the weight, and what is the want of his graces. 1 First then try and examine the truth of Grace, whether these graces be truly in us, or no. The first grace to be tried is the grace of faith. That which the Apostle puts Christians upon at all times is specially of use before the Sacrament, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith, prove your own selves. The Corinthians were very busy about examining S. Paul, and his ministry, verse 3. Since ye seek a proof of CHRIST speaking in me, and so we are very ready to be busy in the examination of other men, and their faith, but says Saint Paul, examine yourselves: so it is good for us at all times, but specially before the Sacrament, to examine our own faith. As Philip, before he administered the Sacrament of baptism to the Eunuch, Acts 8. 37. did examine him of his faith: so should every man before the receiving of the Sacrament of the Supper examine himself of his faith. These reasons that pinch us to examination of our faith at all times, have strength in them to do it specially at this time. as, First without this trial, and examination a man may be cheated, gulled, and cozened in the point of faith. It is good therefore to try before we trust, job 34. 3. The ear tries words as the mouth tastes meat. To the eye many meats seem pleasant, and dainty, but the mouth tasting them knows justly what they be. So the ear hears words. We should get a good spiritual ear, that we may be able judiciously to discern the fair, and flattering words of Satan, and our own hearts. These will give a man as good words as may be. Do not, say they, disquiet thine heart with needless fears, cheer up thine heart man, thou needest not question the truth of thy faith, These are good words. But now, as the mouth tastes meat, and by tasting takes a trial of it, so must we labour to have such an ear as may try these words whether they be true or not. A good musician had need to have a good ear, and a good Christian hath need of a good care too, by which he may be able to judge of the false, and flattering music the Devil, and his own heart make him. Try the spirits, 1 joh. 4. 1. As foreign spirits without, so it is good to try the secret spirits within us. For there be two spirits, the Spirit of God, and the spirit of Satan; and Satan's spirit doth often counterfeit the voice of God's Spirit, and tells us that we have faith, excellent measures of faith, when there is no such matter: therefore try the spirits. That was a vile thing in the people, Acts 12. after Herod's Oration, to cry out, The voice of God. It is much more vile in us, when Satan and our own heart shall flatter us, with false conceits of faith, to cry out, The voice of God, and the voice of the Spirit. Try therefore before you trust. 2 Secondly, it is a very hopeful and comfortable evidence of the truth of faith, when it is willing to be tried, and desirous to be examined. It is a suspicion that that man's gold is not good, that is unwilling to have it touched; that a man's cause is naught, when he is unwilling to have it tried; that a man is no Scholar, that shuns examination. It is a sign that a man's gold is good, that is willing and desirous to have it brought to the touch. A good cause desires a fair trial. A good Scholar that hath it in him, is willing to undergo examination, which a dunce and a non-proficient hath no liking to. A faith that is a true faith, will be willing to undergo any trial and examination. 3 Thirdly, the trial and examination of faith, is the strengthening and increasing of it. Faith examined and tried, proves a faith increased and strengthened. Some things sometimes prove the worse, and suffer loss by trial; but the more faith is tried, the more faith is increased. Gold is not the worse, but the better, the purer for trial. As the fiery trial of faith betters it, and makes it the more precious, and makes it to be found unto praise, and honour and glory, at the appearing of jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1. 7. So doth selfe-triall make it more precious, and more glorious. Examination and trial of a good Scholar hurts him not, either in his learning or his credit; nay, it advances him much in both: his very examination rubs up his learning, it brings much to mind that would have been forgotten, yea, it puts much learning into a Scholar: and beside, it conduces much to his praise, and honour, it sends him away with the credit of an approved learned man. It is so in the examination of faith. In trying faith there is an exercise of faith, and by exercise it is but increased and manifested. 4 Fourthly, who knows but his faith may come to a fiery trial, 1 Pet. 1. 7. and 4. 12. Bilney first tried his finger by himself in the Candle, before he tried his whole body in the fire at the stake. How shall our faith abide the fiery trial by others, if it have never been put to this trial by ourselves? When fiery trials come, how many men's faith which was thought more precious than gold, proves more vile than dross? And what is the reason? Therefore fails their faith in fiery trials, because it was never put to, nor would abide selfe-triall, jer. 12. 5. If thou hast run with the Footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou match thyself with Horses? How shall that faith try a match with Horsemen, that never tried a match with Footmen? How shall he abide a fiery trial, that hath ever shunned and been shy of a closet trial? How wilt thou abide to be tried at a bar, at a stake, that art loath to be tried in thy chamber, in thy closet? Examine yourselves upon your beds, Psal. 4. He will never abide to be examined at a bar that will not abide to examine himself upon his bed. Yea, selfe-triall is it that prepares, and fits, and trains up a man to do service in the fiery trial. David could not go in saul's armour, because he was not accustomed to it, he is likely to undergo a fiery trial of his faith, that hath accustomed himself to the duty of selfe-triall. Abraham was likely to do good on it, when he carries not forth a company of raw fellows from the plough, but arms his trained servants, Genesis 14. 14. They will never be fit for fight, that have not been used to training. Selfe-triall is training, the fiery-triall is fight. They are like, and fit to fight that have been trained up to it. 5 Fifthly, is our faith so low prized by us, and of so little esteem with us, that we care not of all other things we have, how it proves? Men will not have Oxen, but will put them to trial, Luke 14. 19 I have bought five yoke of Oxen, and am going to prove them. Men will try whether their Oxen be good and useful; and care we not what our faith proves, useful or useless? what a monstrous wretchedness of spirit is this? Therefore as at all other times, so specially be careful to examine your faith, when to come to the Sacrament. How often have men tried it, that their coming to the Sacrament hath been fruitless; their own hearts seriously dealt withal, will witness to them that their receiving hath been to little, or no purpose. And what hath been the cause of it, but because there was no examination of faith? How can they receive any benefit by the Sacrament, that go at an adventure, not knowing whether they bring that with them, that must make the Sacrament effectual to them? Quest. How then may a man so try and examine his faith, as that he may know the truth thereof, that it is true faith? Answ. The Apostles phrase of faith unfeigned, twice used by him to Timothy, 1 Tim. 1. 5. and 2 Tim. 1. 5. Faith without hypocrisy, as the word is, implies that there is a faith feigned, an hypocritical faith. Therefore it is not a needless question to make inquiry, how truth of faith may be discerned. Our times are happy in the abundance of helps they have in this kind; and this point being so largely and fully handled in many learned Treatises that are extant, and in every man's hand; I will give but a touch upon it, and so pass on. True faith than may be known by the effects and fruits of it. Every Tree is known by the fruits. When the Spies returned from searching the Land of Canaan, they brought with them a cluster of Grapes, and Pomegranates, and Figs, Num. 13. 23. And they report and evidence it to be a good land, by these fruits, Vers. 27. It flows with milk and honey, and this is the fruit of it, holding forth and showing those fruits they brought thence. By the fruits of it, it appeared that it was a good Land. And so the way to search and find out the goodness of our faith, is to bring forth of the Figs, Pomegranates, and clusters; that by showing them to our consciences, we may be able to say, Surely our faith is a good, and a true faith, and these be the fruits of it. Now the fruits and effects by which faith may be examined, are three: 1 Such as respect God, and Christ. 2 Such as respect ourselves. 3 Such as respect our brethren. 1 First, the effects of faith, as it respects God, are these. 1 First, Obedience to God and his word, and fruitfulness in all good works. True faith is no drone, no loiterer, but it is an active and a working grace, Gal. 5. 6. Faith which works. 1 Thess. 1. 3. Your work of faith. 2 Thess. 1. 11. The work of faith with power. A workman may be tried by his work. What is the work of faith? It works with power. It makes a man with power to yield GOD obedience, and to endeavour the doing of Gods will, to the which no man hath any power at all. Hence called the obedience of faith, Heb. 11. 8. Rom. 16. 26. Because faith works obedience, and no man can give God the obedience of his heart, that hath not faith in his heart. On the contrary, unbelieving and disobedient persons are joined together, Tit. 1. 15, 16. They who are called unbelieving, Vers. 15. are called disobedient, Vers. 16. It is an hard duty to forgive an offending brother upon his repentance, a difficult point of obedience. But yet it must be done, Luke 17. 4. If thy brother turn again unto thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. But how shall we be able to do it? See Vers. 5. And the Apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. Faith then where it is, inables to duties of obedience, & facilitates hard works. The children of Abraham do the works of Abraham, john 8. and Abraham's works were works of obedience. We must be Abraham's children, before we can do the works of Abraham. And Gal. 3. 7. They which are of faith, are the children of Abraham. They that have the faith of Abraham, do his works. Now then hereby let a man examine his faith. Put that question to thy conscience which Saint james puts, jam. 2. Show me thy faith by thy works. Show the coats and garments which this Dorcas hath made. And so many works of obedience as thou canst show, so many witnesses shalt thou produce of the truth of thy faith. But if thy faith be idle, slothful to do service, a faith that works not, suspect the truth of it, and know that such a faith will not serve to admit thee to the eating of the Sacrament. For the Apostles injunction in that case, 2 Thess. 3. 10. That if any would not work, neither should he eat, holds as true in this case of an idle faith, as in that case of an idle man. 2 Secondly, true faith believes God, and depends upon him in all things, and at all times. It believes him not only in some things, but in all, not only at some times, but at all. It believes Gods promises for spiritual things, Gal. 3. 22. for temporal things, Psal. 37. 3. It believes Gods Commandments to be his Commandments, to be just, holy, and good, Psal. 119. 66. I have believed thy commandments. It believes God's threatenings, jon. 3. 4, 5. Yet forty days, etc. So the people of Nineveh believed God. It believes God not only in time of peace, but in times of distress, affliction, and tentation, Psal. 73. 1. Yet God is good to Israel. Yea, even then when all things go against it, job 13. 15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, Psal. 46. 2. Hab. 3. 17, 18. faith it believes All things, Luke 24. 25. O slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken. Faith believes God in all. Examine thy faith by this: put these interrogatories to thy conscience. Believest thou God in his promises for this life, as well as for a better? For thy daily bread, as well as for thy salvation? Believest thou all God's Commandments, without questioning any whether it be his or no? Believest thou his threatenings as well as his promises? Dost thou hang upon him and his promise, and live upon that in all thy pinches, straits, and exigents? As thou canst answer these, so mayest thou answer for thy faith. But this will convince many, not to be faithful, but faithless. Oh, they do believe God's promises with all their hearts: but what promises? for life and salvation. But how believe they God's promises for the things of this life? Let that be judged by their covetousness, worldliness, their carking immoderate cares, He that believes makes not haste. Isay 28. Therefore he that makes haste doth not believe. Such haste to be rich, such haste after the world, such carking, caring, such pining and whining; what doth it but proclaim their gross distrust in God's providence, and promises? Thou that believest not God for thy body, believest him less for thy soul. Thou that believest not God for a crust, believest him less for a Crown. Try men in God's Commandments, pinch and press them with the very letter of the Law. Tush they will never believe that God requires such strictness. Try them with threatenings, and thunder them ever so against them, yet they have not so much faith as the devils, who believe and tremble. Let means be wanting, or means be against them, and they are of Thomas his profession, Except I see and feel, I will not believe. Whilst all is with men as they would have it, they are full of faith; but let God pinch them, and bring them into a straight, and where is their faith then? 3 Thirdly, A sweet and holy boldness of access unto the Throne of Grace, with confidence in God's goodness, and his gracious acceptation of us. Why are ye afraid, O ye of little faith! It was spoken in another case; But yet the more faith, the less fear in any case. A guilty conscience, 〈…〉. 5. 7. if awake, hath no great list to come before GOD'S face; but when once by true faith in CHRIST'S blood, guilt is taken off, and by faith a man is made friends with GOD, james 2. 23. Then shall a man have the boldness of a friend to come to the LORD in prayer. Many that have not a dram of faith are bold enough, For who so bold as blind Bayard, as ignorant and silly ones are. But yet there is a great difference between the boldness of a friend, and the boldness of a stranger. For Strangers may be bold with a kind of sauciness and intrusion, but they are not so welcome as bold; neither hath a stranger that ground for, nor that contentment in his boldness that a friend may have; his heart will secretly check him, though he face it out for the present, and be ready to tell him, that he goes further than civility, and good manners can warrant him. But a friend's boldness is out of that sweetness of interest, and acquaintance, and intimate communion each with other. So that boldness which faith breeds, is from that knowledge of God, that peace, communion, and acquaintance it hath with God in Christ. This is that boldness spoken of, Ephes. 3. 12. In whom we have boldness, and access with confidence through the faith of him. Heb. 4 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. But how shall we do to come boldly? See Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in a full assurance of faith. A man may therefore try his faith, by the carriage of his heart in prayer. If with a friendlike boldness, and with a confidence of his gracious acceptance we can come unto God, and with such a boldness can pour out our hearts unto him, it is a comfortable evidence of the truth of faith. The contrary shows how far most men are from faith. Deal truly with thyself; speakest thou not to God in prayer, as to a stranger, as to one with whom thou hast no entire familiarity or acquaintance? Certainly true faith is better acquainted with God than so. 4 Fourthly, a desire of Christ's appearance, and his second coming to judgement. We walk here by faith and not by sight. But where faith is, it longs to be turned into sight, and to have the immediate fruition of the Lord jesus. Therefore the voice of faith is that, Cant. 8. 14. Make haste my beloved, and be like unto the Roe. And that Apoc. 22. Come Lord jesus, come quickly, not only come, but quickly; that is, make haste with that speed that the Roe runs withal. Hence believers are said, not only to look for the blessed hope and appearing of our Saviour Christ, but also to hasten the appearing of him, 2 Pet. 3. 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God. For though in another case it is true which the Prophet speaks, Isay 28. He that believes makes not haste, yet in this case, he that believes most, makes most haste, and cannot but make haste, and therefore makes haste, because he believes. And no wonder that faith in her desires hastens the appearance of CHRIST, when as it is the believing souls solemn marriage day. What espoused Bride longs not for the marriage day, when she shall enjoy her Bridegroom? Faith unites Christ and the believer, and contracts them together. Now when once the contract is past, there follows a longing for the marriage-day. And this longing after the marriage-day, is a sign of a contract made by faith. Doth thy soul then long for those blessed nuptials with the Lord Christ, when thy soul shall have the fill of his Love? Doth the Spirit in thee cry, Come Lord jesus, make haste my beloved? Oh happy signs of true faith. But now enter into thy soul, O thou covetous worldling, and thou voluptuous epicure, etc. Deal seriously and honestly, and tell the plain truth. Is there any one thing in the world thou thinkest less upon, wishest less, or dreadest more, than the coming of Christ? When S. Paul disputed of Righteousness, and the judgement to come, before Foelix, he trembled. How many boast of righteousness, even of the righteousness of faith, but how troublesome are the thoughts of the judgement, and Christ, to come unto them? How hearty could they wish, oh that that day might never come. Let such as cannot rejoice in the thoughts of that day in some measure, and desire it as the day of their refreshing, question, if not the truth, yet the strength of their faith 2 Secondly, The effects of faith in regard of ourselves. And they are these: 1 First, the Operation and effectual working of the Word upon our hearts: faith is that which makes all God's Ordinances effectual, and so the word, 1 Thess. 2. 13. The word of God which effectually works in you that believe. Indeed, the word works on those that believe not; works their hearts to rage and rebellion, works to their hardening and damnation. But it works no good thing, when faith is not to set it on work, Heb. 4. 2. The word which they heard profited them not, because it was not mixed with faith. The Gospel is the power of God to every one that believes, Rom. 1. 16. Faith is as the vital and natural heat of the soul. If the body be dead, and without natural heat, give a man the most stirring and working Physic that is, and yet it works not, because there wants a principle of life and heat, to set it on work. Just so is it here. The word dispensed in the most powerful manner that can be, works not upon an unbelieving heart, because the heart is dead without faith: but if any faith in the heart, it makes the Word work effectually. Try thyself by this: works the Word upon thy soul? works it thee to a conformity to itself, so as thou art cast into the mould of it. Such efficacy of the Word argues a presence of faith in thine heart. But how many discovers this to be void of faith? How many have lived all their days, and are even grown grey under the Gospel, and yet what grace or goodness have all the Sermons that ever they have heard wrought in them, more than in such as scarce in all their days ever heard Sermon? Nay, what is wrought in many, but scorn, rebellion, resolution of disobedience, wrath, swelling, and hellish boiling of the heart, both against Minister and doctrine? Are these the works of faith? or is it rather a sign that he works in their hearts, that effectually works in the children of disobedience. This is a fearful sign that a man is in the state of unbelief. 2 Secondly, Sanctification, and holiness of heart and life, Acts 15. 9 their hearts were purified by faith. Pharisisme may wash thy hands, but faith washes hand and Heart. Pharisisme washes clean the outside of the cup, and platter, but Faith makes clean the inward part also; yea, there faith gins the work. Faith is not only an holy, but an hallowing grace. Acts 26. 18. Amongst them which are sanctified by faith. We find a woman in the Gospel that had been troubled twelve years with a bloody issue, who was healed: but how came she to be healed? She touches the garment of Christ, touches but the hem, and yet straightway the Fountain of her blood was dried up, Mark 5. 29. It is true that it was Christ that healed her, It was virtue that went out of Christ that healed her, Verse. 30. and yet Vers. 34. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Faith than fetches healing virtue from Christ, and heals diseases. The faith that is true faith, fetches healing virtue from Christ. Every man's heart naturally hath such a spiritual disease, as she had a bodily. That disease which the woman had, did typify under the Law, the natural filthiness of our hearts. Prov. 4. 24. Observe the heart, from thence are the issues of life. Every action issues from the heart, the Fountain of all our actions. This Fountain is a Fountain of blood: and all the issues from this Fountain, in our thoughts, words, actions, all these issues are bloody issues, and very filthy and loathsome before God, Mat. 15. 18, 19, 20. Hence hands defiled with blood, Isay 59 3. Bloody filth, Isay 4. 4. Their way was before me, as the uncleanness of a removed woman, Ezek. 36. 17. and Hos. 4. 2. Blood toucheth blood. Many bloody issues out of the heart, one issue meets with another, and so blood touches blood. Now when faith is once wrought in the heart, it works strange cures both in heart and life. There were wont to be filthy issues out of the heart, in vile loathsome noisome thoughts of uncleanness, wantonness, covetousness, worldliness. There was wont to be a filthy issue at the mouth, a deal of vain filthy rotten communication, bloody oaths and curses. There was wont to be issues in all the several actions and passages of the life. But now when faith comes into the heart, that presently carries a man unto Christ, touches him, fetches healing virtue from him, that dries up this Fountain of blood in some good measure, and so heals all those loathsome bloody issues. It is true, that where faith is, there may be still some ouzing of this Fountain, but yet the flux of it is nothing so abundant, and so continual as formerly. A man's heart naturally is like the Sea, Psal. 104. 25, 26. This great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts: There go the Ships, there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein. In the sea, there be vast Whales, huge Leviathans that sport themselves, and play in the deeps thereof; but besides those huge Whales, what a world of creeping and crawling small creatures are there to be found therein. Such is the heart of a natural man; there be therein, not only some Leviathans, some special unclean and foul lusts, some special Sea-monsters, but there are also creeping things innumerable, a world of crawling bugs and baggage vermin. That look as is said of God's Angels, Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. So may it be said of the lusts and corruptions of an unbelieving heart, that thousand thousands minister unto Satan, and ten thousand times ten thousand corruptions are crawling & creeping there. But faith once come into the heart▪ not only those Leviathans, but those creeping things are strangely ferretted out of the heart. That as Gen. 1. 26. God spoke of man in his creation, Let us make man in our image after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, etc. and over every creeping thing, etc. So in the new creation, when God stamps his image upon a man, and gives him faith, he gives it dominion over every creeping thing; so that in a gracious measure it frees the heart, from these creeping, crawling corruptions and lusts, that so abundantly swarmed in the heart. It is true, that after faith, some Serpent may creep into the paradise of a believing heart; but yet, first there is not a quarter of those creeping things that were there before in multitudes innumerable, and those that be there are not there without loathsomeness and vexation. A cleanly person may get some vermin creeping about him, but yet they swarm not, as in rogues, neither are they about him without vexation, indignation, and loathing of them, contrary to what they are in a nasty beggarly rogue, that takes no offence at them at all. Now then try thy faith by the holiness it hath wrought, by the holiness, and purification of thine heart. If these old bloody issues be staunched, if this puddle, myry Fountain dried up; that now on the contrary thou canst say with David, Psal. 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet: if the thoughts of thine heart be sweet and savoury, if thou find thy heart in a gracious measure freed from these creeping things, thou hast cause to rejoice in thy faith. But contrarily, here is that which convinces men still to be in their unbelief, because they have still their bloody issues. As a Fountain casteth out her waters, so their hearts cast out their wickedness, jer. 6. 7. What soul abominations, and secret loathsome lusts, are harboured and lodged within their hearts? What covetous, proud, malicious, lose and adulterous thoughts, with a continual flux, issue out of their souls? yea, and that with delight, following, and contentfully pursuing them in their speculations. God speaks of detestable things he will save his people from, Ezek. 37. 23. But now those men's detestable things are their delectable things. A sign no faith in their hearts. What litters and legions of creeping things in their hearts, yea, and that without any control, yea, with much pleasure and contentment? A sign of a faithless heart. 3 Thirdly, A strife and struggling against, with a victory and conquest over sin and Satan, corruptions, and tentations. Where faith once comes into the heart, there follows that conflict and combat, Gal. 5. 17. Flesh against spirit, and spirit against flesh. All was jolly quiet at Ephesus, before S. Paul came thither, but when Saint Paul was once gotten in, and had some footing there, see what followed, Acts 19 23. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way; namely, that way of God that S. Paul taught, or as some copies have it, Against that way; and we see in the story, what hurlyburlies Demetrius raised in Ephesus. When the strong man armed, keeps his Palace, his goods are in peace: all pretty quiet and fair, whilst a man in the state of unbelief; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, when faith comes, and shall set upon the dispossession of Satan, and corruption, and they perceive that by faith's entrance, their trading, and Diana, shall down; then there is to do, than there follows no small stir. It is with a man then, as with S. Paul, 2. Cor. 7. 5. We had no rest, but we were troubled on every side, without were fightings, within were fears. When once faith comes into the heart, a Christians heart is a Rebeccas womb: there is an Esau and a jacob struggling and spurning each at other. There is an Ephraim against a Manasseh, and a Manasseh against Ephraim. But yet in this combat and conflict, faith makes a man victorious, gets the better of tentations, subdues, mortifies, and vanquishes, rebellious lusts and corruptions. Esau and jacob struggle, but the elder must serve the younger. Though corruption be the elder, as being borne into the world with a man, yet it must be made a servant when faith comes. Faith is another Rachel, Gen. 30. 8. With the wrestle of God have I wrestled, and I have prevailed. It is between faith and lusts, as it was between the house of Saul and David, 2 Sam. 3. 1. Now there was long war between the house of Saul, and the house of David, but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. There is a continual trucelesse war beweene faith and lusts, corruptions, tentations, but faith waxes stronger and stronger, and corruption and lust waxes weaker and weaker. Faith is the master of the field, though there be enemies up in arms. Faith is a victorious grace, like him that road on the white Horse, Apocalypse 6. 2. It goes forth conquering, and to conquer. 1 john 5. 4. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. It overcomes the men of the world, the lusts of the world, and so all other lusts. It conquers the devil himself, james 4. 7. Resist the devil and he will fly from you. When the enemy flies there is a victory. Whence is this victory? from resistance. But whence comes power to resist? that comes from faith, 1 Pet. 5. 8. Whom resist steadfast in the faith. The shield of faith hath a rare excellency above other shields, Ephes. 6. 16. Taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. It is not only a fencing, but a quenching shield: it not only keeps off, but puts out the fire. And so it mortifies and crucifies, all our lusts, and subdues and brings them under. As in that case, Heb. 11. 33, 34. Through faith they subdued Kingdoms, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of Aliens. So doth faith work the same spiritual effects still. In whose heart once it is, it subdues therein the kingdom of lust, and the dominion of corruption, it unthrones them; it makes a man valiant to fight against, and puts to flight his lusts. That faith that lays hold on Christ crucified, doth fetch crucifying virtue from him, whereby it weakens and infeebles the body of corruption. By this try we our faith. If we find those wrestle and struggle against, and power, and victory, over our lusts, conclude thereupon the presence of a lively and powerful faith: but the want of these argue a want of faith. There is indeed a strife between the judgement and affections of an unbeliever; between his mind, judging such an action to be against credit, profit, & his sensuality headstrongly headlonging him upon its satisfaction, but yet not between will and will, affection and affection, mind and mind, no strife in the same faculty, as in a believer. And there may be a victory that an unbelievers mind and his judgement may have over his sensuality, pleading to him his loss of credit, profit, friends, etc. which is but a bare restraining of corruption in some one particular; but this is far from a victory, subduing and mortifying, the power and body of sin, to bring it into a languishing consumption, which is the work of faith. Sin may live, yea, and rebel in a believing heart; for it is with lusts in a believers heart, as with those beasts, Dan. 7. 12. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. They had their lives for a time prolonged, but their dominion was taken away. So in a believer, his lusts have their lives prolonged for a time, but yet their dominion is taken away; they live, but they live slaves, and they dye gradually, both they, and their rebellions. 4 Fourthly, True faith grows and increases, 2 Pet. 3. 18. Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ: yea, it grows exceedingly, 2 Thess. 1. 3. Your faith grows exceedingly: and Rom. 1. 17. The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Grains of mustardseed grow to the procerity, and spread of trees, in which the fowls of heaven may nestle. Men may try themselves by this. So much growth, so much truth of faith. But how would it puzzle the most to find any such growth. They have believed ever since they can remember, and yet what believe they more now, than at the first. The faith that grows not, lives not; the faith that lives not, is dead. Most men's faith therefore is fit for the grave. Lord, says Martha of Lazarus, He by this time stinketh, for he hath been dead four days. And what is theirs then but a carrion faith, that hath been dead more than so many years? for what more spiritual strength have they, then at first? what more experience of God's dealing? what nearer acquaintance with Christ? or what sweeter communion with him? Not a jot, therefore not a jot of true faith. 3 Thirdly, Effects respecting our brethren; and they are these: 1 First, Mercy, Love, Compassion, and beneficence, to the members of Christ in necessity, Gal. 5. 6. Faith works by love, as by love to God, so also to our brethren. Therefore so often joined together, as an individual pair, 2 Thess. 1. 3. Psal. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 5. And therefore when Tyrus should be converted to the faith, she should leave hoarding and heaping up her wealth, and should find another manner of employment for it, namely, to feed and cloth God's Saints, Isay 23. 18. Her merchandise shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. When Tyrus should once believe she should trade in a new kind of merchandise, she should trade in works of mercy and bounty in relieving and refreshing the necessities of God's Saints. Faith is full of bowels, tender-hearted, and openhanded to Christ's members in want. She is a right Dorcas, Acts 9 39 that makes coats and garments, to and keep warm the backs and loins of Christ's servants in want. If we find such compassionate bowels in us, hands ready to the good works of mercy, to do poor Christians good for Christ's sake, in those bowels there lies faith. If we do love a Saint because a Saint, that love is of faiths working. How doth this one thing damn the common faith of the world? They believe in Christ, that they do; but how love they a godly man? Is there any whom they more disaffect, distaste, or against whom they show more embittered malice? This malicious spiteful faith, is not the faith of Christians. Thus devils believe, they believe, and are malicious. This is a devilish faith; the devils so believe as that they tremble, and yet tremble not to be malicious against those that do believe. And what is their bounty and mercy? Alas, they are not only close fisted, but with the man in the Gospel, they have a withered hand, not able to stretch out their hand in any work of compassion. Such a cripple, and same-handed faith, is not the faith that will pass with God. 2 Secondly, a desire, and an endeavour to bring others to the faith. It having once tasted, and found the sweetness and goodness that is in Christ, and in the ways of God, it cannot rest, but it must seek others, to bring them to participate of the same goodness with itself Phil. 6. That the communication of thy faith. Faith is a communicative grace, and a generative grace. S. Paul once come to the faith hath Timothy his own son in the faith, 1 Tim. 1. 2. When Andrew hath found Christ he calls Peter; when Philip hath met with, he must bring Nathaniel. Faith indeed in one sense doth impropriat Christ, and speaks as Thomas, My Lord and my God: but yet though in its application it make Christ her own, yet not so as it would exclude others; but knowing the all-sufficiency of Christ doth desire to make him common, to as many as it can, and in that regard says, Our Lord and our God. So far forth then, as thou endeavourest to bring on others to faith in Christ, so much evidence hast thou of faith in thyself. But if others specially such as near unto thee may be what they will, for any care or endeavour of thine, it is an evil sign, that thou thyself wantest that, to which thou hast no care to bring others. Many other trials might be added for the discerning of our faith, but these shall suffice, referring the Reader to the larger treatises, of such as have bestowed their profitable pains in this argument. Chap. 12. The examination of Repentance. CHAP. 12 HOw faith is to be examined, we have seen, let us now see how we may try and examine the truth of repentance. How true repentance may be discerned, we may know by that speech of john Baptist, Mat. 3. 8. Bring forth fruits therefore worthy of repentance, fruits meet for repentance, such as become, and evidence repentance: where true repentance is, there be ever such fruits. And those fruits are these: 1 First, shame for sin. True repentance is ever accompanied with shame, jer. 31. 19 I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, etc. Ezek. 16. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed; yea, it so individually goes with repentance, that it is put for repentance itself, 2 Thess. 3. 14. That they may be ashamed; that is, that they may repent and reform their evil course. The Heathens said, That blushing was the colour of Virtue: meaning, that it was a good sign to see a man blush and be ashamed when he had done amiss. And we may truly say, that blushing is the colour of Repentance, Ezra 9 6. I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face. It is true indeed, that men may be and are ashamed, that are far enough from repentance. There is a shame of the face, and a shame of the heart: they have the shame of face, but not the shame of heart. And if they have the shame of heart, yet there is a double kind of that shame. 1. First, the shame of a thief, jer. 2. 26. As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed. And so there is the shame of any infamous sinner, which arises from the disgrace and discredit of his action, that he hath done such a thing by which he hath cracked his credit, or may bring himself to some shameful punishment, the whip, stocks, or the gallows. So wicked men may be ashamed of their sins in their heart and conscience, because of that shame their sin will bring them unto in hell. 2. Secondly, there is a shame of a son or child, a filial gracious shame of heart and conscience; and that is, when a man's shame rises not from the shameful consequents that follow sin; but out of a sight of the filthiness, and loathsome baseness of their sins, they see them so nasty and so filthy, that it makes them ashamed that they have defiled themselves with such filth. And this is the shame that is in the cheeks of true repentance. There is a great deal of difference between the shame of a thief when he is taken, and the shame of a man that falls into a puddle, into the kennel, or the mire: a thief is ashamed, because some disgrace will light upon him, or some punishment of shame. A man that is fallen into the mire, or kennel, he is ashamed; but his shame is from the filthy, nasty, unsavoury pickle that he is in. So a wicked man hath shame of conscience, because his conscience tells him he shall come to shame in hell: but a true penitent man hath shame of conscience, because his conscience tells him, that he hath defiled and besmeared himself with loathsome filth. And such a shame as this, may prove a surer sign of repentance then sometimes sorrow may do. There may be a grief and a sorrow for sin, that may come from the sense and apprehension of wrath, and such a grief will not evidence true repentance: but a shame for sin, out of the sense of the filthiness and vileness of sin, is an unfailing evidence of the faith of repentance. If upon examination we can find such a shame in our souls, if with Ezra we are ashamed, and blush to lift up our face, not because our shameful punishments are increased over our heads, not because our trespasses will sink us down into hell, but because Our iniquities are increased over our heads, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens: such shame yields comfort. But few are thus ashamed of sin; now how many glory in their shame, in their sin, which should be, and is their shame. The Prophet Isaiah complains of a brow of brass, Isaiah 48. 4. The Prophet jeremy, of an Whore's forehead, jerem. 3. 3. And Zephany, Of sinners that know no shame, Zeph. 3. 5. Sinners have lost those few remaining sparks of modesty they were wont to have, and are so fare from being ashamed of their sins, that they rather count it a shame not to sin. May not the Lord say of many now, as he twice complains, jer. 6. 15. 8. 12. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. And are not men grown to that height of Sodoms' impudence, Isay 3. 9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Is the drunkard ashamed of his drunkenness? They that are drunk, are drunk in the night, 1 Thess. 5. Drunkenness than had some shame, it sought to mantle itself with the darkness of the night. But are men now ashamed of drunkenness in the open day, in the open streets? So for swearers, adulterers, and others. Such impudence proclaims men's impenitency in an high degree: such persons are as far from repentance, as they are from shame. 2 Secondly, deep sorrow, and hearty grief for sin. Where consider two things: 1. first, The object of repenting sorrow. 2. secondly, The depth and greatness of it. Both will try truth of repentance. 1 First, the object of repenting sorrow, is sin. It is sin that specially afflicts and disquiets a repenting soul, that is the thing that wrings and pinches it. Where was it that the prodigals shoe did specially wring him? Luke 15. 21. Father I have sinned against heaven; that is, against God in heaven: he doth not say, Father I am in a depth of misery, ready to perish with hunger, in that pinching distress that I would be glad to eat husks with Hogs. But, Father I have sinned. This is the grief of a repenting soul, that God's Majesty hath been offended in and by his sins. This was that which lay heaviest upon, and sat closest to David's heart. He neither cries out of his discredit and shame in the world, nor yet speaks a syllable of wrath, or hell; but Psal. 51. 3, 4. My sin is ever before me, against thee only have I sinned, and have done this evil in thy sight. My sin is ever before me, not Hell and damnation is ever before me; not the shame and reproach of the world, but my sin is ever before me. It is this, Lord that pinches and disquiets me, that I have sinned and done this evil in thy sight. A good heart fears more the committing of sin, than the suffering of punishment following it, Prov. 30. 9 Give me not poverty, lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. He doth not say, lest I be poor, and steal, and bring myself under the Magistrate's sword, or thy wrath; but he looks only at the sin, lest I steal, and take thy Name in vain. He fears the profaning of GOD'S Name more, than the bringing of his own name and person in question. And to this purpose is that which Elihu charges job withal, job 36. 21. Regard not iniquity, for this thou hast chosen rather than affliction; that is, thou hast rather chosen sin and iniquity, than poverty and affliction: as if he had said, inasmuch as thou hast vainly, and rashly, expostulated with God, V 20. desiring death, rather than to bear this affliction: thou art guilty of iniquity, and sinnest in this thy choice. This therefore implies, that a good heart would rather choose affliction, than iniquity; to suffer affliction, than to do iniquity. Now, as a good heart is more afraid of sin, than affliction and punishment; so likewise a repenting heart is more grieved for sin committed, then for sorrow to be suffered. We shall find David in great anguish and distress of spirit, Psal. 25. 17. 18. The troubles of mine heart are enlarged, oh bring thou me out of my distresses; wring, pressing anguishes look upon my affliction and my pain. Here be troubles of heart, distresses of spirit, affliction, and pain. But what is it now, that thus wrings, distresses, and pains David? See the last words, And forgive all my sins, not forgive all my punishments; David's sin, not his punishment, was his pain. We shall see the like in him, 2 Sam. 24. 10. I have sinned greatly, I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant: he mentions not the taking away of any smart: nay, Vers. 17. He is willing to bear it, I have sinned, let thine hand be against me. He begs that the punishment may be laid upon him, but begs that his iniquity may be taken away. Let God be pleased to take away his iniquity, and he is nothing solicitous for the punishment: the offence of GOD troubled him, more than his personal smart. So that God's heart were but towards him in the pardon of his sin, he did not care though God's hand were against him in smiting him with temporal chastisement. And this will better appear, if we do but compare Pharaoh with David, Ex. 8. 8. Entreat the Lord that he may take away the Frogs from me: the Frogs troubled him more than his sin against God, Take away the Frogs, but no mention at all of taking away his sin. And when afterwards, a confession of sin is extorted from him, yet was it not his sin that disquieted him, Exod. 9 27, 28. not take away my sin, but take away the thunderings and the hail. Lord, says David, Take away the iniquity of thy servant: oh, says Pharaoh, take away these filthy Frogs, and this dreadful thunder. A repenting heart is more troubled at sin, then at thunder and Frogs. It sees more filthiness in sin, than in Frogs or Toads, or what ever else can be presented more ugly to it. A repenting sinner hath his eye upon God, and upon his Law. He sees the holiness of God, that he is a God of pure eyes that cannot behold iniquity, Hab. 1. 13. He sees him a good, gracious, patiented Father, and so it cuts him to the heart to have offended such a Father, and God. He looks upon the Law, and sees it to be Holy, just, and good; and this galls him to the heart, to have violated so holy and so pure a Law. Now wicked men, they look wholly at the justice and wrath of GOD, at the curse of the Law, and so nothing troubles them but the fear of hell and death. If these might be avoided, the offending of an holy and good God, the violating of an holy and a good Law, would not a whit afflict or disquiet them. Nay, it is remarkable in David, that though he had upon nathan's message to him confessed his sin, and Nathan upon his confession had pronounced the pardon of it; yet after this he cries out, My sin is ever before me, against thee only have I sinned. Mark then, that even pardoned sin, forgiven sin, vexes and disquiets a true repenting heart. It pinches him, and disquiets him, though it be forgiven; it grieves him that he hath so played the fool, and that ever he was such a beast to offend so gracious a God. When the Prodigals Father sees him coming a far off, he runs to meet him, shows compassion to him, falls upon him, and kisses him. That kiss was the seal of his pardon, as if he had said, Behold, I forgive thee all thy sin, as when David kissed Absalon, and Esau kissed jacob, they both did it in token of full reconciliation. And yet for all this, see how the Prodigal speaks: he says not, O Father, from the ground of my heart I unfeignedly thank thee, oh how great is my Father's goodness thus to pardon me, etc. but Father I have sinned against thee. I, but his Father had kissed him, and thereby testified that he had freely forgiven him, what need he confess his pardoned sin? Why is he not rather in the confession of praise, than in the confession of sin? Oh no: A repenting sinner is so affected and grieved with the offence of God in his sin, that though God have pardoned and forgiven it, yet he cannot but mourn for it, and be afflicted with it, that so holy a Law hath been broken by him, that so good a God hath been offended by him, Psal. 25. 6, 7. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, remember not the sins of my youth. If God remember mercy, he forgets and forgives sin. If God forget it, why doth David remember the sins of his youth? Yes, so will a true repenting heart do; it will remember the sin that God forgets, it will mourn for the sin which God hath forgiven. Now hereby may men try the truth of their repentance. Pharaoh can say, I have sinned, yet was he not to be trusted: and Saul can say so too, as well as he, I have sinned: and judas can say, I have sinned, as well as them both, and yet not a true penitentiary of them all. We may say as much, and make large confessions before the Sacrament too, and yet be fare from true repentance. Deal honestly: if thou be grieved indeed, what is it that grives thee? sin, or smart. Such as is the object of thy grief, such is thy repentance. As in the case of fear of sin, so is it in the Qui Gehennas meluit, non peccare metuit, sed ardere. Ille autem peccare metuit, qui peccatum ipsum sic ut Gehennas odit. August. ●ep. 144. case of grief for sin. In the case of fear, Augustine's saying is true, He that fears hell▪ fears not to sin, but to burn. But he fears to sin, who so hates sin it self, as hell. To fear hell, is to fear burning, not sinning; he fears sinning, that dreads sinning as he dreads burning. It is so in case of grief: he that is sorry because of hell, is not sorry because he hath sinned, but because he shall burn. He is truly sorry for sin, that is more grieved for sinning than he is afraid of burning. If then sin, mere sin, without relation to hell, be that which doth disquiet us, and this be the thing that mainly troubles us, that we have been such beasts to offend God, there is a cause of great joy in such sorrow, it is an evidence of thy true repentance. But if dread of hell, and the fear of being damned, be the thing that works this sorrow and grief in us, there is little cause of comfort in such repentance. So may our repentance be tried by the object of our sorrow. 2 Secondly, the depth and greatness of this sorrow, will serve to try the truth of our repentance. The sorrow of repentance is not a slight, overly, superficial grief, but a deep and an hearty sorrow. That as David speaks of in that case, Ps. 73. 21. Thus was mine heart grieved, or thus was mine heart leavened; that is, his grief was so great, that his heart was leavened with it. A little leaven leavens the whole lump, therefore much leaven doth it much more; his whole heart was soured with the leaven of sorrow. Such is the grief and sorrow of repentance; it is a leavening grief that leavens the whole lump of the heart, it seasons and affects all the whole heart. Therefore the mourning of repentance is called a great mourning, Zach. 12. 11. In that day there shall be a great mourning in jerusalem. How great? as the mourning of Hadadrimmon, in the valley of Megiddo. As great as was the mourning for the untimely loss of josiah. How great that was, see 2 Chro. 35. 24, 25. So deep is the sorrow, and so great is the sorrow for sin in repentance. Yea, it is a bitter mourning, Zech. 12. 10. And they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only Son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. A man that loses his firstborn, and his only son, how bitterly mourns that man? Repentance mourns so bitterly, Peter went out, and wept bitterly; they be waters of Marah that flow from the eyes of repentance. Nay, though it be a bitter sorrow, which is for the loss of an only son, and the loss of dear friends; yet in repentance God looks for a geeater sorrow than that is, which is for the death of dearest friends: therefore Isay 22. 12. The Lord called to weeping, mourning, and baldness. God in special manner prohibited baldness in their mournings for the dead, Deut. 14. 1. Ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes, for the dead: and yet God that forbade it in mourning for the dead, calls for it in mourning for sin. To teach how great our sorrow for sin should be; that there ought to be a greater sorrow in repentance for sin, than of natural affection for the loss of our dearest friends by death. It was a great sorrow that of david's for Amnons' death, 2 Sam. 13. 36, 37. The King wept very sore, or with a great weeping greatly: and David mourned for his son every day. He wept: He wept with a great weeping, and with a great weeping greatly: And he mourned daily. Such is the sorrow of repentance, a deep and a daily sorrow, till God alloy it with some answers of peace. Hence it is that it manifests itself with such outward expressions. The Publican smites upon his breast, Luke 18. And Ephraim smites upon his thigh, jer. 31. 19 And Ezra rends his garment, plucks the hair off his head and beard, Ezra 9 3. All but to testify the deep and hearty sorrow for sin. By this may men take a trial of their repentance. If thou hast had a leavened spirit, an embittered spirit, & hast lamented after the Lord, 1 Sam. 7. 2. whom thou hadst lost by thy sin, as thou wouldst have lamented after a dear lost friend; if thou hast been in the waters of Marah, the greater thy grief hath been, the greater cause of comfort hast thou in the truth of repentance. But so formal, so slight, is the sorrow of many hearts for sin, that it is a clear case they are strangers to repentance. 3 Thirdly, A forsaking, an utter Post luctum poenitentiae non redeas ad peccatum, non iterum facias quod iterum plangas. Non est paenitens sed irrisor, qui adhuc agit unde penitent. Bern. de modo bene vivendi. ejection, and rejection of all our former sinful lusts and ways, Prov. 28. He that confesseth and forsaketh. Repentance not only confesses, but forsakes the confessed sin, job 34 32. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more. That is the language and the resolution of true repentance, Ephes. 4 28. Let him that stole steal no more. True repentance makes men do as God did when he repent him, Gen. 6. 6, 7. And it repent the Lord that he had made man on earth, and it grieved him at his heart: but that was not all, And the Lord said I will destroy man, whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, etc. for it reputes me that I have made them. Nay, repentance in man goes further, one Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and he was spared from the common destruction; but here, not one lust or sin finds grace in the eyes of a man, that truly reputes, but all must be drowned in the flood of the tears of repentance. It is with a man that hath the grief of true repentance, as it was with Nehemiah, Neh. 13. 7, 8. I came to jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobia, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God, and it grieved me sore: but he rests not there, but goes further, therefore I cast forth all the householdstuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. What should Tobiah do with a chamber there? Therefore he not only outs Tobiah, but out goes all his stuff too. So doth repentance, when it considers all the evil that Satan and corruption have done, and how they have taken up chambers in the heart, that should be the house of God, it is grieved sore, and thereupon it outs Satan and all his stuff; neither Satan, nor his stuff, shall be chambered there any longer. So doth repentance dispossess Satan of the soul, as Christ dispossessed his body of him, Mark 9 25. Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee to come out of him, and enter no more into him: so repentance casts Satan and filthy abominations out of a man, that they enter no more, they are cast out for ever. Tears of repentance are not only wetting but washing tears, Isay 1. 16. Wash you, make you clean. David's tears washed his couch, Psal. 6. and so much more washed himself. Baptism is called the Baptism of Repentance, Luke 3. 3. In baptism there is a washing away of sin. And how is baptism the baptism of repentance, if in repentance there were not the doing away of sin. If a man could shed a sea of tears, yet if he do not drown his sin in that sea, what were he the better? If a man should weep his eyes out, yet if he weep not his sins out, to what purpose were it? Wheresoever repentance is, there must necessarily follow this forsaking, and casting off our sins, because with true repentance these two things ever go: first, an abomination and loathing of sin; the man that reputes horribly, loathes his sins by which he hath offended, job 42. 6. I abhor myself, and repent. Ezek. 20. 43. Ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. Secondly, an indignation against sin, 2 Cor. 7. What indignation? Hosea 14. 8. Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with Idols? Now that which a man loathes, and that against which a man hath an indignation, he must needs put it and cast it away from him, see Isay 30. 22. Thou shalt cast them away, namely, their Idols; and why so? Because they loathed them, they were as a menstruous cloth; and because they had indignation against them, Thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. So that let there once be abomination and indignation, and there will be a casting away. Try thy repentance by this; consider what have thy sins, thy beloved sins been; is thy drunkenness with loathing and indignation forsaken? are thine oaths, uncleanness, covetous courses, &c with loathing and indignation Nam qui plangit peccatum & iterum facit peccatum, quasi si quis lavet laterem crudum qui qui quanto amplius laverit tam amplius faciet lutum. Bern. de modo bene vivendi. abandoned? it is a good sign. But how idly talk they of repentance, who because they have blubbered out a few tears, think all is well, when yet they still live and lie in their sins, and hold them as fast as ever. The Mariners when they found out jonas, yet fain they would have saved him, wondrous loath to cast him overboard. Many see their sins, and know them to be dangerous sins, but yet exceeding loath to shake hands with them, loath to throw them into the sea, but will rather adventure their own casting away, than cast them overboard. Never deceive thyself; though thou hast sighed, cried, prayed, begged mercy, yet if still thou live and go on in thy sinful courses, there is no truth of repentance in thee. 4 Fourthly, A walking in holiness and obedience, and bringing forth the fruits thereof. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance. There is mention, Rom. 6. Of fruits in holiness, and Phil. 1. 11. Of fruits of righteousness, and Col. 1. 5. Of fruits of obedience: Now such fruits are meet for repentance. Bring forth fruits, saith S. john, meet for repentance. It is a metaphor taken from trees transplanted, or grafted into other stocks. Before their grafting they bring forth fruit, but it is bitter and sour fruit, wildings and crabs; but new siances grafted upon those stocks, there is new fruit brought forth. A Pepon being grafted upon a Crab stock, the stock brings forth no more Crabs, but Pepons, a new and a good fruit. Such a change and renovation is there in repentance, it makes a man a new man, walking in newness of life, Ephes. 4. 23, 24. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man. How shall it appear that this is done? Amongst other things by that, Vers. 28. Let him that stole steal no more, there is the former thing in the forsaking of sin. But that is not all, there is yet more to be done, But rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needs. So that repentance not only binds the hands from thieving, but opens them to giving. It makes a thief become a merciful man. It was the Church's sin, Cant. 5. 3. that when Christ knocked, and would have had her opened unto him, she neglects him, and puts him off with excuses. But afterwards V. 4. Her bowels were moved for him, or in her, her bowels made a troubled noise, sounded, and rumbled, that is, she was exceedingly grieved and disquieted, that she had done so foolishly. But that doth not serve her turn, to grieve for her fault, but she will mend it too, and falls to doing of duty, Vers. 5. I rose up to open to my beloved. Many have their bowels move within them, but yet it will not move them out of their beds; they lie still, but I rose up and opened, says the Church, and makes after CHRIST whom she had foolishly neglected. Try thy repentance by it. Son, go work to day in my Vineyard, says the Father in the Parable to his Son, he answered and said, I will not, but afterwards he repent, and went, Mat. 21. 28, 29. He repent, because he was not only grieved for his former disobedience, but also because he went, & did his Father's work in the Vineyard. If thou do the like, if thou so grieve for former disobediences, as that now thou fallest to thy Father's work, and fallest hard and close to it, than thou repentest. The contrary convinces men of impenitency. It is not weeping, but working, that must evidence repentance; we may see many weep, but we cannot see them work; and all that repent must turn to God, and do works meet for repentance, Acts 26. 20. Where no such works of holiness and obedience, there is no turning to God, nor truth of repentance. Chap. 13. The Examination of Love. COme we now in the next place to the Examination of Love. There is deceit and hypocrisy in love as well as in faith, Let love, says the Apostle, be without dissimulation, Rom. 12. 9 or without hypocrisy, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1 Pet. 1. 22. Unto unfeigned love of the brethren, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Unto a love of the brethren without hypocrisy. So that there may be hypocrisy in love, and a man may play the hypocrite in his love, as well as in the profession of his faith. God hates hypocrisy wheresoever, as well in the second Table, as the first. And therefore requires sincerity in our love to our brethren, 1 john. 3. 18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. Men must have love in their tongues, and love in their words, but CHAP. 13 that is not all, men must have and show love in their deeds. Love, that is all words and all tongue, and no deeds, is hypocri 〈…〉▪ and dissembling love, james 2. 15, ●6. There we find love in words, a loving tongue, but where 〈…〉 deeds? There is no loving hand, Notwithstanding ye give them not those things, etc. Love that hath a smooth and a kind tongue, and yet hath a withered hand, shows itself in no good deeds and works, it is but a feigned and a dissembling love. It is no more than an hypocrite may do. Nay, a man may have a loving tongue, and be like Nepthali, Gen. 49. 21. Give goodly words, yea, and may do goodly deeds, not be wanting in outward actions and expressions; and yet for all this may play the hypocrite, and his love not be without dissimulation. Therefore the Apostle yet adds one thing more, Let us love in deed and in truth. Therefore there may be words, and tongue, and deeds, and yet not truth. And so long as that is wanting, be there else what there will, all is but hypocrisy; words, tongue, and deeds, may be without truth 〈…〉 uth will never be without them 〈…〉 ve will creep where it cannot go. That therefore the Apostle gives in cha〈…〉 to elder men, belongs to all, Tit. 2. 2. That the aged men be sound in faith and charity. It is not enough to be sound in faith, but we must be sound in love. As faith must be without hypocrisy, 1 Tim. 1. 5. so must love, Rom. 12. 9 It is dangerous to be rotten in the faith, it is also dangerous to be rotten in our love. It therefore concerns a man as well to examine the truth of his love, as of other graces. Men may do much and go far in the love of God's people, and yet not love them as they ought to be loved. First, they may hold an outward correspondency with them in outward peace and neighbourhood, they may live quietly by them, and with them, be free from quarrels, suits, contentions, vexations, and oppositions against them, and in these respects may keep fair quarter with them, and yet for all this not love them as godly people are to be loved. Abimelech and Phicol, Gen. 26. 28, 29. desire to live peaceably and quietly with Isaac, that there may be an oath, and a covenant between them: But yet these being heathens, could not love Isaac as a godly man should be loved. They departed from him in peace, Vers. 31. Peace is one thing, and love is another. 2 Secondly, they may prefer, dignify, advance, and honour them, and yet not love them as godly men should be loved. Besides God's sanctifying graces, there are oftentimes in God's children other gifts of wisdom, prudence, learning, fidelity, skill and activity in secular employments. All which may gain them great respect in other men's hearts. So Pharaoh honoured joseph, and we see his ground, Gen. 41. 38, 39, 40. So Nabuchadnezzar preferred Daniel, and we see his ground, Dan. 2. 47, 48. So Laban set jacob over his flocks, and we see his ground, Gen. 30. 27. So many a Master loves a godly servant, not because he is a good man, but because he is a good servant. This is self-love, they love them, because they love themselves: such men are for their ends of profit, advantage, etc. and for their turns; and therefore out of a self-love, and selfe-respect, love and respect them. That their love of them is not for their godliness, appears by this, because though there were not one dram of grace and godliness in them, yet for their other abilities should they be no less dear unto them, than now they are with all their graces. 3 Thirdly, they may magnify them, highly commend and reverence them for good men, and yet not love them as godly men should be loved. Abimelech called Isaac, The blessed of the Lord, Gen. 26. Herod observed and reverenced john, Mark 6. The people magnified the believers, Acts 5. 13. There were a great many that hated, opposed, and vilefied them; but yet among the jews there were some that were of a more tolerable and equal temper; and though they durst not go so far, as to join themselves with them, yet thus fare they went, that when others reproached, scorned, and calumniated them, they were ready to commend and plead for them. They would haply thus speak, Well, you may say this and that, and speak your pleasure of them, but when you have said all that ever you can, yet we see they be very good people, very conscionable and godly men, they are 〈◊〉 other but what you and we should ●●. Here was magnifying of them, but yet not loving them as they should have been loved, because as the Text says, Of these no man durst join himself to them. All this arises not from love, but from the conviction of conscience, upon the sight of the lustre and beauty of their shining graces, and upon the experience of the integrity of their ways. Conscience convinced cannot but open the mouth to give godly men an honourable testimonial, in magnifying and reverencing them. 4 Fourthly, they may do them many kind offices, courtesies, and favours, and yet for all this not love them as godly men are to be loved. Ierobo●m may invite a Prophet to dinner. The very Barbarians did show courtesy to them, Acts 28. 2. and yet were fare enough from this love. Humanity, civility, good nature, and good nurture, may carry men fare in this kind. 5 Fifthly, they may as honour their lives, so desire their deaths, and yet not love them as godly men should be loved. Balaam desires the death of the righteous, and that his latter end may be like unto his; and yet Balaam that fain would have cursed Israel, was fare enough from the love of a Saint. Many when they see a godly man's end, may speak honourably of him, and wish, Oh that my soul might rest with his, oh that my soul might speed as his, for I am persuaded he is in heaven; and yet all this while not love a godly man as a godly man should be loved. 6 Sixthly, they may honour the memory of them when dead and gone, and upon all occasions give them honourable testimonials for their piety, godliness, etc. and yet not love them as godly men should be loved. The Pharisees, Matth. 23. built up the Sepulchers of the Prophets, and seemed to show great love to their memorial; and yet if they had been alive, they would have dealt no better by them than their Fathers did. Thus much may be done, and yet love wanting; that love wanting wherewith a Saint is to be loved. For with such a love must a man come to the Sacrament, in which there is so special an exercise of the communion of Saints. Since therefore all this is not enough, let us see then what it is that is required more, that our love may be such, as will qualify us for the orderly receiving of the Sacrament. True love then to the members of Christ, to godly and gracious persons, may be thus known. 1 First, it loves them as Saints under the relation of brethren, because they be brethren, because they be sons of God the same Father, sons of the Church the same common mother, and members of Christ our elder Brother. When a man loves godly men, not because they be great, rich, learned, wise, because they may do or have done him a pleasure; but merely because they have God's Image upon them, in grace and holiness, he loves them, as godly persons should be loved. When Gods grace in them is the ground, and God's Image upon them is the Loadstone of our love, when we love them not because we love our gain, respect, etc. but because we love God, and see them to be his, then is our love right, 1 john 5. 2. Hereby we know that we love the children of God, and love them as the children of God, bearing God's Image upon them, when we love God. That is true love of godly men when our love to them is grounded upon, and flows from our love to God. On the contrary may it be said of many, that they love not the children of God. No, not love the children of God? Why, I love such and such a man, and you will not say but they are the dear children of God. I but by this we know that men love not the children of God, when men love themselves, and seek their own base ends. It is one thing in some sort to love a man that is a child of God, and another to love him because he is a child of God. It is one thing to love a godly man, and another because he is a godly man. A man may love one who is a Scholar and a Preacher, but yet not love him because he is a Scholar or a Preacher; nay, it may be he could love him a great deal better if he were neither. The Apostle speaks of love out of a pure heart, 1 Tim. 1. 5. And S. Peter of loving the brethren with a pure heart, 1 Pet. 1. 22. When love is pure, it is true. Then it is pure love, when it springs from none other Fountain but the loveliness of God's grace and Image, in those whom we love. 2 Secondly, true love to the children of God, and to Saints; it loves such above all others, the best of all others, 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all men, love the brotherhood. There is a love, and a respect to be given to all men, according to their relations, worth, quality, etc. but yet true Christian love bestows its Benjamins' portion, the specialty, and choice of its affection upon godly ones. It loves a godly religious man better than a learned man; and the more godly a man is, it loves him the more. Do good to all, but specially to the household of faith, Gal. 6. So love all men in their order and degree, but let your brotherly love, your heartiest and sweet affection, be towards such as are brethren. Love the brotherhood. A love of the brotherhood must be a brotherly love, a love as to brethren. In a Family, a man loves all the servants, but yet he bears a more special nearness and dearness of affection to his brethren, than to servants, 1 Pet. 3. 8. Love as brethren. We read of a young man, Mark. 10. that came running to Christ, and enquiring how he might inherit eternal life. And we read of Lazarus whom Christ raised from the dead, joh. 11. It is said of both, that Christ loved them: of the rich young man, Mark 10. 21. Then jesus beholding him, loved him: of Lazarus, john 11. 3. Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick. Now the young man was a Pharisee, only he had some candour and ingenuity in him, more than usually was in Pharisaical spirits, and so fare Christ loved him, shown loving respect and carriage towards him. But now Lazarus was a godly and an holy man, and therefore Christ loved him with a more specialty of affection. He loved the one as a moral fair conditioned man, that had some good desires and inclination towards good; but he loved Lazarus dearly, and intimately, as a godly and a good man, with such specialty of affection, that it was enough to know him without his Name, by Christ's love to him; The man whom thou lovest. By this try the truth of thy love: Whom lovest thou best? Have the best men the best of thine affection? Are those dearest to thee, who are dearest to God? the best evidence that can be of the truth of thy love. But this proves many to want this love, and that they love not the godly as godly men should be loved, what ever their professions and protestations of love be. For let it be granted that they love them, yet let it be enquired whom they love best, to whom their hearts and affections are closest knit. Look upon those that are deepest in their affections, and judge whether they be at the best, more than moral and civil; and whether those that be godly and religious have half that affection and love that mere civil persons have. Thou dost not love godly men best, therefore thy love is hypocritical; thou lovest a moral man better than one that is religious, therefore thy love is with dissimulation. 3 Thirdly, true love loves as the Colossians did, Gol. 1. 4. It loves all the Saints. Where grace is the ground of love, where ever grace is, there is love, as fire still follows the fuel. Grace hath the same beauty in all; and if grace be the attractive of affection, it draws affection to all in whom it is. The love that is amongst God's Saints is compared to the ointment that was poured upon Aaron's head, Psal. 133. 2. It was poured upon his head, but it rested not there, it ran also down upon his beard, nay, it ran down to the skirts of his garments. So the love that is among the Saints, it diffuses itself to all the members of Christ, it runs not only upon the head and beard, but upon the skirts of the garments to the very lowest and meanest of God's people in whom there is grace. It excludes not any whom God hath received, Rom. 14. 3. despises not any whom God hath chosen, james 2. 5, 6. Love the brotherhood, says S. Peter. He doth not say, love a brother, or such of the brethren, but love the brotherhood, the whole fraternity, society, and company of the Saints, the whole brood and brotherhood of God's people. Try thy love by this. He that loves a godly man for his grace, that hath no other thing to commend him, neither friends, nor riches, nor credit, nor profit, that can love poor godliness, as well as rich godliness, that can love grace in rags, as well as in robes, in russet and leather, as well as in silks and velvets; such a love to all Saints is a good evidence of truth of love. But when men love only some great and rich ones that have grace, and regard not meaner ones though gracious, it is a sign that it is not true love. Yea, it is a error in many, that though their love be indeed to the godly, yet it is with a kind of confinement only to some as worthy of their communion and affection. It is not to be denied, but that a man may love some godly men more than othersome. Christ himself had his beloved Disciple, and we shall find that thrice Christ shown some speciality of favour and affection to three of them above the rest, Luke 8. 51. He suffered none to go in, save Peter, james, and john. Luk. 9 28. in his transfiguration he took up with him only Peter, james and john. And in his agony when he sequestered himself from the rest of his Disciples, yet he takes these three along with him, Mat. 26. 37. But yet such a confinement of our affection to some choice ones, as goes with a contempt or plain neglect, and exclusion of others of meaner abilities and graces, is an unwarrantable thing, such as will not be allowed by this sign of love now instanced in. 4 Fourthly, true love loves and delights in the fellowship and society of the godly. Love the brotherhood says S. Peter. He doth not say, love the brethren, but love the brotherhood, that is, as some expound it, the fellowship of the brethren, and so our former translation reads it, Love brotherly fellowship. Brotherhood implies sometimes fellowship, as Zech. 11. 14. I will break the brotherhood between judah and Israel. The natural relation between them could not be broken, but their mutual society and fellowship should be broken, they should be divided and dispersed each from other. So then, they that love the godly, love their brotherhood, their company, their conference and communion with them. This evidence● t●● truth of David's love, Psal. 1●. 3. All my delight is in the Saints on earth, my delight is in their company and conference. Many in the world magnify the Saints in heaven; yea, some over▪ magnify them, whilst they would give divine worship to them; but in the mean time make little account of the Saints on earth, nay, hate them, imprison, kill, and burn them, Apoc. 13. 7. but David delights in the Saints on earth. Psal. 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. Try then, where lies thy delight? What is the company and society thou affectest? If it be the society of the godly, thy love is to them. But this discovers the hypocrisy of many men's love. They do love godly men with all their hearts. But yet examine who be their companions, and mark who they be in whose society they delight, and are they such as are godly and religious? Take they not more delight in the fellowship of drunkards, vain and ●●●thy persons? Is not godly company the most irksome, wearisome thing in the world to them? What can clear it more, that men love not the godly. It may be thou commendest them, and speakest all good of them; but if thou join not in society with them, thou dost but as those before spoken of, Acts 5. 13. They gave the believers good words, but they durst not join themselves unto them. It may be thou speakest not against them, not because thou lovest them, but because thou lovest thyself, that they may not speak against thee. It may be thou speakest well of them, and all because with good words thou wouldst buy good words again. This is love in word, in tongue, but not in deed and in truth. Look where thy delight and company is, there is thy love. 5 True love is hardly angered, easily pleased. Hardly angered, 1 Cor. 13. 4. Charity suffers long. Vers. 5. It is not easily provoked. It will suffer long, and bear much, ere it will break. It may be provoked, but not easily. Easily pleased, 1 Cor. 13. 4. Charity is kind, james 3. 17. The wisdom that is from above, is gentle, easily to be entreated. God is love (says the Apostle, 1 john 4. 8. And God is slow to anger, Ps. 103. 8. He suffers long, Exod. 34. 6. He is not easily provoked. And he is easily reconciled. Psal. 103. 9 Neither will he keep his anger for ever. Nay, not easily to be entreated, but he entreats and beseeches us, the offending parties, to be reconciled, 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now what makes God so slow to anger, so quick, so easy to be appeased? Because God is love. It is the nature of love so to be, and love is his nature. The Apostle presses Christians to two special things, Col. 3. 13. For bearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any. I but these be hard things to be done, how shall a man come to be able to do these things? Therefore the Apostle teaches us a way how to do it in the very next verse and words, And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. The way to do these things, is to get charity and love. Mark then the nature of love. It is not easily provoked, it is hardly angered, it is a forbearing grace. It is easy to be pleased. It is a forgiving grace. It is hardly angered, because it forbears. It is easily pleased, because it forgives. Love is a forbearer, and a forgiver. Try thyself by this. If thou art exceeding loath to be provoked, sufferest much, and sufferest long, and art willing to bear, till the number and weight of the burdens grow so heavy and unsupportable, that thy back is ready to break before thou complain. If thou art willing to swallow injuries and wrongs one in the neck of another, so long as they are swallowable, that they would not choke or poison thee if thou shouldest offer to swallow any more (for no charity binds a man openly to wrong himself) such forbearance argues that thou hast put on charity. If offences be given thee, and wrong, gross wrong done thee, yet if thou canst readily, cheerfully, willingly, and cordially forgive, it is a good sign of true love. But how fare are many from the truth of this grace in their hearts, who are easily off the hooks, and presently provoked, and all to pieces upon a small offence given; nay, it may be upon no offence given at all, only upon an accidental slip, or a fail in a formality and compliment. No forbearance argues small charity. As far are they from love that are of implacable, irreconcilable spirits; once lost, and lost for ever, whom no kindnesses can overcome, whom no satisfactions can appease, nor no wisdom can set in joint again. Quest. But what if a man have done me wrong, and divers ways injured me by offensive carriages; whether am I bound to forgive him or no, he seeking no reconciliation with me. Am I bound to forgive, where forgiveness is not sought, and must I stay from the Sacrament because I have not forgiven one that wrongs me, and seeks not peace. Answ. In forgiving of an offender there be three things: 1 The letting fall of all wrath, malice, and desire of revenge. 2 The testification of forgiveness. A solemn profession of remission. 3 The reacceptance, and readmission of an offendor into former society, communion, and familiar converse. For the first. A man is bound to forgive in that respect whether the party offending ask forgiveness, or ask it not. A man must so forgive as that he must bear no malice, nor nourish any thoughts of revenge. For though mine adversary sin in his obstinacy, yet his sin will not warrant me to sin in malice, and thoughts of revenge. If mine enemy will not do that which belongs to him, yet I may not do that which belongs to God. Therefore for matter of revenge, and malice, we must always forgive: and unless a man do so forgive as to let fall all malice and thoughts of revenge, he sins in coming to the Sacrament. For the second. Our Saviour gives a rule, Luke 17. 4. If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again unto thee, saying, It reputes me, or I repent, thou shalt forgive him. He doth not say, If thy brother offend against thee seven times, thou shalt forgive him seven times: but if he say, I repent. Whether he say so, or not, I must forgive him in regard of malicious and vindictive thoughts. But I am not bound to testify my forgiving him, and to say to him, I forgive thee, unless he say, I repent. To forgive is one thing, and to say I forgive and make a solemn profession of remission is another. For the third. A man is not bound in that particular to forgive till just satisfaction be given. Satisfaction being duly given, I must forgive so far, but satisfaction obstinately denied, I may refuse society and fellowship with him. Religion binds not to receive an enemy into bosom communion: now so long as he stands out in his enmity, he can be interpreted to be none other, so long as he says not, It reputes him: yea, and though a man do not forgive in these two cases, yet may he with a good conscience come to the Sacrament. And therefore mark how our Saviour speaks, Matth. 5. 23, 24. If there thou remember'st that thy brother hath aught against thee, go thy ways and be first reconciled, etc. He doth not say, If there thou remember'st that thou hast aught against thy brother. Thereby showing that the bar is against the party delinquent, and that a person receiving injury and wrong, so he come without malice, and forgive in the first respect, is not debarred God's ordinance, though he remit not in both the last, just satisfaction not being tendered upon wrong done. 6 Sixthly, true love loves fervently: fervent love, and unfeigned love are joined together, 1 Pet. 1. 22. True love will abound and increase more and more, 1 Thess. 4. 10. Ye love all the brethren, but we beseech you that ye increase more and more. It sets itself no sint nor bounds, it is ready and willing to give and take all occasions, for increase and confirmation. As fire is not only ready to kindle, when blown, but ready to catch of itself any combustible matter being ministered. True love hates all hypocritical reservations, and let's out itself to the giving and embracing of all opportunities that may prove incentives to it. Thereby try and examine the truth of thy love. A spark will kindle to a flame if it be true. But this one thing discovers a great deal of hallow-hearted hypocritical love in the world. There be that for their turns and ends can do more, and dispense further than they will for God and his Commandment: if God and his Commandment, and coals heaped upon their heads, call for the letting fall of their stomaches, they cannot stoop to it, nay, with scorn and pride of spirit, reject tenders and offers of love. But if some end of their own to be compassed, or turn of their own to be served, than they can make a shift to make some shows of love and desire of friendship; but yet with resolutions to keep a fair distance, that there shall never be an entire knitting, and mutual closing of affections; and therefore set themselves bounds, and a stint, beyond which they are resolved never to pass. They will not be wanting in common courtesies, civil correspondencies, but yet for entireness, and intimate familiarity, will be sure to block up the way thereto, by affected distances, and reservations of themselves. They will be pardoned for familiarity, that is more than needs. A carriage fair to the world's eye, that the world shall not see but all is well, they will frame to, but further they resolve never to go. Surely they were as good say, they will play the hypocrites with men, and that their love shall be with dissimulation. For love which sets itself bounds and bars, beyond which it will not step, that love steps not beyond hypocrisy. That love which will not kindle, which will neither be blown to a flame, nor take flame, it is love dissembled. True fire, though it be ever so little a spark, may be blown and be brought to a flame; but all the blowing in the world will never make painted fire burn. Such persons are but like salomon's silvered potsherd, Prov. 26. 23. Burning lips and a wicked heart, are a potsherd covered with silver dross. What ever fair silver shows they make, they are potsherds slubbered over with dross. Such love as is not fervent, is feigned. So much for the examination of love. Chap. 14. The Examination of Obedience. CHAP. 14 THe last thing whose truth is to be examined, is Obedience. There is deceit in obedience, and much hypocrisy may be in it. Saul glories in his obedience, 1 Sam. 15. 13. I have performed the commandment of the Lord. Behold, I have obeyed God. Yea, after Samuel had pinched him with so close an answer, he still stands to it, Vers. 20. Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me. And yet Samuel charges him still with rebellion and disobedience, and leaves him not till he makes him confess his sin. So ready are men to deceive themselves in their obedience to God, as if their obedience were good and acceptable, when there is no such matter. Men will not be borne down but that they are obedient people to God, I have performed the commandment of the Lord, Behold I have obeyed God, says Saul, and so say many as well as he, as fare from it as was he. But as Samuel there convinced Saul, 1 Sam. 15. 14. so may men be convinced of disobedience. What means then, says Samuel, this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the Oxen which I hear. There was not an Ox that jowed, not a Sheep that bleated, but openly, and loudly, proclaimed Saul a disobedient person. So men say they do obey God, and they are wronged to be charged with disobedience. But what then means the bleating and the lowing of their oaths? What means then the neglect of God, in the public ordinances, in their private families? what mean their Lordsday profanations? what mean their whoredoms, drunkenness, and other not bleating, not lowing, but crying, loud crying sins, in the ears of God and man? It is needful therefore that men examine their obedience, whether it be such as is required in him that will be an orderly Communicant. True obedience than may be known by these things: 1 The Grounds of it. 2 The End of it. 3 The Properties of it. The Grounds of obedience are 3. 1 First, the ground of true obedience is the authority and will of God. God's will is, that such a thing be done, and his power is sovereign and absolute to command, so as whatsoever he commands it must be done, because he commands. Therefore we shall find, Levit. 19 that in that one Chapter this one reason, I am the Lord, is used thirteen several times. The meaning whereof is this; such and such commandments I enjoin you, if you will know the ground why you should obey them, this is the ground, I am the Lord, a God of sovereign power and authority, and my will it is that such things be done. And therefore it is that Gods will is brought in Scripture, as the reason of the obedience that is required. 1 Thess. 4. 3. For this is the will of God even your sanctification. So 1 Thes. 5. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 15. The ground therefore of all obedience must be the will and Commandment; that if a man be asked a reason of his obedience, why he doth this or that, he may be able to say, I see it is Gods will and commandment it should be done, and because it is his will, therefore I do it. This was the ground of David's obedience, Psal. 119. 4. 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently, Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes. His desires were exceeding strong to give God obedience in keeping his statutes, and the ground of it was, Thou hast commanded. That only and properly is obedience, which is done Intuitu voluntatis, by looking at God's will, by having a respect or an eye to God's commandment, Psal. 119. 6. and doing it because it is his will. Look as it is in the case of faith, so is it in the case of obedience. Then a man believes, when the ground of his faith is only the Word of God; he believes only because it is the Word and will of God he should believe. If a man believe such a truth because he hath good arguments and reasons for it, by which he is led to believe it, this is science, but not faith. Thus is it in obedience, to do things commanded upon other grounds than the commandment, is not obedience. Suppose a man do the same same thing that God commands, and yet know not that God commands it, this is no obedience: or if a man do know that it is commanded, but doth it not, because it is commanded, neither is this obedience to God; for as where there is no Law, there is no transgression, so where there is no knowledge of a Law, there is no obedience. In all true obedience there must be a knowledge of, and an eye to the will of God, Rom. 12. 2. Proving what is the will of God, that is, searching and trying, and so allowing the good and acceptable will of the Lord, Ephes. 5. 17. Understanding what the will of the Lord is. Both which places imply thus much, that that only is obedience indeed, which is done upon the knowledge and conscience of being Gods will. To do that which is God's will, and not to do it because it is his will, is not obedience. By this may a man try his obedience. If thine heart can sincerely witness that the ground of thy obedience and all thine actions therein, is God's will, that thou seest it is his will to have it done, and because it is his will thou dost it, such obedience is upon the right ground. But by this may the unsoundness of many a man's obedience be discovered. Some men come duly to public duties of God's worship and service; but what is the ground? Is it the will of God, or the law of Man, or the talk of the World, that brings them thereunto. Many a man is diligent in his calling, follows it close, and it is a thing commanded of God so to do. But if a man do it, not because God wils it, but because desire of gain carries him on, or necessity of maintenance forces him thereto, this is no obedience to God, but obedience to his covetousness, or obedience to his necessities, which call upon him for diligence and painfulness. 2 Second ground of obedience, The grace of faith. True obedience must spring and flow from faith. S. Paul speaks, Rom. 16. 26. Of the obedience of faith, that is, that obedience which in believing we give to God. But yet in a larger sense, all obedience may be called the obedience of faith, because by it we give God that obedience we give him, Heb. 11. 8. By faith Abraham obeyed God. Faith quickens and enables to obedience, so as without it we can give God no obedience. Therefore Rom. 3. 3● Faith stablishes the Law; because it is faith that helps a man to perform all the obedience he performs to it. Faith is the ground of obedience thus. 1 First, a man must first believe what the will of God is, before he will go about to yield it any obedience. 2 Secondly, all obedience flows from a man's laying hold on the covenant of grace. In that covenant God articles with us, and binds himself to enable to obedience, Ezek. 36. 27. Now this covenant must be laid hold on for ability and strength to obedience, before a man can obey God. It is true in obedience to every Commandment which is spoken of the fourth, Isay 56. 4. That keep my Sabbath, and take hold of my Covenant. In the Covenant there is promised strength unto obedience; and this covenant being taken hold on, strength to obedience is given. Now that which lays hold upon the covenant is faith, which from the covenant fetches ability to obedience. 3 Thirdly, CHRIST is the principle of all spiritual life and activity, john 15. 5. Phillip 4. 13. Christ must first dwell in a man before he hath strength in the inner man, Ephes. 3. 16, 17. Now all virtue to be fetched from Christ, must be drawn out of him by faith. And he by faith dwells in us, Ephes. 3. 17. No obedience, till we have Christ effectually working in us, and quickening us by his spirit; and no Christ but by faith. By this then a man may try the truth of his obedience. If it be fruit coming from a root of faith, it is good fruit. I believed, therefore I spoke, Psal. 116. So if thou canst say, I believe, therefore I pray, and do God service, john 9 38. He said, Lord I believe, and he worshipped him. I believe, therefore I sanctify the Lordsday, I believe, and therefore I do duties of obedience; then is thine obedience true fruit of Paradise, because it grows upon the tree of life. But if thine obedience arise from a root only of morality, it is but hedge fruit. 3 Third ground of obedience, is the true love of God and Christ. Indeed obedience must not be upon constraint; but in one sense it is by constraint, yet by the constraint of Love, 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constrains us. Love hath such an active power that it constrains us to obedience, not only that love which Christ bears to us, but which we bear to him. Obedience to God must be filial obedience, 1 Pet. 1. 14. As obedient children. Now the obedience of a son to his Father flows from love. The love of his Father sets him on work, to do what his father commands. The good son in the Vineyard, Mat. 21. When his Father bid him go work in his Vineyard, he at first said, I will not, but afterwards he repent, and went and wrought in the Vineyard. Now what was it that made him obey his Father: his Father promised no wages if he would go work, nor threatened him any evil if he did not work, but there was only a bare command, Mat. 21. 28. Son go work to day in my Vineyard: here are neither wages promised, nor anger threatened, and yet he went. It was neither hope of wages, nor fear of punishment, that carried him; but merely a sonlike love, and the dutiful affection he owed to his Father, that wrought upon his heart, and constrained him to go, though at first he refused it. And such is true obedience unto God. Love unto God is the weight that sets the wheels on going, john 14. If ye love me, keep my commandments. 1 john 5. 3. This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. Try we our obedience by this. What is it that moves to obedience? If thou canst plainly say, as the servant, Exod. 21. 5. I love my Master, I will not go out free; so, I love my God, I will not swear, etc. I love my God, therefore I will yield him all careful obedience. If love be the weight and the oil that makes the wheels run, thine obedience is such as it ought to be. But this discovers a great deal of false obedience. Some men yield obedience for the love of themselves, the love of their credit. Such was the Pharisees obedience, in their alms, prayers, and fastings, only to purchase credit with men. Such is a civil man's obedience, whose obedience is only to such commandments, and only to such branches of those commandments, the breach whereof would blemish his reputation, and blur his credit in the world. Some yield obedience, and work in the Vineyard for their penny, such as do all they do with a conceit of binding God to them; and bringing him into their debt. Some again yield some obedience neither for love, nor wages, but for mere fear; for fear either of the penal laws of men which fence any commandment of God, or for fear of a greater measure of wrath in Hell. None of all these is filial obedience rising from love: These are obedient workmen, obedient slaves, that dread the whip, but not obedient children. It is love to the Father, not wages from the Father, that is the ground of a child's obedience. The son of a poor man that hath not a penny to give, or leave him, yields his father obedience as cheerfully as the son of a rich man, that looks for a great inheritance. If there were no heaven, God's children would obey him, and though no hell, yet would they do their duty. So powerfully doth the love of their Father constrain them. 2 Secondly, the end of obedience that is obedience indeed, is the honour and glory of God, 1 Cor. 10. Whatsoever ye do, let all be done to the glory of God. john 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit. The main end that true obedience propounds, is the glory of him that commands. When Christ's people give him obedience, it is the setting of the crown upon his head, what makes him more a King than obedience, Cant. 3. 11. Behold King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his mother crowned him. Now this is the main end of right obedience, that the Crown may be set on Christ's head, that it may bring him in the honour of the King, the crowned King of the Church, Phil. 1. 11. Filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are unto the glory and praise of God. Let every man examine his own heart, what his end is in his obedience. If we have any other main end but God's glory, it makes it obedience to our end, and not to God. How many yield that obedience they do, not to set the Crown on Christ's head, but to set the crown upon their own heads. So do hypocrites that seek their own praise, and credit, or profit; so do all specially that do any thing with a conceit of meriting at God's hand. Such obedience as hath squint respects at base and by ends, is in God's sight as base as the ends it looks at. 3 Thirdly, the properties of obedience. And they are these: 1 First, true obedience to God must be universal. And that in a threefold respect. 1 In regard of the subject or person that yields obedience, he must do it with the strength of his whole man, and all the faculties thereof, Ps. 119. 4. To be kept exceedingly. Psal. 103. 1. All that is within me. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, etc. 2 In regard of the object, and of the commandments to be obeyed. They must be all obeyed, Deut. 6. 25. Psal. 119. 128. The obedience to be given to God, is a filial obedience, 1 Pet. 1. 14. Now filial obedience must be universal, Col. 3. 20. Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. It is not well pleasing to God, when children will obey their parents only in what they think good. That is to yield obedience upon courtesy, and not upon duty. See what a filial obedience the sons of jonadab gave their father, jer. 35. 8, 10. In all that he hath charged us. According to all our father commanded. It was but an homely business that Kish sent Saul about all considered. Kish, a man of great substance, A mighty man of power, 1 Sam. 9 1. And Saul his son, a choice young man, and a goodly, not a goodlier man amongst all the children of Israel, and yet his father sends him with one of his servants to seek the Asses. And though it were but a mean service, yet Saul yields him obedience. Our obedience to God must be a childlike obedience; a childlike obedience is universal to all commandments without exceptions, dispensations, and reservations. Here Saul failed, 1 Sam. 15. 3 In regard of all time. Obedience must not be for some times, nor for a time. Not for sometimes, to be sometimes on, and sometimes off, but it must be a constant, settled, even course of obedience, that God looks for. Some men have their fits of goodness, and have their good days, as men in an ague, but are fickle and lose hearted, hold not their hearts close to God and good duties. Thus is that obedience which the Scripture calls walking with God. Some take a turn or two with him, go with him three or four steps; but that is not walking with him. Walking with God, implies a settled even course of obedience to him. Neither must obedience be for a time, but it must be continual to our lives end, Luk. 1. 75. All the days of our lives. 2 King. 17. 37. He shall observe to do for ever more. Phil. 2. 8. Christ became obedient unto death: that is, as Beza expounds it, Unto his dying day: not only obedient in his death: but Christ's obedience as it begun at his incarnation, so it continued to his dying day on the cross. 2 Secondly, true obedience is prompt and present; ready and speedy, without shucking and hucking, without delays and consults, Psal. 119. 60. I made haste, and delayed not. Mar. 1. 18. And immediately they forsook their nets, and followed him. Zech. 5. 9 They had the wind in their wings. Wings, and wind in their wings, to note, as junius observes, their readiness in their obedience. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. The Angels in heaven are exceeding ready, and speedy in their obedience, and therefore mention also is made of their wings. It was Lot's fault to linger, Gen. 19 16. There be that say they will repent, and they will reform their ways. Obedience makes haste, delays not. Where there be delays, where there is lead in the heels, or the wings be plucked, or clipped, where men put off obedience to the time to come, they may justly question the truth of their obedience. 3 Thirdly, true obedience is free, willing, unconstrained, Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall come willingly. Psal. 40. 8. Then I said, lo I come to do thy will. Obedience is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 2 Cor. 9 7. nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not grudgingly, or of necessity, not sad, nor forced; but Col. 3. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and Rom. 6. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from the soul and the heart. His commandments are not grievous, 1 john 5. 3. To wicked men, the word of the Lord is a burden, jer. 23. 33. Cords and bonds, Psal. 2. 3. Yokes and bonds, jer. 5. 5. Now according to all these things frame Articles, and Interrogatories, and put thy conscience to examination. This in brief may suffice for the trial of the truth of grace. Chap. 15. The growth of grace, and our wants, examined. CHAP. 15 THe second thing to be examined follows, the growth of our Graces. It is a point that concerns a man at all times to look to the growth of his Grace, as that which must evidence the truth of it: for where there is no growth of Grace, there is no truth of Grace. True Grace is growing grace. There is a growing in knowledge, 2 Pet. 3. 18. A growing in wisdom, Luke 2. 40. A growing in faith, 2 Thess. 1. 3. All true grace grows. There be counterfeit and false graces; and this is a main thing that differences true and counterfeit ones: True grace grows, counterfeit grace grows not. There is a great deal of difference between a true Tree, and a pictured Tree, between a true child, and the statue or Image of a child. A true child grows, but the Image grows not, it is no taller nor bigger at an hundred years end, than it was the first day it was made. Where there is truth of grace, there is life of grace, and life will put forth itself and cause a growth, as we see in living Trees, and living men that are not yet come to the fullness of their growth, they grow because they live. And to show that true grace grows, we shall find in Scripture several ages of Christianity and religion, which are the several degrees of spiritual growth, the several degrees of the growth of a Christian: ye have, 1 His conception, and the forming of him in the womb, Gal. 4. 19 2 His birth, 1 Peter 1. 23. 1 Peter 2. 2. 3 His childhood, 1 Cor. 3. 1, 2. Heb. 3. 13. 1 john 2. 13. His infancy. 4 His well-grown age, or youth, when he is past the spoon, 1 john 2. 13. Young men. 5 His full grown age, Ephes. 4. 13. when he comes to man's estate, Heb. 5. 6 His old age. Mnason, an old Disciple, Acts 21. 16. when a man is grown a gray-headed experienced Christian, 1 john 2. 13. when men be grown Fathers. Such as Psa. 92. 12, 13, 14. All to show, that where there is grace in truth, there will be growth. And therefore it concerns us at all times to try the growth of our grace. But though at all times it concerns us to examine the growth of grace, yet in special manner doth it concern us before we come to the Sacrament. As the Sacrament of Baptism is the Sacrament of our new birth, so is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, the Sacrament of our spiritual nutrition and growth. And therefore is this a reason why baptism is but once; but the Supper is often administered and received, because a man is born but once, but after he is borne, he stands in need to be fed often for his nourishment and growth. And spiritual growth is a main end and fruit of this Ordinance. What makes the body grow more, than the use of food, in eating and drinking? In the Supper there is provision of spiritual food to make us grow. So that in this respect I may allude to that, Zech. 9 17. How great is his goodness, & how great is his beauty? corn shall make the young Man grow, etc. God's goodness is great in the Sacrament; he gives bread and wine, and with them, to every faithful receiver, the Body and Blood of his Son; that by the bread of his flesh, and the wine of his blood, he may cause Christians to grow. So that it concerns us much to examine our growth, that we may know what good our former receiving hath done us. It is a great help to our profit in receiving the Sacrament, to examine ourselves how we have profited formerly. Then may we know whether we have profited, when we know whether we have grown. Such, and so much as is our growth, such and so much is our profit. And when we find that we have profited, then may we comfortably still expect the like blessing upon our use of the Ordinance. A man must needs go with little cheerfulness to the Lords Table, when he knows not whether he shall get any good by going, or not. That man that knows not whether ever he have received any good or no, by his former receiving, can have little hope of receiving any good by his future receiving. But when a man sees he is grown by the use of the Ordinance, than he must needs go full of hope to the Ordinance. The way to know a man's growth, is examination, and that by the signs of growth. And they be these: 1 First, spiritual strength. The more growth, the more strength in spiritual things. In nature, strength follows growth. Trees in their first beginnings are weak, will bend and bow every way, but as they grow, they grow stronger, and grow to that strength, that they are fit for Timber, and the strongest services. When a Man is new borne, and a Babe, how weak and feeble a creature is he? but as he grows up, so he is stronger and stronger, and is at last fit for manlike services. So it is in spiritual growth. A man at first is weak, Rom. 14. 1. but growth brings strength. The man that grows in grace grows so strong, that he can wrestle with a spiritual enemy. A babe or a child cannot wrestle with a Man, much less with a strong Man; but a grown Man, he can wrestle with a strong Man, and haply can make his part good with him, foil him, and lay him on his back. So a grown Christian can wrestle with Powers and Principalities, Ephes. 6. with lusts and corruptions, and can get mastery and victory over them. Yea, a Christian that is grown can wrestle with GOD himself, as jacob did. Now when a man is so strong, that he can wrestle with strong ones, it is a sign that he hath growth in grace. The man that grows in grace, grows so strong, that he can bear burdens, the heavy burdens of afflictions, and of the cross. An heavy burden laid on a child's back, would break his back, but a grown man hath the strength to bear a great weight. Samson could carry the Gates of Gaza upon his shoulders when he was a grown man, that would have crushed him to pieces when he was a child. He that can bear Christ's cross in any kind, hath a proportionable measure of growth. It is then with spiritual growth and strength, as it was with Christ's natural and spiritual strength, Luke 2. 40. The child grew and waxed strong in spirit. So if we grow we wax strong in spirit, Pro. 24. 10. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is but small. Small is their strength that cannot bear a scorn, a lash with the tongue, that shrink and sink at a sour look. As the man is, so is his strength, say they to Gideon. And as a man's strength is, so is a man; if but small strength, small growth, little strength, as little growth. 2 Secondly, a man's growth may be judged by his stomach, by his appetite to his spiritual food. So we see it is in nature. Young men have fare better stomaches to their meat than old men have, and the reason is, because they are growing: for where there is growth, there is a more speedy expense of the nourishment that is concocted; and therefore hunger in young bodies, is counted a sign of growth. Men that have done growing are hungry also; but nothing so soon hungry, nor so sharp as younger stomaches; because where nature is growing, it calls faster and sooner for a supply than where it hath done. So it is here. The man that grows in grace, hath an hungry soul, a sharp appetite; he is never well but when he is feeding, he takes all occasions to be eating: though he have had a good meal, and have been well satisfied, yet he is quickly hungry again. Though he have been well fed on the Sunday, yet he can have a stomach to a Sermon again, before the week go about. Though he have had sweet satisfaction and refreshment at the Sacrament, yet he hath a good stomach to the Sacrament again, before the month come about again. Growers are hungry, and great feeders. If it be thus with us, we have an happy evidence of our growth. But this shows how few grow, because so little hunger after their spiritual food in the Word and Sacrament. You have many can go fasting a long while together; one meal in half a year, nay, in an whole year can serve their turn, and it is enough, richly enough in conscience; what needs such ado? It is easy to judge such a man's growth, what it is. Their birth is rather to be questioned than their growth. 3 Thirdly, growth in grace is visible and sensible to others. Where grace grows, it so grows that others may discern it and see it. It is true here, as Mark 4. 26, 27. The seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how. We cannot see corn grow, but we can discern when it is grown. For when it is come from sprouting to the blade, from the blade to the full corn in the ear, by these several degrees it is discerned that it is grown, though we could not see how it grew. So though we cannot discern the growing of grace, yet we may discern when it is grown. So Luke 2. 52. It is said that our Saviour increased in wisdom before men, for it is referred to both things there specified, 1 Tim. 4. 15. That thy profiting may appear to all. If corn be sown and speere in the ground; yet if it come not up and appear above ground, we do not reckon that it grows. There is no man that grows in grace, but his grace will be sensible in one kind or other. A Tree that is stinted and grows not, and a Tree that grows and thrives, may be discerned each from other by their very bark and rind, a man may distinguish them by their looks. By a man's looks and complexion it may be discerned that a man is growing. A man's growth is discerned by his visage & by his voice. A man that hath had a sickness, that hath kept under his growth, so long was ill coloured ill complexioned, but if once his disease be cured, and a man's growth mends, there follows an alteration of his complexion. So is spiritual growth discerned; when a man grows in grace, there will be an alteration of the visage, an amendment of the complexion. The visage of a man that grows, continues not the same it did before, Eccl. 8. 1. A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. As when we have not seen some persons a long time, they grow out of our knowledge, there is such an alteration in their visage we scarce know them, they are so altered by their growth, that they look nothing like the men they were wont to do: so in this case, a man's visage and outward carriage, strangely altars where the soul grows in grace: the outward behaviour of a man's life so changes, that a man knows him not by his former looks. It may be a man's behaviour was covetous, earthly, carnal, but if a man once grow in grace, he is grown clean to another kind of behaviour. That look as it is said of Christ, Luke 9 53. They saw what he was by his face; so may a growing Christian be discerned by his face: the life of such a man hath another kind of face, and of looks with it, so as his old acquaintance wonder at it, 1 Pet. 4. 4. Thus also is growth in grace sensible by the alteration of the voice. When one grows towards man's estate, his voice altars and changes, he speaks no longer like a child, but he gins to have a big and a manlike voice, 1 Cor. 13. 11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, but when I became as a man, I spoke as a man; which is true, not only of the subject, but of the sound of a man's speech. So the growth of a Christian in grace, is sensible by the alteration and change of his voice. Even in this sense it is true, though spoken in another, that they that believe shall speak with new tongues, Mark 16. 17. The vain, frothy, earthly tongue is gone: he speaks not vainly, foolishly, so children do; but he speaks profitably, to edification, john 3. 31. He that is of the earth, is of the earth, and he speaks of the earth. 1 john 4. 5. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world. Here is an old tongue. But Psal. 37. 30. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgement. Prov. 31. 26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of grace. Col. 4. 6. Let your speech be always with grace. Ephes. 4. 29. That it may minister grace to the hearers. Here is a new tongue: here is a change of the voice, and a sign of growth. Look then upon thine own complexion, thou shalt see by it, whether thou hast grown in grace by thy former receiving the Sacrament, Dan. 1. 12, 13, 15. Give thy servants pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon,— And their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children, etc. By the looking upon daniel's countenance and the rest, it appeared that they thrived and prospered with their pulse and water. So much more by men's countenances, carriages, and behaviours, if they be looked upon, whether they thrive, and grow with their Sacramental food formerly received. But men's old visages, and ill-favoured complexions, are ill signs how little growth there is. With too many it is as with Pharaohs seven ill-favoured Kine, they ate up the wellfavoured, and the fat, but were still as ill-favoured as before. Many come to the Sacrament after Sacrament, and eat and drink at the Lords Table, but what alteration in their lives? Are not their lives as ill-favoured still as before. Listen to their voices, and as little change shall you find there, as in their lives. Thus may we examine the growth of grace in general. But besides this, there must be a special examination of the growth of the grace of faith: and that may briefly be thus discerned. A grown faith is a great faith, O Woman, great is thy faith, Mat. 15. Great faith is seen: 1 First, not only in obedience, but in great obedience. Great faith does great works of obedience. It was a great work of Abraham, to sacrifice his son. No wonder he did it, who was a man of so great faith as he hath the honour to be the father of the faithful, I am. 2. 5. Rich in faith. 1 Tim. 6. 18. Rich in good works. It is a sign that a man is Rich in faith, when rich in good works. A poverty or beggary in good works cannot stand with a riches in faith. 2 Secondly, in great victories and conquests over great lusts, where corruptions and lusts are strong, and get head, faith is little, Mat. 6. 30, 31. Mat. 16. 8. O ye of little faith. But where faith grows great, it fetches down the greatest lust, the most radicated corruptions. As faith of miracles, a grain of it removes Mountains, Mat. 17. 19, 20. Plucks up trees by the roots, Luke 17. 6. So much more doth justifying faith, when grown and great. Many talk of a great faith, yet cannot remove Molehills, nor pluck up small twigs. Many will swear by their faith; how swearing and believing will stand together, I leave it to them to scan. I but this is (they will say) a small matter, a matter of nothing to swear by a man's faith. The smaller a matter it is, the greater evidence that such have not a great faith; because that would get great victories over great evils, therefore much more over small ones. It is no great faith that cannot remove so small a Molehill, that cannot pluck up so small a twig. 3 Thirdly, In this, that it can and will believe on God, as a man may say with reverence, whether God will or no. It will believe in an angry God, in a kill God, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. It will believe in a forsaking God, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why hast thou forsaken me, and yet my God. It will not be beaten off, not damped, nor discouraged with silence, nor with sad answers, Matth. 15. 28. O woman, great is thy faith. A sign it was great, or else such great discouragements had overcome it. 4 Fourthly, great confidence and strength of heart in the midst of dangers and fears, Psal. 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, why so? His heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. A fixed heart in such a case a sign of great faith. Much fear is an argument of little faith, Mat. 8. 26. Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith? Had they not reason to be fearful? It was a great danger they were in, Vers. 24, 25. True, but yet if they had had great faith, they would have had great courage and confidence in that great danger. For faith foresees dangers, hath a quick eye to discern a storm before it comes, and so gives a man the liberty of himself to provide against the worst, and so that error is taken off which suddenness brings with it. And beside, when a danger is come, faith doth as the blood of the body doth in time of fear, it gets to the heart, and succours and strengthens it, john 14. 1. Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. Great faith is full of great quiet, great comfort, great courage, and confidence in the midst of great fears and dangers. Thus in brief may a man know the growth of faith. But if a man cannot find his faith so grown, yet is it no bar to his access to the Ordinance. If a man find his faith weak, yet may he come, yet must he come that he may help it hereby in its growth. But the more our faith is grown, the more comfort shall we have in coming, and the more benefit shall we carry away with us Optima dispositio ad Sacramentum Eucharistiae est, non nisi ea qua pessime es dispositus, & e contra tunc pessime es dispositus, quando aptissime. Quod sic intelligitur, quod quando sentis te miserrimum & egenum gratia, jam co ipso capax es gratiae, & idoneus maxim. Luther. from the Sacrament. 3 The third thing, wherein our examination must be, is our wants. A special end of our coming to the Sacrament, is to have our spiritual wants supplied. If we will have our wants supplied, we must come purposely with that intention. We cannot do that unless we know distinctly and directly what our wants are. We cannot know what our wants of grace are, unless we look into our souls by examination. We should do in this case, as we see such do as go or send to market: at the market there is a supply to be had of all the wants of the family; if there want bread, if there want food, if any other household necessaries be wanting, they are to be had at the market; therefore when any is to be sent or to go to the market, there is an inquiry what is wanting in the house. Is there bread or bread-corne enough in the house? Is there not such and such a necessary wanting? do you not need such a provision into the house? So when we are to go to the Lords Table should we do with ourselves. The wants of the soul are not a few. There is nothing that the soul can want or wish, but it may be had abundantly in Christ, and in him in his Ordinance. Now therefore should the soul before the Sacrament be inquisitive into its own wants. Say to thy soul, I am now going to the Sacrament, there is abundance of spiritual commodity to be had, now than what is it that thou wantest? Dost thou not want assurance of thy pardon? Dost thou not want strength of faith? Dost thou not want power against such a special lust that hath haunted thee, and pestered thee a great while? Dost thou not want some healing virtue to staunch some bloody issue? Dost thou not need some quickening in thy spirit? Thus labour to search and find out what be the wants of thy soul, and what be thy particular necessities. In the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we go to CHRIST JESUS to have him help us in our wants and necessities. Now CHRIST JESUS will first have us know our wants, and be particularly sensible of them, before he will supply them. He counsel the Church of Laodicea, to buy of him gold, raiment, eye salve, Apocal. 3. 18. But first he convinces her of her wants, of her poverty, nakedness, and blindness, that she coming to him in a particular sense of those wants, and making that her errand to him, she may have them supplied. It was, one would think, a strange question, that our Saviour put to that man, john 5. 6. Wilt thou be made whole? was there any question to be made of it, whether that a man that had been sick eight and thirty years would be willing to be made whole? It is sure he desired nothing more: why then doth Christ ask him that question? purposely to affect him with the sense of his want, to make him the more sensible of his necessity. So will Christ have men affected with the sense of their wants, that would have a supply of their wants from him. It will not serve a man's turn in the general, to know he wants benefit from Christ, but he will have a man in particular be sensible of that special want wherein he would have his help. That is a remarkable place to this purpose, Luke 18. 35, 36. The blind man hearing that Christ passed by, he cries out, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David, and he cries so again, Vers. 39 At last Christ calls him to him, Vers. 40, 41. and said, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? Did not Christ see he was blind, and did not he know what mercy it was he begged? Yes questionless. But yet he would first have him particularise his wants, and in what particular it was he would have him show him mercy, before he would do it. Have mercy on me, was a general suit; many ways might mercy be showed: therefore Christ presses him to instance in his particular want, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? what is the particular mercy thou standest in need of, that thou wouldst have me help thee withal? and than follows his answer, Lord that I may receive my sight; Lord, I am blind in this particular, I have need of thee to open mine eyes. And then Christ saith, Receive thy sight. And he received his sight. They then that come to Christ to receive any thing from him with a sense of the want of that they would receive, they are they that are like to speed in their receiving, what they desire to have from Christ. I doubt whether he should have had that mercy, if he had only still begged for mercy in general; but when once he comes with a particular sense of his want, than he finds Christ ready to help him. It must be thus with us when we come to the Sacrament, if ever we will have good by it. Many they come that they may receive good by it, but do not pitch upon such particular good as they need, and all because they know not what particular good from Christ they want: and that is not known for want of examination. There is nothing more prejudicial to men's benefit by the Sacrament than this one thing, that men before they come do not find out their wants, and so in the sense of them seek to Christ in his Ordinance. They coming without the sense of any particular want, they come without the desire of any particular grace or benefit from Christ. And coming without desire, go as they come. As our Saviour speaks to his Disciples, Luke 22. 35. When I sent you without purse, etc. lacked ye any thing? And they said, nothing. So if a man should ask many, When ye went to the Sacrament, lacked ye any thing? did you want any thing in your own particular feeling? they may answer, nothing. And what received they then? just as much as they lacked, just nothing. Therefore it should be a man's wisdom, so to examine his own wants, that if Christ should say to him when he is come to the Sacrament, what is it that thou wouldst I should do for thee? thou mightest be able out of a privity to thine own wants, upon examination to answer, Lord that my pardon might be sealed, Lord, that I may receive the virtue of thy death, that such a rebellious lust might be mortified, Lord, that I may receive thy Spirit, that mine unclean heart might be sanctified, that I might be enabled with more strength to perform such a duty, etc. And Lord, upon this very errand, and for this end do I come now to thee in thine Ordinance, to have help in this or that particular from thee. If once we could come thus with the sight of our wants to receive, than would Christ answer, and say, Receive the mercies thou feelest the want of, receive my Spirit, receive power against thy lusts, receive strength to obedience. They that come for they know not what, go even away with they know not what. Chap. 16. Habitual graces to be quickened and renewed, before the receiving of the Sacrament. CHAP. 16 THus have we seen the second thing, in which actual preparation stands, namely, examination. The third thing follows, and that is the quickening and renewing of our habitual graces. That which S. Paul wishes Timothy to do, and which is needful for Christians to do at all times, is of special use, and needful to be done before the Sacrament, namely that 2 Tim. 1. 6. I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift, or grace of God that is in thee, that thou blow up, and cause to kindle, the grace of God. Fire that lies raked up in the ashes, here and there a coal, will not on a sudden kindle and burn out into a flame, but if a man beforehand gather the coals together, and lay on some small sticks, and blow those coals, and kindle those sticks, than when a man will, he adding more fuel, he may have it burn and flame out as he please. At the Sacrament a man would be willing to have all his graces up in a burning flame; now that will not be done on a sudden, but if before the Sacrament we lay these coals together, and be blowing them, and kindling them with some fuel in private, then when we come at the Sacrament, they will the easier and sooner flame out. Now the graces specially to be quickened, and renewed, are faith and repentance. 1 First, it is not enough for a man that he have faith, but if a man will come in due order, he must before his coming, quicken, awaken, and stir up, and renew his faith. Though a man have faith, yet if he come with his faith half asleep, he comes not in due Order. A man that is sleepy and drowsy, is a true man, but yet he is an unfit man to be employed in a business of weight, wherein he had need to have his wits about him, in a business that will require the activity of all his parts and faculties. A faith that is drowsy, and half asleep, is haply a true faith, but yet is not a fit faith to come to the Sacrament, it being a business that requires all the liveliness and activity that possibly faith can have. A man that would have a good stomach to his meat, and have his meat do him good, will a little before his meat use some exercise which may awaken his spirits, and stir up his natural heat: he hath life in his body before, and heat in his body before, but yet if a little stirring and exercise be used before meat, it raises a man's spirits, prepares for, and helps digestion, and a man's meat does him a great deal the more good. So in this case some exercising of faith, and setting it on work before the Sacrament, would bring warmth and heat into it, and would sweetly prepare it to work the more kindly at the Sacrament, and so would the Sacrament do a man's soul much the more good. The Physicians say, that a breakfast moderately and Seasonably taken, gets a man the better stomach to his dinner, because thereby a man's natural heat is awakened, and the spirits raised, and so the better way prepared for concoction. Do so here, take a breakfast before this feast, set Faith a feeding on some promise or other, and so whet and provoke the appetite of thy faith. A man that is to run a Race, will not put off all to the very point of running, then would he be so pursy and breathless that he would run to little purpose, but because he would be sure to have his wind and legs at command in his Race, he will for many days together be exercising himself before the day of his Race, he will run so much one day, so long another, and so will be every day breathing himself, that when he comes to run, he may have wind at will, and neither legs nor lungs may fail him. So, before the Sacrament, it is good to be exercising our faith, that it may be in breath, and fit to perform its office when at the Sacrament. A faith unexercised before, will prove pursy and short wound, when it should do the main business at the Sacrament. Quest. But how should a man thus exercise and quicken his faith, before he comes to the Sacrament. Ans. Take some of the promises and set thy faith on work upon them. Thou comest to the Sacrament to eat Christ. Before thou comest to eat him at his Table, first labour to taste him in chewing some promise; and that taste gotten of him in the chewing of a promise, would sweetly prepare faith to the eating of him in the Supper: we shall conceive it the better by some instance. God commands us to come to Christ, Come, for Luke 14. 17. all things are ready. We have not only a commandment which yet might have sufficed, but we have a promise, joh. 6. 37. Him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out, that is, I will with all hearty welcome, embrace, and receive him that comes unto me, that believes in me. Why then I see, that come and welcome. He that bids me, if I come at his bidding, he will bid me welcome. Doth my soul doubt of it? Why then do but consider what Christ is now, by what he was when on earth. I find in the Gospel that the poorest and meanest that were might come unto him. I see Matth. 21. 14. That the lame and the blind came unto him; they came, and they were welcome, They came unto him, and he healed them. I see then if I come to him, I shall find him an healing Christ. And how much doth my soul need healing? I see, Mat. 8. 2, 3. that a Leper comes, a foul unclean Leper, and yet he is not loathed for his leprosy, neither doth Christ check him, and bid him keep off, but he was welcome to, and had his leprosy cleansed. I never find Christ displeased with any for coming to him, never find him complaining of any for coming. I see none refused or forbidden coming unto him. I hear him complaining, that men did not, would not come unto him, john 5. 40. And ye will not come unto me. I find him displeased with his Disciples, for forbidding little ones to come unto him, Mark 10. 13, 14. and V 16. Suffer little children to come, yea and he embraces and blesses them. Then I see Christ bars none from coming. My conscience discourages me, and tells me, If I were so holy as such a man, etc. then I might come. But what wilt thou that hast been such a sinner do going? Well, but I see the lame, the blind, yea, the Lepers were admitted with welcome. What then though I be a Leper; yet since he bids me come, and promises to bid me welcome, I will go to him, Lord Christ I will come to thee. What ever I have been, I have been but a prodigal, and I see prodigals shall be welcome if they come. The Prodigal leaves his Father's house, runs riot, wastes all, and being pinched with hunger, bethinks himself of his Father's house, I will, says he, go unto my Father, etc. Go to his Father: alas, what should such an one that hath run his race do going to his Father? with what heart or hope, with what face and forehead, could he come into his Father's fight? but yet he arose and came to his Father, Luke 15. 20. And what followed, But when he was yet a great way off, his Father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Behold, O my soul, the unconceivable readiness and uncredible forwardness of the Lord to welcome and receive a coming, a believing sinner. 1 First, I see that his Father sees him first, yea, before he sees his Father. No sooner doth a man think upon looking towards God, but God looks towards him. How great is the Father's desire towards his son! It is said, that after Absoloms three years exile, that joab perceived that the King's heart was towards Absalon, 2 Kings 14. 1. Thus seems this Father's heart to be towards his son, yea, that his desire such, as if he sat in some higher place, watching to see when he should come, that he might no sooner be within ken, but he might spy him, according to that, john 30. 18. The Lord will wait, that he may be gracious unto you. I see then the Lord stands waiting and watching, that we can no sooner be upon our way to come, but he sees and spies us to bid us welcome. 2 Secondly, I see that he saw him whilst he was yet a great way off. He was but yet in the beginning of his way in coming. His Father might have let him alone till he had been come quite home to his house, and it had been singular mercy to have welcomed him then. But it is done whilst he is yet a great way off. Is the Lord thus ready to welcome me, when yet a great way off, what will he be if I be come near to him. Certainly, the Lord that will draw nigh to such, as yet, a great way off, will much more draw nigh to those that draw nigh to him. 3 Thirdly, I see his Father had compassion on him, I see his bowels yearn, work, and stir within him at the sight of his son, at the sight of him afar off. God's bowels yearn within him, towards a believing repenting sinner. It is said of that Harlot, 1 Kings 3. 26. That her bowels yearned, or were hot upon her son. So when the Lord sees a sinner come to him, his bowels wax hot, and yearn within him, jer. 31. 18. 20. Therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him. God hath not only mercy, but bowels of mercy, Luke 1. 78. And these bowels be sounding bowels, or a multitude of bowels, Isay 63. 15. He delights in loving kindness, jer. 9 24. And he pardons sin, because mercy pleases him, Mic. 7. 18. 4 Fourthly, I see that his Father ran. How rich and abundant mercy had it been in his Father, to have stood still till he had come at him; but what mercy is this that he will go towards him, and give him a meeting. Oh mercy, that his Father ran not from him; but what mercy call you this, that his Father runs to him? If he would needs go meet him, why might it not have served the turn, to have walked towards him with a softly and grave pace! No, no: I see that serves not the Lords turn. When a sinner comes to the Lord, mercy not only comes, and goes a footpace, but mercy runs. Mercy comes upon the wings. God's rolling bowels sets his feet on running. That as David speaks of God's readiness to help him, when he called upon him in his danger, Psal. 18. 6. 9 10. He road upon a Cherub, and did fly, yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. So when a sinner comes to God, mercy comes to him; not walking, but running, not on foot, but riding, riding on the wings of the wind. That look as Gabriel came with an answer to daniel's prayers, Dan. 9 21. He being caused to fly swiftly, or with weariness of flight; he not only came, but came flying; not only flying, but flying swiftly; yea, so swiftly, as he had wearied himself with the swiftness of his flight to make haste. So comes mercy to a man coming to Christ; it is caused to fly swiftly, with weariness of flight. The Father ran: mercy comes full speed. Nay, what a difference do I see, between the offending son, and the offended Father! The son's pace is, He arose, and came; he came walking on towards his Father. The Father's pace is, And he ran. The son most needed to have run, his belly was pinched with hunger; yet he only walks, but the Father runs. Bowels troubled with mercy, outpace bowels pinched with hunger. God, I see then, makes more haste to show mercy, than we make to receive mercy. Whilst we do but go towards him, he runs towards us. Whilst misery goes but a walking, mercy comes a running pace. God, who is slow to anger, Psal. 103. 8. is swift to mercy. He ran. And why then, O my soul, shouldest thou be slow of heart to believe? up, and run to him, that will come running with his mercy, and his Christ to thee. 5 Fifthly, I see him falling upon his neck: And fell on his neck; that is, he hugged, and embraced him. How! Fell upon his neck, and embraced him! Who would not have been loath to have touched him? yea, to have come near him? Is he not in his loathsome stinking rags? Smells he not of the Swine he kept? Can a man come near him, without stopping his nose? Would not a man be ready to lay up his stomach, upon such an embracement? Certainly, a sinner is a loathsome verminous person, not only clothed in rags, but in stinking and vile rags, Isay 64. 6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. What then are our unrighteousnesses? What loathsome rags are they? And yet let a sinner come to the Lord, and the Lord will fall upon his neck, will hug him, and embrace him. Isaac smelled the savour of jacobs' raiment, and he blessed him, Gen. 27. 27. That was a sweet savour. The smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed: no wonder that Isaac blesses him. But here is one in such an unsavoury pickle, that when his Father should smell the savour of his garments, one would have thought he should have cursed him, because his smell was as the smell of a Swine, as the smell of a Gaol. But yet for all that his Father clasps him in his arms, and blesses him with an hearty welcome. Mercy then, I see, is not squeamish, is not nice, and dainty, but let a sinner have been what he will, let him be as filthy, as unsavoury as he can; yet if once he loathe himself, God will not loathe him; if he once come to God, God will clasp him with the arms of mercy. The Prodigal comes to his Father, with the savour, and in the habit of a loathsome rogue, and yet his Father falls upon his neck. O the stupendious and astonishing mercies, and goodness of God, to a sinner that comes unto him. And will God thus embrace a Prodigal in his loathsome rags, and will he not embrace him much more afterwards, when he hath put the best robe upon him? Oh the welcome then that they shall find with God, that have put on Christ, and are clothed with the sweet smelling garment of their elder brother, that have the whole raiment of Christ's righteousness upon them! 6 Sixthly, but yet behold a greater wonder than all the rest. I see him kissing his son. And he kissed him. Who could have brooked to have embraced a person in so filthy a pickle; much more, who could have brooked to have kissed such an one? What! kiss those lips that had been lately lapping in the Hog's trough! Kiss those lips that had so often kissed those base and baggage Harlots of his! Kiss him! A man would have thought he should rather have kicked him, than have kissed him: and yet his Father kisses him. There is a passage somewhat like this, Gen. 33. 4. Esau ran to meet jacob, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck, and kissed him. A strange, and a wonderful thing, that he that had threatened to kill him, and came now upon that errand, to kill him and all his, that his heart should so strangely be altered by God, that killing should be turned into kissing. It was very strange that Esau should kiss jacob; but it is more strange here, that this Father should kiss this Prodigal. It is an observable thing in that place, Gen. 33. 4. That over that word kissed, in the Hebrew Text, there be set three extraordinary pricks, or marks, to put the Reader in mind, that he should observe this matter well, as a very strange thing. Now how much more might three such pricks, nay three times three such marks be set over this word here, He kissed him! Here is a matter of greater wonder, worthy greater observation, that such a Father should kiss such a son, in such a filthy pickle. It had been much if he might have kissed his Father's hand, but he gives him not his hand, but his mouth to kiss. Was it not much that Christ would suffer that sinful woman, Luke 7. who had defiled her lips with many an adulterous kiss, to kiss his feet; but Christ gives not his feet, but his mouth, his lips, to be kissed by believing, repenting sinners, Cant. 1. 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. Behold then the ineffable goodness of God to all that come to him. Though this son a Prodigal, yet his Father kisses him, gives him a kiss, the seal and pledge of his pardon and remission. See then, oh my soul, what here is to excite and stir up thy faith, and to quicken it mightily. Behold, God hath an eye of mercy, he sees a fare off. He hath bowels of mercy; He had compassion. He hath feet of mercy; He ran to him. He hath arms of mercy; He fell upon him, and embraced him. He hath lips of mercy; And he kissed him. wouldst thou not come to God, if he would look upon thee? He will see thee whilst yet a great way off. wouldst thou not come, if God will compassionate thee? He will draw forth the bowels of his compassions to thee. wouldst thou not come to him, if he would meet thee? Behold, he will run to meet thee. wouldst thou not come, if God would embrace thee? Lo, he will fail upon thee, and clasp thee in the arms of his mercy. wouldst thou not come if he would pardon thee? He will seal thy pardon with a kiss. Oh my soul, up, come to Christ, receive and embrace him without any more ado. Thus by considering GOD'S promises, and weighing his sweet mercies in Christ, faith cannot but receive much life and quickening. So may a man do with other like places, and with promises, whereof the Word is full. This shall suffice for instance to direct us, and let us see how much the consideration of the promises would conduce to the quickening of our faith. 2 Secondly, it is not enough for a man to have repent in his first conversion, nor to have it renewed it upon some sin since fallen into; but it is required that before the Sacrament, there be always a fresh renewing of repentance. So oft as the Priests went into the Tabernacle, they washed their hands and their feet, at every fresh entrance, a fresh washing, Exod. 40. 31, 32. When they went into the Tent of the Congregation, and when they came near unto the Altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. So must it be here, there must be a fresh washing in the laver of repentance, before the receiving of the Sacrament. And that upon these reasons: 1 First, though we be well washed before one Sacrament, yet before another it is a great deal of soil that our souls gather. Though we wash our hands well this morning, yet because a man is meddling with this business, and meddling with that work, it cannot be but his hands will be sullied before next morning again. Men have many occasions of business in the world, meet with many snares and tentations, have many slips, and tread awry, and so contracting fresh pollutions there is need of fresh purgations. We desire at the Sacrament to have CHRIST make a fresh entrance into our hearts, therefore there must be a fresh trimming and dressing up of the house; as when we look for guests, though our houses be tollearably handsome already, yet we do afresh dress up our houses for their entertainment, and make them more than ordinarily handsome; every room is swept, washed, rubbed, strewed, and garnished. How much more should there be a fresh trimming, and dressing up of the rooms of our hearts, for the entertainment of so glorious a guest as the LORD CHRIST is. Look as it is said of Satan in his kind, Mat. 12. 44, 45. That when he finds his house swept, and garnished, than he enters and dwells there; so it is true of the LORD CHRIST in his kind, that when he finds his house swept and garnished, than he enters and dwells there. He will not enter into, nor dwell in a sluttish undressed heart. Repentance renewed before the Sacrament, it sweeps and garnishes the heart, and so fits it for Christ's entrance. The entertainment we should give the Saints of God, should be much more given to Christ himself. How should the Saints of God be entertained? see 3 john 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Deo convenienter, says Beza. It is a phrase hard to be englished, Agreeably to God, as one would say. Christ is God, blessed for ever; and therefore when we entertain him, we must entertain him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with such entertainment as beseems God. Then we do so entertain him when the heart is swept and garnished. That is done by the fresh renewing of our repentance, when we come to receive him in the Sacrament. 2 Secondly, when we come to receive the Sacrament, we come to renew our acquaintance with the Lord. Now what it is that helps to bring us into acquaintance, the renewing of that must renew our acquaintance. What is it that helps bring us into acquaintance with God? see job 22. 21. 23. Acquaint now thyself with him. If thou return to the Almighty. Repentance a great means of acquaintance with God, and so renewing of repentance a great means to renew acquaintance with God. Since therefore in the Sacrament there is a renewing and a refreshing of our acquaintance with God, there must necessarily be a renewing of our repentance before the Sacrament. 3 Thirdly, the Scriptures speak of a sealing with the holy Ghost, 2 Cor. 1. 22. Ephes. 1. 13. Ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, and Ephes. 4. 30. Now as in Courts, there be some days that are called Sealing-dayes; so there be some special sealing-times and sealing-dayes in this kind. Sacraments are seals, Rom. 4. 11. And Sacrament days are the sealing days of the Court of Heaven. So that when a man comes to the Sacrament he comes to be sealed. And therefore in this regard there must be a renewing of repentance before the receiving of the Sacrament. Otherwise a man is not sealeable, not capable of the seal and the impression of it. Hard wax will not receive the print of the seal. Before we put the seal to the wax, we first melt the wax, or warm, and so soften it at the fire, and so prepare it for a capacity of the seals impression. So when the heart is melted and is softened, than it is fit to take the seal of the Spirit in the use of the seal in the Sacrament. Now the renewing of repentance before the Sacrament, is a melting, a warming, and a softening of the heart, and a fitting it for the seal. So needful then and requisite, as the melting or softening of the wax is before sealing, so needful is the renewing of repentance before the Sacrament. Many come to the Sacrament, and there is no print or impression made in their heart, there is no appearance of any seal; let such consider whether they did not neglect the softening of their hearts by not renewing their repentance. Quest. Wherein stands this renewing of repentance? Ans. 1. First, in a fresh examination of our hearts, to find out our sins and corruptions. We saw before, that we must examine our graces, but that is not all, there must be an examination of ourselves for our sins. That Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways, is to be done in our renewed repentance before the Sacrament. Better we ourselves search and make inquiry, before we go to the Sacrament, than God should inquire after our iniquities, and make a search after our sins at the Sacrament. job complains, job 10. 6. That God enquired after his iniquity, and searched after his sin. That is a sore thing. We can look for no better at the Sacrament, if we have not done it before we come thither. 2 Secondly, in a solemn confession of sin, with deep humiliation for them. This confession, let it be full, and bring out thy sins, as they took the Vessels of the Temple, Ezra 8. 34. By number and by weight. By number first. Charge thyself impartially with all the sins thou canst recall. So let thy confession be full in regard of enumeration, Leu. 16. 21. All their iniquities, all their transgressions. Then by weight; so let thy confessions be full in regard of aggravation, make them as great and as foul in their natures and circumstances as thou canst, Psal. 25. 11. Psa. 40. 12. 2 Sam. 24. 10. And thus haply may we understand that place, Levit 16. 21. He shall confess all their iniquities, and all their transgressions in all their sins: not only their sins, but all their transgressions in their sins; that is, he shall not only confess their sins, but he shall aggravate their sins, by laying open how many transgressions were wrapped up in their several sins, and how many transgressions were in the several circumstances of their sins. The laden soul is called to come to Christ, is promised ease and refreshment: and this promise is made good in the use of the Sacrament. As therefore we would be in the number of those whom Christ calls, and to whom he promises ease and refreshment; yea, as we would have this ease and refreshment in the Sacrament, so come with laden souls as much as we can. The heavier and the weightier we make our sins in our confessions, the likelier they are to lad us. And let thy confessions be with deep humiliation; let them be dolorous confessions with grief and sorrow for sin, and from a sight and sense of it. Labour to see and feel thy sin, and sight and sense of it will work sorrow for it. Sight helps to sorrow. As in that case, Lam. 3. 51. Mine eye affects mine heart: so is it true in the sight of sin: the eye that sees sin affects the heart, feeling of sin helps to sorrow. The weight of it felt, will bring the heart to sorrow in confession. David's confession was with sorrow, Psal. 38. 18. I will declare, that is, confess mine iniquity. But how shall his confession be qualified? I will be sorry for my sin. How comes he by his sorrow? Surely by that, Vers. 4. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head, as an heavy burden; they are too heavy for me. What can make the heart more heavy than when it feels the heaviness and weight of sin? So should a man carry himself in his confession before the Sacrament, as Ephraim did in that confession of his, jer. 31. 18. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself. Make thy confessions before the Sacrament, bemoaning confessions. Let our confessions be ever so long and so large, ever so exact and particular, yet if done without sorrow, it is but an historical confession. It is all one, as if a man should come and tell God a Story, or a long Tale of his sins. God doth not require our confessions before the Sacrament, to tell him that which he knows not; he knows our sins better than ourselves, but that in our confessions we should have our hearts sorrowfully affected for them. Be sure therefore before thou come to the Sacrament, to renew thy repentance in confession: one sweet advantage shalt thou have by it amongst others, and that is this; Our self-accusations in our confessions will be a prevention, and a disappointment of Satan's accusations against us. The Devil, even at the Sacrament, will be laying in against us; it is good therefore to take a course to defeat him. He will be pleading against a man, Lord, shall this man be welcome to thy Table? Shall he receive the benefit of thine Ordinance? He hath done thus and thus; I can lay to his charge these and these sins. Thus by his accusations will he seek to put in a bar against a blessing upon us. Now when a man before the Sacrament renews his repentance, and hath in his confessions brought in the accusations Praeventus Diabolus in accusatione, ultra nos accusare non poterit. Et si ipsi nostri simus accusatores proficit nobis ad salutem, si vero expectemus ut a Diabolo accusemur, accusatio illa nobis cedit ad poenam. Orig. Hom. 3. in Levit. against himself, Satan is prevented: for than we do, as I may say, furnish the Lord with an answer to stop Satan's mouth: for than will the Lord be ready to answer for us, Why Satan, thou accusest this man of nothing, whereof he hath not already, to the full, accused himself; he himself hath accused himself of all this already. Thou comest too late, all thine accusations shall be no bar to my blessing. The elder brother's nose swells at his Father's kindness and goodness to his prodigal brother, and therefore Luke 15. 30. He rips up all his courses, and throws the filth of them in his face, that he was one that had devoured his Father's living, and had spent it among Harlots. And this he doth now whilst they are at the Feast, at the fatted Calf, and good cheer. Yet all this doth the prodigal no hurt, the music ceases not, the Feast is not broken off, nor he thrust out of doors again. And how comes it about that all this did him no hurt? Because the prodigal had prevented his brother, he himself had accused himself to the full in his confessions, when he came to his Father: and so by his own confession, had taken out the sting and poison of his brothers malicious accusation. So that his brother comes too late now, the Feast and the merriment go on nevertheless. So will the Devil be snarling against, and picking quarrels against men, even in the Feast time; but he comes too late to do them hurt, if they themselves have first put in the bills of their own inditements against themselves in their confessions before their coming to the Sacrament. 3 Thirdly, in judging and condemneing ourselves. The duty instanced in S. Paul, 1 Cor. 11. especially in judging ourselves unworthy the favour and honour of coming to the Lords Table. Lord, I am not worthy, says the Centurion, that thou shouldest come under my roof. So should we acknowledge our utter unworthiness of coming under the roof of God's house, much more of coming to his Table. We should judge ourselves unworthy of such fellowship with God. And the more unworthy we judge ourselves, the worthier guests shall we be in the Lord's acceptance. And thus must our faith and our repentance be renewed, before our coming to the Lords Table. Chap. 17. Excitation of earnest desires after Christ; and a strong expectation to receive him and his benefits. CHAP. 17 THE fourth thing to be done in actual preparation, is the excitation and stirring up in ourselves strong and earnest desires, that we may come with enlarged hearts and affections, with hungering and thirsting desires after Christ in his Ordinance, and after the Ordinance in which Christ is to be had. This is the due Order that God requires; he that comes thus, comes in due Order. So should men come to the Sacrament, as Christ to that Passeover, Luke 22. 15. With desire have I desired to eat this Passeover with you: that is, I have exceedingly, earnestly, and hearty desired to eat it with you; not desired it, but desired it with desire. Single desires will not serve the turn, but a man must come with desiring desires, with double desires, with earnest and strong desires, that will seek God after the due Order. God must be sought after the same order in the Sacrament, as in other his Ordinances. After this Order must GOD be sought in all his Ordinances, Psa. 63. 1. O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee. There is the duty of seeking. He will seek God in his Ordinances, in his Word, Worship, Sacrifices, etc. Well, but after what Order will he seek him? After the due Order. How is that? with longing, thirsting, enlarged desires of spirit, My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee. Then comes a man to God's Ordinances, and so to the Sacrament in due Order, when he comes with these thirsting, longing desires. So should a man come to the Sacrament, as an hungry man comes to his meat, as a thirsty man to his drink. A man that is hungry, is not only willing to eat, a man that is thirsty, is not only willing to drink, but he strongly longs after his meat, and drink; with desire he desires it, and thinks it very long till he have it. In the Sacrament there is not only food, but a Feast, such a Feast as that, Isay 25. 6. If an hungry man will long after food, what will he do after a Feast, after a Feast of choice dainties? How needful this disposition is, appears by these things. 1 First, only such are invited to the Sacrament, as are invited to come to Christ: for what come they to the Sacrament for, but to come to Christ. Now they only are invited to come to Christ, and they only are fit to come to Christ, that do hunger and thirst after him with enlarged desires, Isa. 55. 1. john 7. 37. Apoc. 22. 17. So must they be qualified that will receive Christ, and so must they be qualified also that will receive him in the Sacrament. It is cheerly coming to the Sacrament, when a man knows he shall be welcome. He shall be sure to be welcome that is invited, and the desiring, hungry, thirsty, enlarged spirit, is undoubtedly invited. 2 Secondly, to such only is the end of the Sacrament made good. As such are only invited, so such are only fed and feasted. What come we to the Sacrament for? Come we not to be made partakers of the good things there prepared for us? God, he prepares, and makes ready for us, Mat. 22. 4. And when we come, we come to eat the good things GOD hath prepared, and made ready for us. Now if we would eat those things which GOD hath prepared for us, we must come prepared with hunger, thirst, and desires after these things. And when we come thus qualified, we shall be sure to meet with a blessing, and to feed upon that which God hath prepared. God that would have men deal their bread to the hungry, Isay, 58. 7. will certainly himself much more deal bread to an hungry soul, Psa. 107. 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and fills the hungry with goodness. Do we not come to the Sacrament to be filled, to be satisfied? would we not be loath to be sent away lank and empty? They that come with longing souls, shall be sent away with satisfied souls. Isay 44. 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. Not drop, but power, not a shower, but a flood. So liberally God answers hungering and enlarged desires. There is a phrase, Isa. 58. 10. If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry. When men come hungry to his Ordinance, God will draw out his soul to satisfy them. We shall see it made good in David's case, Psa. 63. 1. My soul thirsteth, my flesh longeth. What came of it? Did he long in vain? Did he lose his longing? No: but Verse 5. My soul shall be satisfied as with morrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. So abundantly should his heart be satisfied and cheered, with the fat and sweet of GOD'S Ordinances, that he should break out into the praises of GOD, What an excellent thing is it to taste the marrow and fat of God's Ordinances! much more to feed on it! much more to feed unto fullness and satisfaction! whose teeth would not water after such curious delicates? Bring longing, hungry enlarged desires, and fat, and marrow shall be our portion. For herein hath spiritual hunger an advantage above bodily. Bodily hunger a man may hunger withal, and yet his hunger helps him to no meat nor satisfaction: But spiritual hunger doth, as having the promise of satisfaction. Christ out of his compassions will liberally relieve all hungry Ecce, pauper venio ad te divitem, miser ad misericordem, ne recedam vac●us, vel contemptus. Esu●iens incipio te quaere●e, ne deserar ● te jejunus. Famelicus accedo, ne ●ecedam impastus. Et si antequam comedam suspiro, da vel post suspiria ut comedam. August. lib. medit. c. 39 souls that with desire seek after him. Excellent is that place, Mat. 15. 32. Then jesus called his Disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat, and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. He that would not out of his compassions send away the multitude with fasting bodies, lest they should faint; how much more, think we, will he compassionately regard an hungry soul, and not send it away fasting from the Sacrament, lest it should faint. Christ's compassions will not suffer him to send away an hungry soul fasting. Alas, he knows it would faint if it should come empty, and go away empty, if it should come hungry, and go away hungry. 3 Thirdly, the more strength in our desires, the more hunger in our spirits, the more abundant and the more plentiful satisfaction. The more our hearts are enlarged in our desires, the more God's hand will be enlarged in his bounty, Psal. 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. God hath an open hand, for all that have an open mouth. God hath an hand wide open, for such as have their mouths wide open. A mouth wide opened, shall be a mouth full filled. A wide mouth shall be a full mouth. God will enlarge himself to all that come to him with enlarged hearts. God's admeasurements of grace and spiritual good, are suitable to men's inlargements and dilations of their spirits. Three things fit a Vessel to receive a great measure of liquor. 1. When it is of large capacity. A small Vessel may be filled, but yet a small Vessel cannot have so much infused into it, as a Vessel that is of larger capacity. The larger the bucket is that is let down into the Well, the more water it brings up. 2. When it is an open Vessel. Though a Vessel be of sufficient capacity, yet if the Vessel be shut, and the mouth of it closed up, though it be thrown into the Sea where there is water enough, yet it fills not. 3. When it is wide open. Though the mouth of a Vessel be open, yet if it be not wide open, it doth not fill so readily. Take a Bottle, or a narrow-mouthed Glass, and dowse it under the water, and yet it may be pulled up again with little or no water in it, though it be of great capacity, because the narrowness of the mouth hinders the ready and quick passage of water into it. A wide-mouthed Vessel, as a Pail or Bucket, is no sooner under water, but it is instantly filled, because the mouth of the Vessel is wide and broad. So when we come to God's Ordinances, to the Sacrament, we should come so as to be filled, we should come to get as liberal largesses as possibly we can. The way to do that, is to have our hearts Vessels of competent capacity, to have them opened, to have them wide opened. The way to do these things, is to have our hearts enlarged with hungering and longing desires. Such enlarged desires open the mouth, & open it wide; and when our mouths are opened, God will open his hand, his filling hand. As therefore we desire to have the Lord fill our mouths when we come to the Lords Table, so let us get our mouths wide open. When we come to the Sacrament, why come we? Is it not that we may eat our fill of Christ's body, and drink our fill of his blood? Is it not that we may go from the Lords Table as Christ went from jordan, full of the Holy Ghost? As we desire to have full mouths, so let us bring opened, wide opened mouths. When men come to the Sacrament with hearts enlarged, and hungering desires, Christ will give such a Commandment to the Sacrament, as he did to those servants concerning the water-pots, and it shall do as they did, john 2. 7. jesus said unto them, fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. So in this case will Christ say, Lo, here be men come with enlarged hearts, with earnest and strong desires, I see they have opened their mouths wide; fill them with my Spirit, with my virtues, and efficacies, fill them with spiritual strength against their corruptions, fill them with power to walk in obedience: and upon this command of Christ, the Sacrament shall empty itself with an abundant blessing upon their souls, yea, it shall fill them up to the brim. What an happy thing is it to be full, brimful of Christ? A mouth wide open, will be a means to fill the heart full, brim full of Christ. That man comes happily to the Sacrament indeed, that can say after his being at the Sacrament, as they did in that case, Psal. 126. 2, 3. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Now, wouldst thou be able after a Sacrament to say, When I was at the Sacrament, than was my mouth filled with laughter, my tongue with signging, and mine heart with spiritual comfort and joy; The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad. wouldst thou after a Sacrament be able thus to say? Why then when thou goest to the Sacrament, Open thy mouth, and open thy mouth wide, and GOD will fill thy mouth with laughter, and thine heart with spiritual joy. It is true, that a great many go from the Sacrament, and their mouths are not filled with laughter, but with complaints, with sad complaints of the little good they receive at the Sacrament. Many come from the Sacrament with empty mouths, empty hearts? And what may the reason of it be? Is not God as bountiful as he was wont to be? Yes surely: he is the same God that ever, his hand is not shortened; but the very reason is, that men come with shut mouths, or at , with their mouths but narrowly opened; and shut mouths, and narrow mouths, must needs be empty mouths. We open not, therefore God fills not; we open not wide, therefore God fills not full. Is the Sea empty, because a stopped Vessel is not filled when thrown into it? Is there no water in the River, because a narrow mouthed Vessel brings up so little? Surely there is a sufficiency of all spiritual good, in Christ a fullness of blessing in God's Ordinance: all the fault is in our own indisposition, we come with dead, liveless, formal, narrow, strait, and closed hearts, and that is the very bane of the businesses, See how Saint Paul speaks to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6. 11, 12. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged, ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. So says Christ: O ye sons of men, mine hand is full, mine hand, and mine heart is open unto you, mine Ordinance in the Sacrament is open unto you; that is not straitened in its own nature, but it is ready to pour out itself to you. What is the matter then that ye go away so empty mouthed? ye are straitened in your own bowels, you have not opened mouths, nor enlarged hearts. Certainly, if men could come to the Sacrament, as Hannah did to that service of Thanksgiving, 1 Sam. 2. 1. it would be fare otherwise with us; Mine heart, saith she, is enlarged over mine enemies. So if we could say, mine heart is enlarged towards my Saviour, my desires, and hunger is enlarged after him, we should then find God's hand suitably enlarged to our hearts. Quest. But how should a man get his mouth wide opened, how should he get his desires thus enlarged after Christ? Answ. 1. First, get a sense and a sight of Christ's worth, and thine own wants. Offer meat and drink to a man that is full, and he will not open his mouth to receive it, The full despises the honeycomb; but let a man alone till his stomach be empty, and when once he feels the pinches and twitches of emptiness, and when once he feels the want of meat and drink, and so gins to prise the worth of it, he will quickly open his mouth, and open it wide, readily, and greedily too, if food be presented to him. Such a sense of the want and the worth of Christ, would open our mouth wide indeed. There is nothing so shuts up our mouths as our senselessness of our wants, and the worth of Christ. The pinched Prodigal can think upon, and desire the bread in his Father's house. Labour therefore to affect thine heart with the sense of thy want of Christ; labour to feel how miserable thou art without him; labour to see his riches, excellencies, and all his all-sufficiencies, these things would be as keys to unlock and open our shut mouths. 2 Secondly, labour in private, before you come to the Sacrament, by your own endeavours, to stretch and widen your mouths. Strive by much prayer to get thine heart enlarged. Inlargements of the heart in private prayer, will fit the heart for enlargement in the Sacrament. One duty affords contribution to another, and one duty disposes to another. Labour to have thine heart enlarged by private meditations and workings upon the promises. This is that which is the mischief of all, Men put off the work of opening their mouths, till in a manner they be opening their mouths to receive the Elements, and having the work then to do, they are so shut up in hardness, and deadness, that they cannot by any means open their mouths at all. The heart will not on a sudden, and at a beck, be brought into a Sacramental frame; it is a work that will ask time and pains. The opening of the spiritual mouth, and the widening of it, is not so soon, nor so easily done, as the opening of the bodily mouth. It is a work that must be done gradually, and with some striving before hand. It will ask much prayer. The same God that must fill them, it is even he that must open them, and therefore he must be sought to earnestly. It will ask much meditation and struggling in private. A man that would make a bladder capacious to hold spices, he blows it, and rubs it, and blows and rubs it many times over, and all to make it the larger. If a man were promised, that on such a day he should have as much money as his purse would hold, how would he every day before be stretching, and reaching his purse, that by little and little he might stretch it to such a bigness and capacity, that it might receive a great sum. If therefore thou wouldst have thy heart capacious and large at the Sacrament, be often before the Sacrament struggling with thine own heart, and get it well enlarged by the serious use of private helps. Our customary formality undoes us. When we should be eating and drinking, then have we our mouths to open. How can they eat and drink, whose mouths are not opened? It is said of Solomon in another case, 1 King. 4. 29. God gave Solomon largeness of heart, as the sand that is on the Sea shore. It is said of Hell, Isai. 5. 14. that Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure. Now if it were thus with our hearts, that we had largeness of heart, as the sand on the Sea shore, if our hearts were enlarged, and our mouths opened without measure, yet were there abundantly enough in Christ to fill our hearts, and satisfy the hungering desires of our souls: our desires cannot exceed Christ's riches, nor God's bounty, he is able to give above all that we can ask or think: and therefore let us labour with all our might, for a distension, and a dilation of our hearts and desires, stretch, and widen them to the utmost we possibly can. Object. Men seem generally to have these enlarged desires, this hunger and thirst; for how desirous do men seem to be to come to the Sacrament, and how wondrous ill would they take it to be kept back? Answ. There be false hungers, and false thirsts, false desires. 1. First, there is a desire that comes from custom and fashion. It is the custom of the Time, or the custom of the Town, and by any means they will be neighbour-like; and because others go to the Sacrament, they must needs go too. It is not any desire of Christ, nor any hungering after him in his Ordinance, that draws them on, but only a desire to do as others do. You shall see many desire to go to a Feast, whither they see all their neighbours go, and will take it exceeding ill, if they be not invited; not because they want a meal's meat, or because they greatly care for the cheer, but because the rest of their neighbours go, and it would be some disgrace to them to be left out; and therefore are very desirous to go, though they weigh not the cheer a whit, when they come there. 2. Secondly, there is a desire that comes from superstition. Many have a strong conceit, That the very deed doing, what ever they be that do it, and how ever they do it, will work wonders with them. They are persuaded, that if they do but receive the Sacrament, that they shall receive some good thing, though they know no more than the post, what good thing it is that is to be received. This is a superstitious thirst. 3. Thirdly, there is a true thirst, and a right hunger indeed. And this is discerned and distinguished from the other by these things. 1 First, by the object of it, for it is directly carried after Christ, fellowship, and communion with him, and fruition of him and his benefits, Psal. 42. 1, 2. My soul panteth after thee, O God, my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God? This neither do ignorant nor superstitious persons do. Experience proves it, for when they are questioned withal what makes them desirous to come to the Sacrament, either they can give no reason why they desire to come, or else never give any such reason as this. Their desires, at the best, are but after the work and the performance, beyond which they never look. 2 Secondly, by the grounds of it: for the grounds of true desires, 1. Either a sense of the want of Christ, a selfe-emptinesse. Want of drink makes men thirst, want of meat makes men hunger. So true desires come from the sense of a man's own wants and emptiness, which can only be supplied, and satisfied by Christ. 2. Or else from the sense of former sweetness and goodness of Christ in the use of the Ordinance. A man hath formerly received the Sacrament, and in the use of it hath found abundance of sweetness in communion with CHRIST, hath found pardon sealed, faith strengthened, hath found his heart inlivened, and enlarged, hath gotten some power against his lusts, some strength unto obedience: and having formerly received some good by it, this quickens and stirs up his desires, and makes them the more vehement after Christ and his Ordinance. But with ignorant and superstitious persons, it is not so. It is neither a sense of present wants, nor feeling of former benefit that moves their desires to come. 3 Thirdly, by the qualities or properties of it. They are these: 1 First, an holy kind of impatience in the want of the Ordinance. A man in bodily hunger and thirst, grows impatient in case of delay, thinks every minute seven, till he come where he may have that which will satisfy. True desires, specially in case of delay, think long, till they be at the Ordinance where Christ is to be had. It is not once in a year will serve his turn. An hungry man eats oft, a thirsty man drinks oft, and thinks long till he comes to his meat, and drink. It is so here, Psa. 42. 1, 2. My soul thirsteth, when shall I come? Not so with ignorant, formal, and superstitious ones. Let all be but agreed to stay from the Sacrament, and once in a year will richly suffice them. 2 Secondly, nothing quiets the heart, nor can still the craving desires of it, but enjoyment of Christ in his Ordinance. When a man is hearty hungry, and thirsty, nothing satisfies him but meat and drink. Give him what else you will, yet still he craves meat and drink. So give a man what you will, that desires Christ in the Ordinance, yet his soul is not quiet and satisfied. Give him the Ordinance, yet if he have not Christ in the Ordinance, his desires are not at quiet. Formality, and superstition, let them but do the outward work, let them but receive the outward Elements, though they receive nothing at all else, yet they are well apaid, and their spirits highly well contented. They think themselves as well as a Sacrament can make them. 3 Thirdly, great and sweet contentment in the use of the Ordinance. What sweet contentment doth an hungry man find in eating his meat, in drinking his drink, judg. 15. 19 When he had drunk, his spirit came again and he revived, Prov. 25. 25. As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far Country. The Proverb implies a great deal of contentment, that a thirsty man takes in drinking cold waters. No such sweet finds formality, or superstition, in the use of the Sacrament. And so much may suffice for this fourth thing. 5 The fifth thing to be done in actual preparation is, To raise up in ourselves, and to come with a strong expectation of the benefits to be received in the Sacrament. There be excellent and precious things to be received in the Sacrament. As in the institution we have a commandment to eat and drink, Take and eat: so we have a promise from Christ of excellent things to be dispensed in this Ordinance. Take and eat: why, what if we take and eat? what shall we take, and what shall we eat? What is it that is to be had in the use of this Ordinance? This is my body. Drink ye all of this; What shall we drink? This is my blood. So then Christ in the institution of this Sacrament, hath promised that worthy receivers shall eat his body, shall drink his blood. In the Sacrament Christ tenders his body to be eaten, and his blood to be drunk; and promises that he will give those things to the faithful receiver. Now then when we come to the Sacrament, we should come with an expectation to have these promises made good, we should come with a full account to receive these things promised. When Peter and john went up to the Temple, the Cripple ask an alms of them, Acts 3. 4. they fastening their eyes on him, said unto him, look on us. And the Text says, he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. And his expectation was not disappointed, he received something, and a better thing than he expected. When we come to the Sacrament, we should give good heed to the Sacramental promises, and should have a fixed eye upon them, expecting to receive something from them, and from the Ordinance. And surely such expectation of ours should not be disappointed. If we come with expectation, God would never send us away without satisfaction in our expectation. We never find any that came to Christ to be healed, or helped in any kind, but they came to him with a strong expectation to receive the benefit they came for. If a Leper came, he came with expectation of cleansing. If a blind man came, he came with expectation of his sight. If a lame man came, he came with expectation of the restitution of his limbs. And we never read in all the Gospel, that ever any man that came with an expectation of any good from him, that was turned away with his expectation deceived. If I have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, says job, Chap. 31. 16. Poor Widows, that were oppressed and wronged by others, or that were in want, and needed secure, they came to job, and they came to him with expectation, that he would assuredly pleasure them. Their eyes were to job, and job seeing that they came to him with such an expectation, he by no means would cause the expecting eyes of the Widow to fail. If we would so come to the Sacrament with our eyes to Christ, and to his promises, expecting his making good his promises to us, he would not cause our eyes to fail. Thus therefore resolve, Christ hath promised to give in the Sacrament his body and his blood, to give the benefits of his death, he hath promised to seal pardon, to manifest himself, to give power against lusts, etc. I will therefore now go to this Ordinance, with a particular expectation of such and such a particular blessing as my soul stands in need of. And most sure it is, that the want of this duty proves very prejudicial to us. How come many from the Sacrament without any benefit, or good at all. How falls it out so? They have as much as they expected; as they went expecting nothing, so they come away receiving nothing. God will not drop down his blessings upon oscitant and negligent hearts. We ourselves will not give unto others where we know there is no such thing expected from us. Chap. 18. God to be sought in special manner by prayer, before the Sacrament. CHAP. 18 THere remains now only the sixth and last thing to be done in actual preparation, and that is the solemn and serious seeking of God in prayer. Indeed prayer is a common preparative duty to all services of God, yea, to all works we take in hand, Col. 3. 17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord jesus; that is, calling upon the name of the Lord, and seeking first to him by prayer. It is laid to their charge as a great sin, Isay 30. 2. That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth. No business, especially business of weight and concernment, should be undertaken without prayer. And what business of greater weight, what business wherein we stand so much in need of God, and his help, as in the worthy receiving of the Sacrament? If common and ordinary business must not be meddled withal without prayer for direction and blessing, how much less should this great business of receiving the Sacrament? How needful a duty this is will thus appear: 1 First, this duty neglected, it will cast a damp upon all other our preparations. This failing in the last act, will mar all that hitherto we have done, neither can a blessing be expected upon all the rest, in the want of this. We know Solomon's Proverb, Prov. 16. 1. The preparations of the heart are in man, but the answer of the mouth is from the Lord. The meaning of it is, that though a man have studied hard, and have well provided and prepared himself what to say, yet he hath need of God's help, to deliver the thoughts of his mind, and that a man cannot bring forth his conceptions without the obstetrication of God's assistance. A Minister, when he is to preach, spends time in preparation for the work; now when he is thus prepared, yet he needs the help of God for a door of utterance. Is it not therefore exceeding necessary for a Minister, though he have ever so well prepared himself by study, to seek to God by prayer, that utterance may be given unto him, that he may open his mouth, as S. Paul desires to be prayed for, Eph. 6. 19 Though a man by study be well and sufficiently provided, yet if a man, without prayer to GOD for his assistance, should up into the Pulpit, might not such an one fear that his mouth might be stopped, and God should silence him in the Pulpit? Or could he look at lest that his tongue should so speak, as that the preparations of his heart should go to the hearts of others? For all a Ministers preparations, notwithstanding he stands in need of God's special assistance, and therefore it nearly concerns him, together with his preparations to seek to God by prayer, for that help and assistance of his. Just so it is in the case of the Sacrament. The preparations of the heart are in man, but yet ability and power to do the work at the Sacrament, is from the Lord; so that if God help not, and assist not, all preparations come to little. And it cannot be expected that God should help, when he is neglected and not sought to, and entreated to help. We need Gods help in all things, but specially in holy duties. What was the bearing of the Ark on the Priest's shoulders to the receiving of the Sacrament? One would think there should have needed no such special help to that work of bearing the Ark, besides the general concourse of God's providence. And yet it is said, 1 Chron. 15. 26. That God helped the Levites that bore the Ark: yea, it was such special help, that they offered sacrifices upon it. And if they needed the help of GOD to bear the Ark of the Lord; how much more do we need the help of God in this solemn action and service of receiving the Sacrament? And if such need of help, is there not then as much need of prayer? Will help come from God without prayer? Will the Lord help us if we seek not for his help? nothing less. Nay, so fare from helping us, that we may rather fear he will curse our performances. For upon our preparations, before specified, to come to the Sacrament without special seeking God in prayer, what is it better than a trusting in ourselves, and in our preparations? Assuredly God will blast all selfe-confidences, and all confidences in our own preparations. Therefore never think thyself duly prepared, till to all the rest thou hast joined solemn and earnest seeking of God by prayer. 2 Secondly, it should be a man's great care, both to sanctify himself to the Ordinance, and to have the Ordinance sanctified to him. Sanctify yourselves, says josiah, 2 Chron. 35. 6. to the Levites. Now prayer is the way to do both. It sanctifies us to the Ordinance, and the Ordinance to us, 1 Tim. 4. All things are sanctified by the word and prayer. All things, both persons to the Ordinances, and Ordinances to the persons, not only meats and drinks, but Ordinances, Sacraments are sanctified to our uses by prayer. Where prayer is neglected, neither is the person sanctified to the Ordinance, nor the Ordinance to the person. 3 Thirdly, what an happy and a joyful thing is it, when a man comes to the Sacrament, and it shall as it were say to a man, as Ananias said to Saul, Acts 9 17. Brother Saul, the Lord hath sent me unto thee, that thou mightst receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. So when the Sacrament shall come with such commission to us, how blessed a thing is it? The Lord hath sent me unto thee, that thou mayest receive comfort, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Now there is a course to be taken, that the Sacrament may be sent with such a Commission. But what may that course be? Do as Saul did, Vers. 11. Ananias, go inquire for Saul, etc. for behold he prays. Saul was praying, and praying hard, and then when he is at prayer, before Ananias his coming, than God gives this Commission, Go Ananias, go thy ways to Saul, and let him be filled with the Holy Ghost, for behold he prays. So if men before the Sacrament would spend time in prayer, and be earnest in seeking God, God would give a Commission and a charge unto his Ordinance, Go and be effectual and powerful to such a man, be a means to fill him with the Holy Ghost, for behold he prays; and hath before his coming to my Table spent much time in prayer. It was at the Sacrament of Christ's baptism that Christ's prayer opened Heaven and brought down the Holy Ghost, Luke 3. 21, 22. And there is no question, but our prayers at the Lords Supper, would the more easily and readily open heaven, and bring down the Holy Ghost, if we did but begin the work at home in private prayer by ourselves. Upon these considerations therefore let us be stirred up to bestow much time in private prayer by ourselves, before our coming to the Sacrament. Do in this case as the Prophet speaks in that, Zech. 12. 12, 13, 14. Every family apart, their wives apart. We must not only pray when we are met in public, and join with the Minister, but we must pray in our Families, pray in our Closets, every Family apart, the Husband apart, the Wife apart, the Children apart, the Servants apart, every soul apart by himself. And have a special care in prayer to put up to God such Petitions as are suitable to the business of the Sacraments; yea not only is God to be sought by frequent and fervent prayer, but when we find our hearts more dull and untoward to the work, it is not amiss to quicken and put more life into our prayers by fasting. It may be thou hast such hardness and deadness in thine heart as can not be cast out but by fasting and prayer. Holy fasting proves an excellent preparative to holy feasting. Fasting prayers will bring feasting joys. Thus is God in special manner to be sought by prayer. But how this is done is pitiful to consider. Many know not what praying means. He that cannot pray, can never receive the Sacrament as he ought to do. How rarely is God sought apart in the closet? Or if any prayer be used, what is it but men's customary formalities that they use at all other times, which no more concerns the Sacrament, than the riding of a journey, or going to plough, or any other common occasion. There is no putting up of Petitions agreeable to the occasion, no begging of those particular blessings that are to be had in the use of the Ordinance. Not one of an hundred thinks on these things. Urge men to prayer in this kind, and may they not answer, as David to Saul when in his armour, 1 Sam. 17. 39 I cannot go with these, for I have not been accustomed to them. So they cannot pray and seek God when they are to come to the Sacrament, because they are not accustomed to these duties at other times. How can they pray before they come to the Sacrament, that pray not at other times? And thus we now see how we are to prepare ourselves before we come to the Sacrament. Now therefore be we exhorted to take pains, and to be industrious in the doing of these duties of preparation; up and be doing, and the Lord will be with you. And for our better encouragement to be painful and industrious in seeking God in these duties of preparation, know this, That God will never be wanting to true and industrious desires and endeavours. God will give good and happy success, sweet and gracious answers, to all such as seek him industriously in those ways and means that he appoints. Luk. 19 1, 5. Zacheus had a great desire to see Christ, but yet had great discouragements. The crowd was great, and he a little man. But his discouragements damp not his desires, but his desires make him industrious against his discouragements. He runs before▪ climbs up into the Sycamore, or wild Figtree, gets him a place there, from whence he might see Christ over the heads of the multitude. And what comes of all this? Was it labour lost? Was it pains taken to no purpose? No. It proved pains wondrous well worth the while: for do but see what followed upon it. 1 First, as soon as Christ comes near him, he looks up to, and sees him. It had been small comfort to have seen Christ, if Christ had not seen him. They that set themselves to seek Christ, shall not only see Christ, but shall be seen of Christ. How many of the multitude see Christ, crowd, and touch Christ, and yet are not once minded, nor regarded by Christ? But Zacheus who is thus painfully industrious to see Christ, both sees, and is seen. 2 Secondly, He not only sees Christ, and is seen of him, but he hears Christ, and hears him call him by his name, and in particular to speak to him. For Christ to speak to him, and to speak to him by name, being a man he had never seen before, how must this needs affect and ravish his heart? 3 Thirdly, he invites himself home to his house, to be his guest, to eat and drink with him. If he had but barely seen Christ, it had been some content, he had not altogether lost his end. But that's not all, Christ looks up to him, casts up a gracious look towards him. Oh what a sweet comfort is it, to have Christ look graciously towards one! And yet that's not all neither, but Christ speaks to him by name, Zacheus▪ As if he had said, Though thou knowest not me, nor I ever saw thee before, yet that thou mayest know that I take special notice of thee, and bear a special favour to thee, Lo, I call thee by thy Name. The good Shepherd knows his Sheep, and calls them by name, john 10. Know therefore that I call thee by name, and call thee by name as one of my Sheep. This was sweet. If Christ had said no more but this, Well done Zacheus, thou out of a desire to see me hast taken pains, now see me, look upon me thy fill, that had been sweet; but here is more yet, Zacheus, come down, I will go to thine house, to thy Table with thee, thou shalt be my Host, and I will be thy guest. Since thou hast taken so much pains to run, and climb, and hast by thy pains overcome all discouragements, Come, come down Zacheus, thou shalt entertain me, have me for thy guest, and have sweet fellowship and communion with me. So sweetly, so abundantly, were Zacheus' painful endeavours recompensed. Oh, what sweet and precious figs doth Zacheus gather in this wild figtree? Who would not run and climb, and clamber with all his might into such a Tree, to pick such excellent fruit? When we therefore are to come to the Sacrament, do we the like. When we come to the Sacrament, would we not be glad to see Christ, to have him look graciously upon us, to have communion with him, to have him invite himself to us, to have him be a guest in our hearts? Would we not be glad to have it thus with us? Surely there is little comfort in the Sacrament, when it is not thus with us. Word and Sacrament both, are but dead and dull services when Christ is not seen in them; when we hear not his voice, see not his face in them. Therefore when we are to come to the Sacrament, look to that, and provide for it beforehand; that when we are come, we may see Christ, have him see and own us. But how may that be done? Set thine heart, first, strongly to desire to see Christ; and than though thou may have discouragements, that there is a multitude, and a crowd of duties to be done, and that thy stature and strength is very little, and therefore no great hope that thou shouldest get the sight of Christ in the Ordinance; yet for all that, hold on thy desires to see Christ, and run before, and get up, and though it cannot be done without much ado, yet climb up into the Sycamore Tree, and thou shalt see Christ, and have communion with him from the top of that Tree. I, but what is that Sycamore Tree? what is this running before? what is this climbing up? It is out of a desire to see and enjoy Christ in his Ordinance, an industrious painstaking in private duties of preparation, examination, excitation, and renewing of faith and repentance, and striving in prayer with God. This is running before, this is climbing up into the Sycamore Tree. And whosoever takes pains beforehand, in the forenamed and forehandled duties of preparation, he runs before, he climbs up into the Sycamore, & shall speed as happily as Zacheus did; shall from the top of that Sycamore, so painfully climbed, see Christ, and enjoy fellowship with him. All that come to the Sacrament say they desire to see Christ, and enjoy him there; and yet to how many doth Christ say in effect, at the Sacrament, as the Lord speaks to Ezekiel, Ezek. 12. 18. Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling. So, Son of man, eat thy Sacramental bread with quaking, and drink the Sacramental wine with trembling, Go, get your ways home with a drooping, and an heavy heart. But why should they so do? because they see not Christ, nor Christ looks not at them, vouchsafes no fellowship with them in his Ordinance. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart▪ says he, Eccles. 9 7. for God now accepts thy works: but contrarily may it be said to many, Go thy way, eat thy bread at the Sacrament, with sorrow, and drink thy wine at the Sacrament, with an heavy heart, for God accepts not thy work, nor thy service herein. Christ doth not look upon thee, doth not invite himself to thee. And what may the reason of it be? Men say, they desire to see and enjoy Christ in the Sacrament, but they do not run before, they do not take pains to climb up into the Sycamore Tree. Their desires are, idle, lazy, slothful; there is no industrious preparation, no industrious examination, no industrious renewing faith and repentance, there is no industrious praying, and painful seeking of God before▪ hand. And hence is our mischief and miscarriage, we run not, we climb not, and therefore we see not. So long as Zacheus kept on the ground, he saw not Christ, nor could see him; but when he had run before, and climbed, than he doth more than see him. Our desires keep on the ground, we spend no time, we take no pains, the week, and the day before, and therefore we miss the comfortable sight of Christ in the Sacrament. But let our desires be once running and climbing desires, let them once get up in the Sycamore Tree, and they shall find fruit worth the running and the climbing for, Pro. 27. 18. Whoso keeps the Fig tree, shall eat the fruit thereof; so, he that climbs the Figtree, shall eat the fruit thereof. We must not think that these Figs will drop into our mouths, they must climb for them that will have them, and climbing is painful. They that will take Zacheus' pains, shall reap Zacheus' gains. A little faith, a faith of as small a stature as Zacheus, if it be industrious, and will take pains beforehand, will help a man to great benefit and comfort from Christ in his Ordinance. Though industrious preparation, examination, prayer, etc. be tedious and wearisome to slothful flesh, and that pretends a press and a crowd of earthly businesses that must be looked to, and a crowd of duties to be done, that will keep a man off from a possibility of seeing Christ; yet all the wearisomeness notwithstanding, and press of secular business notwithstanding, hold thyself closely to this work, there will come that comfort, and that sweet in the Sacrament, that will pay for all. Though it were troublesome to run before, though it were a matter of trouble and difficulty to climb and clamber into the Sycamore Tree, yet finds Zacheus that precious fruit therein, that richly paid him for all his pains. Now besides all this pains in our own personal preparation, we must also know that we must have a care to prepare others, as we stand charged with them in their several relations to us. Ministers must not only prepare themselves, but must do their best to prepare their people. As josiah speaks to them, 2 Chron. 35. 6. Sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren: so it may be said to Ministers, sanctify yourselves, and prepare your people: so to Parents, sanctify yourselves, and prepare your children: so to Masters and Governors, sanctify yourselves; and prepare your servants and your Families. See Exod. 12. 26, 27. It shall come to pass, that when your children shall say, What mean you by this service, that ye shall say, It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover, etc. And Vers. 48. When a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passeover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, etc. Such whom it concerned, must look that he were prepared before he came. Thou therefore that hast others under thy charge, have a care to prepare them, instruct them, direct them, call upon them to have a care to come in due Order. If thou knowst any sin or evil in them, admonish them, and advise them to repentance for it, and to a resolution to a reformation of it before they come to the Sacrament. And thus much for preparation to the Sacrament. Ob. But when I have done all that I can, I must say, I am an unprofitable servant. When ye have done all those things which are commanded you, says our Saviour, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do. The Lord than be merciful unto me; for if when I have done all that is commanded me, and when I have done that which is my duty to do, I must say, I am an unprofitable servant; then how much more must I say it, that am far short of doing all that in this particular I am commanded to do, and have not done that which is my duty to do? I doubt therefore that I may not come to the Sacrament, because I cannot find myself thus prepared; I were better keep away than come, unless I were thus prepared. I have done what I possibly can do, but alas, how short am I of what is required? Answ. 1. First, have recourse here to that which before was said in the last point of the second Chapter. Labour and endeavour to be as exactly prepared as possibly thou canst, but if thou canst not attain to that measure and degree of preparation thou desirest, yet if thy heart witness to thee, that what is wanting in thy preparation, is not from sloth, idleness, and loathness to take pains, but it is the highest degree that with all thy pains thou art able to attain unto; I say unto thee in this case, as Saul spoke to David in that, 1 Sam. 17. 37. Go, and the Lord be with thee. Go to the Sacrament, and fear not, but that the Lord will be with thee. 2 Secondly, if indeed thou hast no faith, no repentance at all wrought or renewed in thee, I would in any case advise thee to forbear; for why shouldest thou destroy thyself, as Solomon speaks in that case, Eccl. 7. 16. But now deal uprightly, as in God's presence, and take heed as well of bearing false witness against thyself, as against thy neighbour. It is a sin to bear false witness against thyself, as well as to foredoe thyself, and therefore make conscience of it, deal sincerely therefore. Darest thou confidently, and upon unquestionable grounds affirm it, that thou hast no faith, no repentance? I much fear me, sayest thou, that I have not. That is not the point what thou fearest, but what thou assuredly knowest. A man may have much faith that fears he hath none: yea, there may be greatest faith, where there be greatest fears. Thou, upon serious examination of thine own condition, not upon an ignorant self-love, darest not for a world, resolutely and peremptorily say, thou hast no faith, no grace, no part in Christ; then take heed how thou upon thy fears forbear God's Ordinance. 3 Thirdly, if thou have done thine utmost in the sincerity of thy spirit to fit thyself for the duty, and thine heart charges thee, neither with any gross guilt in thy life, nor with any slothful formality in thy preparation, though thou canst not find thyself so fitted as thou wouldst, yet go to the Ordinance, if it be upon conscience of giving God obedience. Christ commands the use of the Sacrament, Do this in remembrance of me. Now though thine own fears discourage and dishearten thee, and when thou lookest at thyself, thou fearest to go; yet if when thou lookest at God's commandment, and in the conscience of it fearest to stay away, here in this conflict of fears, let this last fear get the victory; and be more afraid to stay from the Sacrament, in regard of God's commandment, then to come to the Sacrament in regard of thy discouragement. God's commandment says Go, thine own discouragements says Go not. Give obedience rather to God's commandment, than to thine own fears. Obedience yielded to God, out of pure conscience to his commandment; yielded, I say, against discouragements and fears, may be no whit inferior unto, nor less acceptable than a preparation in a more exact and excellent degree then yet thou hast. Such obedience is most excellent and most acceptable; for that is the most excellent obedience, when there is nothing else to toll and draw us on but only God's commandment. When a man finds himself in such a frame of spirit, as that he questions not but to meet with comfort, and a good answer at the Sacrament; then possibly not God's commandment, but that comfort may rather seem to draw him to the duty. But now when a man hath some discouragements, in regard of the fears of the indisposition of his spirit, and yet in regard of God's commandment, dares not absent himself, dares not but go: it is clear, that such obedience is pure obedience, because there is nothing to draw him on but God's commandment, and that he doth the duty upon this ground, Because God will have him do it, & that he doth it more for God's sake, than his own. Excellent is that Exo. 14. 15. The Lord said unto Moses, speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. Forwards Why, there was great danger before them, they go upon a manifest danger, the Sea is before them. As good go backward to the Egyptians, or as good stand still and let the Egyptians come and put them to the sword, as to go forward. It is but death to stand still, but death to go backward, and it is no better than death to go forward. What safety can be expected by going into the Sea? Well, for all this, speak to the children of Israel that they go forward. Now to go forward, because God commands it, when nothing but present danger in sight, was an argument of pure obedience: it was not safety, but conscience of obedience to God's commandment, that carried them forwards. A man in the truth and sincerity of his spirit hath done his utmost in his preparation, and yet his heart misgives him that he shall sin to go to the Sacrament, and that he shall run himself upon a manifest danger; speak unto such a man that he go forward, because God commands him to do him this service, and his going forward in obedience, being pure obedience, it shall return him at last as great comfort, as if he had been so prepared as his desire was to have been. Object. I, but my heart is full of fears and doubts; I fear and tremble to come to God's Ordinance in my fears. Answ. Yet come; Fears in coming are no bar to comfort. Thou mayest come in fear, and yet go away with much comfort. See Mark 5. 33. The Woman fearing and trembling came and fell down before him. And what says Christ to her? Vers. 34. Daughter, go in peace. She comes to Christ with fear, she goes away in peace; she came trembling, she goes away rejoicing. If her fear and trembling had kept her from Christ, she had miss of that sweet and comfortable answer, Daughter, go in peace. We know not what comfort we deprive ourselves of, when we suffer our fears and jealousies to prevail so fare with us, as to keep us from Christ in his Ordinances. Object. But my fear is, that I shall not meet with Christ, nor find him in his Ordinance, and therefore what should I do there? Answ. A man may then meet with Christ, and find him, when he least of all hopes to find him. Mary meets with Christ, john 20. 15. and supposes he had been the Gardener, and accordingly inquires of him as of the Gardener, Where he had laid Christ. But yet before an answer could be returned her, she turned herself from him, for when Christ speaks to her, Vers. 16. She turns herself to him. Therefore she had turned away from him, as thinking it a bootless business to stand talking with him, and enquiring of him about finding of Christ. And just when she as hopeless of finding Christ by him, turns herself from him, Christ calls her by her name, Mary. So that a man may often find Christ, when he least hopes for it. Therefore though thou hast but little hope to find Christ at the Sacrament, yet turn not from it, but come to Christ in his Ordinance, even then when thou least hopest for it, mayest then hear so gracious a compellation from CHRIST, as may make thy soul joyfully echo back again, Rabboni. Chap. 19 Meditation, and exercise of Repentance at the Sacrament. CHAP. 19 A Communicant being thus fitted and prepared, and being now come to the Lords Table, it follows to consider, what behaviour is there required of him. It is not enough for a man to dress, and trim up himself in his handsomer apparel before he comes to a great man's table, but there is a great care also to be had of that carriage, and behaviour that beseems such a man's table, and person. Though a man come handsome, and cleanly apparelled to a great man's Table, yet he may there carry himself so rudely, unmannerly, and uncivilly that he may give great offence. As therefore we must have a care to get our hearts into an holy, and fitting frame before we come, so no less must our care be to have them in a convenient frame during the time of the whole action. Though a man have bestowed much pains with his heart before his coming, yet, if there be not a care of due behaviour in the action, all his former pains may be lost. Though the Priests had been careful to have washed themselves, and to put on their Priestly garments, yet might they be guilty of irregularities at the Altar in not placing the wood, or the parts of the sacrifice in due order, Leviticus 1. Therefore as the Apostle speaks in the general, so it may be said in this particular, 2 john 8. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, etc. So look to yourselves when ye have bestowed a great deal of time, and pains in preparation, that by a lose, and careless carriage in the duly doing, you lose not the things you have done. There must be a care therefore of the duties to be done in the Action, Duties convenient. There be some duties in which the whole congregation join together, in which we must take heed of all looseness, and evagation of spirit, especially expressed in idle gazing about, have a care to hold the heart close to all those duties in which all join together. But I mean not to insist in these. There are therefore some special; and personal duties that every one is particularly by himself to perform, and those have a special care of. The duty in general to be done at the Sacrament. 16. The offering up of ourselves to God in an holy, and spiritual disposition in receiving of the Supper. This general branches itself into divers particulars. And they are these. 1. First, solemn, serious and deep meditation. A leading duty to others that follow, and that which only furthers them. There must be an heart enlarged with godly sorrow for sin, there must be compunction, and contrition of spirit. It is meditation that must fit for it, and bring that, and lay that to the h●●●● which must bruise it. Meditation gives a man Meditatio siquidem pascit scientiam, scientia compunctionem, compunctio devotionem. Inter opera August. l. 3. de Spir. & anima. a sight, and knowledge of himself, of his sins, of the riches of God's mercies in Christ, and such knowledge is it which works compunction of spirit. We are to be taken up in duties of Thanksgiving, and to be more than ordinarily enlarged therein. There is no such way to enlarge the heart in that duty, as by meditation to heat and warm our hearts. So Psalm 104. 33. 34. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live, I will sing praise unto my God whilst I have my being, my meditation of him shall be sweet, I will be glad in the Lord. There is nothing so feeds spiritual joy, and so maintains and holds up that holy flame that should be in a man's heart in the duty of thanksgiving, as doth meditation. That is the Oil and the Fuel that keeps such fire burning. The sweeter our meditation is, the more is the heart prepared, and enlarged to praises, thanksgiving, and joy in the Lord. Therefore a special duty to be done at the Sacrament is, to take up our hearts with serious meditation. And for the better raising and feeding meditation, it is good when we are come to the Lords Table, to do as Solomon wishes us to do in that case, Proverbs 23. 1. When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler, consider diligently what is before thee. He advises it for a man's better caution, if he be a man given to his appetite, that he may not be desirous of such dainties as are set before him. But in this case it is good to consider what is set before us to provoke our appetite, and to stir up in us a longing after those dainties. Consider therefore what is set before thee, what is done before thee. Consider the Sacramental elements, the sacramental promises, and sacramental actions. Here than we see Bread, and Wine set before us, and not bare bread and wine, but the sacramental Body, and Blood of Christ: This is my Body, This is my Blood. Behold then what a Feast God hath prepared for us; such a feast as that: Isa. 25. 6. A feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things, full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. Alas! how lean are our souls? What hunger-starved spirits have we? But here be fat things, full of marrow to feed, and fat our lean souls. How dead and dull are our hearts; but here is wine upon the lees, here is wine that goes down sweetly, that will cause the lips of those that are asleep, to speak, that will refresh & sweetly quicken our spirits. Here we see this Bread broken, this Wine poured out. Here we see Christ crucified before our eyes; now we see him hanging, and bleeding upon the cross, we now see him pressed, and crushed under the heavy pressure of his Father's infinite wrath: Now we see him in the Garden in his bloody sweat. Now may we behold him under the bitter conflict, with his Father's Celebrantes commonemur quasi ungulam findens, & ●●minan● pecus ●●voca●e ad fancy▪ & minu●atim commolere Dominicae institutionis exemplum, ut semper passio sister in memo●ia, etc. Cypr. de caena Dom. M●d●t●●io ●uminat ●●vores vulne 〈◊〉▪ fixu●as ●la vorum, lanceam ut acetum, persecuto●ū faevi●iam, Apostolo●um fugam, & mo●●em ●urpissimam, corporis sepulturum. Bernard. Home de doob. Discip. e●nt. ad E●●. wrath upon the cross. Behold the man, says Pilate, That is our duty to do now by meditation, to represent unto ourselves the bitterness of Christ's passion: Exod. 24. 8. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said: Behold the blood of the Covenant. So here: Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world: joh. 1. and behold the blood of that innocent, and spotless Lamb; yea, behold him now shedding his precious blood to take away the sins of the world, and look upon him as the Scape-goat, bearing, and carrying our sins upon him. Represent we unto ourselves in our meditations, as lively as we are able, all the sorrows of Christ's passion. Ps. 26. 6. How prodigious a darkness was there at Christ's passion for three hours together? Surely a special end of this darkness, was to show the dreadful and horrible wrath of God against his own Son, now hanging on the cross, a sacrifice for the world's sins, was it nothing, or was it but a small matter that God did manifest his wrath against him, by letting lose the tongues, and hands of all his carnal enemies against him, but that the Lord himself from heaven would reveal his wrath against the unrighteousness of the world, which now lay upon him. Now stood Christ in our stead, we should have suffered the horror of darkness for ever, even that blackness of darkness, as jude calls it. Now Christ undertaking for us he suffers darkness. And God by this, as by a visible sign, would testify, that the blackness of darkness, caused by God's wrath for sin, was upon him. Thereby conceive we in some sort the sad plight, and woeful agony in which Christ then was. God causes the Sun to shine upon the Just, and the unjust, Mat. 5. 45. But now, that Christ is a sacrifice for our sins, and to suffer his Father's wrath for them, he must not have so much as the common comfort of the light of the Sun, but as if he were of all ones the most unjust; the very light of the Sun shall be taken from him, and he be left in horrid darkness. Do but look upon Christ on the cross, under all our sins lying upon him, and how heavy a press, how ponderous a weight was that? But consider beside this, how many were the pains of his body by their inhuman, and barbarous usages? what was the bitter exacerbation of his Spirit, by so many base and ignominious reproaches of all his malignant opposites, what, was it nothing to be scourged? to give his cheeks to the smiters? to be spitefully entreated, to be spitted on, and endure all those outrageous insolences of his enemies before, and at his crucifying? Oh! how bitter were these things? But consider beside all this, to have all the power of Hell against him, and all those Lions, Bulls, Unicorns, and Dogs, to be taken up, and employed in assaulting and afflicting him. Oh! how past all conception of the understanding of man was the smart of this misery? Hear was Earth against him; here was Hell against him. And yet Earth and Hell not enough, but Heaven itself against him. After all this, to have God his Father from Heaven by this prodigious, dreadful, and long darkness, to testify his wrath against him: here was that which added weight and perfection to all the rest. To be three whole hours together under a visible sign of the darkness of God's countenance, under the darkness of the sense of his wrath, witnessed from Heaven, by the darkness of the Sun: how bitter, and sharp a conflict was this above all the rest? Thus represent we to ourselves Christ hanging on the cross; thus, Behold the Lamb of God roasting in the fire of wrath; yea, further, After that we have seen Christ thus for three hours' space in deep silence, conflicting in this time of darkness with all these sorrows, Now as not able any longer to hold his peace, think we that we hear him by that formidable cry, manifesting the bitterness, and unutterable extremity of his passion: My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? All these three dark hours was Christ drinking this bitter cup, and now at the third hour's end was he come to the dregs and lees of it. This was the sharpest paroxysm and fit of his passion. Now were the envenomed arrows of the Almighty shot up to the heads in his soul. And how can we see, and hear Christ suffering all this for us, and not withal in our meditations stand astonished at the heinousness and hideousness of our sins, for which no other way of expiation could be made, but by this bitter passion of Christ. Behold in the passion of Christ as in a glass, the greatness of sin. Think we sadly with ourselves, Surely sin against God must needs be more than men commonly esteem it. It could be no small matter for which the dear Son of God did suffer such horrible and dreadful torments on the cross. Let we out our hearts therefore here in the meditation of the greatness of our sins. And withal, Ad victimam illam pendentem in cruse nos conferemus. Ibi vere contemplabimur Deum, ibi in ipsum cor Dei introspiciemus, quod fit misericors, quod nobis mortem peccatoris, etc. Luther. in Gen. 19 let we out our hearts especially in the meditation and admiration of such unmatchable love and goodness as God hath shown in the work of our Redemption. Labour to comprehend, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know, and see the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. What heart is able sufficiently to admire the depth of the riches, the bottomless depth, the unfadomable depth of the riches of God's love, and mercy in Christ. How may we with David cry out: Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him? Psalm. 8. 4. and upon a better ground with job, job 7. 17. What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? especially that thou shouldest so be mindful of him, that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him, as to give the Son of thy love to suffer the cursed death of the cross, to make us cursed children, firebrands of hell, damned hellhounds, heirs of blessings and eternal life: Is not here matter of meditation and admiration to take up all the thoughts and hearts of men and Angels. And how should such love fire and inflame our hearts with holy love to God, and Christ? How should our hearts grow warm, and hot within Tribue ut concaleat cor meum intra me, & in meditatione mea exardescat ignis. Aug. medit c. 17. us? That as David speaks in another case, Psalm 39 3. Mine heart was hot within me, whilst I was musing, the fire burned. So whilst we are thus musing, and meditating of the love of Christ in his passion, the fire should burn, and our hearts should wax hot within us, the fire, and flame of our love to Christ should kindle, and grow hot in our hearts. The view of his passion should work in us an holy Rogo te per illa salutifera vulnera tua quae passus es in cruse pro salute nostra, e quibus emanavit pretiosus ille sanguis quo sumus redempti● vulnera hanc animam meam peccatricem, pro qua etiam mori dignatus es: vulnera eam igneo & potentissimo tel● tuae nimiae Charitatis— Configcor meum jaculo tui amoris, ut di cat tibi anima mea, Charitate tua vulnerata sum, etc. Aug. lib. medit. c. 37. passion of love. The view of his wounds should wound our hearts with holy, and enlarged affection to him. Fellow, and go along with CHRIST in all his sufferings in thy meditations. Begin where his passion begun, john 12. 27. follow him thence into the Garden, from thence into the High Priests Hall, from thence into the judgement Hall, from thence to the Cross. There is not a passage in all the story that affords not matter of meditation; and not a meditation that may not set forth his love to thee, and kindle thine to him. Thus therefore at the Sacrament should our hearts be employed in the meditation of CHRIST'S death, and passion, and thus should we make that good, Cant. 1. 12. Whilst the King Sit●● at his Table, my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof: that is, whilst CHRIST had communion with me, my graces were exercised, and manifested themselves, even then whilst I had fellowship with him. As CHRIST sat at Table Mary took a pound of ointment, of Spikenard very costly, and anointed the feet of jesus, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. So the King sits at his table, and when we sit at his table in the Sacrament, we should cause our spikenards to send forth, the smell thereof. That we do, when in the ordinance we take up our hearts with the holy meditations of the love of Christ, in his bitter passion. Such holy meditations are the smell of the spikenards, and are as pleasing to Christ as Mary's spikneard was, that filled the whole house with the odour thereof. This Christ commands, and makes it one main end of the Institution of the Sacrament. Do this in remembrance of me, therefore appointed he the Sacrament, that therein we might in special manner meditate upon his passion, and his love to us therein. David had a Psalm of Remembrance, Psalm 38. in the title. But for the death of Christ, his love in it, and the benefits by it, we have not only some Psalms of Remembrance, as Psalm 16. 22, and 69. and others, but beside, the Lord Christ hath to the world's end appointed a Sacrament of Remembrance, that this great work of CHRIST'S death, and his infinite love, and mercy therein might above all other works be meditated upon, and had in remembrance. One specially in the Evangelists is worth our notice. Some of Christ's works are specified only by one Evangelist, at his turning of Water to wine, as his healing the sick man at the pool of Bethesda, his healing that blind man, joh. 9 Some of them are specified by two Evangelists, as the history of Christ's birth by Matthew, and Luke. Some things are recorded by three of them as the Institution of the Sacrament of the Supper. But as for Christ's death, and Passion it is recorded by them all four. Only two write the History of his birth, but all four the History of his death, without doubt to teach us, that though all Christ's works, and actions are to be seriously minded, meditated upon, and remembered, yet none so special as his death, and sufferings. And therefore specially should his death be meditated upon at the Sacrament, whose institution was purposely for the remembrance of it. Therefore ought men to make special conscience of this duly. How cold, and dead a remembrance of Christ's death is the receiving of the Sacrament without this serious meditation of the bitterness of his death, and the sweetness of his love therein? We make not good the end of the Sacrament without it, yea we as much as in us lies make the Sacrament but a dumb show. What remembrance is there of Christ's death in such receiving the Sacrament? Makes it be in a fresh crucifying him again by our unworthy receiving. 2 Secondly, An exercise of Repentance. And this exercise of Repentance must be in two things. 1. First, in godly sorrow for sin. 2. Secondly, in a solemn renewing of our Covenants with God. 1. First, in godly sorrow for sin, for our own sins in particular for which Christ did undergo all that sorrow, and smart in his sufferings. We have in the Sacrament a representation of the sufferings of Christ, we have him crucified before our eyes. Behold, says john, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world. In the Sacrament should we behold him taking away the sins of the world. In it we see, and behold Christ crucified, we see his hands, feet, and side pierced, now this sight should so affect us, as it should pierce the very hearts of us. What? The blessed Son of GOD to strip himself of his glory, to humble and abase himself to the ignominious, and accursed death of the Cross? The glorious Son of GOD thus abused, and abased, Why? How comes this about? The only begotten Son of the Father to make such bitter lamentation, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? What may the cause of all this be? Alas, all this was for our sins. It was not judas, not the jews, not Pilate, not the Soldiers, but they were our sins, thy sins, my sins that put the Son of God to all his sorrow. We, we, and none but we were the evil beasts that devoured this joseph. Our sins were so heinous, and had so provoked the justice of God, that there was no way to satisfy God's justice, to appease his wrath, and to make our atonement, but by the precious blood of the Son of God crucified on the Cross. And shall I now see my sins lie so heavy upon him, as to make him sweat blood; shall I see him even squeezed under the huge weight of my sins; shall I see my sins crown him with thorns, nail his hands, and feet to the Cross, Gore his side with the spear, with an unpierced heart? Oh the deep sorrow that our hearts should be leavened withal when we see Christ's body bruising, and bleeding in the Sacrament. Christ our Passeover is sanctified for us. The Passeover was to be eaten with bitter herbs, or will bitternesses Exod. 12. 5. And how happy is that soul, that in this respect can say at the Sacrament as, Lamen. 3. 15. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood? It should be with us at the Sacrament as with them, Zech. 12. 10. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced. And how shall that sight affect them? And they shall mourn and be in bitterness for him, as one that mourns for his only son, as one that is in bitterness for his first borne. How bitterly will such a man mourn? So bitterly shall they mourn when they look upon Christ whom they have pierced. And great reason, for is it not a matter of greater sorrow to pierce the only Son of God, the first borne, the first begotten from the dead, then to lose one only, or first begotten son? So here in the Sacrament we look upon Christ whom we have pierced, this sight should fill our hearts with bitterness, should make our hearts full of sorrow. Not only with an Historical sorrow, or a sorrow of natural compassion when we hear or see, some sad, or sorrowful event, this is nothing, but Homini non est necessarium ut Christum in ipsius passione deploret sed magis seipsum in Christo. Luther. with a practical sorrow, with an unfeigned sorrow of heart, that we by our personal sins have had our hands imbrued in the blood of the Son of GOD, that our sins envenomed those thorns, those nails that pierced him, and by their venom made them put him to such bitter anguish. Have we hearts conformeable Si vis ipsum cognoscere, sicut se fregit, ita te frange: quia qui dicit se in Christo manner, debe● sicut ille ambularit, & ipse ambulare. Bern. hom. de duob. dis●euntib▪ ad. Em. to the Christ we see in the Sacrament. Thou beholdest a broken Christ, thou beholdest a bleeding Christ, thou beholdest a bleeding Christ, behold him therefore with a broken heart, with a bleeding heart, with a pierced spirit. So behold Christ in the Sacrament, as the Virgin Mary his Mother beheld him on the Cross. And how was that? Woman, says Christ, behold thy Son. How did she behold him? Simeon tells her, Luk. 2. 35. That a sword shall pass thorough her soul. Then did a sword pierce thorough her soul when she beheld him pierced on the Cross, that sight was a sword through the heart of her. So when we see him pierced in the Sacrament, it should be as a dagger in our hearts. Oh wretch that I am, that my sins have been thorns on his head, nails in his hands, and feet, a spear in his side: LORD, says David, when he saw the people slaughtered by the Angel's sword, lo I have sinned, and I have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? 2 Sam. 24. 17. So say Elect puer Dei mei. quid tanta amaritudine, quid tanta confusione dignum commiseras? Prorsus nihil. Ego perditus homo totius proditionis tuae causa extiti. Ego domine unam acce●bam comedi, & dentes tui obstupuerunt: quia quae non rapuisti tunc exvolveb●s Bernard. Serm. de pass. Dom. here, lo I have sinned, I have done wickedly, but this Innocent, and Immaculate Lamb, what hath he done? It is I that have sinned, and it is thou Oh LORD that hast smarted. It is I that have sinned, and it is thou Oh Lord that hast suffered. It is I that have put thee to all these sorrows, my oaths, my uncleannesses, my lusts, my covetousness, my drunkenness, etc. These were the judasses' that betrayed thee, these were the jews that crucified thee. Lord I have eaten the sour grapes, and thy teeth were set on edge, LORD I played the thief, and thou restoredst the things thou tookest not. Do this, says Christ, in Remembrance of me. He would have the Sacrament appointed to renew, and refresh the remembrance of his sufferings, that in the remembrance of his sufferings we might remember our own sins the causes of them, and be deeply humbled for them. That as the Prophet speaks in that case, Lamen. 3. 19, 20. Remembering mine affliction, and my misery, the wormwood, and the gall, my soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. So in ●●is case, remembering Christ's affliction and his misery, the gall and the wormwood, our soul should still have them in remembrance, and be deeply humbled in us: what a sweet temper were it to be at the Sacrament with a melting heart? Mine eye, saith the Prophet, affecteth mine heart, Lam. 3. 51. how happy that our eye could effect our heart? we have Christ crucified for our sins, in our eye at the Sacrament, o that that which our eye sees could affect our heart with such sorrow for sin as becomes. That our vide quomodo his qui Christi commemorant passionem, inter sacra officia quasi per quosdam canales de interioribus fontibus egrediantur torrentes, & super omnes delicias lachrymis nectarijs anima delectetur— Ros matutinus est de caelestibus stillans, & quasi unctio spiritus mentem deliniens. Gemitus illos pietas excitat— & se sanatam & sanctificatam agnoscens fletibus se abluit, & lachrymis se baptizat. Cypr. de caen. Dom. eye could affect our heart, and our heart could affect our eye, that whilst we behold Christ shedding his blood for our sins, we could be affected with such sorrow upon the sight of our eye, that our heart could melt out at our eyes, and shed tears for those sins for which we see Christ shed his blood. That we could turn the Sacrament of the Supper, into a baptism of tears, and could wash, and baptise ourselves with the tears of Repentance, as Saint Cyprian speaks. It was laid to the charge of those unkind husbands, Malach. 2. 13. that by their unkindnesses they caused their wives, when they should have been cheerful in God's service, to cover the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping, and with crying out insomuch that he regarded not the offering any more, nor received it with good will at their hands. But how happy were it with us that we could so be affected with our unkindness to CHRIST our Husband, that we could cover the Lord's Table with our tears, with weeping, and with crying out, how then would the Lord regard our service the more, and receive our receiving with good will at our hands? Vere potest conscindere cor meum miserum, & sanguineis lachrimis madefacere: quia ecce creator meus pro me sanguineo rore prefunditur, nec levi quidem sed decurrente in terram. Vae misero cordi, quod ta●, & tanto ●udore non madescit perfusum. Bern. de pass. Don. tract. c. 37. Alas, alas, for the hardness of our hearts, that we can see our Lord all in his gore blood for our sins, his blood shedding upon the earth, and that our hearts cannot be rend, and bleed tears of blood, that this blood moistens not, and softens not our hard hearts! Consider ye and call for the mourning women, and send for cunning women that they may come, saith the Prophet, jer. 9 17, 18. that they may come. And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. So when ye be come to the Lord's Table, consider ye, consider ye, O lacrymae, ubi yos subtaxistis? O lacrimae ubi estis? Vbi estis fontes lachrymarum? Movemini obsecro ad fletum meum, fontes lachrymarum fluite super faciem meä, Rigate maxillas meas Date mihi planctum amarum. Ber. de mod. been. viv. serm. 27. Miserum me, quomodo sic insensata facta est anima mea.— Miserum me, quomodo sic induruit cor meum, ut oculi mei uon indesinenter producant flumina lachry. marum. Aug. med. c. 34. Percute Domine, percute obsecro hanc durissimam mentem meam,— & sic de capite meo educ aquam immensam, & de oculis meis verum fontem lachrymarum. Aug. med c. 37. what is before you. Call for mourning hearts, call for mourning affections, call for sad, and sighing spirits, call for tears, that your eyes may run down with tears, and your eyelids gush out with waters. Say with the same Prophet, jer. 9 1. Oh that mine head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep, etc. Ah our rocky hearts, harder than the neither millstone, that cannot dissolve into rivers of tears upon the view of so sad a spectacle as the sight of CHRIST hanging crucified on the Cross for our sins. Smite LORD, thou that canst bring water out of the rocks, and canst turn the flint into a standing pool, LORD smite thou this rocky heart, break thou this heart of flint, and make the waters gush out abundantly. And this is the first exercise of repentance at the Sacrament. 2 The second exercise of repentance at the Sacrament is in a solemn renewing of our vows, and covenants Plinius sub Trajano scripsit solitos stato die convenire Christianos ante lucem, carmenq, Christo quasi Deo communi voce dicere: Postea se Sacramento obstringere, non in scelus aliquod, sed ne furta, ne latrocinia, ne adulteria committerent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depositum appellati ab negarent. Centur. Magdeb. Cent. 2. c. 6. with GOD to hate, forsake, and renounce all our former sins, lusts, vanities, unprofitableness, and to walk more closely, and watchful then ever before. The word Sacrament is a latin word that signifies an Oath, to receive the Sacrament is to take, and receive an Oath, And when we receive the Sacrament we should bind ourselves in a solemn Covenant with God to forsake all our sins, and to walk in new and better obedience before GOD. And that practice of repentance rises thus. In the Sacrament I see CHRIST crucified for my sins. And was CHRIST crucified for my sins? Surely then I resolve, and vow too, and covenant with God that I will use my sins as I see they have used CHRIST. They pierced him, I will pierce them, they killed, and put him to death, LORD I will do by them, as they have done by thee, I will kill, crucify, and put them to death. LORD CHRIST thou gavest thyself for me. Behold here I am, and here I give myself to thee. That same is to be done in the Sacrament which we find, Deut. 26. 16, 17, 18. This day the Lord hath commanded thee to do these Statutes, etc. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and etc. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day, etc. So may it be said of a Sacrament day; This day the LORD thy GOD hath commanded thee to keep his Statutes, etc. And this day thou hast avouched the LORD to be thy GOD, and to walk is his ways, etc. And this day the LORD hath avouched thee to be one of his. There should be in a Sacrament a mutual avouchment between GOD, and his people. When we come to the Sacrament, as we come that GOD may avouch us for his people, so we should come to avouch him for our GOD, and that we will keep his Commandments. We can have no comfort in the use of the Sacrament, unless in it God avouch us for his people. And we have no reason to think that God will avouch us for his people, unless we will avouch him to be our GOD, and covenant with him the renoucing of our lusts, and yielding him obedience. This therefore is to be done in the Sacrament, Lord avouch me for thine, as I avouch, and covenant myself to be thine in all obedience to thy Commandments. It must be with us at a Sacrament, as it was with the jews of ancient in a Sacrifice. In Sacrifices the people did not only offer their oblation, and perform that service, but withal they did in Sacrificing renew, and make their covenants afresh, the covenants of offering up themselves a living, and acceptable Sacrifice, of mortification of their brutish lusts, of an holy, and obedient life. So much implies, as that Rom. 12. 1. So that place, Psal. 50. 5. Gather my Saints together, those that have made a covenant with me by Sacrifice. Therefore in Sacrifices there was a making of covenant with GOD. The same must be done in the Sacrament of the Supper, we must there renew our Baptismal covenant. For in the Sacrament there is, and must be a mutual stipulation, and sponsion between GOD, and the soul of a Communicant, that as we expect GOD should bind himself to us, so he expects that we should bind ourselves to him. As David joins the cup of salvation, and the paying of his vows together, Psal. 116. 13, 14. I will take the cup of my salvation, I will pay my vows unto the Lord, so should we join the cup of blessing and the making of our vows together, I will take the cup of blessing, I will make my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. And thus in these two things must there be a practice of repentance at the receiving of the Sacrament. Chap. 20. Faith to be Actuated and exercised in the Sacrament; An exercise of Thanksgiving, Love, and Mercy. CHAP. 20 3 THe third thing in which the spiritual and holy disposition in receiving the Sacrament stands is an exercise of faith. Now must a Communicant speak to his faith as Deborah doth to herself, judg. 5. 12. Awake, Awake, Deborah, Awake, Awake, utter a Song. So Awake, Awake oh my faith, Awake, Awake, and now bestir, and rouse up to do the special, and main work of the Sacrament in the receiving of Christ now offered, and tendered in his Ordinance. The great, and chief work of the Sacrament comes now to be done in the Actuating of faith so, as to fetch forth the fat, and marrow of the Ordinance. For the better conceiving, and practising of this point we must know these four things. First, That CHRIST is an all-sufficient fullness for the thorough supply of all the wants, and necessities of our souls whatsoever they may be, Col. 1. 19 It pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell. First then, there is a fullness in him. Secondly, All fullness is in him. Look whatsoever it is that is required to be in a Mediator, it is all fully in him, it hath it all to the full. Thirdly, He says not simply that this fullness is in him, but that this fullness dwells in him. A Vessel may be full, and a Treasury may be full, but these may be emptied again, and so an emptiness may follow that fullness. But this fullness dwells in him, it is an Inhabitant, resident, permanent fullness, so as he is, and ever shall be full. There is in him a fullness of merit for our justification, and a fullness of spirit, and habitual graces, and so a fullness of efficacies, virtues, as mortifying, sanctifying, quickening virtues. And thus he is full of all kinds of Graces, Apoc. 3. 1. He hath the seven spirits of God. And Esa. 11. 2, 3. with which that suits, Prov. 8. 12, 13, 14. And therefore not only Treasures, but All the treasures of wisdom, and knowledge are hid in him, Col. 2. 3. And all these Graces he hath in the highest, and fullest degree. Therefore the Apostle says not, Col. 2. 3. In whom is knowledge and wisdom, but the treasures of knowledge, treasures of wisdom. Some pieces of silver and gold are not treasures, but the treasures are vast heaps. Secondly, That Christ is thus filled, and enriched for the behoof of his Church, and members, that he may convey and communicate unto them of his fullness for the supply of their wants. There is in CHRIST not only a fullness of abundance, in regard of which he is sufficiently full in himself, but also a fullness of redundance, by which he overflows, and fills all his Saints. His fullness is not only a full fullness, but a filling fullness, john 1. 14, 16. Full of Grace, and Truth, and of his fullness have we all received and grace for grace, Ephes. 1. 23. Which is the fullness of him that fills all in all. There is such an abundance poured out upon him, as that he is not only full, but he hath received a good measure running over, so as to fill all the empty souls, and all the empty hearts of his people. For look what CHRIST received, he received for us, Psal. 68 18. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast received gifts for men; That is, gifts to give unto men, as the Apostle expounds it, Ephes. 4. 8. When he ascended upon high, he gave gifts unto men. So that he received to give, he was filled to fill. He is the well head, the fountain which is not only full itself, but springs, and flows over to the filling of streams. He received a fullness, that we might receive of his fullness, and that he might derive of his fullness to us. Thirdly, that Christ derives, and conveighes of this fullness and goodness of his unto us by his own holy Ordinances which he hath sanctified as the channels of conveyance. By the Word, and Sacraments doth he communicate of this his fullness unto us, Luke 5. 17. As CHRIST was teaching, the power of God was present to heal them. When the Minister of the Word is on foot, then is God's power present, and ready to exert, and put forth itself for spiritual good, Acts 9 17. The Lord hath sent me, that thou mightest be filled with the HOLY GHOST. CHRIST could not of his own fullness immediately have filled Saul with the HOLY GHOST, but CHRIST sends Ananias to him that he might be fill 〈…〉 with the HOLY GHOST. But 〈…〉 must Ananias do it? By the Acts 22. 14, 15, 16. ●●●istery of the Word, and Sacrament. He preaches to him, and he baptises him, and so by these Ordinances is the HOLY GHOST conveyed unto him. We find mention made, Zech. 4. 12. of two Olive branches, which thorough two golden pipes emptied the golden oil out of themselves. Those two Olive branches emptied golden oil out of themselves into the golden candlestick, but yet they did it thorough the two golden pipes. So it is in this case; All golden oil it is in CHRIST, He is the Branch, as Zechary calls him, Zech. 4. 3. He is the olive Branch, and the olive tree from whom comes all the golden oil of grace, and spiritual comfort, and he it is that empties it out of himself into our hearts. But yet he doth empty it into our hearts by his Ordinances, they be the golden pipes by which this golden oil is conveyed. CHRIST doth not ordinarily empty the oil into our hearts immediately, but first into the golden pipes of his Ordinances, his Word, and Sacrament, and so thorough them into our hearts. The graces and comforts of the HOLY GHOST are oft in Scripture compared to oil, and the pouring forth of those graces to Anointing. To this purpose is that speech of David, Psal. 92. 10. I shall be anointed with fresh oil, or green oil, that is, thou shalt add fresh measures, and new increases of the graces of thy spirit. So that after the first gift of the spirit, in the first work of grace, GOD often anoints his people with fresh oil, and that he doth in the Word and Sacrament. He anoints them in the ministry of the Word, Esa. 61. 1, 3. The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings, to give the oil of joy for mourning. God anoints his Ministers, that they may anoint his people. By preaching the Gospel God anoints his people with the oil of gladness. So he anoints us in the use of the Sacrament of the Supper, there in special manner he anoints with fresh oil. God deals at this spiritual feast as the jews used to do in their feasts, they used in token of welcome to anoint their guests, Luke 7. 46. Our Saviour tells Simon the Pharisee, Minc head with oil thou didst not anoint, that is, thou hast not bid me welcome, nor cheered me. God at the Sacrament anoints the heads of his people. That look as Mary did with CHRIST, john 12. 2, 3. There they made him a Supper— Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, and anointed the feet of JESUS; Then. When? Namely when at the Supper they made him. So deals the LORD with his people at the Sacrament. There he makes them a Supper, it is the Lords Supper, then takes the LORD precious ointment, and anoints their heads with fresh oil, there they have fresh unctions, and fresh delibutions, there he gives them fresh, and new comforts, fresh supplies, and new measures of grace, then, and there he annoyntes them at the Sacrament, yea the Sacrament is the very Alabaster box of precious ointment, and out of this box God powers it on their heads as she on Christ's head as he sat at meat, Matth. 27. 7. So that a man may truly speak of the Lords Table, as David of his own, Psalm. 23. 5. Thou preparedst a Table before me, thou annoyntest mine head with oil. When God prepares this Table for his, and they prepare themselves aright and in due order for this Table, and come as they ought to do, God doth at this Table feast them, and anoint their heads with oil, cheers them, and bids them hearty welcome. 4. Fourthly, That the way to make this ordinance thus effectual to us is the Actuating, and setting our faith on work upon the ordinance, and Christ in the ordinance. Christ is full, Christ communicates of his fullness, Christ communicates of his fullness by his ordinance, but yet if now at the ordinance our faith lie still, and stir not, if our faith be idle, or a sleep, here is nothing done, nothing gotten at the ordinance, but the Sacrament proves a dry empty husk unto us, there is neither oil, nor anointing to be had. Therefore now the main work of all at the Sacrament is to awaken, and Actuate our faith, and to set it on work upon Christ in his ordinance, and so draw forth the efficacy of Christ, and his ordinance. The power of God is present in his ordinance to heal, and to help, but now withal the power of our faith must also be present to set this power of God on work, to make the ordinance an healing, a working ordinance. If God's power be present, and our faith be absent, or as good as absent, God's power will not work, for than will his power work, when our faith works. A conduit is full of water, now a man that would fill his vessel, must bring it to the conduit, must bring it to the cock, and set it there, but yet that is not enough, if that be all, and he do no more, he may go home again with an empty vessel: Therefore the man that would fill his vessel when he hath brought it to the conduit, and set it under the cock, he also turns the cock, and then the water runs forth, and fills the vessel. So here, Christ is the conduit of all grace, and spiritual good, he that would be filled must come to him. His ordinances the word, and Sacrament they are the cocks of this conduit, so that a man that would be filled, must not only go to Christ, but to Christ in these ordinances must bring his vessel to these cocks. And that's not enough, but when he is come to them, he must turn them; faith Actuated, and working upon the ordinance that turns the cock, and then the efficacies, and virtues of Christ flow forth, than these waters pour forth abundantly. See that speech, Isa. 12. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw waters out of the wells of salvation. Christ he is indeed a well full of water: But now as the woman of Samaria said to our Saviour, john 4. 11. Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep, from whence then hast thou that living water? So in this case, Christ is indeed the well of salvation, but yet this Well is deep, and how can a man fetch up those waters thence, if he have nothing to draw with? God therefore of his goodness hath provided us buckets to fetch up these waters out of this well, and they are his ordinances. But now though there be a well stored with abundance of water, and though also there be buckets to fetch up these waters, yet if a man do not let down, and draw up these buckets he cannot draw waters out of the Well. Now the setting faith on work in use at the ordinances, and the Actuating of it therein, that is the letting down, and drawing up these buckets, that is the turning of the wheel which draws up the buckets with water. Christ is the Well of salvation, the ordinances are the buckets, faith Actuated, and set on work in the use of the ordinances, is the drawing of waters up out of the well of salvation. See how David speaks, Psal. 105. 41. He opened the Rock, and the waters gushed out, they ran in the dry places like a River. Waters gushed out of the Rock: but when? when the Rock was opened. So God's Ordinances, and Christ in those Ordinances have abundance of waters in them, such abundance as gushes out to the refreshing of dry souls, but yet first these Rocks must be broken up, these Rocks must be opened. But how must these Rocks come to be opened? As the Rock in Horeb was opened, Exodus 17. 6. Behold I will stand before thee there upon the Rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the Rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. GOD stood upon the Rock, but Moses must smite the Rock, and then comes water out of it, that the people may drink. God is present in his Ordinances, and his power is present at them, The power of God was present to heal them, Luk. 5. 17. but yet before water will come out that we may drink, we must first smite the Rock, and when it is smitten then shall we have it opened, and waters gushing out. Now what is this smiting of the Rock? It is nothing else but the Actuating of our faith, and setting it on work in the use of the Ordinance, faith Actuated & set on work smites the Rock, breaks up,, and opens the Rock. So that in an Ordinance, and at the Sacrament that should be a man's wisdom which was Moses his error, Numb. 20. 11. with his Rod he smote the Rock twice, and the water came out abundantly. Smite the Rock twice, again, and again, Actuate we our faith, and then the water shall come out abundantly. God's Ordinances, or CHRIST in them, is not only a Rock from whence waters come forth, but they are Rocks from whence Oil, and Honey issue forth. That a communicant may say of the Sacrament as job speaks in that case, job 29. 6. The Rock poured me out rivers of Oil. And this Rock powers out Honey. But how and when? Doth it pour forth rivers of Oil, and Honey to all comers? No such matter. How many neither find Oil, nor Honey thereat? But how come men to have honey, and oil at this Rock? when men do as Moses speaks of Israel Deut. 32. 13. He made him to suck Honey out of the Rock, and oil out of the flinty Rock. God gave Israel honey, and oil out of the Rock, but how? Did he make the Rock drop it into their mouths, whilst they stood gazing, and looking upon it? No. He made him to suck it. If he had been so idle as not to have taken the pains to have sucked it, he might have licked his lips long enough after it, ere he had had it, ere he had tasted, much less have been filled with it. So thus men come to have oil, and honey out of the Sacrament, and CHRIST in the Sacrament when they suck: when Faith is Actuated, and set on work in the use of the Ordinance, and applies Christ in it, than faith sucks, and when faith sucks, than it fetches honey, and oil out of the Rock. As the Prophet speaks in that case, Isa. 66. 11. That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation, so in this. There must be sucking before there can be satisfaction. The word, and Sacraments, are breasts of consolation, and these be full of sweet milk, but there can be no satisfaction unless there be sucking. A child may handle the mother's breasts, may play with them, may kiss them, but all this while the child is never the fuller; Therefore the child when it would be satisfied, it lays its mouth to the breast, gets the nipple into the mouth, and then sucks, and draws with all the strength, and might and so fetches forth the milk out of the mother's breast. So must it be in these case. Men may come to the Sacrament, and gaze upon the elements, and eat, and drink them, and yet not receive the sweet of the Ordinance, but if they would have the milk out of this breast, they must fall to sucking, and to drawing with all their power, and strength. Then do men suck, and draw the breast of the Sacrament, when in the use of it they Actuate, and set their faith on work. Faith Actuated sucks virtue out of he Sacrament, sucks from Christ in the Sacrament mortifying virtue to kill lusts, healing virtue to cure the pollutions of the heart, quickening virtue to enable to duties, and actions of spiritual life. Look how David speaks of wicked men in that case, Psalm. 73. 10. Waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. So is it to all true believers in the Sacrament. They have therein full draughts of Christ's blood, they have their hearts filled as with the comforts of the Holy Ghost, so with the efficacies of Christ, they have waters of a full cup. But how come they by these waters of a full cup? They are wrung out to them. And how are they wrung out to them? Faith being set on work in the Ordinance, and working upon the Ordinance, that wrings out waters of a full cup, that wrings out the juice, the sap, and sweet of the Sacrament, that wrings and presses out the succulency of it. It is just here as it was in the dream of Pharaohs Butler, Gen. 40. 10, 11. The clusters of the Vine brought forth ripe grapes, and Pharaohs cup was in mine hand, and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaohs cup. The Sacrament is as a Vine set before us, full of clusters of rip grapes, and these grapes full of juice, Christ with all his fullness offered to us in this Ordinance. Now our care, and course should be to have the liquor, and blood of these grapes poured into the cup of our hearts. How may that be done now? As Pharaohs cup came filled. He took the grapes and pressed them, and crushed them into Pharaohs cup, and so the cup was filled. So must we take these grapes, and press, and crush them, we must squeeze forth the liquor of them. That we do when faith is Actuated, and is set on work in the use of the ordinance. Actuated faith takes these grapes, and presses them, and wrings out of the Ordinance that which fills our hearts. When therefore we are come to the Sacrament, and now are to receive, set we all the Powers of our faith on work. Lift up this eye to see Christ, reach out this hand to lay hold upon, and receive him, set this mouth on feeding, eating, drinking, sucking. Set the mouth of thy faith to the breast of the Sacrament, and Quomodo ergo capiunt, qui lac capiunt? jesum Christum, inquit Apostolus, & hunc crucifix●●m. Suge quod pro te factus est, & cresces ad id quod est Aug. in Psa 119. suck, and draw at it with all thy might, and draw hardest, for that virtue of Christ's thy soul stands in most need of. David speaks of the marrow of God's house, and Ordinances, Psalm 63. 5. He that will have the marrow out of the bone, must break the bone, and knock the bone, and that will fetch forth the marrow. So must faith work, and bestir itself, and take pains at the Ordinance, and then the marrow of the Sacrament will be had. So should a man do at, and with the Sacrament, as Christ's Disciples did when they passed through the corn fields, Luk. 6. 1. And his Disciples plucked the ears of the corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. They did not pluck off the ears, and so eat the whole ea●es, but first they rubbed the ears in their hands to fetch out the corn. So at the Sacrament set faith on work, to rub the ears, and fetch out the corn that is in them for food. A rubbed ear will yield corn fit for food, but there is no eating of ears unrubed without danger, Prov. 29. 33. Surely the charming of milk brings forth butter. They must charm therefore, and charm hard, set their faith hard to this work of charming, that will have butter, that will have benefit out of the Sacrament. There is oil in olives, but before there could be oil fetched out of them to anoint a man's self withal, they used to tread the olives, and so express the oil out of them, as appears, Micah 6. 15. Thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil. It is threatened as a judgement, but yet it implies that oil was fetched forth by the treading, stamping, bruising, and breaking of the olives with their feet. The Ordinances of God's word and Sacraments are olives, full of good, full of excellent oil, but these olives will not drop oil upon us, they must be stamped and trod, if we would have oil out of them to anoint ourselves. Faith Actuated, and set on work in, and upon these ordinances, that treads these olives, and helps us to the oil of them. And however the Prophet in that place threatens it as a judgement that they should tread Olives, and not anoint themselves, yet it never so falls out in this case. He that Actuates his faith, and sets it sound on work to tread these olives, he shall be sure to dip his foot in oil, and to be comfortably anointed in the use of the Ordinance. It is only the want of faiths taking of pains in industrious treading of the olives, that makes us go away dry headed, dry hearted, and unanoynted from the Sacrament and all other Ordinances. Thus must faith work hard at the Sacrament, and eat her bread in the sweat of her brows. Quest. But how, and in what manner is faith to be Actuated, and set on work in the use of the Sacrament? Answ. In the Sacrament consider three things. First, Sacramental offers. Secondly, Sacramental promises. Thirdly, Sacramental Representations: fix the eye of faith upon them all, and set faith on work upon them all. 1 First, in the Sacrament we have Sacramental offers, Christ Himself is offered with all his benefits. Take, eat, drink. I see then God offers me Christ to be taken, His body to be eaten, His blood to be drunk. Here then must faith Actuate itself, and set itself on work, striving with all its might to take Christ, to eat, and drink Christ offered. Lord Christ, as verily as I take, and eat, and drink these outward Sacramental elements, so verily do I by my faith receive thyself into my soul, and feed upon thee for spiritual nourishment. Christ is offered to us, offers to come in, and enter into our hearts. The Act of faith now then is that, Psalm. 24. 7. Lift up your heads, o ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors. But why must these gates, and doors of their hearts be thus lift up? And the King of glory shall come in, Christ is come, and he makes an offer to come into your hearts, open therefore the gates of your hearts, lift them up, even from off the hooks, that fair, and full way may be made for his ready entrance: when a great man, specially a King comes to a man's house, he will not only open the small wicket, his little door, but he sets open his great gates, throws them wide open to make spacious way for his entrance. Now Christ in the Sacrament offers Himself to come to us, the King of glory offers to come in. Here then let thy faith busily bestir itself in widning the passage, and opening thine heart to make Christ way, now strive might and main to stretch open thine heart to such a breadth, and largeness as a fit way may be made for the King of glory to enter. Do in receiving Christ at the Sacrament, as Zacheus did in receiving him into his house, Luk. 19 5. Zacheus, says Christ, Make haste, and come down, for to day I must abide at thine house. Here Christ offers Himself to Zacheus, and upon the offer made, instantly Zacheus made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. Think upon that gracious offer of Christ's how Zacheus bestirred himself, with what haste he leapt down from the Tree, with what readiness, and heartinesses he brought CHRIST home, with what sweetness of affection he clasps about CHRIST when he entertained him into his house. Christ makes thy soul the same offer at the Sacrament, now let thy faith as busily bestir herself as Zacheus did, hasten, open, clasp, embrace, welcome, and receive CHRIST thus offered to thee. Secondly, In the Sacrament we have Sacramental promises. This is my body. This is my blood. This is my body which is given for you, my blood which is shed for you. Shed for the remission of sins. Take, Eat, Drink, says our Saviour. Well what if we do so, what shall we get by it? What shall we be the better for it? A great deal the better, for this is my body, my blood; I promise you in the use of this Ordinance you shall receive my body, and my blood, that body which was once crucified and offered for the redemption of the world: that blood which was shed for Recon 〈…〉 n, and Remission of sin, and you by being made partakers hereof s●●ll receive efficacious virtue of my quickening death. So that these are Sacramental promises. So that here is that which may abundantly set faith on work, for the promises are the most proper object for faith to work upon. Well then, CHRIST says, This is my body given for you, my blood shed for you, shed for the remission of sins. Let faith now believe these promises, Lord I believe that thy body was given for me, thy blood shed for me, thy blood shed for the remission of my sins, Lord I cheerfully and gladly believe that I am now made partaker of thy body, and blood, and that my sins are pardoned in thy blood. Faith must do here, as David doth, Psal. 60. 6, 7. God hath spoken in his holiness, that is, he hath made me a gracious promise that he will bring all the land under mine obedience. Here David hath God's promise, mark now what follows: I will rejoice, saith he, I will divide Sechem, I will meet out the valley of Succoth, Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine. See how he actuates his faith upon God's promise so as to rejoice, so as to take possession of Sechem, Succoth, Gilead, and Manasseh. So Christ hath spoken in, or by his holiness, This is my body which is given for you, this is my blood which is shed for you, for the remission of your sins. Here be Sacramental promises. Now upon the view of these promises should a man Actuate his faith, and say, I will rejoice, I will eat Christ's flesh, I will drink his blood. Christ is mine, His death is mine, His Resurrection is mine, Remission of sin is mine, Pardon, and Heaven are mine. And thus by this Actuation of faith should a man with john, lean on CHRIST'S bosom, john 13. 23. When he is at the Sacrament, so participating of him, as to have communion with him in all his benefits Thus lean we on our beloved, Cant. 8. 5. when at the Sacrament. Again; This is my blood shed for you, for the remission of sin. Lo here is that blood offered me to drink, and promised to me in the Sacrament, by the shedding whereof, remission of sin was purchased, yea here is remission of sin, not only offered me, and promised me, but of feared, and promised under seal. Now then Actuate thy faith, and say, Lord I accept, Lord I believe this sealed pardon of my sin. And faith thus Actuated, will make good unto us the Sacramental promises; for as it is true in case of prayer, Mar. 11. 24. What things soever you desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them, so is it as true in case of receiving. What things soever ye desire when ye receive, do but Actuate your faith, and set that on work for them, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Thirdly, In the Sacrament we have Sacramental representations. There is in the Sacrament a visible remembrance of CHRIST'S death, and in the breaking of the bread, and pouring out the wine, there is a representation of Christ's death, and Passion. When I see the wine poured out, it represents unto me the shedding of Christ's blood, here I see Christ's blood shed on the Cross. What is to be done now when I see this blood in the Sacrament? Do but consider that same, Exod. 24. 6, 8. Moses took of the blood of the Sacrifices, and put it in basons, and he took the blood, that was in the basons, and sprinkled it upon the people, haply with a bunch of hyssop, as the manner was, to which David alludes, Psal. 51. Purge me with hyssop. Now so must it be here: The blood of our offering which was shed for us, the Lord hath put in basons, in the basons of the Word, and Sacraments, and out of these basons it must be sprinkled. The Sacrament of the Supper is one basin in which this blood is put. This blood is held forth in this basin, This is my blood. Now when this blood is held forth to us in this basin, we should sprinkle ourselves with this blood. That must be done by Actuating our faith, and by the act of faith applying that blood of Christ unto ourselves. We find mention, Rom. 3. 25. of faith in Christ's blood, there is not only faith in Christ's Name, but faith in his blood. Faith when Christ's blood is holden out to us either in the Word, or Sacrament, puts her hand into this basin, or dips the hyssop into the blood in the basin, and so besprinkles a man's soul therewith. Faith applying CHRIST'S blood to a man's self, doth put her hand into the basin, doth dip the hyssop into the blood in the basin, ye doth with Thomas put her hands into the wounds of CHRIST, and take blood thence, and besprinkles the soul withal. When therefore we see CHRIST'S blood in the Sacrament, we are to take it, and besprinkle ourselves with it, that is, we are to have faith in his blood, and by faith to apply the merit of Christ's death unto our own souls. And this application is the Actuation of faith. Nay that is not all, faith seeing the wounds, and the blood of Christ, not Cruci haeremus, sanguinem sugimu●, & intra ipsa Redempturis nostri vulnera sigimus linguam. Cyp. de Coen Dom. only puts her hands into Christ's woundss, or into the blood in the basin, but faith lays her mouth to these wound, and to this blood, and sucks these wounds, sucks in this blood with an holy greediness. A faith Actuated in the Ordinance is a bloodsucking faith, Prov. 30. 15. The horseleech hath two daughters which cry, Give, give. Such an eager, and holy greediness hath faith in sucking in Christ's blood. It cannot be satisfied, but still cries, Give, give. Lord give me evermore of this blood, give me of this blood to sprinkle my unrighteous soul, Give me of this blood to staunch the bloody issues of mine heart, Give me of this blood to heal my leprous spirit, Give me of this blood to help subdue and mortify my lusts, Give me of this blood of Christ crucified, to crucify old Adam, and all my rebllious lusts. Thus when a man sucks in earnestly the blood of Christ, whom he sees crucified, and shedding his blood in the Sacrament, and sucks it in for his several and special necessities, then is faith Actuated in the use of the Sacrament. And thus also may and must a man Actuate his faith for his comfort. In this basin of the Sacrament I see Christ's blood. Christ's blood is a reconciling blood, Rom. 3. 25. Col. 1. 20, 21. It is justifying blood, Rom. 5. 9 We are justified by faith. How by faith? By faith in his blood, Rom. 3. 25. It is a pacifying blood, Col. 1. 20. Ephes. 2. 13, 14. A pardoning blood, Mat. 26. 28. Eph. 1. 7. It is a sanctifying blood, Heb. 13. 12. A purging blood from dead works, Heb. 9 14. A cleansing blood, 1 joh. 1. 7. It is a mortifying blood, such a blood as fetches out the heart blood of old Adam, and delivers from the dominion of sin. The blood of Christ crucified, is crucifying blood, Rom. 6. 2, 3, 6. Gal. 6. 14. It is a blood that sets prisoners free, Zech. 9 11. It is a blood that makes men Kings, and Priests, Apoc. 1. 5, 6. It is a softening, mollifying blood that makes the heart tender, it supples a stony heart, and Illa invicta vis, & duarum violentissimarum naturae rerum (ignis, & ferti) contemptrix hircino tamen ●sipitur sanguine, faedissimo Animalium. Plin. makes it a heart of flesh, Zech. 12. 10. Goat's blood some say breaks the Adamant, which neither Iron nor fire can do: but to be sure the blood of this Goat, Leu. 16. the blood of this Lamb breaks the Adamant heart of a man, which nothing else can break. It is a quickening blood that brings life, and strength with it. Therefore represented by wine in the Sacrament. It is lifeblood, blood full of CHAP. 21 spirit, that fills the soul with excellent vigour to holy performances, Heb. 13. 20, 21. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord jesus, etc. typified by that, Exodus 24. 7, 8. Now what a deal of comfort may faith draw from all this. Alas my person is unrighteous, but LORD thy blood is justifying blood, mine heart is unclean but thy blood is sanctifying blood, my lusts are many and mighty, but LORD thy blood is Mortifying blood. Mine heart is wondrous hard, but Lord thy blood is softening blood, mine heart is exceeding dead, but Lord thy blood is quickening blood. In this blood of thine I believe, this blood of thine I thirstily drink down, this blood of thine I hearty apply, with a comfortable expectation of all these blessed benefits. Be of good cheer, oh my soul, here is pardoning blood; to comfort thee against thy guilt; here is sanctifying blood to comfort thee against the pollutions of thy nature, CHAP. 20 here is crucifying blood to comfort thee against thy lusts, here is following blood to help thee against thy hardness, quickening blood to help thee against thy deadness. He was wounded for our transgressions, Isa. 53. 5. And here in the Sacrament we may see his wounds, and faith must look upon them as healing wounds. With his stripes are we healed, Isa. 53. 5. what sweet comfort may faith fetch hence? Look upon the wounds of Christ on the Cross, as on the Cities of refuge, whither thy pursued soul by the avenger of blood may fly for safety, and Sanctuary. Indeed I am a grievous sinner, I have wounded my conscience Feccavi peccatum grande, turbatur conscientia, sed non perturbabitur, quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor. Nempe vulneratus est propter iniqui●ates nost●●●. Quid tam ad mortem, quod non Christi mo●te salv●tur? Bernard. ●i●p. Can. Serm. 61. with my transgressions, but behold my Saviour here wounded for my transgressions. I have ●●●se to be troubled in my conscience for the wounds my transgressions have made therein, but yet my conscience needs not sink in a despondency of spirit, whilst I look at these wounds of Christ; Here be wounds for wounds, healing wounds for stabbing wounds, curing wounds for kill wounds. He was wounded for our transgressions: what wound so deadly that cannot, or may not be healed by his death, and wounds? what comfort is here for faith in the wounds of Christ crucified, whose death is represented in the Sacrament? a Foderunt manus ejus & pedes, latusque lancea foraverunt. & per has rimas licet mihi sugere mel de petra, & oleum de saxon, id est, gustare, & videre, quoniam suavis est dominus— At clavis reserans, clavis penetrans factus est mihi, ut videan voluntatem domini. Quidni videan per foramen! clamat c●edens sit in Christo mundum reconcilians sibi, patet Arcanum co●dis per foramina corporis? Patent viscera misericordiae Dei— Quidni viscera per vulnera pateant? In quo enim clarius quam in vulneribus tuis eluxisset, quod tu domine suavis, & multae misericordiae, etc. Ego vero sidenter quod ex me mihi deest userpo mihi ex visceribus domini quoniam misericordia affluunt, nec desunt foramina per quae affluant. Bernard. s●p. Cantic. Ser. 61. They pierced my hands and my feet, Psal. 22. 16. They pierced his side with the spear, and there came out water and blood, nay there comes out of those wounds honey, and oil unto faith. By these passages may our faith suck honey, and oil out of the rock, and may taste how good, and sweet the Lord is. The nails, the spear, the wounds all preach unto faith a reconciled God, that God is in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. The Lords bowels are laid open by these CHAP. 21 wounds, so as throughout them we may see the tender bowels of his mercy, and so as through them mercy flows from those bowels unto us. Oh my Dove that art in the clefts, or holes of the Rock, Cant. 2. 14. Some of the Ancients understood those clefts of the Rock the wounds of Christ in which the Dove, the Church hides, and shelters herself. However, it may be alluded to, and that, should be no work of faith at the Sacrament, when it sees those clefts of the Rock opened, like a Dove to betake herself thereunto for shelter, and security against all fears and distresses Tuta requies est infirm is peccatoribus in vulneribus salvatoris, securus illic habito Patent mihi viscera per vulnera. August. Mannal. Miles aperuit mihi latus Christ lancea, & ego int●ali, & ibi requiesco securus. Aug ibid. that wrath, and guilt may put the conscience to. Do any fears of wrath trouble thine heart? Doth any Conscience of guilt disquiet thee with the fears of hell? Why now in the Sacrament for thy comfort behold the holes in the Rock where thou mayest be sheltered. Dwell now in the rock, and be like the Dove that makes her rest in the sides of the holes mouth, jer. 48. Nessell thy soul now at the Sacrament in the clefts of this Rock. See, and fully believe thy peace to be made with God in Christ's blood, and look upon him wounded for thy transgressions, with such a faith, as may fill thine heart with an holy security against all such fears, faith thus Actuated cannot but send thy soul from the Sacrament with much comfort. And thus much for the Actuation of faith, which is the third thing in that holy disposition requirrd in the receiving of the Sacrament. The fourth thing follows, which is an exercise of thanksgiving to God, for the great work of our Redemption by the death of Christ. And this must rise from an heart affected, and enlarged in the use of the Ordinance, the heart being warmed, and growing hot with the sense of God's goodness, a man should break out and give vent to his heart in magnifying CHAP. 20 the mercy of God for the death of Christ represented in this Ordinance, and the fruit thereof is communicated to us therein. In the use of our natural food there follows a cheerfulness of spirit, Act. 14. 17. Filling our hearts with food and gladness. Now when the heart is cheered, and refreshed with the creature, it should then let out itself in thanksgiving to God, Nehem. 9 25. So they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness, Psalm. 22. 26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied, they shall praise the Lord that seek him. So when the heart is cheered with the sense of the sweetness of an Ordinance of the Sacrament, when the Lord hath filled the heart with spiritual food, and gladness, when we have been filled, and have delighted ourselves in God's great goodness in the Sacrament, then let we out our hearts to bless, and praise the LORD. See it in David. Psal. 63. 5. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow, and fatness. That blessing he looks for in God's ordinances: and what should then follow? And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. When, men are excessively filled with Wine, they shout and make a noise, and sing, and take on. The Prophet alludes to it, Psalm 78. 65. like a mighty man that Fons vitae, replementem meam torrente voluptatis tuae, & inebria cor meum sobria ebrieta●e amoris tui. Aug. medit. c. 37. shouts by reason of wine. Such excess, and such drunkenness the Apostle forbids, Ephes. 5. 18. Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. But yet there an holy, and a sober Inebriation the Apostle allows, and calls for. But be filled with the spirit. Drink deep of that Wine. And where is that Wine to be drunk? As in other Ordinances, so in the Sacrament. Here Christ makes merry with his people, Eat O friends, drink ye, drink abundantly o beloved, or be drunken with loves, Now when a man hath liberally Cant. 5. 1. drunk of this Wine of the spirit at the Sacrament, what should follow? That which follows in that CHAP. 21 Text, Ephes. 5. 19 Speaking to yourselves in Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual songs, singing, and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. When a Quo interius exteriusque rubricati a sapientibus hujus saeculi judicamur amentes. man is made Red with this wine within, and without, as St. Cyprian speaks, than should a man let out his heart in holy jubilitions, and Thankesgiving Haec ebri●tas non accendit, sed extinguit peccatum, etc. Cypr. de caen. Dom. unto God. Do this in remembrance of me, that is, in remembrance of the great work of your redemption wrought by me, and do it in a thankful remembrance. So remember it as to have your hearts in special manner enlarged in all thankfulness unto me for this work. And from this it is that this Sacrament bears the name of the Eucharist, as being the Sacrament of Thanksgiving for the work of Redemption in the remembrance whereof it is celebrated. Our Saviour gave a pattern of this, Matth. 26. 30. When they had sung an Hymn. So then they sang an Hymn together. An Hymn is a Psalm of praise. So the jews in the celebration of the Passeover did sing the 113. Psalm with the five following Psalms, which they called the Great Hallelujah, which they began to sing after that cup of Wine which they called Poculum Hymni, seu laudationis, the Cup of praise. And thus it should be with us in receiving the Sacrament. At all times, upon all occasions we should sing Hallelujahs to GOD, but at the Sacrament we should sing a Great Hallelujah, at all times we should thankfully bless GOD for the work of our Redemption, but at the Sacrament we should have our hearts greatly enlarged in more special manner to bless God for Christ's Death, and the sweet comforts received in the use of the Sacrament. Fifthly, and lastly, this holy Sacramental disposition stands in an exercise of love and mercy. In an exercise of love, when we look upon our fellow members communicating with us, we should cleave to them in CHAP. 20 one spirit, as unto members of the same body. 1 Cor. 10. 17. For we being many are one bread, and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. So that in partaking of that one bread, we are one bread, and one body. Many corns go to the making of one loaf, but yet they will not be knod into one loaf, unless by the mixture of some moisture they be wrought, and fastened together. Love exacted & stirred up is that moisture that unites us many several grains into one bread. So 1 Cor. 12. 13. We drink into one spirit, that is, into one soul. In an exercise also of mercy, and compassion to the poor members of Indign manducant qui corpus & sanguinem Christi in Sacramento manducunt & bibunt, membra autem ejus Evangelio non agnoscunt. Aug. count. lit. Tetil. l. 2. c. 55. Christ, showing mercy to them in contributing to their necessities. And here specially at the Sacrament should that ground work with us, 2 Cor. 8. 9 And thus we see what the concomitant duties are, and such as accompany the Action. Chap. 21. Subsequent duties, and such as must follow the Sacrament received. CHAP. 21 WE are now come to the third, and last sort of Duties, in which the due order of receiving the Sacrament stands, and they are subsequent duties, such as follow after the Sacrament received: There aught to be a special care of duties after the Sacrament, as well as before, and in receiving, for though a man may come conveniently prepared, and may in a good measure be holily conversant in the duty of receiving, yet if a man be careless, and look not to himself after the duty is done, he may mar all. A man may come to his meat prepared with a good stommach, may eat it with a good appetite, and feed hungrily, and hearty, and yet as soon as he hath eaten may do that which may spoil all. If a man, before his meat be well out of his mouth, fall to sleep, or to serious study, or to violent exercise, or specially if he shall after meat eat some unwholesome food, or take some poison, these must needs hinder digestion, and concoction, these must needs make him the worse after his meat, though he come to it prepared with a good appetite, and fed upon it with a good stomach. Physicians before they give physic prepare the body for it, and give it when the body is in a convenient disposition for it, but that is not all. They have also a special care to order, and diet a man after he hath taken his physic. For though a man's body may be well prepared before taking physic, and be well disposed in taking it, yet if a man be not afterwards careful of taking cold, be not careful what, and when he eats, his physic will not kindly work, nor do him any good. Carelessness in diet, in taking cold afterwards may Qui pharmacum sumunt, solent eo die ab omnibus abstinere quibus pharmaci vis, & operatio, impediri potest. Gualth. in 1 Cor. 11. 27. dead, and kill the force of the physic, so as it may not only do a man no good, but much hurt, though the physic were very good and proper for his body, and disease. A great care therefore aught to be had of a due, and a right ordering ourselves after the Sacrament. And this care thus to order ourselves stands in these two things. First, In a man's examining himself after he is come from the Sacrament. Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat, and so let him drink. So also, let a man eat, and drink, and so let him examine himself. A man is seriously, and faithfully, after he hath been at the Lords Table, to consider between God, and his own soul what entertainment, and welcome GOD hath given him, whether God hath dealt with him at this Supper, as Mary dealt with CHRIST at that Supper, john 12. 2, 3. whether the LORD hath poured any precious ointment upon him or not, what comfort, and increase of faith, and grace he hath received, what quickening, what refreshment, what friendship and communion with CHRIST, what virtue he hath found to flow out of Christ into his own soul. Now upon such examination a man shall find that it hath been well with him at the Sacrament, or it hath not, he hath had a good day of it, or no good day. And accordingly as he finds, so he is to proceed. First, then if a man have found no joy, comfort, enlargement, no communion with, nor answer from CHRIST, but upon examination finds that he hath been unfruitful, and that his heart was full of deadness, hardness, and dulness of spirit; then two things are to be done: First, Suspect thyself that some miscarriage hath been in thee, either in thy preparation to, or in thy performance of the duty. Labour therefore to find out where the fail was, and what it was that hindered the efficacy of the Sacrament, that caused God to keep his hand close, that caused him to deny to anoint thee with fresh oil. And having found out what hindered, and deadened the Sacrament, judge thyself for that, and be seriously humbled for it. And this being thus done, so that after our receiving we can but be sensible of our own senselessness of heart in that holy duty, and can mourn for it, and complain to God of it, and of ourselves, we need not be overmuch dismayed, and cast down, because this is one fruit of the life of Christ which was undoubtedly received in the Sacrament. Though thou hast not that thou wouldst have had, yet thou hast that which was worth the going for. Construe this very thing as a fruit of going to the Sacrament, and be thankful for that. Secondly, Endeavour by after pains in prayer, and humiliation to quicken, and awaken the efficacy of the Sacrament, for this we must know as a point of great use and comfort, that Sacraments do not always work for the present, but the efficacy may come afterwards. It is in this case as in that, 1 Sam. 10. 1. 6, 9 Samuel anointed Saul and said, The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, etc. And it was so that when had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart. The Spirit of God came not upon him in the Anointing, but afterwards, when he was departed from Samuel. The Actions of God are of eternal efficacy, though he put forth that efficacy in such times, and seasons as he sees good. Though the Sacrament work not for the present in the administration, yet if we be after touched with a sense of our unworthiness, and thereupon awaken ourselves to quicken the Ordinance to ourselves, the Sacrament, shall be ready afterwards to empty itself with blessings upon our souls, and shall prove effectual, and comfortable unto thee. The first Sacrament of the Supper the Disciples received, it is not like they found the efficacy of it for the present, for they then knew, nor understood nothing of CHRIST'S death, neither could it sink into their heads that he should dye, but yet afterwards when they came more clearly to understand the mysteries of Redemption, and the whole doctrine of Christ, no question but they reaped the benefit of that Ordinance, which then they fully understood not. Physic doth not always work when it is taken, but many times a good while, some days after. It is with the Sacrament as it is with the word. Many a man hears the word; and minds it, but for the present it hath no work at all. It is possible that seven years, twenty years after it may work, a Sermon preached seven years before may prove the means of a man's conversion seven years after, we have an example in that kind, john 10. 41, 42. And many resorted unto him, and said, john did no miracle, but all things that spoke of this man were true, and many believed on him there. john had preached of Christ before, they did not there upon believe in Christ when he preached. john was dead, and gone, but now when Christ comes amongst them, they upon john's former Sermons preached a great while before, do now believe. john was dead, but his word was not dead, that now works when he lies in his grave. Thus also may it be with the Sacrament, it doth not always presently work, it may, and doth work some longer time afterwards, when a Communicant humbled for his unprofitableness in the duly endeavours, by after-diligence and Humiliation to quicken and put life into it. And if such a course may quicken a Sacrament some time after, then why not much more on the same day? What hinders but it may be in the case of the Sacrament of the Supper, as in the Sacrament of Baptism? The efficacy, and force of Baptism doth not presently appear, no not presently upon the years of discretion. Many an one lives viciously, in sinful course, a swearer, adulterer, etc. but yet afterwards if God give once a man the heart to be touched with the sense of his own unworthiness, and he begins to bestir himself to seek GOD by faith, and Repentance, the Lord quickens a man's Baptism, and makes it as powerful, and efficacious as if that very day administered. So in this case, possibly a man that hath been at the Lords Table, and hath more than once been an unworthy receiver, but yet if a man shall come once to be humbled of that unworthiness, God will make sacraments so oft unprofitably received, to become efficacious unto him. For though he were unprepared to receive, yet God was not unprepared to dispense the benefit of them. Therefore if we have miscarried in our preparations, and dispositions so as we have found no benefit, no comfort, yet here is a remedy and an help, take this course by after-diligence, and after-Humiliation to fetch life into that Ordinance in which thou wert dead, and which was dead unto thee in the Administration. It is a frequent, and foul fault amongst many, that so soon as the Sacrament is done, and the duty ended in public, they never once look after it more. They leave the Sacramental disposition, and devotion in the Church, there they shake hands with it, and bring not a whit of it home with them. When the Sacrament is done, all is done with them, and as they come to it, so they go from it, without any examination at all. It is never once more thought upon. And thereupon no Humiliation for deadness, hardness, and indisposition in the duty, and no care to make up that by after diligence, wherein they were wanting in the present performance. 2 Secondly, If upon this examination we find that we were refreshed, had our hearts enlarged, had virtue from, and communion with Christ, and that GOD was very good to us, then do these two things: 1 First, Bless God with all thy soul for his mercy showed unto thee, acknowledge with all thankfulness God's gracious dealing with thee in the communication, and manifestation of himself to thee in his Ordinance. 2 Secondly, Be careful, and watchful to keep up, and maintain that holy, and gracious frame of heart in thee which thou acquirest in, and bringest from the Sacrament with thee. A man when he finds enlargement, and a gracious disposition of spirit in the Ordinance, should be of Peter's mind, when in the Mount with our Saviour in his transfiguration, Master, It is good being here. It is good to be here as long as may be, when therefore in the Sacrament we have gotten holy affections by degrees wound up to some spiritual height, have gotten them up to more than an ordinary, and common pitch, our care should be to keep, and maintain so long as we can, what we have gotten at the Sacrament, to keep the sweet meats we bring from this banquet. It is true indeed that we cannot hold them up in that height, and pitch, to which we have wrought our hearts in holy duties, and in the heat of holy exercises, but yet we should endeavour it what we can, and so long as is possible by after private duties of prayer, meditation, good conference, and the like. That as David prays for the people in that case, 1 Chron. 29. 18. when he saw them in a float of good affections, their hearts sweetly, and graciously enlarged, O Lord, says he, keep this for ever in the Imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare or establish their heart unto thee. As if he had said, Lord thou seest what a good frame of heart is in them at this present, oh that thou wouldst keep, and maintain this frame of heart in them ever. So when we find a good frame of heart wrought in us at the Sacrament, we should pray, and endeavour that this frame of heart might be still upheld, and continued in us. See an excellent example of this after a Sacrament, 2 Chron. 30. 21, 22. They find their hearts comfortably, and sweetly enlarged in the use of God's Ordinance, and loath they are to let this frame of heart sink in them, fain would they keep it up still, and therefore see ver. 23. what they do: And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days, and they kept other seven days with gladness. This was done to keep up still this gladness of heart which they had in keeping the first seven days. And this by way of proportion, serves to teach us what a special care we should have after the receiving of the Sacrament, to look wisely to ourselves, to keep alive as long as may be, that holy fire that was kindled in our hearts in the use of the Sacrament. It is a gross miscarriage, & a shrewd fail in men, who after good and fair enlargements at the Sacrament, have no care to keep their hearts in good frame by prayer, meditation, or good conference, but as soon as they come from the Sacrament, do fall to worldly and earthly conference, or vain and idle discourse, and so all on a sudden quench, dash, and damp all, undo all they have been so long a doing in their preparations, and performances. Such abrupt chopping off, and jumping off from holy duties, is a dangerous quenching of the Spirit. Such a quenching of the Spirit, as tends much to the hardening of the heart. Iron red hot put into water, and suddenly quenched, it makes it the harder. It is a very dangerous thing to the body, when it is hot, and in a sweat, suddenly to coal it; by casting off a man's clothes, or leaping into the cold water: Such a thing is as much as a man's life is worth. Such sudden coolings, and damping of spiritual heats, got in holy duties, cannot be without much danger to the soul. What a poor thing is it, that when at the Sacrament a man hath gotten an excellent fire kindled, and flaming in his heart, that an hour or two after, he should not have so much as a coal, or a spark of that fire remaining? And so much for the first thing to be done after Receiving, namely, the examining of ourselves. 2 The second thing to be done follows: And that is; A special, and a wondrous great care to keep touch with GOD, to express the power, and efficacy of God's Ordinance in making our good, and keeping our vows and covenants we have made at the Sacrament, our own hearts are very false, fickle, and slippery, there is therefore the more need to look narrowly to them. They never long more to break lose, then when they are fresh bound with new cords. The devil also is exceeding malicious: He is never more busy, more violent to tempt, and bring men to sin, then when they come new from the Sacrament. He knows that is the way to make their sins out of measure sinful. He is exceeding desirous to go in, and go down after a Sacramental sop. No sooner was CHRIST Baptised, Luk. 3. but Luk. 4. presently after the Sacrament received, he sets fiercely, and with all his skill, and strength upon him in his tentations. Look how Senacherib did with Hezekiah, so doth Satan with us: When Hezekiah had reform the Church, settled the worship of GOD, and had put all in good order, 2 Chron. 31. then Chapt. 32. 1. After these things, and the establishment thereof, Senacherib came with his army into the land. So when a man hath been at the Sacrament, and hath renewed his Covenants with GOD, and established his resolutions of better obedience; After those things, the Devil will come with all his forces, and seek to make a man break his vows, and neglect his Covenants. Therefore proportionable, and answerable to the looseness of our hearts, and to the malice of Satan, should our care be to keep our covenants and our vows, and to express, and manifest the power, and virtue of God's Ordinance in the holiness, and obedience of our lives. Now should our care be to show what benefit we have received by the Sacrament, in walking closely with GOD in the forsaking all former sins, and performing all duties of obedience formerly neglected. Elias, after he was fed by GOD, went in the strength of that food forty days, and forty nights, 1 King. 19 8. So should we walk in the strength of our Sacramental food many days and nights, and show that indeed we have received strength by, and from it by keeping our covenants with GOD of holiness, and obedience. See how Wisdom speaks, Prov. 9 5, 6. She kills her beasts, she mingles her wine, she furnishes her Table, she invites her guests; Come, says she, eat of my bread, and drink of the drink which I have mingled. But mark what it is that she requires of her guests after she hath fed them, and feasted them at her Table, Forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding. Now, that I have fed and feasted you at my Table, live now no more as ye were wont to do; now choose new company, and new courses, now become new men, and go, and walk in new ways. It is the very thing that GOD looks for at our hands after we have been at the Sacrament. So should it be with a man after his communion with GOD in the Sacrament, as it was with jacob after his communion with GOD in Bethel: Genes. 29. 1. Then jacob lift up his feet, and came into the land of the people of the East. He lift up his feet, he went with strength, with spirit, with cheerfulness, and Then he went, that is, after he had had that sweet fellowship with GOD in Bethel, he was so cheered, and refreshed with that spiritual bait, that in the strength, and force of that, he went on livelily, and cheerily in his journey. So when we have had fellowship with GOD in the Sacrament, in the strength of that heavenly bait at the Sacrament, we should lift up our feet, and go on cheerily, livelily, lustily in our journey towards Heaven. After Christ had been at jordan at the Sacrament, he goes forth furnished with strength from God's Ordinance to encounter the Devil; Then jesus returned from jordan full of the HOLY GHOST to be tempted of the Devil: Mat. 4. 1. Luk. 4. 1. He went from the Sacrament full of the HOLY GHOST, and full of power against the filthy ghost. So should we rise from the Sacrament full of the Holy Ghost, Tanquam Leones igitur ignem spirantes ab illa mensa recedamus facti diabolo terribiles, & caput nostrum ment revolventes, & charitatem quam nobis exhibuit, Chry. ad pop. Hom. 61. full of power, and spiritual strength, and like Lions, breathing fire, as chrysostom speaks, so as we might be terrible to Satan, and powerful against our lusts, and corruptions to mortify and subdue them, for this is one main end and use of the Sacrament, for which we come to eat, that we may get from CHRIST in it, power to mortify our lusts, and corruptions, and to be enabled to walk in better obedience than we have done. Therefore that we may show that we have made good the end of the Sacrament, we must mortify lusts, and perform duties of obedience with more power than ever. That which Paul speaks, Ephes. 4. 28. Let him that stole, steal no more, etc. It must specially be remembered after the Sacrament; Let him that swore, swear no more; that used to lie, lie no more; to be drunk, be drunk no more; to be unclean, be unclean no more, etc. This we come for to the Sacrament, and this vow we at the Sacrament. It is the note of a man that shall go to Heaven: Psalm. 15. That he keeps his oaths and his promises, though to his own hurt. How much more than should a man be careful of his oaths and promises which he makes to GOD in the Sacrament, and that for his own good? Therefore after the Sacrament thus think, and reason the case with thyself: I have been at the Sacrament, I have there vowed, and taken the Sacrament upon it, that I will forsake my sins, I have been a swearer, oaths have been frequently, and familiarly in my mouth, I have been guilty of drunkenness, uncleanness, oppression, covetousness; well now according to my vow at the Sacrament, I will watch over my tongue that I swear no more, I will get this blood out of my mouth, and this abomination from between my ●eet●, I will beware how this leprosy break out again Zech. 9 7. in my lips, since the word is gone out of my lips, by which I have vowed at the Sacrament against this sin. I will now this day begin to renounce my drunken company, and courses. I have neglected holy duties in public, and private by myself, I will this day begin to read Scripture, to pray diligently by myself, and to do all those duties of holiness mine oath at the Sacrament binds me to. If after thou hast been at the Sacrament, Satan, or any of his instruments set upon thee in any tentation to any evil, or sin, fear thyself with thy sacramental vow. Say to Satan, I was lately at the Sacrament, there thou knowest what a vow I made to GOD, therefore I may not do this evil. wouldst thou have me be forsworn before GOD? Should I, that have been at God's Table, and have eat and drunk with him, should I lift up the heel against him? I that have taken an oath to the contrary? Avoid Satan, I may not, I will not in any case do it. Thus should a man fence himself Legitur de quadam sancta ●●●gine, quae quo●ie● ten●abatur, non nisi bapti●mo, ●uo repugnabat dicens brevissime, Christiana, sum. Intellexit enim hostis statim virtutem baptismi, & fidei, quae in veritate promittentis pendebat, & fug●t ab ea. Lut●●●. against Satan's temptations by his having been at the Sacrament of the Supper, as that Virgin did, of whom Luther speaks, by her having received the Sacrament of Baptism, when she had vowed, and covenanted with God against those things to which he tempted her, Satan I am a Christian, I have been baptised, there I vowed to the contrary. And so she quenched the fiery darts of the Devil with the waters of her baptizme. So do when Satan tempts thee after the receiving of the Supper: Avoid Satan, I have received the Sacrament, and therein made a covenant to the contrary. It is a great fault in men that they are no more watchful over their hearts, and ways after the receiving of the Sacrament, and no more careful to express the power of the Ordinance in their lives. It was a great fault in the Disciples, that there was at all a contention amongst them for greatness, and superiority, Luk. 22. 24. But their fault was so much the greater by the circumstance of time wherein the quarrel sprang, for it was presently after they had received both the Sacrament of the Passeover, and the Lords Supper, as appears by the verses before going. Was that a time to be contending, to be striving, when they were newly risen from the Sacrament? contending, and striving with God in prayer, for a blessing upon his Ordinance freshly received, had been fare more seemly, and seasonable, woeful is the carriage of many, and much to be lamented. Many come to the Sacrament, and there make their vows of Renouncing their sins, and becoming new men, and yet when once the action is over, and past, how soon are their vows forgotten? how quickly return they to their old courses again? It may be, the same week return unto the same sins, receive the Sacrament on the Lord's day, and drink drunk again before the next Lord's day, nay it may be, be drunk the next morrow, nay it were to be wished, that it were not to true a complaint, that they be drunk the self same day. So for other sins, men have not the care, nor conscience to forbear them the same day, but swear the same day they receive, and have their oaths in their mouths before the bread, and wine are well out of their mouths: Just as the strumpet, Prov. 7. 14, 18. I have peace offerings with me; this day I have paid my vows, come let us take our fill of love, so she styles her filthy lust, until morning, let us solace ourselves with loves. The self same day that she had been at the sacrifice, and the Altar, the self same day she plays the Whore, and comes from the Altar, into the adulterer's bed. How heinous had her adultery been at any time, but when she had been at God's Altar, to play the strumpet, and the filth in that very day, how heinous was her transgression? Must she needs sacrifice herself to the Devil in her lusts in the same day she had been sacrificing to God? It is an heinous thing that hath been objected justly against some impure Popish votaries, that they have risen from Harlot's sides, to consecrate the Sacrament. And is it not as heinous to rise from the Sacrament to whoredom, as to rise from whoredom to the Sacrament? Is it not as heinous a thing to rise from the Sacrament to drunkenness, as to rise from drunkenness to the Sacrament? How happy were it that that which was laid to Israel's charge, might not be charged upon too too many Communicants, Exod. 32. 6. The people sat down to eat, and drink and rose up to play. How many sit down to eat, and drink the sacramental elements, and that done, rise up to play? To what play? To play the beasts, to play the swine, to play the wantoness, to play the wretches, and so make themselves by such receiving, twofold more the children of the Devil than they were before. That was exceeding heinous, and horrible, that the Lord complains of Ezek. 23. 39 for when they had slain their children to their Idols, than they came the same day into my Sanctuary to profane it. What villainy was this? Play the Idolaters, the merciless murderers of their own Children, and then come the same day into the Lord's Sanctuary? what had they to do to come into God's Sanctuary upon any day, but especially upon the same day? And had it not been every whit as heinous to have come to God's Sanctuary, to the Lords Table, Mal. 1. 12. and the same day to have committed Idolatry, murder, and so also to fall to Adultery, Drunkenness, Blasphemy, and oaths? Is not this in an high degree to pollute God's name, and his Table, and to make the fruit thereof contemptible? Mal. 1. 12. What is this, but to take poison after Physic? O shame that those hands that have been reached forth to receive Christ's body at the Sacrament, should afterwards be stretched forth to oppression, and violence; that those mouths and lips that have drunk Christ's blood at the Sacrament, should be after, and specially the same day, defiled with the slabbering drivel of oaths, filthy obscene speech, and rotten communication? The Habassines, after the receiving of the Sacrament, think it not lawful for them to sp●t that day till the setting of the sun. Brerew. enquir. cap. 23. 166. It is no better than superstition in them, but yet their superstition will rise up in judgement against the monstrous profaneness of many amongst us. They that hold it unlawful to do so much as spit that day, would they out of excess of drunkenness spew that day? They that will not spit that day, would they endure the Devil's drivel to fall from their mouths that day in ungodly oaths, and unsavoury rotten communication? They that will not spit that day, would they in that day spit in God's face, as common profane swearers, and blasphemers do? But yet some again there are, that have so much reverence to the Sacrament, and so much respect to the Ordinance, that upon that day they receive, they will carry themselves fairly and demurely. If they be tempted by their companions to any irregular carriage, they can answer, Oh fie, by no means, I have been to day at the Sacrament, I may not so much forget myself. And it is a good answer; But yet that day once over, the next day, or a few days after, let out themselves, and take their former sinful liberties. Now here let men a little consider themselves. Doth the sacramental efficacy last, and doth the sacramental covenant bind but for a day? If, because thou hast been at the Sacrament to day, it be a good argument that thou must not sin, and break out to day; why is it not as good an argument for the next day, for the next week, for the next month, the next year? Is the efficacy, the bond of the Sacrament stinted to a day? Nay, if thou return to thy sins seven years, twenty years after thou hast received; if in so long a time thou shouldest not, or couldst not receive again, yet still the bond is as strong upon thy conscience, as if thou hadst received the Sacrament but this present day. There is one and the same reason in both Sacraments. The Sacrament of Baptism is but one administered, and that in our infancy, and yet I know our Baptismal vow, and covenant, binds to the day of our death, though we should live an hundred years, yea, though we should fulfil Methusela's days. The same covenant and vow we make in Baptism, we renew at the Supper, and the bond in this, as binding and as lasting as in the other Sacrament. That is true, or should at least be true of both the Sacraments, which Paul speaks of the Rock, 1 Cor. 10. 4. They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, or went with them. They drank of the material Rock, which is called a spiritual Rock, because it was a type of Christ. The Israelites did not only drink of the Rock when they were at it, but after they were removed and gone from it, they still drank of it. But how could that be? yes, the Apostle says, The Rock followed them. That is, the water that issued out of the Rock followed them as they journyed, and streamed after them in their removes. So the Rock followed them virtually, the virtue and benefit of the Rock followed them, and went along with them. So is it, so should we have a care it should be, that the Sacraments should not only be efficacious when we are present at them, and in the act of receiving them, but their efficacy and virtue should follow us, and stream after us all the while we are travelling in the wilderness of this world, till we come into Heaven. When we come to the Sacrament, and do not show the efficacy and power of it, do not keep our covenants, and walk the more religiously and fruitfully after it, there follows upon it these two evils: 1 First, God accounts such receiving no service done to him. The Sacrament received without following, and answerable obedience, he reputes and accounts as no service at all to him. Look how God contests with his people, Zech. 7. 5. 6, 7. Did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not eat & c? Should ye not hear the words, & c? As if he had said; ye have kept many fasts for many years, but ye did no service to me in all your fasts; for your fasting was no more service to me, than when ye did eat and drink for yourselves, and for your own pleasure and delight. But how so? Because with your fasting, ye joined not your obedience to me and my words, there followed no obedience in your lives; and therefore you fasted not unto me. Did ye at all fast to me, to me? So likewise will God contest with such communicants, as do not express the power of the Sacrament, and keep not their sacramental covenants in following obedience. When ye received the Sacrament in the first, second, third, and every month in the year, did ye at all perform any service unto me, unto me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which the Lord cries by his Ministers? Your eating and drinking at the Sacrament, is no more service to me, than when ye eat and drink at your own ordinary tables for yourselves, and your own pleasures, so long as after your receiving, and eating, and drinking at my Table, there follows no expression of the power of mine Ordinance, no conscience of keeping your covenants, in yielding obedience to my words in your lives. Now what comfort can we have in our having received the Sacrament, if God accept it not as a service done to him? Nay, it is so fare from being a service accepted of God as done to him, that he accounts it treachery against him. It is true here, which Hoseah speaks, Hos. 6. 7. But they like men, transgressed the Covenant, There have they dealt treacherously against me: There, that is, in the very Covenant they have played false with me; where they thought they did God great service, there they abused him; where they thought to please God, there they provoked him to anger, there they dealt treacherously against me. It is in itself a service to God to receive the Sacrament, and to make a Covenant with him. And many think they do God good service herein, but they are deceived, because like deceitful false hearted men, they transgressed the Covenant; There, there, in the very Covenant, they deal treacherously against GOD. And so it is no service, but a provocation to the Lord: For what can provoke more than treachery? And what is it but treachery to transgress so solemn a Covenant. 2 Secondly, we horribly pollute, and take Gods Name in vain, and make ourselves guilty of spiritual perjury before God. What think we of perjured and forsworn persons? What think we will become of them? When we take an oath solemnly at the Lord's Table to forsake our sins, to walk in obedience in the performance of such holy duties, and then afterwards live in those sins still, and in the neglect of those duties still, Are we not forsworn? If we swear Siquidem vovens, & non solvens, quid nisi peiero? Bernard. de Precept. & Disp. c. 20. to do such a thing, and do it not, do we not forswear? And is it a light thing with us to be forsworn, and that by the breach of an oath, and covenant made solemnly with God? Do but consider, how heavily God threatens Zedekiah for breaking his oath and covenant, with the King of Babylon, Ezek. 17. 12.— 21. Read, and well observe the whole place. Zedekiah made an oath to Nebucadnezzar, and broke it: And what follows upon it? Vers. 15. Shall he escape that doth such things? or shall he break the Covenant, and be delivered? Vers. 19 As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my Covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. But how? He should die for it in the midst of Babylon. Vers. 16. and it first cost him the loss of his eyes, so soon as he had seen his children slain before his eyes. So smart vengeance hath God for perjury. God hath sworn that he will be revenged upon such as are forsworn, verse 19 And though men will, yet GOD will not be forsworn. Now then will the Lord be so heavily avenged for breach of oath, and covenant with a man, nay, with an heathen man, and an Idolater? Woe then to that man that breaks covenant with the great God of heaven and earth, who will not be mocked, who will not be baffled withal, who will be a swift witness, and a severe judge against all such as grossly take his glorious Name in vain, and so foully pollute his holy Ordinance. And thus a man doing the duties required before, in, and after the Receiving of the Sacrament, comes to the Sacrament after the due order. And he that walks after this Rule, peace shall be upon him, and all the Israel of God. FINIS.